Frankenstein and the Human (Prompt 3) - Carmen Condeluci

                

The Essence of the "Monster"

               What does it truly mean to be human? The answer might seem obvious at first, with a biological explanation being the simplest solution, but it becomes less clear when we look past mere physical classifications. When ignoring the human form, we are left with only human consciousness. Philosophers have pondered for hundreds of years what the true meaning of human consciousness may be, with conjectures ranging from as bleak as the Socratic requirement of rational ability to Descartes’ dualism of self. Today, modern science attempts to uncover the workings of our consciousness through psychology, and to further define true human nature. One of the founding fathers of the science, Sigmund Freud, once defined the “deepest essence of human nature” as consisting of the aim to satisfy basic needs such as self-preservation, need for companionship, aggression, and an impulse to seek out pleasure. Although Freud’s analysis may appear lacking in depth, these mechanisms of human consciousness provide an ample basis for classification of a being as “human”.

                With this set of requirements in mind, let us examine the “monster” from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. From the moment Victor animates the creature, it is conscious of itself and its surroundings, even commenting later on the “strange multiplicity of sensations” that overtook it all at once (Shelley 57). This fulfills the first true requirement of humanity: the possession of consciousness of self and surroundings. The monster further explains its confusion as it attempts to make sense of the strange world around it, eventually seeking out for shelter, food, water. After waking the next morning, the monster comments that it covered itself in some of Victor’s clothes for warmth, and later finds and tends to a fire which it uses to better its food supply. Before it has even left the area surrounding Ingolstadt, the monster has shown that it cares for its own life through its successes in self-preservation. It even comments on the safekeeping of its own life when it confronts Victor later on top of Montanvert, saying, “Life, although it may only be an accumulation of anguish, is dear to me, and I will defend it,” (Shelley 56).

                The monster continues its story by telling of the family of cottagers that it happened upon. It expresses a strong desire to become companions with the family, even referring to the ones it stalks as its “friends” while it discreetly assists in the cottagers’ labors. The monster makes it no secret that it in its every intention to one day join the cottagers, with it lamenting, “I formed in my imagination a thousand pictures of presenting myself to them, and their reception of me,” (Shelley 63). Eventually, the monster comes forward to its “friends”, only to be cast away by their horror and violence towards its hideous form. All of the monster’s efforts to join the cottagers, as well its confrontation with them, speak towards its great need for companionship and love, yet another component of Freud’s essence of human nature. Furthermore, the rejection causes the monster to enter a state of incredible rage, destroying parts of the forest and setting the cottager’s hut ablaze (Shelley 75). This showcases the monster’s ability to display aggression, as does his sworn vengeance towards Victor and the eventual murder of his brother William. Later still, when the monster is shot after trying to save a young girl’s life, it swears eternal hatred towards mankind.

                Not all of the monster’s apparent humanity is seen purely in tragedy. It mentions numerous times throughout its story that it finds great pleasure in appreciating the beauty of the natural world around it, such as delight it finds in listening to the songs of birds (Shelley 58) and the joy it experiences on the first day of spring, on which it even sheds a tear of delight. The monster even comments, “I felt emotions of gentleness and pleasure… revive within me,” proving that it can, in fact, possess and express emotions of not only hatred, but also of happiness (Shelley 76). However, the monster also pursues pleasure with its hatred through its sworn revenge on Victor. After the monster successfully strangles William, it expresses a feeling of triumph and superiority, giddy with the knowledge that it can oppress the creatures that scorn him. Whether its pleasure is brought by joy or vengeance, the monster clearly shows its impulse to lust after it.

               By utilizing Freud’s basic criteria, it can be seen that the monster certainly possesses the “essence of human nature”. It feels pleasure when it sees the beauty of nature and does everything it can to keep itself alive, even in the face of a gunshot wound. The monster longs for the companionship of others, and becomes enraged when it realizes that dream will never become a reality. Beyond Freud’s criteria, the monster shows through his tale to Victor a level of introspection and realized self-loathing that only the brittle psyche of a human could experience. It is through the “monster’s” humanity that it becomes apparent that it is truly more human than those with whom it longed for companionship and met it with horror and cruelty.


"Freud - Essence of Human Nature." Science and Philosophy. Web. 04 Sept. 2013.