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Henessa Gumiran Mrs. Corsun AP Literature Period 06/07 December 6, 2012 The Pervasive Unconscious As each is raised into maturity under the conditions o f growth, over the years, each carries with him or her distinct characteristics. Each individual, therefore, becomes un iquely defined by the facets of his h is or her personality, regardless of whether or not they ex ist as flaws, or as embellishments to his or her character. Embedd ed within these features that one fosters throughout his or her lifetime are those that a re unconscious, existing as a means of highlighting the depth of one’s of one’s character. Often, many characterizations of individuals merely illuminate the surface, but do not truly assess the extent by which individualism, as well as commonality, c an be measured — at at the psychological level. Psychoanalytic Psychoanal ytic evaluation allows for a more cultured understanding of the way in which individuals behave, by offering justification for their actions and decisions, under the premise of established pa tterns. The qualities by which psychological analysis is applicable are prominent in the back grounds of characters that possess forms of complexity from which they can be b e recognized, as this c omplexity is given rise to by the presence of such qualities. This generalization generalization holds true for Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein Shelley’s Frankenstein,, in that the unconscious adopts a major role in regulating how the events unfold, therefore serving as the foundation for the scope of the novel — — the the unconscious proving to be the basis by which the piece gradually develops, allowing for unconscious motives to take hold of the protagonist and determine the nature of his future through his guilty desires, which in turn are fueled by b y his exhibited core issues of low self-esteem and the fear of intimacy.
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The unconscious is collectively outlined by “the storehouse of painful experiences and emotions, wounds, fears, guilty desires, and unresolved conflicts” (Corsun), by which the protagonist of the novel is burdened. As such, the unconscious serves as the domain of the repressed memories and feelings, which remain buried so as not to overwhelm the weight of the thought process, which would potentially hinder the capability of properly coping with reality. While not necessarily explicit, the unconscious presents itself in various forms throughout the novel, utilizing the characters as hosts for its function, in which it delineates the inevitable — the repercussions due to the possession of varieties of the unconscious. As the protagonist, Victor Frankenstein asserts himself as a striving student, who desires to excel in his own pursuits, but lays victim to several unconscious motives that, in time, lead him to his demise. From a young age, he is driven by his passion for knowledge, complemented by “…an eager desire to lear n, and not to learn all things indiscriminately,” (Shelley 23), chann eling this desire towards “…the secrets of heaven and earth” (Shelley 23). This seemingly harmless curiosity escalates into a guilty desire, through which Victor Frankenstein seeks to unc over knowledge of forbidden nature, as it remains naturally unbeknownst to hu mans. In discovering such knowledge, Victor Frankenstein hopes to secure a sense of success that will reward him for his continuous and laborious pursuit of hidden information. In doing so, Victor Frankenstein struggles for a means by which he can assert his own significance, for it is this desire for knowledge that gives meaning to his existence. However, as a guilty desire, the quest for such knowledge binds him to his work, as he is indeed seeking to establish himself as one who is celebrated, given by the fact that he contemplates, “…what glory would attend the discovery” (Shelley 26), which ultimately is attributed to his need for recognition. In this, Victor Frankenstein not only cares for the knowledge that he is to gain, but also the fame that will ensue if he is to be successful. He
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therefore is in pursuit of knowledge that will elevate him above others, for discovering such secrets would allow him to maintain a sense of exclusivity, since this knowledge would be solely in his hands, and he alone would receive the acknowledgment that will be accredited to a discovery of such magnitude. An inflation of Victor Frankenstein’s intellect references his underlying superiority complex, which reveals itself as an additional guilty desire for dominance. Ultimately, he rises to distinguish himself from others, being that “…among so many men o f genius who had directed their inquiries towards the same science…[he] alone should be reserved to discover so astonishing a secret” (Shelley 38). He considers himself to be of the same caliber as the “…many men of genius” (Shelley 38), but essentially surpasses their standing by being the one to discern “…so astonishing a secret” (Shelley 38); therefore, Victor Frankenstein boosts his pride by proving himself to be competent within the range of genius, and by maintaining his status as elite, for he alone guards the secret that he has unearthed. It is not a commonplace discovery that is made, and in this regard, Victor Frankenstein re alizes that he has mastered an art that has previously remained unknown, establishing himself to be above the other genius that have sought after the same objective as him. This desire to hold such restricted knowledge co mpels him to further his struggle for understanding, achieving success “…in discovering the cause of generation and life” (Shelley 38), thus rendering him “…capable of bestowing animation upon lifeless matter” (Shelley 38). In the end, Victor Frankenstein fulfills his quest for dominance, in that he learns the material that defines the boundary between him and man; he is in possession of knowledge that allows him to adopt the role of a deity, as it is he who can control the presence of life. In turn, this harbored guilty desire enables Victor Frankenstein to reach an enlightened state, from which he would draw upon to spark the creation of “…a work of inconceivable difficulty
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and labor” (Shelley 39): “…an animal as complex and wonderful as man” (Shelley 39). Although Victor Frankenstein fails to recognize this creation as his fatal error, he directs the fruits of his labor into perfecting his creature as one that is of the same intricacy as humans, for “…[he] had selected his features as beautiful” (Shelley 43), reflecting on Victor Frankenstein’s desire for superiority by attempting to achieve the same for his creation. He does not wish to animate a simple life form, as it is not reflective of his true ability and would not allow his creation to transcend the border of mediocrity. This is also notable in the fact that Victor Frankenstein has “…resolved…to make the being of a gigantic stature…about eight feet in height, and proportionally large” (Shelley 40). Such a figure would naturally allow the creature to maintain a stance that is dominant to that of a human being, for essentially, Victor Frankenstein seeks to construct a creature that wou ld be unparalleled, and its stature serves as the first indication of such an endeavor. By assembling parts that would desirably merge to form a flawless being, Victor Frankenstein unconsciously strives to compensate for his own shortcomings, and instead conceals these blemishes under the façade of intended perfection in his undertaking — indicative of Victor Frankenstein’s low self -esteem — a core issue which lies at the root of his superiority complex, for it is because of his low self-esteem that he seeks solace in his work. Victor Frankenstein’s low self -esteem becomes notable in his reclusive nature, as he shies away from attention, and in its place, allows work to occupy him to the extent that “…the same feelings which made [him] neglect the scenes around [him] caused [him] also to forget those friends who were so many miles absent, and whom [he] had not seen for so long a time” (Shelley 41), while his “…cheek had grown pale with study, and [his] person had become emaciated with confinement” (Shelley 40). Rather than pursuing intimate relationships with those whom he is
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acquainted with, Victor Frankenstein resorts to utilizing his work as a means of achieving the fulfillment that he is unable to realize with an yone else. The significance of the relationships in his life begins to deteriorate, as does his health, given by the expense attributed to his work; in this manner, Victor Frankenstein considers work to be his highest priority, as it is through work that he can redeem himself and fill the void that relations with others would not satisfy. Thus, Victor Frankenstein does not feel bound by the connections that he has formed in his life nor by society, for in turn, he does not believe himself to have “…right to share their intercourse” (Shelley 175). He therefore draws a line that d ifferentiates him from others, considering himself to be an outlier that is no longer able to assimilate into society, for he ex ists as the cause of the deaths of those dear to him. As a result, he stands as an outsider that is ne ither shunned nor accepted by society and those around him, but remains in a form of limbo where he must seek out the value of his actions, and come to understand and accept the consequences of them. Even in his childhood, Victor Frankenstein’s low self -esteem is fueled by the deficiency of appropriate interaction with those whom he is a cquainted with. His father refers to Victor Frankenstein’s studies as “…sad trash” (Shelley 24), which discourages him from the direction of natural philosophy, until he decides to abandon this study, for, “All that had so long engaged [his] attention suddenly grew despicable” (Shelley 27). To Victor Frankenstein, natural philosophy is the gateway to the knowledge that he is after, but it morphs into a study that he despises, being sullied by the criticism of his father, and the constraints that such knowledge would offer. The knowledge that Victor Frank enstein wishes to acquire is degraded as worthless, which would inflict damage upon his self-esteem, for he initially holds natural philosophy in a high regard, as a “…new light” that “…seemed to dawn upon [his] mind” (Shelley 24). Dedicating much of his time to the study of natural philosophy, Victor Frankenstein equates this
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new light to the obtainment of insight into the world, as it is viewed through the lens of his study. By attaching a negative correlation to natural phil osophy, Victor Frankenstein’s struggle for the attainment of knowledge is thus tarnished, causing him to lose ground and confidence in his doings. He is then “…left to struggle with a child’s blindness” (Shelley 26), under which he must procure a path to follow en route to the knowledge that he chases. This blindness is the precursor to his downfall, for it is this very blindness that prevents Victor Frankenstein from identifying the symptoms of his imminent ruin. The blindness shields him from considering the validity of his studies, and pushes him to immerse himself in his own studies and work without first assessing the intricacy of the possible results. The presence o f his low self-esteem coerces him to find some essence of comfort in his being, and therefore, he develops his guilty desire for superiority, by which he confronts his previously dormant thirst for redemption. Accordingly, the struggle with the unconscious largely accentuates the core issues that pervade the range of the novel, in that the presence of unconscious motives is responsible for the entrenched core issues that are illustrated throughout. These core issues are reminiscent of the nature of the unconscious; that is to say, the core issues that arise are byproducts of the reign of the unconscious and its manipulations. The unconscious features that of what is repressed, while the core issues are those that emerge as a result of such repression. Repression takes shape in the novel by masking the remnant inner conflicts that are hidden by the pretense of Victor Frankenstein; he presents himself as a man who is devoted to his studies and work, but beneath that superficial layer, he is a complex character who thrives on the fire of his suppressed complications. As such, a core issue that surfaces is the fear of intimacy, for it becomes evident that Victor Frankenstein does not fully evaluate th e process by which his emotions come into context with the unconscious, which derives from the way that he has matured. Collectively,
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Victor Frankenstein’s experiences from his youth until adulthood comprise the bank from which the unconscious stems, thrusting its roots into his daily routine by dictating the way in which he will behave and react to stimuli. The fear of intimacy takes hold in Victor F rankenstein when assessed in relation to his mother, who suffers an un timely demise at the clasp of the scarlet fever. While much attention is given to the characterization of his mother at the start of the novel, Victor Frankenstein drifts from this bias, and detaches himself from the sentimentality in the memory of her. Following the death of his mother, he claims that “…grief is rather an indulgence than a necessity” (Shelley 29) and departs for Ingolstadt “…to rush into the thick of life” (Shelley 29). Thus, Victor Frankenstein refrains from close involvement in the mourning household, and distances himself from the tragedy so as to avoid lingering attachment to his deceased mother. He does not distinguish grief as mandatory, and therefore releases himself from its grasp, in order to relish in the fact that he is alive, surrounding himself with a new environment in which he can refresh himself. Likewise, this fear of intimacy is mirrored in Victor Frankenstein’s relationship with Elizabeth, in spite of the romantic connection that unites them. In accordance with their mother, her dying wish lay in the “…hopes of future happiness…placed on the prospect of [their] union” (Shelley 28). The union between Elizabeth and Victor Frankenstein is thus made u nder the circumstances of death, which, rather than bringing the two closer together, places them on opposite spectrums when Victor Frankenstein leaves to pursue an education. While Elizabeth patiently awaits the return of her lover, Victor Frankenstein continues to retreat into solitude, which inhibits him from maintaining intimate relationships with anyone. With a potential union forged at the will of the deceased, the union itself becomes marked by death itself, as is illustrated by Victor Frankenstein’s dream in which “…[he] thought he saw Elizabeth, in the
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bloom of health, walking in the streets of Ingolstadt…but as [he] imprinted the first kiss on her lips, they became livid with the hue of death; her features appeared to change, and [he] thought that [he] held the corpse of [his] dead mother in [his] arms” (Shelley 44). The fear of intimacy thus becomes apparent, in that a mere kiss causes his dream to diverge onto another path — Elizabeth transforms into his dead mother, representing the physical manifestation his mother’s death wish, which in turn, becomes tangible in his dream. The intimacy of the kiss becomes the facilitator of death, therefore signifying Victor Frankenstein’s fear of intimacy itself, for it is this intimacy that brings about the horror aspect of his dream, in which his lover becomes “…livid with the hue of death” (Shelley 44), indicative of the fact that it is the intimacy between the two will result in Elizabeth’s death, as is foreshadowed in the dream. The dream unites Victor Frankenstein’s fear of intimacy in relation to both his mother and Elizabeth, for intimacy with either one proves to be futile; Victor Frankenstein is haunted by the death of his mother and his previously exhibited indifference to the event has prevented him from establishing closer ties to his prospective lover. In order to structure the piece, these core issues remain omnipresent, and they act as catalysts of the incidents that are to occur. In this light, they essentially are the driving force behind the novel, and bring forth the underlying issues that become central to both the characters and the plot. As such, they allow for the novel to move forth at a steady pace, establishing the vitality of such core issues to the progression of the novel itself. This is achieved through the process of the core issues creating conflicts, through which the characters are entangled, which, in turn, sets the rate by which the novel proceeds. Thus, they become the basis for the novel, and determine the way in which the characters behave and make their decisions. Those that afflict Victor Frankenstein present themselves as low self-esteem and the fear o f intimacy, which drive
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him into isolation, bringing him to create the monster that facilitates his death, as a result of his own guilty desires for both knowledge and superiority. Thus, the core issues allow for the nov el to develop fully, under the given notion that such regulate how the novel comes together. Victor Frankenstein’s low self -esteem and his fear of intimacy bring him to remain detached from others, eventually solidifying his complete separation from society until he comes into contact with Walton, which allows for the novel to be pieced together by a first-hand account that is transcribed by Walton himself. As core issues are intertwined with the unconscious, the two tie into each other in order to produce an effect that serves as the primary source of struggle in the development of the protagonist, as well as the novel itself. When juxtaposed, the unconscious acts as the macrocosm of the core issues, which naturally brings into question the extent to which the unconscious is responsible for the complications of such.
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Works Cited Corsun, Gina. “ Frankenstein and Psychoanalytical Criticism.” Edison: n.p., 2012. Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft. Frankenstein. New York: Bantam, 2003. Print.
