Elizabeth's Role In Frankenstein

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“I have love in me the likes of which you can scarcely imagine and rage the likes of which you would not believe.” Mary Shelley's Frankenstein explores the life of fictional character Victor Frankenstein and his psychological struggles of aspiration and consequence. Frankenstein, as a world renowned literary work has been dissected for interpretation by many professors and common readers alike. A popular interpretation of the work revolves around main character Victor frankenstein's deranged mind, and belief that the “monster” may in fact not exist as a tangible being but rather an alternative personality manifested from Frankenstein’s deepest desires, desires for his mother. Frankenstein’s monster is not truly brought to life but rather awoken …show more content…

Elizabeth’s new role as mother along with her previous title of future wife acts as fuel to the flame of relevance to Frankenstein’s Oedipus complex. Frankenstein is never able to appreciate or love Elizabeth as a wife being that she so closely resembles a motherly figure: in fact, he resents her for this. Elizabeth’s role of mother to Frankenstein conflicts with her role of soon to be wife allowing Frankenstein to become aware of his unnatural love for his mother and longing to extinguish this love. By murdering Elizabeth he is snuffing out the desire and admiration he had for his mother figure in hopes of leaving behind the mere idea of a nurturing mother. This idea can be expressed through the dream he had in which he found himself about to kiss Elizabeth only to discover that where Elizabeth once stood the carcass of his dead mother now existed, causing him to kiss her rather than Elizabeth. Outwardly Elizabeth represents beauty and lust whereas on the inside she is a mother to him. Frankenstein seems to be under the impression that by killing Elizabeth he can separate his object of lust from his object of nurture. Everytime he tries to get close to Elizabeth his mother is in the back of his mind, thus before Frankenstein can allow …show more content…

Frankenstein can most likely justify Clerval’s murder out his jealousy for him. Clerval was lucky enough to be an only child and have his mother all to himself, something that Frankenstein so desperately wanted. Frankenstein murdered Clerval out of envy for his relationship with his mother. As Frankenstein killed longtime friend Clerval he killed the Cleval in himself. Cleval represented the morality in Frankenstein’s life and with its departure came Frankenstein’s capability to commit the murders that he felt obligated to commit.
Fictional character Victor Frankenstein struggles to deal with his conflicting feelings for mother figure and bride to be, Elizabeth, in Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein. Frankenstein knows his desires are Oedipusesk and longs to differentiate his feelings for both mother and bride; however, he finds himself unable to after his biological mother Caroline dies and bride to be Elizabeth is forced to take on the role of a motherly figure. To

combat his desires he awakens a psychological monster in hopes of destroying his unconventional impulses and whoever stands to represent them. As Frankenstein’s story comes to an end, his monster disappears as he himself hurls himself at his sublime earth mother as a final symbolism of his dying Oedipus forever

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