Frankenstein: a Psychological Analysis Essay

What truly makes Mary Shelleys Frankenstein an entertaining novel, in my opinion, is the psychological development of each of the contributions doneout the story. The best way to display such psychological progress is to compare events and thoughts from the book to Sigmund Freuds theories on the sense of right and wrong. Freuds id is shown through primitive actions of certain characters those that involve little judgment and rely on instincts rather than informed decisions.The ego can be observed through staple fiber thoughts and decisions that are made without the influence of conscience. The super-ego is, in fact, conscious thought itself, often characterized by the guilt or other feelings that come as a terminus of the id and ego. As you will see, Freudian theory has an important place in the literary masterpiece that is Frankenstein. While the idea of the id is probably the least commonplace of the three in Frankenstein, it still plays a major role in shaping the character s, most specifically, Frankensteins monster.Id is most commonly applied to instinctual actions and those taken solely out of a need for survival and instant gratification. The monster finds himself satisfying his id when teaching himself the basic means of living and human action. These skills give him what he inescapably to live and obtain his necessities, but contribute nothing to his ultimate consciousness. Much as the id is associated with primitive inhuman desires, Frankensteins monster takes on a sensual and primitive image.Next among the three parts of Freuds psychic apparatus is ego. Ego is applied to the organized and realistic part of a characters mentality and, unlike the id, requires judgment and next-level thinking. achiever Frankensteins willing development into a scientifically learned being and then his venture into creating carriage from inanimate body parts accurately shows the more advanced, yet still somewhat surface, thought process of an ego-influenced bein g. Additionally, it is Frankensteins ego that distances him from his family and friends.At this headland he has the capacity to make decisions and act on them, but not consider or feel what might come out of them. Victor Frankensteins ego soon turns into super-ego as the consequences of his actions become visible. The super-ego plays the moral role of the three, allowing for emotional comprehension of the events that unfold. Guilt seems to be a common thread between the super-egos of Frankenstein and his monster. Victor is overwhelmed with guilt upon realizing that his creation is responsible for the deaths of his brother, father, friend, and wife.He even seeks a temporary release from the guilt in isolation and appreciation of nature. The monster finds himself in a very similar situation, facing the guilt of actually killing the ones that Frankenstein loved, and thus reducing his creators life to one without substance or anything to be emotionally attached to. Obviously, the menta l punishment of guilt plays a large role in forming the super-egos of both protagonist and antagonist. Freuds theories on the subconscious and conscience set the foundation for Shelleys novel.His id characterizes the monsters initial struggle for survival in an unfamiliar world. His ego is played out by Frankensteins obsession with biological sciences and later creation of a monster. His super-ego encompasses the basic actions taken in the previous two, but also adds an ethical and emotionally conscious component part to the consequences. It is apparent that Sigmund Freuds structural model of the psyche almost perfectly outlines the basic psychological activities in and between the characters of Frankenstein.