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Psychopathic Tendencies In Frankenstein

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Psychopathic tendencies in an individual can destroy the lives of many, beginning with those closest to them. The question of psychopathy arises when events of recurring offenses of anti-social behavior are exhibited by a subject. These tendencies, while unusual and alarming, do not always have to be a case of violence. In the case of Victor Frankenstein, an argument can be made on his relation to psychopathy and the non-violent tendencies that come with it. Throughout the novel written by Mary Shelley, the reader witnesses a boy growing into a rich family with an unusual desire for knowledge. This desire gets the best of him however, and he begins his spiral into madness starting with isolation and little white lies. This spiral is what builds …show more content…

Traits of psychopathy are often aligned with those of manipulators and people with high intelligence in deceitful regards (Smith 2). This deceitful behavior begins when Victor decides to create the monster. He does this in silence, realizing that his actions are those of a madman who would be shunned in society for his actions. Victor recognizes this component in the statement, “Who shall conceive the horrors of my secret toil as I dabbled among the unhallowed damps of the grave or tortured the living animal to animate the lifeless clay?” (Shelley 33). Victor goes about his toils in silence throughout the novel with a feeling of discomfort with his own actions. The lies regarding his experimentation are not confined to his first creature, however. Later in the novel Victor sets out to create a female monster upon an urgent request from his first creation. Victor plans a whole trip to England to mask his true intentions and continues to lie to those closest to him. Victor leaves Clerval, his companion on the trip, to build the female monster but is not transparent with Clerval on the true intentions of his actions (Shelley 119). Victor does not learn from his first mistake in this case: another linking factor that places Victor on the side of psychopathy. Because of these distinct repeated instances, Victor's life of pathological lies can be linked with psychopathy and the cycle of manipulation that may come along with

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An example that can identify Victor as being the true villain in the story is Victor's lack of thought and deposition when he sees the creature he had created. He states that he is “Unable to endure the aspect of the being I had created, I rushed out of the room and continued a long time traversing my bedchamber, unable to compose my mind to sleep”(Shelley 59). This quote exemplifies how Victor immediately despises the creature based on its looks and abandons it rather than taking the creature under his wing to give it guidance and care. It also demonstrates the ambition of creating new life for scientific achievement, without considering the consequences. Another example that we see victor lack a sense of guidance and responsibility is his talk with the creature he states that he “consents” to the monster's request and will “deliver into your hands a female who will accompany you”(Shelley 159).

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Victor’s creation is described as a “monster” in the story of Frankenstein. He is immediately considered to be evil because he has committed murder, even though he meant no harm. He wrongfully forges his identity according to how others see him; as an evil monster. He forges his identity on how others view him, which is an evil monster (Lall 36). At this point, he is growing out of the mental stage of an infant and is beginning to learn how to take care of himself.

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Victor first begins creating the monster, working tirelessly for selfish reasons. His body suffers tremendously and he drags himself along treating his body like a slave. He states: “My cheeks have grown pale with study, and my person had become emaciated with confinement.” (Shelly 33)

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The Monster believes and mentioned several times that the reason that he is so angry is because of Victor. Shelley writes,

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Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is a classic novel that explores the consequences of cruelty, both towards oneself and others. Through the course of the story, the theme of cruelty functions as a crucial motivator and major social and political factor, driving the plot and the development of the characters. This essay will analyze how cruelty functions in the work as a whole, the impact it has on the characters, and what it reveals about the perpetrator/victim relationship. One of the most striking examples of cruelty in the novel is the treatment of the creature by his creator, Victor Frankenstein.

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Victor’s true character emerges again as he is not taking responsibility for his actions and is still trying to convince himself of his innocence. Yet again, Victor does not feel genuine remorse; he regrets his decision, but it does not truly change him, and his unwillingness to admit his mistake shows his stubbornness. On the ship, the Monster comments on his life: “You hate me; but your abhorrence cannot equal that with which I regard myself” (Shelley 215). The Monster’s high character shines through here because he is genuinely remorseful for his actions. Despite his ugliness, The Monster’s true remorse illustrates his

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Victor failed in his creation. The literary criticism states “Through one of those science fictional “secret formulae” he succeeds and is tempted by

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From the dawn of time to the present day, humanity has built its philosophy based on the individual. The lack of empathy has been seen as the common root when pinpointing what causes one to act selfishly. Psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky believes "Selfish behavior is not only immortal, but it is also bad for your psychological well-being" ("Psychology Today"). Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, tells the tale of Victor Frankenstein creating a hazardous "monster" who is painted as a scapegoat for the town's troubles. However, lurking in the shadows is a potential prospect whose selfish demeanor causes many individuals' downfall.

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In addition to the theme of madness, both works display the theme of lies and deceit. Victor’s troubles are unexposed to anyone, excluding Walton, including his own father, “ My father had often, during my imprisonment, heard me make the same assertion; when I thus accused myself, he sometimes seemed to desire an explanation, and at others he appeared to consider it as offspring of delirium, and that, during my illness, some idea of this kind had present itself to my imagination, the remembrance of which I preserved in my convalescence” (Shelley 192). Victor never discloses his secrets to his friends and family, rather he deceives them. In addition, the creature too displays a deceitful nature, “ My revenge is of no moment to you; yet while I allow it to be a vice, I confess that it is the devouring and only passion of my soul” (Shelley 208).

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He despised the monster he believed he is; he stated that “when [he] heard the details of vice and bloodshed, [his] wonder ceased, and [he] turned away with disgust and loathing” (104). Therefore, he realized his flaws, which Victor failed to

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Victor is stirred by his work, but not in a positive manner. He goes on to explain his feelings towards the creature by saying, “… my heart sickened and my feelings were altered to those of horror and hatred” (136). Victor is so bewildered and repulsed by the creature that he misses key signs of violence, from the creature, that may have saved Victor’s family had he not been so

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The fictional horror novel of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is driven by the accentuation of humanity’s flaws. Even at the very mention of her work an archetypal monster fills one’s imagination, coupled with visions of a crazed scientist to boot. Opening her novel with Robert Walton, the conduit of the story, he also serves as a character to parallel the protagonist’s in many ways. As the ‘protagonist’ of the story, Victor Frankenstein, takes on the mantle of the deluded scientist, his nameless creation becomes the embodiment of a truly abandoned child – one left to fend for itself against the harsh reality posed by society. On the other hand, Walton also serves as a foil to Victor – he is not compulsive enough to risk what would be almost

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Due to his emotional confinement, Victor feels that he cannot trust even his wife with the knowledge of the horrible creature in which he has created. This sense of being an

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The gothic fiction novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley centralizes on humanity and the qualifications that make someone human. The content of the novel Frankenstein depicts a monster displaying human traits that his creator Victor does not possess: empathy, a need for companionship, and a will to learn and fit in. Throughout the novel Shelley emphasizes empathy as a critical humanistic trait. The monster displays his ability to empathize with people even though they are strangers. On the other hand Victor, fails to show empathy throughout the novel even when it relates to his own family and friends.

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In the novel “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley, the main character Victor Frankenstein is portrayed as a pathological narcissist throughout the entire story, he has this personality trait because of a traumatizing event that occurred in his youth changing his ideology to pursue a way to be better than death itself and play as a god. What a pathological narcissist is, is a “Personality Disorder is a disorder that is characterized by a long-standing pattern of grandiosity (either in fantasy or actual behavior), an overwhelming need for admiration, and usually a complete lack of empathy toward others. People with this disorder often believe they are of primary importance in everybody’s life or to anyone they meet” according to an article written by Dr. Steve Bressert. These are the base traits of a pathological narcissist, but in order to see how this affects Frankenstein in his life, a closer look needs to be taken to see how his actions reflected on his personality.

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