Isabel Velazquez
Professor Potter
ENGL 1302
10 April 2015
The Psychology Behind Frankenstein
Written in 1818, during the period of romanticism in literature, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein was bound to challenge the conventions of the society of the day. Unlike many ideal stories of that period, Frankenstein is a story of horror mixed with personal and external tragedy. The main character, Victor Frankenstein, manages to create a creature that turns out to be a monster that haunts his creator and is a reflection of his mental state. To render a scientific angle to this argument, Frankenstein may be seen as the manifestation of the author’s mind, in its subconscious state. The monster character was born out of a series of severe mental disturbances,…show more content… Frankenstein notes that when he was young his “dreams were undisturbed by unreality” (Shelley 22). This means that he lived in a perpetual state of idealism as opposed to realism. It is not until his mother dies that he is brutally thrust into the world of cruel reality. Frankenstein notes that his mind “changed its bright visions of extensive usefulness into gloomy and narrow reflections upon self” (Shelley 21). To a keen reader or to someone who is somewhat informed about psychology, these are the first signs of a depressed person. The symptoms intensify as the plot progresses the effects, which transform him from a mildly depressed person to a maniac depressive whose actions border on the…show more content… The initial cause for the creature’s mental state stems from abandonment issues: “the [monster] suffer[s] an initial trauma of abandonment. The creature is left by the only birth-parent he knows... The creature literally reaches out, his hands and arms enacting not only a symbol of friendship, his vulnerability and his attempt at connection, but also… emotions.” (Montwieler and Boren). This proves some popular psychology explanations over the importance of nurture for a child. The creature was like a lost child and Victor portrayed himself to be a deadbeat dad. It is evident that because of this, “the creature also reacts to trauma physically. He runs. He runs after Frankenstein; he runs away from Frankenstein. (This too is mirrored by Victor's actions.)” (Montwieler and Boren). When taking a look at the trauma the monster deals with, it is no surprise he takes it out on his creator. This summarizes and displays the effects that the abandonment and trauma had on the creature psychologically- he seeks revenge and is at a battle with Victor. Frankenstein was a broken character who created another being and broke him as well, causing the creature pain and leading him to his own psychological