All ETDs from UAB

Advisory Committee Chair

Kyle Grimes

Advisory Committee Members

Gale Temple

Samantha Webb

Document Type

Thesis

Date of Award

2023

Degree Name by School

Master of Arts (MA) College of Arts and Sciences

Abstract

Scholarly discussion of the character Victor Frankenstein in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein generally determines his fatal flaw to be an overly ambitious nature, deter-mining a denouncement of ambition as the novel's core moral aim. However, Franken-stein's experience of and avoidance of grief shapes his actions. Exploring how modern understandings from the field of grief psychology reflect Shelley's description of Frankenstein's inner life and experiences, the novel can be treated as a metaphor for grief and grieving. A grief-informed reading of the novel brings many of the novel's main themes—connection versus isolation, belonging, and empathy—into sharper relief than ambition-focused readings, casting more potent and emotionally affective light over the entirety of the story.

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