A2 Literature: Frankenstein & Doubles

I have been putting off doing a Frankenstein blog post for a total of 4 days now, but enough is enough, I need to stop focusing on my adoration of 'Macbeth' & 'The Bloody Chamber' to give my old buddy Victor a bit of revision attention. One of the concepts in which I find the most interesting in Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' is the gothic notion of the doppelgänger, so therefore this seems the most appropriate to start with. Enjoy!

What is 'the double'? 

Gothic Literature dominantly exhibits the theory of ‘doubles’, which refers to an externalisation of a part of self, which is frequently used to demonstrate the tensions between the laws of society and the desires of the individual. Thus, giving voice to that which has been silenced by rational discourse or repression. 

Many critics argue that throughout Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’, both Victor and the Creature are constructed as ‘two halves of the same whole’, with both antagonists possessing similar characteristics and tragically flawed vices - such as their thirst for revenge when both their brides’ are so monstrously murdered before their own eyes. Many interpretations exist as to what the Creature truly represents, whether it be an externalisation of Victor's repressed desires to eliminate any form of familial contact to achieve absolute isolation, or even if the Creature forms a rationalisation of Victor's sexuality - which he appears repulsed and disgusted by: "the filthy mass that moved and talked...breathless horror and disgust filled my heart." However, despite alternative perspectives, it most certainly cannot be denied that there are vital similarities to be drawn between Victor and the Creature, which appear to affirm them as doubles of one another: "my own spirit...forced to destroy all that was dear to me!"

'Two halves of the same person': Victor & The Creature

Throughout 'Frankenstein', Shelley establishes vital similarities between both Victor and the Creature, which appears to affirm the argument that Victor's creation forms an externalisation of his "own spirit", who is able to commit the evil acts in which he is unable to carry out due to the socially accepted behaviours of patriarchy. Some of the vital similarities between Victor and the Creature are as follows:

• Both begin the novel as "benevolent" and insightful beings who both become tarnished with a vengeful craving for revenge and hatred for one another: "I cannot believe that I am the same creature whose thoughts were once filled with sublime and transcendent visions." 
• Both victimise themselves excessively, until it almost appears as a competition on whom is the most miserable: “more miserable than man ever was before, why did I not sink into forgetfulness and rest?”
• Both react in a similarly exaggerated, vindictive manner to the death of their brides.
• Both characters suffer greatly from isolation; however, Victor's is significantly more self-imposed than that of the Creature.
• Both characters hold strong links to intertextuality: Victor adores the scientific/factual works of Agrippa/Paracelsus/Magnus, and the Creature learns from Milton's 'Paradise Lost' and Plutarch's 'Lives'
• Both Victor and the Creature appear to mirror the theories of God & Adam, which further creates allusions to 'Paradise Lost' as the Creature believes "Satan to be the fitter emblem."

Freud & Frankenstein:

When considering both Victor and the Creature as doubles, it is important to consider the gothic notion of the 'doppelgänger' from a Freudian perspective by looking at the psychoanalytical theories of the 'divided self' and the two key aspects of this division. 

The first key aspect of the 'divided' mind is the ego, which by Freudian definition attempts to balance between reality and illusion, mediating the two in order to carry out socially accepted schemes of behaviour, whilst repressing our darkest desires. Thus, in simple terms, meaning that the ego is the part of the 'divided self' in which we use most significantly, it is the version of ourselves we present to society - acting almost as a shield for our repressed desires. The 'ego' frequently feels obliged to repress any dark, corruptive desires or thoughts we may possess within the unconscious with it's own rationalisations - meaning we may not know we even have them; the ego constantly takes notice of reality even when these oppressed desires may remain strongly in our minds. A good way to remember this is to think of a conventionally two-faced person (unfortunately everyone knows one, unless it's you and you don't realise), and the way in which they are nice to a person's face, yet behind their back, become mocking or even rude about them. Well, when considering the theory of the 'ego' this is surprisingly really helpful (even though that two-faced person may not be so helpful to have around), mainly because if you imagine the 'ego' as their nicer persona towards people, and their hidden 'ID' as the horrible/mocking side. The 'ego' is the nice, eloquent, sensible front we put on; hiding our maybe sometimes horrible thoughts. 

Therefore, leading beautifully on to the second key aspect of the 'divided' mind: the 'ID'. Notably, this second key aspect of the brain features our basic, instinctive desires; the dark, inaccessible parts of our personality which knows no judgement, morality or values - no good or evil. The 'ID' is nothing more than a selfish drive to achieve our negatively ambitious, instinctive desires. The 'ego' contains reason, rationality and sensibility, as opposed to the 'ID' which possesses solely passion - and it is this ID which is expected to remain repressed from society by the concealing 'ego'. 

Arguably, these two key Freudian concepts can be applied to the roles of Creature and Creator in Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein', with both 'ego' and 'ID' being represented as one entity, and the Creature being the embodiment of Victor's subconscious desires; and therefore, the darkest, deepest aspects of his personality. However, it is key to note that the Creature is physically separated from Victor, which makes the Freudian concepts slightly more complex when relating them to 'Frankenstein', as the Creature (the ID) is an independent being in which Victor (the ego) cannot repress. Mary Shelley's composition of the doppelgänger, 'divided self' theory allows the Creature to be able seek out it's own satisfaction and fulfilment of it's dark desires: "Before, dark and opaque bodies surrounded me, impervious to my touch or sight; but now I found that I could wander at liberty."

Notably, when considering the Creature as an externalisation of Victor's repressed desires, it is interesting to note the way in which the series of murders committed by the Creature appear to almost be pre-meditated in the mind of Victor. For example, after the completion of Victor's toils, he receives a letter from Elizabeth telling him that his father’s health is still ‘vigorous’, that Justine has been adopted by the family, and that William is "tall of his age, with sweet laughing blue eyes" before concluding with a list of local marriages as a hint to Frankenstein - forming a catalogue of his worst psychological fears. Subsequently, the murder of William – the removal of Frankenstein’s sibling rival, and the accusation of Justine - abruptly follows. Thus, presenting an interesting case of psychological transference, as Frankenstein would ideally remove Elizabeth, but the similarly adopted daughter is substituted. Justine is killed by strangulation, in the same way that Elizabeth will be, which appears to affirms the presentation that the Creature is an externalisation of Victor’s evil and ‘nightmarish’ desires for violent acts of murder underneath his apparently ‘civilised’ state of mind.

A vital quote to affirm this is as follows:

"My own vampire, my own spirit, let loose from the grave and forced to destroy all that was dear to me!"

Doubles & Sexuality: 

Arguably, when further evaluating the Freudian reading of 'Frankenstein', it could even be argued that the Creature forms an externalisation of Victor's sexuality; which would explain why Victor feels such repulsion and "breathless horror and disgust" towards the Creature. Notably, within the novel, the Creature becomes entirely enraptured with the idea of companionship, which finally causes him to request to Victor: "My companion must be of the same species, and have the same defects. This being you must create." However, it is also important to note the way in which Victor detests many forms of companionship, for example, the nature at which Victor secludes himself in absolute solitude when consummating his "toils"; as well as the way in which he feels such repulsion towards marrying Elizabeth: "Alas! to me the idea of an immediate union with my Elizabeth was one of horror and dismay!"This vital difference between the two characters appears to solidify the argument that the Creature forms an externalisation of Victor's sexuality, or that which he so fears to confront - which would explain his abrupt exit from the room upon the "spark of being" awakening the Creature. 

Most significantly, it is more than coincidental that on the night of Victor's marriage to Elizabeth, a time when he will most certainly have to confront his sexuality, the Creature conveniently murders Elizabeth. However, arguably, the Creature's murder of Elizabeth can be viewed as more than this, with Shelley's use of sexual imagery when expressing the nature at which Elizabeth is "thrown across the bed" in a "relaxed form" on her "bridal bier." Thus, implicitly suggesting that the Creature either raped, or conducted some form of sexual contact with Elizabeth, before her death; subsequently, highlighting the Creature as an externalisation of Victor's repressed and 'monstrous' sexuality. The Creature is able to do what Victor cannot; he is able to consummate the marriage.