Doubling and the Uncanny in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Introduction: Two Monsters and the Uncanny

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus is a cautionary tale about the dangers of taking the power of life and death into one's own hands. First published in 1818 and then revised and republished in 1831, Frankenstein explores the relationship between Victor Frankenstein — the proverbial mad scientist — and his creation, the Monster. Through this relationship, the reader is able to better understand how doppelgangers manifest themselves in literature and how Sigmund Freud's concept of the uncanny, or das unheimliche, along with his framework of id, ego, and superego, influence the creation of horror in Frankenstein.

In Frankenstein, Shelley creates two distinct monsters: Victor Frankenstein and the Monster. Through this duality, Shelley produces what Freud refers to as the uncanny. Freud describes the uncanny as "that class of the frightening which leads back to what is known of old and long familiar." He further argues that "something has to be added to what is novel and unfamiliar in order to make it uncanny" (Freud, "The Uncanny"). One of the ways in which the uncanny manifests itself is through the doppelganger, which initially makes Frankenstein appear more innocent than the Monster — when in reality, it is his appearance and demeanor, or the perception thereof, that conceal the fact that he is the true monster of the tale.

Frankenstein's monstrous nature arises from his desire to control the creation and destruction of life — to become God. He is driven by a thirst for knowledge that leads him to study the works of natural philosophers such as Cornelius Agrippa, Paracelsus, and Albertus Magnus. Guided by these thinkers, Frankenstein "entered with the greatest diligence into the search of the philosopher's stone and the elixir of life; but the latter soon obtained [his] undivided attention" (Shelley). Furthermore, "[a]fter days and nights of incredible labour and fatigue, [he] succeeded in discovering the cause of generation and life; nay, more, [he] became…capable of bestowing animation upon lifeless matter" (Shelley).

Frankenstein's Monstrous Nature and the Ego

Frankenstein is able to hide his monstrous nature behind his intellect and his apparently unending desire to uncover the secrets of life and death. At this point in his creative process, he is driven by Freud's concept of the ego — "that part of the id which has been modified by the direct influence of the external world" (Freud, The Ego and the Id). The ego does not differentiate between right and wrong but rather seeks a realistic and most feasible avenue for instant gratification. Because Frankenstein eschews social conventions and moral thought, it can be argued that he is driven by his ego and is devoid of a superego — or suffers a severe imbalance thereof — since the superego's function is to control the id's impulses and guide the formation of an idealized self (McLeod).

The Superego, Fear, and the Refusal of a Mate

It is also possible that a latent response from his superego influenced Frankenstein's behavior, since he was able to recognize his mistake as soon as the Monster was brought to life — though not a moment before. Upon realizing what he had done, Frankenstein "rushed out of the room…traversing [his] bedchamber…threw [himself] on the bed…endeavouring to seek a few moments of forgetfulness" (Shelley). Paradoxically, he does not seek to correct the problem, nor does he feel guilt; he merely wants to forget what happened and abandons the defenseless Monster. Frankenstein purposefully created the Monster to be ostracized by society and cannot bring himself to care for it or help it transition into the world.

Furthermore, he refuses to comfort the Monster or create a companion for him, because he finally recognizes that doing so would be immoral and unethical. Although Frankenstein has the ability to create a secondary, female companion for the Monster, he is prevented from doing so both by his superego — as he no longer wishes to regard himself as a god or bring further destruction into the world — and by fear. He believes that a female monster would be "ten thousand times more malignant than her mate, and delight, for its own sake, in murder and wretchedness" (Shelley). Moreover, Frankenstein considers the possibility that the female monster would reject the Monster and turn to the "superior beauty of man" (Shelley).

It is in this fear of the unknown, and in the endless horrific possibilities of a second creation, that the uncanny is most clearly visible. Frankenstein is simultaneously familiar with the behavior and appearance of the Monster, yet the unpredictability of a female counterpart creates profound unfamiliarity. His refusal to create a secondary monster — and thus deny the Monster any chance at a normal life — pushes the Monster to embrace what Frankenstein has always believed him to be: an evil creature. This drives the Monster to seek revenge on his creator by depriving him of his companions, which further emphasizes the doppelganger qualities present in both man and creature.

Conclusion: Doubling, Psychology, and the Uncanny

It is through Shelley's doubling between Frankenstein and the Monster, and herself and both characters, that Freud's uncanny and psychological concepts of the id, ego, and superego can be analyzed. Shelley demonstrates how an individual's outward appearance is not necessarily representative of their character, and at the same time she is able to come to terms with the psychological traumas that plagued her — from losing her own mother at childbirth to losing her own children shortly thereafter. Furthermore, Shelley demonstrates how an imbalance between an individual's id, ego, and superego can influence behavior, and she illustrates how each of these structures is formed, whether through instinctual behaviors, observations, or education. Ultimately, Shelley's intuitive understanding of the uncanny and of psychological constructs paved the way for thinkers like Sigmund Freud to investigate the constructs of fear and unease.

Works Cited

Freud, Sigmund. The Ego and the Id. 1923. Web. 2 May 2013.

—. "The Uncanny." 1919. Web. 2 May 2013.

Johnson, Barbara. "My Monster/My Self." Diacritics. Vol. 12. The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1982, pp. 2–10. JSTOR. 2 May 2013.

McLeod, Saul. "Id, Ego and Superego." SimplyPsychology. 2008. Web. 2 May 2013.

Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus. Project Gutenberg. Web. 2 May 2013.