Modern British Literature
22 April 2010
Minds
at Odds: A Look into the Psychodynamic Theory in Literature
In both Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
and Joseph Conrad’s novella Heart of Darkness, the role of “the journey”
works as the ultimate vessel of social education. The premise of “the journey” works
as a vehicle with which the authors express their concerns for Man’s moral psychology.
More specifically, Conrad and Shelley are concerned about what circumstances may
push “good” individuals to commit nefarious acts. A closer reading of these
texts reveal that both Victor Frankenstein and Kurtz’s journeys are
explorations into the dangers of what psychologist Sigmund Freud calls the “Psychodynamic Theory.”
This theory suggests that people lack inherent
morality, and human behavior is instead governed by two fundamental instinctual
forces: sex and aggression. These unconscious forces compose the “Id,” and are
believed to be in perpetual conflict with the other subconscious, morally idealistic
“Superego” and the conscious, rational “Ego.” Freud suggests that the reason
individuals behave in a civilized manner is due to the suppression of Id
instincts demanded by society. Consequently, the Psychodynamic Theory implies
that an individual’s moral standards are malleable, and when given the proper
circumstance, an individual may succumb to Id urges and act barbarically. This
essay will compare the plot developments of Frankenstein and Heart of
Darkness in order to examine how the role of “the journey” supplements our
understanding of Kurtz’s and Victor’s fall into insanity within the context of the
Psychodynamic Theory.
Perhaps the most disturbing part about
the journey of Victor Frankenstein’s life is his total loss of control of his
Id urges. Despite being born into “one of the most distinguished” (Shelley 27)
families of Geneva, Victor’s life focuses on attaining fame and power if only
he could “render man invulnerable to any but a violent death!” (35-36) Close
reading reveals that Victor’s obsession is actually an attempt to channel his
sexual frustrations into a “productive” project.
In the first chapter Victor establishes
his incestuous lust for his adopted sister Elizabeth. He remembers her as “a
child fairer than pictured cherub—a creature who seemed to shed radiance from
her looks, and whose form and motions were lighter than the chamois of the
hills” (30). He continues to describe her as a “promised gift…a possession of my
own,” of which “no expression could body forth the kind of relation in which
she stood to me—my more than sister, since till death she was to be mine only”
(31). Victor’s insatiable lust for Elizabeth serves as the primary source for
his obsessive behavior in later chapters. The torment of growing up next to the
girl of his forbidden sexual desires leads him to transcend all moral
boundaries and make a nefarious attempt to emulate God. The motivation to
discover the Elixir of Life serves as Victor’s method of coping with his subconscious
psychological conflict. Not only does this passage introduce the emotional
conflict afflicting Victor, but it also sets the stage for his maniacal
journey.
As the plot continues, we see the
tension between these subconscious forces grow. One key turning point in
Victor’s increasing psychoticism occurs in the passages surrounding the creation of the monster. Although Victor
shows devout conviction in his project just preceding the creation, he
experiences a brief lapse of confidence when he confesses
I doubted at first whether I should
attempt the creation of a being like myself, or one of simpler organization;
but my imagination was too much exalted by my first success to permit me to
doubt of my ability to give life to an animal as complex and wonderful as man (48).
This
confession provides insight into Victor’s psychological state at a crucial
point in the novel. The structure of his opening phrase—“I doubted”—indicates a
degree of self-awareness and shows that at this point Victor’s behavior is
still controlled by the rationality of his Ego (the conscious force which acts
to balance the Id and Superego urges). Although Victor seems aware that his
actions affect other people, he eventually succumbs to the irrational motivations
of his Superego and proceeds to emulate God and give life to the monster. This
internal struggle is evidenced when Victor confides that he “had desired [to
bestow life] with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that [he] had
finished…breathless horror and disgust filled [his] heart” (51). At this point
in the story, Victor’s conscious Ego fights to retain control over his
subconscious urges, but he eventually loses himself and gives in to his
psychotic desires, demonstrating the fragility of the human mind and marking
his fall into madness.
Later on, Shelley places Victor in
circumstances that further catalyze his descent into madness. He becomes
depressed, and his guilt (yet another side effect of contradictory subconscious
motivations) pushes him into extreme isolation to the point that he no longer
understands how to deal with his emotions. By chapter XXI he shares his
despair: “I often endeavored to put an
end to the existence I loathed; and it required unceasing attendance and
vigilance to restrain me from committing some dreadful act of violence” (162). This
last plea solidifies Shelley’s message, warning her audience that when placed
under the correct triggers, anyone is
capable of atrocity.
Although Heart of Darkness
was published decades after Frankenstein, Conrad tells his story using
many of the same thematic elements as Shelley. As Kurtz’s story gains light via
Marlow’s narration of the Congo, we eventually discover that his reason for his
barbarity during his quest for ivory stems from the same obsessive motivation
as Victor—the motivation to satisfy his sexual urges by marrying his “Intended”
(Conrad 71). Their initial engagement “had been disapproved…He wasn’t rich
enough or something…He had given [Marlow] some reason to infer that it was his
impatience of comparative poverty that drove him out there” (75). Once again,
basic Freudian instinctual urges underscore the protagonist’s motivation and
lead him on treacherous pursuits. Though Kurtz himself never revealed his desire
for his Intended, Conrad uses Marlow to relate her mysterious allure. Upon
their encounter, Marlow recalls how
she struck me as beautiful …I concluded
I would go and give her back her portrait and those letters myself. Curiosity.
Yes. And also some other feelings perhaps…I don’t defend myself. I have no
clear perception of what it was I really wanted. Perhaps it was an impulse of
unconscious…one of those ironic necessities that lurk in the facts of human
existence. I don’t know. I can’t tell. But I went (72).
This passage reveals Marlow’s inability
to explain his true motivation for visiting the Intended, and reinforces the
Psychodynamic Theory. The first line suggests Marlow’s physical attraction to
her, while his lack of “clear perception” and blatant awareness of some
unconscious motive force serve to illustrate Marlow’s
struggle to understand his own behavior. While he is aware of the presence of a
subconscious force, Marlow’s sexual attraction to the Intended proves strong
enough that he still yields to these urges and visits her. From this passage,
it is reasonable to deduce that the Intended held the same, or stronger,
influence on Kurtz, since he willingly risked his life in the Congo in order to
marry her and thus win a sexual monopoly on her. This passage parallels
Victor’s obsession with Elizabeth, as both protagonists engage in highly
irrational behaviors in order to cope with their sexual frustrations.
As
Marlow continues his journey into the Congo, he hears about Kurtz’s insanity
from people who’ve witnessed his sadistic behavior, but only gets a few chances
to witnesses it himself. One of these moments occurs when Marlow arrives at the
inner station. Marlow uses the hut surrounded by human heads stuck atop wooden
stakes to show how much “Mr. Kurtz lacked restraint in the gratification of his
various lusts, [and] that there was something wanting in him—some small matter
which when the pressing need arose could not be found under his magnificent
eloquence” (57). The fact that Kurtz actively murdered the Congolese and was
reputed to shoot people at will is sufficient to conclude that at the time of
Marlow’s arrival, Kurtz was already under complete control of the Id. At first,
these lines suggest that Kurtz may have lost sight for his Intended, as he
seemed too engrossed in satisfying his animal urges to remember the idealistic
goal which sent him to the Congo in the first place, but later passage reveal
that Kurtz’s Superego did indeed maintain an influence on him, in the form of
writing letters of his experiences to his Intended.
Just as in Frankenstein, a
number of environmental and social factors led to Kurtz’s moral corruption. As
with Victor, prolonged social isolation and an obsessive channeling of sexual
desires provided the right environment to exacerbate the battle between the Id
and Superego. Although the audience does not directly witness Kurtz’s mental
demise, Conrad chose to emphasize his remorse for his actions while he lies on
his deathbed. As he dies, Conrad gives allows him to reflect on his immoral
atrocities, making him utter “ ‘The horror! The horror!’ “(69) as his final
words. These words work to signify Kurtz’s brief, but final, reclamation of
rationality (and therefore his Ego). This inference is further supported by the
stress Marlow gives to try to alleviate negative attitudes towards Kurtz,
saying that he likes
to think my summing-up would not have
been a word of careless contempt. Better his cry—much better. It was an
affirmation, a moral victory paid for by innumerable defeats, by abominable
terrors, by abominable satisfactions. But it was a victory (70).
These lines, just like Victor’s
declaration of suicide, assert that there lies within every individual the
possibility for repentance, and that the opportunity for individuals to regain
their sanity never fades.
Overall,
the role of “the journeys” presented in Frankenstein and Heart of
Darkness work as secondary tools to support our understanding of each
protagonist’s descent into madness. Although the situations and social contexts
of the protagonists differ, both novels share the major thematic elements
aforementioned which have earned their place at the forefront of Western culture.
Their universality undoubtedly comes from the fact that Shelley and Conrad have revealed an ugly, yet undeniable
truth to their audience: no one, regardless of economic or social background,
is invulnerable to the influences of the subconscious forces outlined by Freud.
Whether we want to admit it or not, at some point each and every individual has
entertained thoughts of taboo desires, but have been able to suppress those
motivations due to the self-control imposed on them by their Egos. What keeps Frankenstein
and Heart of Darkness relevant in today’s literature is the fact that
they provide us with a mirror to our inner psyche, and provide us examples of
the dangerous potential we all possess.
Bibliography
Conrad,
Joseph. Heart of Darkness. New York: Norton, 2006. Print.
Shelley,
Mary. Frankenstein. New York: Barnes and Noble, 2003.Print.
No comments:
Post a Comment