Mutations of Grief: Pathological Loss and the Psychoanalytic Journey in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein

Author

Sazia Islam, CUNY Bernard M Baruch College

Date of Award

Fall 2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Honors Designation

yes

Program of Study

English

Language

English

First Advisor

Stephanie Hershinow

Abstract

The intricacies of the human mind and the ways we comprehend and experience grief throughout our lives are subjects that many authors strive to depict, yet few achieve with accuracy and depth. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein exemplifies a nuanced and profound exploration of grief, interwoven within a narrative of overreaching ambition and its devastating consequences. In my thesis, I contend that Shelley masterfully crafted the Frankenstein narrative to demonstrate that grief can arise from losses extending beyond the physical death of loved ones, highlighting how the fluctuation between yearning and despair unveils the intricate psychological complexities of unresolved grief. Shelley’s thematic engagement with the mutable and enduring nature of change allows her to dissect the dimensions of grief in her debut novel, preceding formal studies of the human psyche and sorrow. To illuminate Frankenstein’s exploration of grief, I first analyze Victor Frankenstein’s dual experiences of mourning and melancholia as defined by Sigmund Freud. Contrary to popular interpretations, I contend that Victor’s ambition does not stem from the death of his mother. Employing the Dual Process Model of Bereavement, I demonstrate how Shelley’s intellectual insight accounts for the oscillation of the human psyche between healthy and unhealthy grief responses. Additionally, I examine the monster’s yearning for belonging and the fraught relationship with his creator, using attachment theory, to explore grief from the monster’s perspective. Finally, through a close reading of Walton’s role within the epistolary and frame narrative, I analyze Shelley’s use of narrative structure to heighten the reader’s engagement with the human dimensions of grief. In reading Frankenstein through a psychoanalytic lends, my thesis reveals Shelley’s masterful depiction of the mutable and universal experience of grief through fictitious characters, firmly positioning Frankenstein as an enduring study of the mutable human condition.

Recommended Citation

Islam, Sazia, "Mutations of Grief: Pathological Loss and the Psychoanalytic Journey in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein" (2024). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/bb_etds/199