Noble Savage Or Monster: Enigmas Of Identity In Frankenstein

Frankenstein is the canonical masterpiece of the nineteenth century novelist Mary Shelley.The novel,inspired by a nightmare on June,1816,has become one of the most potent Gothic stories of English Literature.From the mid-twentieth century onwards,the novel has been a subject of numerous literary discussions.The story is about a creature made by the fanatic scientist Frankenstein.It is the most penetrating literary analysis of the psychology and identity of a "scientific" being,and of the consequences of unbridled scientific experiment.This paper,applying Rousseau's theories of education and language,and Peter Brooks and Michel Foucault's theories of identity,discusses the enigmas of identity of the Being,who transforms from a noble savage into a monster,and demonstrates that the Being's tragedy results from his failure to come to terms with identity.The Being's identity is an enigma.Language,education,and society have,all contributed to his construction of self.Yet,there is a clash between his ideal and reality.Language and education construct his sense of self and offer him a way to get involved in the chain of existence,but he is rejected by the culture into which he is eager to be assimilated.Though he becomes the monster that everyone anticipates him to be with monstrous murders,he keeps being plagued by the question of who he is.His monster-like body is regarded by others as his mark of identity and deters people from observing his inner quality which the Being tries so hard to make others acquainted.Hence,he is thrown into deep doubt about his identity.His identity in law also contributes to this enigma,for in law,there can be no monsters.His' confession best reveals his confused state of mind.Through this narration,it can be seen how hard he tries to unravel this mystery of identity and how powerful the influence of education and society can be on one's construction of self.The thesis contains three chapters.Chapter One discusses the creature's life in the woods and his education at the De Lacey's.The Being's primeval life in the deep forest represents the original state of man.Nature is man's first teacher.The Being's basic impulses are directed by the natural instinct of self-preservation.More than that,his helpfulness and his vegetarian practice reveal his innate goodness.The education by man and society begins with his life in the De Lacey's,where he acquires language and internalizes a set of social values through eavesdropping the conversations of the cottagers and through his reading of several books,especially Paradise Lost.This internalization has a great influence on his future actions,for it excites a pernicious emotion which Rousseau terms amour-propre and which alienates him from his authentic self and finally evokes him to take his revenge.Chapter two analyzes the process of the creature's transformation.It examines the creature's endeavor to set up connections with others,his failure and revenge.The purpose of the Being's remedies is to win compassion from others.The acquirement of language empowers him to become the most eloquent character in the novel.Hence,his strong power of persuasion facilitates his winning of compassion.His reading of Paradise Lost makes him identify himself with Adam as well as with Satan.Like Adam,he has a creator.Like Satan,he is rejected by his"God." After all his attempts for compassion and acceptance come to failure,he resorts to satanical revenge.Chapter three,supported by the theories of Brooks and Foucault,demonstrates the enigmas of identity of the Being.The Being's hideous appearance becomes his mark of identity,which induces people to form a preconception about his identity.From the legal perspective,the superpower he possesses and his scientific origin make it hard to determine his identity in law so he can easily get away with his crimes.He takes advantage of this,and frames others by making false evidence.Mentally,when he perpetrates these crimes,he undergoes great mental torture.In his confession to Frankenstein,he keeps asserting his innate benevolence and expressing his deep longing for love and care.To render one's experience into language is the way to find the inner core of self-hood.Through an examination of the Being's fluent psycho-biography we could only find an incoherent,fragmented self whose inner core of self-hood is disrupted by myriad forces from the outside world.The conclusion summarizes all the major points discussed in this thesis and discusses the significance of the novel.Language,education,and society exert great influence on one's life.Identity is not innate,but constructed by language,education,society and one's own efforts.The tragedy of the Being lies not in his ugliness,but in his becoming a prey to social values,which in return subvert and destroy the identity he is trying to construct.