Assuming Victor and the monster are one, all the deaths in Frankenstein are a direct result of Victor's Oedipal issues. They all directly tie to Elizabeth, who is his replacement for his mother. However, in the end even she can't quench his Oedipal thirst.
William was killed because of the way he was described in Elizabeth's letter. She showed a lot of passion towards him and so Victor killed him out of jealousy. It explains why the picture of Victor's mother was taken at the scene. Justine was killed as a manipulation factor. By Justine dying, Elizabeth was being hurt. She had a very strong tie to Justine. Victor unconsciously resented her for his mother's death. (Elizabeth gave his mother scarlet fever. It's her fault she abandoned Victor.) Henry was killed because he was pressuring Victor to go home and marry Elizabeth. I think it was around this time Victor's resentment became conscious, which is why he described their union as "miserable." He realized she would never fill his mother's place. Lastly, Elizabeth was killed when that resentment came out. She was the cause of his problems and the only way to get closer to destroying his "Oedipal" issue was to destroy her.
Frankenstein's monster is his Oedipal urge, because he mainly appears at midnight, when the moon is high. (His mother's presence is always near.) Also, after he killed Elizabeth he "plunged into the lake." Lake is symbolic for the womb and that's where Victor's Oedipal regression would bring him.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Frankenstein's Oedipal Issues
It was pretty evident right from the start that Frankenstein had Oedipal issues. When Victor's mother died, Elizabeth gained his interest, because she assumed the motherly role. The dream in which Elizabeth transformed into his mother's rotting corpse, is evidence to show that his passion for Elizabeth was merely transference from his feelings toward his mother. Also, when he decides to create life, he's doing it in hopes of bringing his mother back to life. He even originally described his monster as "beautiful" and then called it demon. I think he had this reaction, because he realized even if he could bring back his mother he'd be doing God's work. Man is merely mortal and thinking otherwise is a sin. After he creates the monster, he runs into the courtyard and looks up to the moonlit sky. On would say he's being judged by God, but I believe he was looking for his mother's presence. It was in that moment he felt abandoned all over again, but this time not of his mother, but of hope.
Victor's Oedipal complex almost consume him when he contemplates suicide. It's the way he planned it that's significant. He was on a boat in the middle of the lake and planned on drowning himself. By doing this, he'd be regressing back to the womb. Water is symbolic of womb and this has Oedipal significance, because the womb is the closest a child can ever be to their mother. Later, he faces he attempts to bring back his mother again when his monster (or his personified Oedipal issue) demands a female. When he realizes the possible havoc it could bring, Victor dumps it into the water on which the moon is reflecting. This supports the theory that the failed attempt was the mother. Lastly, while he has feeling for Elizabeth, the only reason he's really pushing to marry her is because it was his mother's dying wish that they would do so. He's doing this to honor her. Even in death he can't let go.
Victor's Oedipal complex almost consume him when he contemplates suicide. It's the way he planned it that's significant. He was on a boat in the middle of the lake and planned on drowning himself. By doing this, he'd be regressing back to the womb. Water is symbolic of womb and this has Oedipal significance, because the womb is the closest a child can ever be to their mother. Later, he faces he attempts to bring back his mother again when his monster (or his personified Oedipal issue) demands a female. When he realizes the possible havoc it could bring, Victor dumps it into the water on which the moon is reflecting. This supports the theory that the failed attempt was the mother. Lastly, while he has feeling for Elizabeth, the only reason he's really pushing to marry her is because it was his mother's dying wish that they would do so. He's doing this to honor her. Even in death he can't let go.
Schizophrenia in Frankenstein?
There is an abundance of evidence in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, that may lead the audience to believe Victor and his monster are one in the same. As a whole this theory includes there being no monster and Victor is the killer who had suffered from a nervous breakdown. One glaring similarity is that they both have abandonment issues. With Victor this spawn's from his mother's death. (He was still battling with unresolved Oedipal issues.) With the monster this comes into play in chapter five when he first awakes to find a father who doesn't want him.
"His jaws opened, and he muttered some inarticulate sounds, while a grin wrinkled his cheeks. He might have spoken, but I did not hear; one hand was stretched out, seemingly to detain me, but I escaped and rushed downstairs." Frankenstein's monster came to him as an "infant", trying to greet his father. He smiled, tried to speak, and even tried to embrace but was denied all these things. The monster possessed the mind and heart of a human and so felt unwanted. Victor denied him a parental figure and so the creature was abandoned at a crucial time in his life. As the monster went through his psycho sexual stages, he made it evident he yearned for a parental influence.
His oral stage was abandonment from the father he tried to embrace but was denied. He also had a fear of starvation though, which was why he stole food from the villagers and collected berries in the woods. Victor never provided for him and so he was alone. In the anal stage he exerted his control by taking William's life. He only did this to arouse anger in Victor and draw him toward his creation. Deep down he still wanted his creator's attention. In the phallic stage the monster was attracted to Felix whom he referred to as "beautiful." He was unsure about his sexuality, because he was never given guidance or anything from Victor. Walking through the mountains, independent, was his latency stage. However, it was in those mountains where he reflected and planned on how he'd confront his creator. Lastly, in the genital stage he wanted a female partner. Only Victor could provide him with that. As much as her cursed Victor and swore to make his life miserable, the monster still always craved some kind of affection or attention from his "creator."
"His jaws opened, and he muttered some inarticulate sounds, while a grin wrinkled his cheeks. He might have spoken, but I did not hear; one hand was stretched out, seemingly to detain me, but I escaped and rushed downstairs." Frankenstein's monster came to him as an "infant", trying to greet his father. He smiled, tried to speak, and even tried to embrace but was denied all these things. The monster possessed the mind and heart of a human and so felt unwanted. Victor denied him a parental figure and so the creature was abandoned at a crucial time in his life. As the monster went through his psycho sexual stages, he made it evident he yearned for a parental influence.
His oral stage was abandonment from the father he tried to embrace but was denied. He also had a fear of starvation though, which was why he stole food from the villagers and collected berries in the woods. Victor never provided for him and so he was alone. In the anal stage he exerted his control by taking William's life. He only did this to arouse anger in Victor and draw him toward his creation. Deep down he still wanted his creator's attention. In the phallic stage the monster was attracted to Felix whom he referred to as "beautiful." He was unsure about his sexuality, because he was never given guidance or anything from Victor. Walking through the mountains, independent, was his latency stage. However, it was in those mountains where he reflected and planned on how he'd confront his creator. Lastly, in the genital stage he wanted a female partner. Only Victor could provide him with that. As much as her cursed Victor and swore to make his life miserable, the monster still always craved some kind of affection or attention from his "creator."
Sunday, March 21, 2010
The Recurring Theme of Incest in Frankenstein
Within the first fifty pages of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, the idea of incest is presented, not once but a few times. When Elizabeth is first adopted into the family, she is "given" to Victor as a "beautiful present," as his mother puts it. On her death bed she coolly states, "my firmest hopes of future happiness were placed on the prospect of your union." It's just interesting to look at society from a historical lens and see what was socially acceptable. Today, the idea of incest leads to cultural outrage, but considering Mary Shelley lived in the 1800's, it was far more common.
Another interesting thing I found was Frankenstein's dream. In it he dreamed of kissing Elizabeth, who then turned into his rotting mother. After analyzing this dream, I believe it has two possible meanings. He either blames Elizabeth for his mothers death, since she gave his mother the Scarlett Fever, or it means his mother is haunting him, since he refuses to keep in touch with Elizabeth. Therefore, he is refusing to keep her dying wish to try and be with Elizabeth.
Another interesting thing I found was Frankenstein's dream. In it he dreamed of kissing Elizabeth, who then turned into his rotting mother. After analyzing this dream, I believe it has two possible meanings. He either blames Elizabeth for his mothers death, since she gave his mother the Scarlett Fever, or it means his mother is haunting him, since he refuses to keep in touch with Elizabeth. Therefore, he is refusing to keep her dying wish to try and be with Elizabeth.
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