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Caroline McClure
Ms. Baker
English III
17 August 2016
Frankenstein the Character in Literature Versus Culture
The novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is an iconic piece of literature that has left a
mark on the world over the centuries since it was published. It is a tale that many are familiar
with, that is, the story of a mad scientist creating human life out of spare human body parts. The
monster is frequently depicted in various film and television adaptations as being inarticulate and
stupid. Only those who have read the novel would be able to appreciate what an interesting
character the monster is. He is, in the reality of the novel, an intelligent and poignant character
that endures a great number of hardships and adversaries throughout his life. Why do these film
adaptations make the monster seem like such a simple, two-dimensional character as opposed to
the complex, tragic character that he truly is?
The first adaptation of the novel is a silent movie entitled Frankenstein that was released
in 1910. This sixteen-minute short film is the first instance in which the monster is portrayed
differently than he is written. The film is even prefaced with the phrase A liberal adaptation
from Mrs. Shelleys famous story This is an obvious sign that the show will not portray the
characters completely accurately. This motion picture was silent, but the over 50 screen
adaptations since have written the monster as either mute or inarticulate. This is an especially
interesting choice, as the monster in the novel is written as an incredibly erudite, impressive
character that commits both good and bad deeds.

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Why is it, though, that creators of these films continue to make the monster such a onedimensional part? Several factors could contribute to this. Taking away the monsters voice
makes him appear to be far more of a monster. If he cannot talk, it is less likely for audiences to
relate to him; it is much easier to estrange oneself to a bumbling, murderous fool of a monster
rather than a wise and perceptive one. A number of times throughout the novel, the monster
compares himself to both Adam and Satan in Paradise Lost, stating that he sees himself in both
the human and the devil. People are hesitant to admit when they connect with a character that is
associated with the negative, making many dislike the monster. This change of the monsters
character also makes Victor appear a more sympathetic character than he is.
It takes a certain amount of respect from audiences to consistently portray a part in the
way it was intended to be portrayed, especially this complicated part of Frankensteins monster.
Mary Shelley, as well as many fans of the original text, are able to respect the character enough
to have his opinions taken seriously. They face the monsters troubles with a sense of empathy
and an understanding that the monster is not all bad. He builds himself up from nothing, teaching
himself to read and understand language, as well as asking himself incredibly profound questions
to try to find out why he exists. When a rebooted version of the story is published that does not
respect the monsters character, the audience loses the opportunity to connect with an important
part in the narrative.
In the end, there are definite, solid reasons that justify either liking or disliking the
monster. Disliking the monster as a person and disagreeing with his choices is understandable,
in fact one would hope that the reader disagrees with him. There is a difference, however, in
liking a characters personality and appreciating how the character is written. A character can do

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bad things but can still be considered a good character, and this is most certainly the case with
the monster in the Frankenstein novel. Film and television adaptations continue to make him an
unintelligible character, even though he is quite the opposite. There is an excellent opportunity to
make the monster much more thought-provoking and critical almost anti-hero in Frankenstein
films, but this opportunity has yet to be explored. Film writers should acknowledge the
complexity of the fascinating character of the monster instead of silencing him and taking away
his ability to reach the audience in a captivating way.

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Works Cited

Frankenstein [Silent Movie]. Dir. J Searle Dawley. Edison Manufacturing Company, 1910. 09
July 2012. Web. 29 Aug. 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZ-OrfJHHro

List of Frankenstein Films. Wikipedia. Wikipedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 29 Aug. 2016.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Frankenstein_films