Social Isolation free essay sample

As a consequence, over half of all Americans have no close confidants or friends outside their immediate family. The situation today is much worse today than it was when similar information was gathered in 1985. Mary Shelley’s monster is intelligent and philosophical and he often thinks at great length about the nature of his own being. God in pity made man beautiful and alluring, after his own image; but my form is a filthy type of yours. (Shelley 154) When the creature describes his process of discovery describing how he learned both the spoken and written language from eavesdropping on the conversation on a family of rustics, looking at books, and his own creative reasoning. In this novel it is clear that the creature is not just intelligent, but is a genius! In fact, he is a being of incredible abilities. His transformation to the philosopher he was near the end of the novel takes place over a couple of months, not years. We will write a custom essay sample on Social Isolation or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page That is indeed much different from any average human being, thats for sure. In Mary Shelleys novel Victor Frankensteins creature suffered from Social Isolation in every way. Even though the monster is both physically and mentally superior to a human. While the Hollywood movie does indeed make him big and strong, like Shelley did in her novel, it also portrays him as a clumsy oaf as well. In the book, the creature is supernaturally fast and agile, able to outrun any other human being. He is able to climb up the side of a building with the ease of Peter Parker. Hollywood’s version basically just staggers and does not appear able to climb a set of stairs, let alone the side of a building. It is said that Victors creation evolves into a monster because of the absence of a strong father figure. I am malicious because I am miserable. You, my creator, would tear me to pieces, and triumph; remember that, and tell me why I should pity man more than he pities me? (Shelley 173) The creature’s father selfishly abandons him and this sets into motion a chain of events that transforms a being full of actual human potential into a cruel beast hell-bent on revenge. Some modern sociologists suggest this absence may be the best example of anti-social behavior. Little boys who grew up without the benefits of a father figure are more likely to fault their own paternal respo nsibilities, leaving many generations of fatherless sons who end up on the wrong side of the law. Evidence shows that social isolation is common among men who grew up with absentee dads. Sigmund Freud, known as the founding father of psychoanalysis famously suggested that we all secretly want to kill our old man. The did monster seek to destroy his father, not out of an Oedipal Complex Oedipus complex denotes the emotions and ideas that the mind keeps in the unconscious, via dynamic repression, that concentrates upon a childs desire to sexually possess the parent of the opposite sex. e. g. ales attracted to their mothers, whereas females are attracted to their fathers (Wikipedia) lust for his mother (because he had none), but there was a sexual aspect to the monster’s psychosis. I am alone, and miserable; man will not associate with me, but one as deformed and horrible as myself would not deny herself to me. (Shelley 171) Frankenstein had even begun to create a female companion for his creation, but then he destroys her, denying the monster’s sexual gratification, and bringing the father/son hostility to a climax.

A Comparison Of Freud And Fromm Essays - Freudian Psychology

A Comparison Of Freud And Fromm Essays - Freudian Psychology A Comparison Of Freud And Fromm Sigmund Freud was born in Monrovia on May 6,1856. He entered the University of Vienna in 1873 at the age of 17. He finished his degree in 1881. Freud died in England in 1939. He was an active therapist, theorist and writer to the very end. ( Ewen 19-20) Erich Fromm was born four years after Freud in 1900 in Frankfurt, Germany. Unlike Freud, Fromm had no medical training in his background. He received his PHD from the University of Heidelberg and later studied at Berlin Psychoanalytic Institute. Erich Fromm died March 16, 1980 in Switzerland. (Ewen 187) While Freud and Fromm were contemporaries and shared some basic beliefs, their approach to most issues varied greatly. Freuds attitude was purely scientific. Fromm desired to humanize things. Fromm accepted the importance of unconscious, biological drives, repression and defense mechanisms, but rejected Freuds theory of id, ego and superego. Fromm did not believe in specific developmental stages. He believed that the growing child slowly learns to distinguish between I and not I, through contact with the environment, notably those involving the parents.(Ewen 194) Fromm contends that personality development continues into adulthood. He believes that if a child keeps up with the increasing feelings of isolation, that anxiety can be kept to a minimal and personality development proceeds normally. Freuds well-known theory is that the personality is determined during the first five years of life. He believes we proceed through a series of psychosexual stages: oral, anal, urethral, phallic, a latency period and genital. Freud contends that the genital stage is the goal of normal development and that it represents true maturity. ( Hansen 25-26) Fromm warns against pathogenic behavior because it can damage the childs sense of reliance. He believed healthy personality is illustrated by biophilia, love, creativity and reason. ( Ewen 195-196) These characteristics compromise the productive frame of orientation. The nonproductive frames include narcissism, necrophilia, dependence, compulsive strivings for power or wealth and the mechanisms of escape. Fromm had four other nonproductive orientations that he devoted a great deal of attention to. These were receptive, exploitative, hoarding and marketing. Three of these orientations can be loosely compared to Freuds oral-dependent, oral-sadistic and anal character without the sexual implications. Freud and Fromm both believed that dreams are the royal road to the unconscious. ( Ewen 198) Fromm agreed with Freud that dreams could serve the purpose of wish fulfillment, that the days events set them off, and that a person may conceal truths in different ways. While both men believed in dream symbols, Freud believed most dreams involved childhood sexual impulses and Fromm regarded many symbols as asexual. Fromm believed that dreams could have obvious and undisguised meanings that did not have to involve childhood conflicts. To understand Fromms approach to clinical diagnosis, his theory of character must first be understood. His theory of character development was that humans are distinguished from other animals by a larger neocortex with fewer instincts. Character shapes human instinct. Human survival is not merely a matter of physical survival, humans are social animals who must relate to others, and they are spiritual animals who must infuse their lives with meaning in order to function. Humans require a sense of hope to keep from turning off. They also require caring adults in the early years to be teachers that teach them to control their fears and passions and live in harmony with others. Religion both sacred and secular can give meaning to life and give a sense of identity and rootness. Fromm accepted Freuds definition of mental health saying that it is the capacity for love and productive work. Fromm also agreed with Freud in saying that psychopathology represents a difference in degree, rather than in kind. Fromm states that besides pathogenic behaviors that neurosis is often caused by the culture in which one lives. He says that neurosis consists of a conflict between two opposing forces. Which is when our healthy innate drives toward self-realization and independence are blocked by parental or societal influences. Freud states that neurosis invariably begins in infancy and childhood, however it may not become evident until much later in life. Some causes of neurosis is a lack of physical affection, overindulgence or