The Narcissistic Personality In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

To begin with a purely medical evaluation, one must know the symptoms and criteria for making a particular diagnosis. Frankenstein is an excellent subject to evaluate on a psychological level. Victor possesses numerous flaws in his character, mainly in his narcissistic habits. Narcissistic personality disorder appears to be the main culprit for Victor’s infatuation with science as a means of achieving admiration. Narcissistic personality disorder is simply, “...a mental disorder in which people have an inflated sense of their own importance, a deep need for admiration and a lack of empathy for others. But behind this mask of ultra confidence lies a fragile self-esteem that’s vulnerable to the slightest criticism” (Narcissistic 1). Victor expresses multiple symptoms of this disorder. Narcissists tend to believe that they have a ‘grand plan’ or personal accomplishment to complete in order to demonstrate their superiority in intelligence and abilities. “That is, in various ways they’re constantly driven to prove themselves, both to others and to their not-so-confident ‘inner child’ self” (6 Signs of Narcissism 3). Victor’s obsession with science and medicine go beyond what is morally acceptable. His belief that he can

The entirety of the reason for the creature existing rests on Victor’s narcissistic shoulders.
Although personality disorders are generally not dangerous and often go unnoticed, Victor’s case contains tremendous repercussions. Frankenstein composes a perfect example of the evil potential of narcissistic personality disorder. “In the light of modern psychiatry Frankenstein is a sad tragedy portraying a narcissist at full blast, a total disaster destroying his own being and the people around him in an obsessive and delirious pursuit of divine power. Indeed, Frankenstein is richly furnished with descriptions of incidents that expose Victor Frankenstein’s mental condition” (Hirche