Bibliotherapy for Frankenstein’s Monster
In the novel “Frankenstein”, the monster reads or listens to 4 different books. Each one shaped how he thought and felt about things differently. Bibliotherapy is the use of reading materials for help in solving personal problems or for psychiatric therapy. If these books would be changed, the monster may have fit better into society. One book read by the monster was Paradise Lost. This is the story of Satan and also the story of Adam and Eve. It tells about Satan’s fall from Heaven and also Adam and Eve’s sins.
The monster relates to Adam because, like Adam, the monster is unlike any other thing of the time. But other than that, he says that he relates to Satan more. This contributes to a poor self-image for the monster. It makes him feel hated by his creator and worthless. If I could substitute another book in for Paradise Lost, I would choose Pinocchio. This story would show that when somebody creates something, no matter what it may seem like, the creator always loves his creation. Another book read, or in this case heard, by the monster was Ruin of Empires.
This book gives some history on civilizations of the past. The monster gathers from this book some knowledge of world history and also begins to question man. He said that he once “could not conceive how one man could go forth to murder his fellow,” but after hearing the book and learning of vice and bloodshed he was disgusted. For this book I would substitute To Kill a Mockingbird. This book would teach the monster that, even though some people are bad, there are always good people that will do the right thing no matter what.
I feel that Atticus Finch would be a good role model for the monster. Atticus would represent all the good in humanity. The monster also read The Sorrows of Young Werther. This is a sad book about a man who is love with a married woman. In the end of the book, the main character commits suicide. I feel that this book contributed to a generally negative attitude of the monster. Also, in the end of Frankenstein, the monster sets out to kill himself. I feel that the monster would not have een as likely to do this if the main character of the book he read hadn’t done this. I would replace this book with Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare. Even though Romeo and Juliet has a sad ending too, I feel that it would have put more hope into the monster than what he did read because in the end of Romeo and Juliet, they both die, leaving no one (besides their families) grieving. Also, in the end of Romeo and Juliet, they end up together in that they both die and presumably go to Heaven.
I feel this would have made the monster more optimistic than a story where a broken hearted man kills himself and everyone else goes on living their lives. The other book read by the monster is Plutarch’s Lives. This book is a compilation of biographies about ancient people. The monster says that this book taught him “high thoughts. ” The monster seems to speak highly of this book and it taught him a lot. But he also says that much of what he read was above his head and he didn’t understand it.
Therefore I would substitute Canterbury Tales instead. This book would be more relatable seeing as though the stories in Canterbury Tales are those of everyday people not ancient nobles and aristocrats. By substituting these books instead of the ones he did read, I feel that the monster would have a better outlook on society. Also, I feel that this would cause him to fit in society better which may make his life easier and he may make better decisions than what he did.
