Frankenstein Literary Analysis: Frankenstein And The Monster

When doing a literary analysis using the psychoanalytic type A criticism, the reader must solely look to the work itself and exclude externalities. One may interpret, “Dr. Frankenstein and the monster as embodying Sigmund Freud’s theory of id and ego” (Telgen). The theory is based upon the idea that a character’s personality can be divided into three parts. The id which is the basic desire for what each person wants. The superego which is the opposite of id, it houses our sense of guilt. Lastly, there is the ego, the balance between the id and superego. The ego represents reality. Focusing on Victor Frankenstein and the monster he created, one can better understand their personalities by examining the three parts of their subconscious; and determining parallels between the two characters.

Victor Frankenstein’s id is shown primarily at the beginning of the novel; he creates the monster because he wants to and he doesn’t consider the repercussions that would follow. The id is known as the “inner child,” there is no sense of consciousness when you’re satisfying the id. One whose id is superior simply does what they want to do. Furthermore, early in the novel,

Frankenstein is a prime example of Freud 's theory of the subconscious being divided into three parts. After analyzing Victor Frankenstein and his creation, it obvious that they both have an unbalanced subconscious. At the start of the novel, Frankenstein’s id was more prominent, and after he realized what he’d created, his superego took over with his sense of guilt. The creature on the other hand primarily follows his id, and doesn’t feel guilty of what he’s done. Despite their hatred for one another, Frankenstein and the monster are very much the same. The monster is a product of Frankenstein; “Creator and created” (Hennessy). They are both unable to accept responsibility for what they’ve done, they struggle with their subconscious, and they are dependant upon one another; they needed each other to