Pathological Narcissism In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Psychoanalysis of Victor Frankenstein.

Victor Frankenstein suffers from Pathological narcissism. Victor has a physical disregard for life and the feelings of others. Victory has a deep desire to be at “the center of things and is served by extreme self-confidence, a combination that makes narcissists attractive and even charming” (Vogel) . For example Victor creates the monster, playing god, then abandons his creation so he can be the center of his monster’s creation, and to get back at god for his mother's death (43). This shows Victor's inability to handle any sense of entitlement about his creation.

“ Unable to endure the aspect of the being, I had created, I rushed out of the room” (Shelly 43).

Another disregard for others

“Unreasonable thoughts and fears (obsessions) that lead to compulsive behaviors” (Black). This is a symptom of Obsession, for example. Victor while at the University of Ingolstadt, Victor progresses, his studies, but ignores his family for two years. Victor is obsessed with his studies of the living and dead, life and death. Evidence from the book supports this. “ Two years passed in this manner, during“ which I paid no visit to Geneva, but was engaged, heart and soul, in the pursuit of some discoveries which I hoped to make” (Shelley 36-37). Victor is buried in his studies, being his sole occupation. Victor does little for himself or friends. “From this day natural philosophy, and particularly chemistry, in the most comprehensive sense of the term, became nearly my sole occupation” (Shelley

Victor doesn't suffer from anxiety. It's adrenaline and instinct as he does what he feels is right. After Victor creates the monster, he is constantly worried about his creation. Its capabilities, abilities and its power. Victor is solely worried about the people of the world and humanity. “Even if they were to leave Europe and inhabit the deserts of the world, yet one of the first results of those sympathies for which the daemon thirsted would be children, and a race of devils would be propagated up the earth who might make the very existence of the species of man a condition precarious and full of terror. ~I shuddered to think that future ages might curse me as their pest, whose selfishness had not hesitated to buy its own peace at the price, perhaps, of the existence of the whole human race” (Shelley 155-156). This shows Victor is worried and not crazy man with anxiety. This also shows that he does have a care for others other than himself which shows he isn't narcissistic.

Victor isn't fully obsessed as he is just determined to be known. In the movie 12 Angry Men, a juror, Joseph Sweeney, states it a sad thing not to be known or remembered. In the book you feel as if Frankenstein wants to be remembered, he wants to do something great. All Victor is doing and suffering from is being a determined individual who wants to go down in