Sympathy for the Devil

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The gothic novel is previously associated with being a ‘rebellion against constraining neoclassical aesthetic ideals of order and unity, in order to recover a suppressed primitive and barbaric imaginative freedom.’ (Botting, 1996: 98) It is often considered a premature manifestation of the emerging values of Romanticism. Although the gothic genre is somewhat shadowy and difficult to define it can be seen as having a number of characteristics or conventions. This can be observed in Frankenstein including the ‘stereotypical settings, characters and plots, an interest in the sublime, the production of excessive emotion in the reader, an emphasis on suspense, the notion of the double and the presence of the supernatural.’ (Botting, 1996: 102) The genre develops more than an understanding of the various modes of destructive violence, social repressions, and disturbing sexual energies characterizing particular moments of modernity. It begins to be integral to the formation self-representation and maintenance of the modern world we inhabit. The degree in which the protagonist characters in the novel portrayed as either innately virtuous or evil and its contribution to their identity. The novel Frankenstein finds itself a victim of psychoanalytical criticism. The purpose of this essay is to investigate the identity of Frankenstein and his relation to the creature using the psychoanalytic theory.

This essay will discuss the evidence showing the reason why the creature is a more appealing character by observing closely the relationship between Victor Frankenstein and his monster. In addition, the epistolary form used in the novel as well as character development will also be referenced. The monster represents a part of Frankenstein's fr...

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... the horrific result of in her novel. Frankenstein is more than a ghost story; it is a social narrative and a political manifesto.

Neither Victor nor his creation displays actions or attitudes that constitute “goodness” under this particular perception of human nature. Yet the creature continues to prove him more sympathetic than his creator does because he is far more aware of his own wrongness than Victor is. Victor is appallingly hypocritical; the monster is merely realistic, and indignant towards Victor’s hypocrisy. The creature's acknowledgment for his need of affection is present throughout the entirety of the novel. By acknowledging that he lacks affection, he discovers he needs to search for it since Frankenstein suppressed him from it. It is because affection is unachievable for the creature, despite his efforts, which makes him the victim of this novel.

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