Frankenstein's monster: Difference between revisions
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==In Shelley's novel== |
==In Shelley's novel== |
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In the novel, [[Victor Frankenstein]], eldest son of Alphonse and Caroline Beaufort Frankenstein , builds the creature through methods of [[science]] (he was a |
In the novel, [[Victor Frankenstein]], eldest son of Alphonse and Caroline Beaufort Frankenstein , builds the creature through methods of [[science]] (he was a chemist at [[University of Ingolstadt]], but dropped out) and [[alchemy]] (largely [[Paracelsus]] and [[Albertus Magnus]]) which are not clearly described. Immediately upon bringing the creature to life, however, Frankenstein flees from it in horror and disavows his experiment. Abandoned, frightened, and completely unaware of who or what he is, the monster wanders through the wilderness searching for someone who would understand and shelter him. |
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He finds brief solace by hiding out in the wood shed of a remote cottage inhabited by a small [[peasant]] family called the DeLacy family. While they are unaware of his existence, he learns every part of their lives by eavesdropping on their conversations; he comes to think of them as his own family calling them his 'protectors'. He develops the power of [[speech]] from listening to the family teach their language to an [[Arabian Peninsula|Arabian]] daughter-in-law called Safie, and very quickly becomes eloquent, educated and well-mannered. |
He finds brief solace by hiding out in the wood shed of a remote cottage inhabited by a small [[peasant]] family called the DeLacy family. While they are unaware of his existence, he learns every part of their lives by eavesdropping on their conversations; he comes to think of them as his own family calling them his 'protectors'. He develops the power of [[speech]] from listening to the family teach their language to an [[Arabian Peninsula|Arabian]] daughter-in-law called Safie, and very quickly becomes eloquent, educated and well-mannered. |
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Revision as of 07:25, 6 February 2007
Frankenstein's monster (sometimes Frankenstein's creature or the Frankenstein monster or even Frankenstein) is a creature first appearing in Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus. In the novel it has no name but is variously referred to as "the creature," "the fiend," "the daemon," or "the wretch." After the novel was adapted to film, the monster became best known in popular imagination as "Frankenstein". However this was incongruous with the original novel — Frankenstein was the name of the creature's creator, and not the monster itself.
In Shelley's novel
Template:Spoiler In the novel, Victor Frankenstein, eldest son of Alphonse and Caroline Beaufort Frankenstein , builds the creature through methods of science (he was a chemist at University of Ingolstadt, but dropped out) and alchemy (largely Paracelsus and Albertus Magnus) which are not clearly described. Immediately upon bringing the creature to life, however, Frankenstein flees from it in horror and disavows his experiment. Abandoned, frightened, and completely unaware of who or what he is, the monster wanders through the wilderness searching for someone who would understand and shelter him.
He finds brief solace by hiding out in the wood shed of a remote cottage inhabited by a small peasant family called the DeLacy family. While they are unaware of his existence, he learns every part of their lives by eavesdropping on their conversations; he comes to think of them as his own family calling them his 'protectors'. He develops the power of speech from listening to the family teach their language to an Arabian daughter-in-law called Safie, and very quickly becomes eloquent, educated and well-mannered.
One day, he musters the courage to finally make his presence known. He introduces himself to the family's patriarch, their blind father, and experiences kindness and acceptance for the first (and last) time, as the blind man can not see his "accursed ugliness," and so treats him as a friend. When the rest of the family returns, however, they are terrified of him and drive him away. However he still feels hopeful, and ends up rescuing a peasant woman from a river. A man arives and shows his gratitude by shooting the creation in the shoulder. Heartbroken, he renounces all of humankind and swears revenge on his creator, Frankenstein, for bringing him into the world.
The monster searches for Frankenstein relentlessly, guided by some papers which were in the pocket of the clothing he took from his creator's rooms. From these he not only discovers Frankenstein's whereabouts, but he also discovers the horrific details of his birth. Upon arriving near Frankenstein's home town, he meets and tries to befriend a small boy, William, hoping that the innocent youth will not be prejudiced against him. The boy is instantly frightened and threatens to get his father – Monsieur Frankenstein – and thus the creature learns that the boy is related to his enemy. The creature kills him, and, in a further gesture of hatred against humanity, frames the murder on a girl sleeping nearby by pinning a locket on her person. The girl happens to be the Frankenstein family maid, Justine Moritz. She goes to the gallows because Frankenstein decides it would be futile to confess his experiment, as no one would believe him.
Intent on his own revenge, Frankenstein hunts the creature, and finds him in a remote ice cave. Here the monster tells Frankenstein his story and pleads with him to create a female creature so he can flee from humanity with one of his own kind. Frankenstein agrees, but relents just before finishing the mate, aghast at the possibility of creating a race of monsters. Enraged, the creature swears he will destroy everything Frankenstein holds dear. The creature's final words before fleeing are "I will be with you on your wedding night!".
He makes good on his promise by killing Victor's best friend, Henry Clerval (almost getting Victor imprisoned in Ireland in the process), and later on Frankenstein's wedding night, by killing his bride, Elizabeth Lavenza while she was alone in her hotel room. Alphonse Frankenstein then dies of grief. With nothing left to live for, Frankenstein dedicates his life to hunting down and destroying his creation. He scours the country obsessively, unaware that his creation is stalking his every move. The search ends in the Arctic Circle when Frankenstein loses control of his dogsled and falls into ice cold water, contracting severe pneumonia. He is rescued by a ship exploring the region, and relates the entire story to its captain, Robert Walton, before succumbing to his illness and dying. The creature boards the ship intent on taking his final revenge, but is overcome with grief and remorse upon finding Frankenstein dead, having lost his 'father'. He pledges to travel to "the Northernmost extremity of the globe," and there commits suicide. He leaps from the boat and is never seen again. Template:Endspoiler
Appearance
Details of the creature's physical appearance given in the original novel are that he is about eight feet in height, has translucent yellowish skin that "barely disguised the workings of the vessels and muscles underneath", glowing eyes and flowing black hair, and is hideous. The picture which appeared in the 1831 edition was made during Mary's lifetime, although if she had any influence in its creation is unknown.
The image of Frankenstein's monster in popular culture derives from Boris Karloff's portrayal in the 1931 movie Frankenstein, as a lumbering, mute, flat-headed giant with electrodes in his neck and a suit and turtleneck several sizes too small. Though the film was black-and-white, the character's skin is usually depicted as green, possibly because it was the color of Karloff's makeup due to its photographic qualities. While the more famous Lon Chaney, Jr. and Béla Lugosi both also played the role, it is the actor Glenn Strange's appearance as the monster which most closely rivals Karloff's in public consciousness. This is because he played the monster in the last three Universal films to feature the character, and therefore his likeness was the most contemporary version of the famous face when images were licensed by the studio to mask, toy, and novelty companies in the decades that followed.
Personality
The creature is usually depicted as a loathsome fiend, a born murderer. However Victor in fact created a sensitive, emotional and gentle creature whose only aim is to share his life with another sentient being like himself, to love. He would not harm or consume animals. The Creature's vegetarianism confirms its inherent, original benevolence. He even read "Paradise Lost", "Plutarch's Lives" and "Sorrows of Werter" to positive ends. However, it was through his negative experiences with other people that his actions turned to evil. He was taught to behave the way others expected of him, based on his hideous appearance. This is a subtle and important distinction that is usually lost in later interpretations of the work. Victor did not create a monster except in his own mind. It was humankind that turned the creation into a monster.
While these subtleties occasionally surface in film portrayals of the character (1935's The Bride of Frankenstein being perhaps the most notable example), the "monster" of the Universal franchise is more typically portrayed as a menacing, lumbering mute.
Metaphor
As a metaphor the creature has often been portrayed representing various social, environmental, and psychological themes. Interpretations include "the danger of humans playing god" and "the dangers of toying with what one does not understand". This interpretation could possibly be of merit, as the novel was written just at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the critics of which claimed that scientists and businessmen were using the natural world in perverse, destructive ways. He has also been cited as a metaphor for personal responsibility; Victor Frankenstein errs in giving the creature life without consideration for the consequences, and is destroyed by his refusal to acknowledge and deal with his mistake.
Another metaphor involves the fears of a young woman author and the natural consequences of love: children. The creature was born good, all it wanted was to love another creature like itself and to be loved by its creator. But it was the creature's encounters with other men that taught it to be evil. It represents the natural fears of a mother to be. It was not science, or the act of creation, that made an evil creature; it was humankind who taught an otherwise good and innocent creature to be evil. Victor Frankenstein errs not in the act of creation (science), but in how he and others treat the creation, how it is "raised" (see Original sin and Nature versus nurture).
In popular culture
The Monster has grown into a symbol for science run amok, black-and-white monster movies, and lumbering brutes with their hands stretched out, among other things, and is now one of the most famous movie characters in history, perhaps the most famous and visually memorable of the Universal Monsters. The Monster's face has become very well known, especially for the electrodes sticking out of his neck, and the square-shaped head. He has starred in numerous films, book spin-offs, games, and has appeared on shirts and lunchboxes. To this day, the Monster is the only true rival for Dracula in terms of fame and reputation.
For the main article, Frankenstein in film, television, comics, games and other derivatives see Frankenstein in popular culture.
In the gothic Horror movie Van Helsing (2004), the Frankenstein monster is a main character from the second act onwards. However, unlike most classic Universal Horror's, the Monster was referred to as 'Frankenstein'.
See also
External links
- Frankensteinfilms.com - Comprehensive site on Frankenstein movies, comic books, theatre plays and the original novel