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Frankenstein and Maslow's hierarchy of need
Frankenstein and Maslow's hierarchy of need
Frankenstein and Maslow's hierarchy of need
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Upon the many observances that can be seen throughout the story of Frankenstein, one of the main focus points would be that of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. This is a psychological pyramid that consists of the basic needs of the subconscious human. These needs consist of self-actualization needs, esteem needs, social needs, safety needs, and psychological needs. Once one need on this period is met, the human body will subconsciously seek to fulfill the next item it feels is missing (McLeod). There are many circumstances within the novel that concern this hierarchy, and it is made apparent that this gives reason for many of the actions of the monster that take place. It can be justified in the sense that his actions were committed for a feeling …show more content…
He also states that his reasons for his actions were because of the fact that he did not have another of his kind so it is nearly impossible for his needs to be met, which is an outward sign of Maslow’s Hierarchy being a valid element within the novel. Since the creator, Frankenstein, contemplates and later decides against creating a female creature, the monster is very upset about it and once more seeks revenge (Shelley). Since yet another need on Maslow’s Hierarchy is not met, the creature seeks violence because his need is not being met, and if Frankenstein can’t create a female creature for him, no one else can. In other words, it is impossible for the third level of the Hierarchy to be met and this is cause for loneliness for the monster. If he did not feel as an outsider in the beginning, he certainly feels like one now and that’s causing him to want to commit violence because subconsciously, most people will feel the need to react in a negative way because of the body’s natural reaction to try and fulfill that
As Frankenstein is enroute to his pursuit of gaining more knowledge, he states, “I wished, as it were, to procrastinate all that related to my feelings of affection until the great object, which swallowed up every habit of my nature, should be completed” (Shelley 41). Frankenstein’s decision in allowing his intellectual ambitions to overpower everything else in his life leads him to be blinded to the dangers of creating life. He isolates himself from his society when creating the monster, letting himself be immersed in his creation while being driven by his passions, allowing nobody to be near him. The fact that he allows this creation of a monster to consume his total being reveals how blinded he is to the immorality of stepping outside the boundaries of science and defying nature. His goal in striving to achieve what wants to in placing man over nature makes him lose his sense of self as all he is focused on is the final product of his creation. He starts to realize his own faults as after he has created the monster, he becomes very ill and states, “The form of the monster on whom I had bestowed existence was forever before my eyes, and I raved incessantly concerning him” (48). His impulsive decision to make the monster leads him to abhorring it as it does not turn out to be what he has expected. Because he chooses to isolate himself in creating the
In Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein the protagonist Victor Frankenstein creates a monster. The monster in the novel is deprived of a normal life due to his appearance. Like the creature, some serial killers today are killers due to the same rejection. In the novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley warns that a childhood of abuse and neglect will often result in evil actions.
Taking responsibility for one's actions is a hallmark of maturity, leadership, and capability. When one can admit their faults or wrongdoings when they happen, life usually moves along much smoother. Consequences for those who attempt to shift blame off themselves for their own misdeeds tend to be much more severe than those who acknowledge them as their own. In literature, agency is the ability of a character to act on their environment, those who act positively and take responsibility for their actions would be said to have good agency. The absence of this quality can result in large consequences for not only the person lacking in agency, but those around them as well. Victor Frankenstein and Rodion Raskolnikov’s delusions of grandeur, unwillingness
The first level of Maslow’s hierarchy is physiological needs. These needs, including breathing, food, water, and sleep, are vital to survival. Although they are the most basic necessities, Maslow believed that these were “the more critical to survival” (Armstrong 75). In Frankenstein, the monster is forced to take care of these important needs on his own. After he is created, the monster “ate some berries which [he] found hanging on the trees, or lying on the ground. [He] slaked [his] thirst at the brook; and then lying down was overcome by sleep” (Shelley 87). In his hierarchy of needs, Maslow explains that once the needs of a certain level are satisfied “other (and ‘higher’) needs emerge and…dominate the organism” (Maslow 375). After the monster learns to manage his physiological needs, he is able to concentrate on the second level of Maslow’s hierarchy: safety needs. After the monster obtains food and water, he finds a place of security in the woods where he “retreated and lay down happy to have found ...
In the novel Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, loneliness is a key theme. There comes a point in the novel where Dr. Frankenstein has to make a decision: to either make his creature an equal woman companion or to refuse his protégé and face the dire consequences. At this point, Frankenstein is knowledgeable that his creation is the murderer of his brother (and indirectly caused the execution of his family friend Justine). He sees just exactly the problems that his creation has caused and how much pain his family is suffering from these losses. On the other hand, the monster offers peace and a ceasefire to Frankenstein’s family if he obtains what he most desires.
In Volume 2 of Frankenstein, the Creature’s repeated experiences of rejection unleash the “monster” in him and lead to the destruction of the De Laceys cottage. Through the portrayal of the “monster” inside the Creature, Shelley argues that loneliness caused by lack of human relationships will drive an individual to do harmful actions. Throughout volume 2, the Creature had been secretly living alongside the De Lacey family. He grew attached to them the more he spied. The creature finally decides to reveal himself to the De Laceys. As he does that, the family runs away in fear. After all that happens the creature says “My protectors had departed and had broken the only link that held me to the world. For the first time, the feeling of revenge
Human behaviors can be hard to understand, thankfully there are many ideas that contribute to the study of what controls them. Sigmund Freud, a psychologist, is widely known for his many contributions and theories to the understanding of human behaviors. One of his most accepted theories is the idea that humans have three psychic zones which are in charge of fulfilling desires, considering morals, taking in emotions, and making a decision. The three zones consist of the id, ego, and superego. This Freudian theory can be seen woven throughout Mary Shelley's book, Frankenstein. Shelley creates her main characters with strong psychic zones, but many of them contain unbalanced and unhealthy zones. Victor Frankenstein
Both internal and external consequences were the cause of being isolated from society. Frankenstein began to feel depressed after the creation of the monster and decided to isolate himself from his friends and family. Frankenstein kept his creation a secret from everyone because he was afraid of the consequences. Ironically, Frankenstein was the main problem for all of his sufferings. He thought that he could keep everyone safe if he were to not tell them about the monster, however, everyone died because he wanted to keep everyone from the truth. The creature also suffered many consequences from being isolated. He wanted to be part of a family, and feel loved, but everyone judged him based on his monstrous appearance. The creature suffered through every encounter he had with people and he began to hate mankind. Both Frankenstein and the creature ultimately sought for revenge. They both suffered tremendously due to their isolation and thus resulted in their
In Frankenstein, Victor’s monster suffers much loneliness and pain at the hands of every human he meets, as he tries to be human like them. First, he is abandoned by his creator, the one person that should have accepted, helped, and guided him through the confusing world he found himself in. Next, he is shunned wherever he goes, often attacked and injured. Still, throughout these trials, the creature remains hopeful that he can eventually be accepted, and entertains virtuous and moral thoughts. However, when the creature takes another crushing blow, as a family he had thought to be very noble and honorable abandons him as well, his hopes are dashed. The monster then takes revenge on Victor, killing many of his loved ones, and on the humans who have hurt him. While exacting his revenge, the monster often feels guilty for his actions and tries to be better, but is then angered and provoked into committing more wrongdoings, feeling self-pity all the while. Finally, after Victor’s death, the monster returns to mourn the death of his creator, a death he directly caused, and speaks about his misery and shame. During his soliloquy, the monster shows that he has become a human being because he suffers from an inner conflict, in his case, between guilt and a need for sympathy and pity, as all humans do.
In the novel "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley, the relationship of external apperence and internal feelings are directly related. The creature is created and he is innocent, though he is seaverly deformed. His nature is to be good and kind, but society only views his external appereance which is grotesque. Human nature is to judge by external apperence. He is automatically ostracized and labeled as a monster because of his external apperence. He finnaly realized that no matter how elequintly he speaks and how kind he is, people will never be able to see past his external deformities. Children are fearful of him, Adults think he is dangerous, and his own creator abandons him in disgust. The creature is treated as a monster, therefore he begins to internalize societies view of him and act the like a monster.
Throughout the year Professor Prudden has been teaching us the idea of the individual and when and how it came about. We have studied The French Revolution, Scientific Revolution, Colonialism, and Reformation, all stressing what made this time period important to the individual. We finished the class reading the novel Frankenstein with does a great job of demonstrating a man or “monster” creaking his own being. We have already determined that an individual is; the habit or principle of being independent and self-reliant. Mary Shelley demonstrates individuality through Frankenstein and leads to his internal isolation and loneliness. She shows that uniqueness is the most important aspect of individualism not only through Frankenstein but Victor
“Frankenstein” by Mary Shelly explores the concept of the body, life, ‘the self’ and most of importantly humanity, which is repeatedly questioned throughout the novel. The definition of humanity is the quality of being humane or in other words someone that can feel or possess compassion. Despite all the facts against the “monster” in “Frankenstein” he is indeed what one would consider being human. Humanity isn’t just about ones physical appearance but also includes intellect and emotion. Some people argue that the “monster” is not a human for he was not a creature that was born from “God” or from a human body. That being said, the “monster” is not only able to speak different languages, he can also show empathy - one of many distinct traits that set humans apart from the animals. Both the “monster” and his creator, Victor, hold anger and feel a sense of suffering throughout the novel. Victor is a good person with good intentions just like most individuals, but makes the mistake of getting swept up into his passion of science and without thinking of the consequences he creates a “monster”. After completing his science project, he attempts to move forward with his life, however his past – i.e., the “monster” continues to follow and someone haunt him. While one shouldn’t fault or place blame on Frankenstein for his mistakes, you also can’t help but feel somewhat sympathetic for the creature. Frankenstein just wants to feel accepted and loved, he can’t help the way he treats people for he’s only mimicking how people have treated him, which in most cases solely based on his appearance. Unlike most of the monsters we are exposed to in films past and present, the character of the “monster” ...
Well, Monster started to teach himself and at the same time stalk Frankenstein. But why stalk the man that left you behind. Well it seemed like Monster was abandoned and attacked so much to the point that he couldn’t help but feel insecure about himself. He started to question his reason for being created. Maybe that is why monster started to stalk Frankenstein because Frankenstein created him. Monster had no reason for being so he made his reason for being his creator. Monster wanted his creator to feel what he felt for that two years and understand what it felt like to be alone. This all goes back to Frankenstein being a parent. This also shows what happened when “he violates a primal contract, the universal contract between creator and created, which specifies that the father owes his children the means to live, that creation mandates nurture. Frankenstein can create but he cannot nourish” (Vargish 329). It points to that because the monster could have been able to get pass that if he had that one person to be there every step of the way. If Frankenstein was to nourish him mentally the monster probably wouldn’t have killed so many people. Look at the end when Frankenstein dies, Monster is pretty heartbroken about it. He has lost his reason for being. He has no idea what to do with his life without his father. So maybe the reason Monster chose to use violence was because that was all he experienced and all he basically
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley portrays an individual in a unique situation trying to overcome daily interactions while being faced with inconceivable misfortunes. Created by Victor Frankenstein, who set out on a journey to bring life to scrapped pieces of waste, he was then abandoned and left to fend for himself in a world he was abruptly brought into. After being abandoned by his creator for his less than appealing looks, this then sparked his inevitable desire for revenge. Eventually leading to the destruction of those associated with his creator. Knowing that he will never fit in, the monster began to act out in hopes of getting back at his creator for what he did. His vulnerability due to missing guidance and parental figures in his beginning stages of life contributed to his behavior. The books and article Family Crisis and Children’s Therapy Groups written by Gianetti, Audoin, and Uzé, Victim Of Romance: The Life And Death Of Fanny Godwin by Maurice Hindle, and Social Behavior and Personality by Lubomir Lamy, Jacques Fishcher-Lokou, and Nicolas Gueguen support why the monster acts the way he does. The monster’s behavior stems from Victor’s actions at the beginning of his life and therefore is not to blame. The creature in Frankenstein is deserving of sympathy even though he committed those murders because the lack of parental guidance, lack of family, and lack of someone to love led him to that. All in all his actions were not malicious, but only retaliation for what he had been put through.
The Development of Thought on Frankenstein It is a story of horrors that has been, over time, adopted into cinema and television alike. However, the original story of Frankenstein written by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley from 1816 to 1817 in Geneva Switzerland differs greatly from its Hollywood renditions. When published in 1818, the 19 year old’s story was highly criticized for its style and many different critics offered interpretations based on the popular critical theories of the time. Although all critics of Frankenstein have slightly different views, many of them do express similar points. Croker and the writer from The British Critic express their contempt for the novel in general.