Jenn Zaun

Professor Lago
ENG 1150-15
Essay 2 Journals
Journal 5:
Dr. Sarah Barnsleys main point in her lecture Frankenstein on the Couch is that modern literary
critics all have different views today and different views from each other. For example, psychoanalytic
critics see the description of Dr. Frankensteins creation as not a look at the monster but a look at Dr.
Frankenstein himself. Dr. Frankensteins conscious is the monster that he created, according to these
critics. Yet, feminist critics say that Dr. Frankenstein didnt create the monster to show what was on his
mind, he created it as a way to cope with womens role in society. Dr. Frankenstein wanted to have the
dominant role in society of being able to give birth and since only women are able to do that, he gave
birth in his own way. What I was unclear of was the Marxist view of the monster and why Dr.
Frankenstein created him. Dr. Barnsley says that a Marxist would believe he built the monster as a way
to show his class. He apparently had to create a monster that was so hideous and awful that it made him
appear like he had a better class-rank than the monster. And even though the monster, when left alone,
cannot end up fending for himself which shows that he cannot escape the low class. What confused me
about this was how different it was than the other two perspectives. I saw how the psychoanalytical lens
worked and even the feminist but the Marxist view was the only one I had some trouble understanding.