The failure in delimiting the dopplegänger as the basis of the narrative fragmentation in ot the Modern Prometheus

Abstract

The present article aims to discuss the failure in delimiting the doppelgänger as the basis of narrative fragmentation in Shelley's novel, Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus. To achieve this, based on the theoretical foundation of Rank (2013), Freud (2010), and Bakhtin (2010), two objectives were outlined: to identify elements of the doppelgänger discussed by Rank and Freud that align with Shelley's work; and, to discuss how Victor's act was neither responsible nor moral, and how the character will face consequences as a result. Thus, consistente with Rank’s (2013) study, the creature appeared as the representation os the shadow and the reflection, also, the cientista presented the characteristics of the narcissic disorder. Similarly, in analyzing the character Victor Frankenstein, he exhibits the poorly elaborated primary narcissism disorders explored in Freud's essay "The Unfamiliar" (2010). Likewise, his act was neither moral nor responsible, as the scientist detached himself from his relationship with others and self-determined his actions based on elements such as modern philosophy, belonging to the world of culture rather than his internal and unique place. In conclusion, the examination of this failure posed difficulties, reaching only to the point where it was possible to analyze the characteristics of the doppelgänger, its relation to the narcissistic complex, and the rupture with the other.