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How Is Frankenstein Related To Psychology

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The Frankenstein monster created by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley is one of the most wondrous characters in literature. Furthermore, the psychology behind Victor Frankenstein and the monster that he had created has been an issue that has been debated by psychologists for several years. Moreover, it has been claimed that the Frankenstein monster gives the reader a glimpse into the consciousness of Victor himself. This being said, many individuals have tried to understand the reasons for the monsters actions and his change in disposition. Despite its vicious behavior and committing the act of murder, Doctor Victor Frankenstein’s creature is not characteristically evil or malicious but a creation of rejection and negligence and Shelley give …show more content…

Psychology finds that rejection by one’s own mother has a dramatic effect on the internal thoughts of the child. In this case, the monster takes on the role of the child and is the recipient of “maternal” rejection. As soon as the monster comes to life, Victor is filled with intense revulsion. He explains, “The beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart” (Shelley, 42). From that quote, it is learned that Victor’s rejection of the Frankenstein monster was immediate. Moreover, Victor’s actions are similar to that of infant rejection. For example, Victor’s immediate reaction was to lock the monster in his apartment and to leave him all alone. As a result, the monster never felt the maternal loving embrace of Victor. Because of Victor’s act of selfishness, the monster was immediately cast into loneliness and a sense of being rejected by his creator. This was the beginning of the psychology that led to violence. According to their article “The Effects of Temperament and Perceived Maternal

Rejection on Childhood Anxiety and Behavior Problems” in the book School Psychology

International, Fabrina Yazdkjasti and Susumu Harizuka say that when a child senses that their

mother has rejected them, it was found to be a key source of anxiety leading to behavioral

problems in school among a group of 8-11 year olds (Yazdkjasti & Harizuka, 125). One must

also remember that Victor was left

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