In “Frankenstein and Dis(re)membered Identity,” Eleanor Salotto argues that Shelley uses different techniques to demonstrate how the characters in the novel struggle with identity. Salotto argues that Shelley’s framed narrative demonstrates how characters struggle with having a unified identity because the framed narrative causes the story of each character to come out in pieces. The life story of each character is told by another person, demonstrating how each character cannot even tell his own identities to the audience- it is muddled by another person telling it for him, therefor no character has an intact representation of a unified identity. Additionally, Salotto argues that the fact that Frankenstein is attempting to create a double of himself, the creature is just an excess, muddled version of Frankenstein’s own identity. Because the creature is supposed to represent Frankenstein, the fact that he is created through other, different human parts also represents his incomplete identity. The fact that the creature is made up of all different unoriginal pieces, his identity is not whole either. Additionally, because the creature is supposed to mirror Frankenstein, the fact that Frankenstein is repulsed when he sees the creature illustrates that Frankenstein does not recognize himself or his own identity. The author uses the critic Lacan to extend her argument. She uses Lacan’s work and study of the “mirror stage” to again demonstrate how Frankenstein does not have a unified, intact identity. The mirror stage is when an individual sees his reflection to better get an understanding of “I,” however, by looking at the monster that is supposed to represent himself (thus, it is his mirror), he does not see himself. He sees a monster that he does not want to claim as his or his identity, thus Frankenstein again grapples with his incomplete sense of identity. While this paper goes on to argue several other points, I really enjoyed Salotto’s arguments on lack of identity. While, I knew that I did want to focus on identity, I wasn’t sure what points I specifically wanted to focus on. However, after reading this article I think I want to explore the techniques Mary Shelley uses to demonstrate how the characters lack identity and how this lack of identity has negative outcomes for the characters in the novel.

http://www.jstor.org.proxy.library.emory.edu/stable/30225415?Search=yes&resultItemClick=true&searchText=((Frankenstein)&searchText=AND&searchText=(Freud))&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3D%2528%2528Frankenstein%2529%2BAND%2B%2528Freud%2529%2529%26amp%3Bprq%3D%2528%2528Frankenstein%2529%2BAND%2B%2528Id%2529%2529%26amp%3Bgroup%3Dnone%26amp%3Bfc%3Doff%26amp%3Bhp%3D25%26amp%3Bwc%3Doff%26amp%3Bacc%3Don%26amp%3Bso%3Drel&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents