“The ‘Uncanny’” is an essay written by Sigmund Freud which elaborates the concept of the uncanny in terms of psychology. In the essay, he studies the definition of the uncanny by comparing the word’s meaning in different languages and contrasting the concept of uncanny with Jentsch’s definition. Through this essay, he challenges Jentsch’s idea by arguing that the uncanny should not just based on the concept of the living of the non-living thing but is based on a more psychological interpretation which can give us a better idea in understanding the true meaning behind the uncanny.
Freud argues that the uncanny is something scary that leads a person back to what is familiar (1).The uncanny has a special meaning which serve as the border that…show more content… In this novel, the whole story was revolving a scientist who had created a new creature and the conflicts between the creator and his creation. When Victor had first created the monster, he said that “the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart” (Shelly 67). He cannot endure the ugliness of his creation and he escaped the laboratory to evade the mess he has made. After that, Victor had collapsed and fell into sick but he was lucky enough to recover and returned back to Geneva. After going back to Geneva, he realized that his youngest brother, William was killed and he suspected the murderer may be his own creation. He can recognize the monster in the woods as he described that “its gigantic stature, and the deformity of its aspect, more hideous than belongs to humanity, instantly informed me that it was the wretch” (Shelly 94). Actually he was not only feeling sad and guilty for causing his own brother death, but he was also facing the return of something that is familiar which evoke the feeling of scary and the uncanny. We can see how he is suffering as Victor says “No one can conceive the anguish I suffered” (Shelly 95). The familiar thing that came back to haunt Victor had brought in the uncanniness to