Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Review
1818 Frankenstein Novel vs. Modern Versions of the Creature
Sep 17, 2009
Frankenstein has been recreated many times throughout history, changed in drastic ways from a very articulate and emotional being to one who only retains his unpleasant looks and vicious nature. Unless a person initially reads Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, they assume that the creature that popular culture has come to be familiar with is the original.
Movies, television shows, music and even Halloween costumes have shaped what is believed to be the “real monster.” When looking at creatures such as Frankenstein, one is often curious as to how the legacy can go on through generations, and how the simple-minded creature has been the one to endure.
Frankenstein’s Modern Simplification
One of the reasons that Frankenstein has become such an integral part of popular culture has been due to the simplification of the monster itself. Frankenstein has been simplified in adaptations for more than one reason. The average person, subconsciously or not, is appealed to the abnormal. The horror of Frankenstein’s looks makes the viewer desire to see what is before them, yet it appalls them at the same time. It may be easy to be revolted by the looks of a disfigured monster, but if Frankenstein were to have an emotional pull toward his viewer, it is near impossible to abhor him as much.
In Shelly’s Frankenstein, Victor’s creation appeals to the reader when he is relating his tale of the family in the cottage: “when they were unhappy, I felt depressed: when they rejoiced, I sympathized in their joys” (75). A monster that is grotesque and simple-minded can easily be dismissed as being worthless.
This can be seen even in modern culture with serial killers. The more attractive and charismatic a murderer is, the harder it is for society to believe that he can be guilty of such horrendous crimes, as in the case of Ted Bundy. It is easy, though, for society to believe that a horribly disfigured man, who is rejected by his peers, could want to harm them out of vengeance.
Power of Frankenstein’s Creator
Another reason that Frankenstein has become so notorious in popular culture is the power possessed by the creator himself. Until very recently, the concept of playing God and creating another being has seemed incomprehensible. One could only imagine what it might be like to be the creator of man, or monster, to be responsible for his fate and livelihood.
Most versions of Frankenstein allowed people to watch the joys and repercussions of such mad scientists. In Shelly’s Frankenstein, Victor was the sole creator of the monster: “After days and nights of incredible labour and fatigue, I succeeded in discovering the cause of generation and life; nay, more I became myself capable of bestowing animation upon lifeless matter” (30).
It was not only the ability to give live to an inanimate object, but also the consequences that resulted from Victor’s abandonment of the creature: the ensuing multiple murders. Victor was able to give life, and in result, take it away. Some would argue that this only made him more powerful. Others would say that this is what led to his very own destruction.
Modern Film Version of Frankenstein
To keep the viewers attention in an adaptive film of Frankenstein, it was necessary to take away Shelly’s emotional appeal of the monster and make him appear as if he has nothing in common with the human race.
If filmmakers were to have taken Shelly’s Frankenstein and made an accurate adaptation of the book, the appeal of the creature would have died a long time ago because the audience would have been very limited. The level of articulation that the monster possesses in the Frankenstein novel is unusually high for even some high school aged students, so there would have been no appeal to children or a good portion of society that is looking for a good movie that does not need to be astutely interpreted.
Frankenstein has become so popular in culture because he has been simplified enough to appeal to even the slightest of intelligence. Many popular culture monsters are this way, such as the Wolfman and Bigfoot. These creatures share the common bond of a vague look that even a child can draw accurately because no one knows exactly what they look like, yet their image is still branded.
How Shelley’s Frankenstein Influenced Future Versions
While the version of Frankenstein’s monster has evolved greatly since Shelley wrote the original novel in 1818, it is important to realize that he never would have existed without her talents. Although the monster started out intelligent, lithe, and emotional, the qualities that have kept him alive for almost two centuries have been the ones that are most appealing to the popular culture on a whole.
Ignorance, repulsiveness, and aggression are by far the most appealing aspects of a monster, not melodiousness. What would Dracula, Bigfoot, Wolfman, and Frankenstein be if they were not feared?
The concept of being able to create this creature from spare parts is by far the most appealing but horrific side to the story. With the current advances in science, it will not be long before we see the joys and repercussions of duplicating a real human being. Will they be just as horrific, or will the scientist get it right this time?
Sources: Frankenstein, author Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, published by W.W. Norton & Company, New York, 1996. ISBN#0393964582
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