Essay on Psycho-Analysis in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein

Psycho-Analysis in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Sigmund Freuds studies in psychoanalysis are uncannily fore-grounded in the late romantic period. The works of William Wordsworth, Percy B. Shelley, Lord Byron, and Mary Shelley, all function as poetic preludes to Freuds 18th century field. Particularly, it is Mary Shelleys Frankenstein that creates a fictional rendering for psychoanalyst. In Frankenstein, Victors rejection of the Monster metaphorically represents the egos rejection of the unconscious. Following from this metaphorical paradigm, Freuds theories on narcissism, the libido theory, the doppelganger, neurosis, and the Oedipus-complex all resonate in the pages of Frankenstein. After a brief introduction to narcissism and†¦show more content†¦Prior to these three blows Man considered himself as the center and ruler of the universe, a narcissistic illusion. The discoveries of Copernicus, Darwin, and Freud drove mans narcissism underground dividing the object (the world), from the subject (the self), or conscious from the unconscious. In the beginning of its development the libido (all erotic tendencies, all capacity for love) in each individual is directed towards the self†¦It is only until later that, in association with the chief natural functions, the libido flows over and beyond the ego towards objects outside the self, and it is not until then are we able to recognize the libidinal trends as such and distinguish them for the ego-instincts. (Freud, One of the Difficulties to Psycho-Analysis, 3) The ego-instincts are those that are controlled by the conscious mind or the self-preservative force. Therefore, in a human paradise the libido and the ego-instincts would be one. The sexual drives would work agreeably with the preservative drives. However, in adulthood Freud explains the libidinal drives do not always correspond to those self-preserving drives within society. The lack of correspondence causes the onset of repression: a part of the activity of your own mind has been withdrawn from your knowledge and from the command of your will†¦with one part of your forces you are fighting the other part (Freud, One of the DifficultiesShow MoreRelatedReview Of Frankenstein By James Whale1840 Words   |  8 PagesLiterature Review Critical Analysis of Frankenstein The 1931 film, Frankenstein, which was directed by James Whale changed the mad-scientist/horror movie scene permanently. Although it is almost a century old, people are still reenacting it and discussing it. This film is about a young man named Henry Frankenstein. Henry has an obsession with creating life. Fritz, Henry’s assistant, helped collect body parts from recently deceased corpses. The two men got to work, binding the parts together, toRead MoreMetamorphoses Within Frankenstein14861 Words   |  60 PagesThe Critical Metamorphoses of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein You must excuse a trif ling d eviation, From Mrs. Shelley’s marvellous narration — from th e musical Frankenstein; or, The Vamp ire’s Victim (1849) Like Coleridge’ s Ancient Mariner , who erupts into Mary Sh elley’s text as o ccasionally and inev itably as th e Monster into Victor Frankenstein’s lif e, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometh eus passes, like night, from land to land and w ith stang ely ad aptable powers of speech Read MoreFreud and Mary Shelleys Frankenstein2606 Words   |  11 Pagessuggest monstrosity, and Frankenstein’s creation in Mary Shelley’s novel may be perceived as a personification of the Freudian id. In this case, however, the creature also mediates between its neurotic creator and societal values, just as the Freudian ego, conditioned by the reality principle, mediates between external reality and inner turmoil through practicality. The ego is the psyche’s driving force and, arguably, the real protagonist of Frankenstein. But in the fierce tug-of-war within the ego betweenRead MoreEssay on Film Genre2313 Words   |  10 Pagesfilm fall into a particular group of films – genre. Moreover, critical analysis of any film can take place only if conventions are considered. These conventions are also called â€Å"repertoire of elements†. In this document shared genre conventions in terms of horror will be discussed. The horror genre has become much more popular nowadays than ever before. ‘If its beginnings were rooted in literature – Mary Shelley’s â€Å"Frankenstein† (1818) and Bram Stoker’s â€Å"Dracula† (1897) are the titles that seem toRead MoreEssay on Romanticism4035 Words   |  17 PagesBlakes Albion to Byrons Manfred to Keats musings on the disassociated nature of the Poetic Self. Some writers personified this division in distinct physical manifestations, usually a hero and his inverse doppelganger. Most famously in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein, the various selves in De Quinceys Confessions of an English Opium Eater and in the complex mirroring of major characters in James Hoggs ambiguous masterpiece Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner. Although critics (as