Frankenstein’s Creature, Not Frankenstein

Most people, upon hearing the name “Frankenstein,” often end up thinking of the infamous green reanimated corpse. However, this is not the true Frankenstein from Mary Shelley’s novel. The Frankenstein people think of is typically the countless film adaptations of Frankenstein’s creature. The real Frankenstein is Victor Frankenstein, the creator of the infamous monster. Another inaccuracy: the creature is not green, nor unable to speak/do things a typical being can. The creature from Shelley’s writing is yellow, presumably due to jaundice, and able to speak and move around perfectly. In fact, this inhuman perfection is part of why people in the novel are so scared of him.

One more common difference between Shelley’s Frankenstein and the other depictions of the scientist is the reaction he tends to have to his creation’s reanimation. In the novel, Victor at first is proud and excited by his creations’ awakening, until he finally realizes what he has done. This is unlike other depictions, such as many film adaptations, where Victor is overjoyed by his creation.

Another intriguing difference between depictions and the novel is their usage of fire. Within all film adaptations, fire always has a role, however, regularly, the fire is something that sets the creature off, something that he fears. In Mary Shelley’s novel, though, fire is something that the creature finds interesting, specifically the way that it is both beautiful and warm yet still harmful. With the way Shelley uses nature to subtly hint at parts of a character, it would not be surprising if the creature’s discovery and depiction of fire was one way to indirectly characterize the creature. This difference in depiction, though, accentuates the differences between the dumb, lumbering oaf commonly depicted in the movies and the introspective creature from the novel.

The novel also differs from the many adaptations with how the creature acts around other beings. In the novel the creature tries to become equal with everyone until their constant rejection of him enrages him, and he goes about slaughtering everyone in his creator’s family for making him something that could never be accepted, thus dooming him to a harsh life. In many films, on the other hand, the creature is always rash with his decisions, and he acts extremely odd, never really speaking, which only ever freaks the people out more.

Even the creation of the creature varies from each depiction. In the film adaptations show Victor as well as many other scientists watching as the corpse is struck by lightning, and begins to move. This is different from the novel, where the creature’s reanimation is never explained in full. The directors made up the lightning entirely. But unlike the film, it is only Victor in the room with his creature as it awakens once more. The only similarity in the famous movie scene is the fact that the creature rises again during a severe storm, and how Victor is proud at first when the creature shows life.

However, despite all of this, readers and viewers alike are always obviously allowed their opinion on what adaptation they may like the best. Which adaptation do you prefer to view the most? Is there anything about that adaptation that you prefer over any others?