Harold Bloom's Analusis of Frankenstein

Harold Bloom, a well-known American critic explores Mary Shelley's Frankenstein to find true meaning. Throughout his essay, he gives answers to the lingering question of who the real monster is. He also paints a clear picture of a major theme in the novel, the Romantic mythology of the self. Through reading his essay, it opens up new light to Mary Shelley's novel. It gives new meaning to the monster and his creator.

Basically Harold Bloom begins his essay by explaining how "Frankenstein" to most of us is the name of the monster rather than his creator. He states that. "the common reader and the common viewer (referring to the movie) have worked together in their apparent confusion to create a myth soundly based on a central duality in Mary Shelley's novel. Through evidence, Bloom proves that the double or shadow is a recurrent image. He even goes as far as calling them halves of a being.

Bloom explores the theme of the double in the being of his essay. He states, "Frankenstein is the mind and emotions turned in upon themselves, and his creation is the mind and emotion turned imaginatively outward, seeking a greater humanization though a confrontation of other selves." When Dr. Frankenstein's creation is finally brought to life, he immediately abandons it and wants nothing to do with it. This piece of evidence alone shows his negligence and lack of responsibility. He never even comes to wonder where his creature is or what he is doing. Frankenstein's mind and emotions fold while his creations flourish with curiosity of the outside world. He knew exactly what he was doing when he created the monster, therefore he did not have a reason to run. I think that Dr. Frankenstein was way too overwhelmed when he had finally...

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...test flaw is the inability to love and be loved. "He abhorred his creature, became terrified of it, and fled his responsibilities" Victor completely abandoned his creation after being completely terrified of what he had done. He was the only thing that the creature knew, a pseudo-father, and Victor left him to a world he had never seen before. Maybe it was that Frankenstein was having trouble collecting himself and taking care of himself. He may not have been able to care for something else. With this being said, he shouldn't have followed through with his experiment.

This piece of criticism has strengthened my arguments as to who the real monster is. It has given me a new way to look at things in the novel. I have since then re-read part of the novel and can now read it much more clearly. It will help me greatly in strengthening my argument for the final paper.