This Blog task was assigned by Megha Ma'am (Department of English, MKBU)
"Frankenstein: More Than Just a Monster Story"
Introduction:
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein has captivated readers for nearly two centuries. Often hailed as the first true science fiction novel, it’s a profound exploration of ambition, isolation, and the dangers of unchecked scientific progress. From its chilling portrayal of a scientist obsessed with defying the natural order to its portrayal of the monster, a creature shunned by society, Frankenstein raises questions that remain relevant today about the ethics of scientific discovery and the responsibilities that come with creation.
About the Author: Mary Shelley
Mary Shelley was born on August 30, 1797, in London, England. The daughter of renowned feminist philosopher Mary Wollstonecraft and political thinker William Godwin, she grew up surrounded by intellectual debate and progressive ideas. Shelley's life was filled with tragedy, including the loss of her mother shortly after birth and the premature death of her own children. She is best known for Frankenstein, which she wrote when she was just 18 years old during the summer of 1816, famously known as the "Year Without a Summer." This novel not only marked the birth of science fiction but also cemented Shelley’s place in literary history.
Short Summary of Frankenstein
Frankenstein tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist whose obsession with uncovering the secrets of life leads him to create a living being from dead tissue. However, once his creation is brought to life, Victor is horrified by its monstrous appearance and abandons it. Left to fend for itself, the creature learns about the world but is rejected by society due to its grotesque form. Seeking revenge against his creator, the creature embarks on a path of destruction, leading to tragic consequences for both Frankenstein and those he loves.
The novel is framed as a series of letters from an explorer named Robert Walton to his sister, Margaret, detailing his encounter with Frankenstein and the creature in the Arctic. Through this framing device, Shelley explores themes of ambition, revenge, isolation, and the ethical implications of scientific exploration.
Key Themes in Frankenstein
Ambition and the Pursuit of Knowledge
Victor Frankenstein's unchecked ambition and desire to transcend human limitations lead him down a dangerous path. His obsession with creating life causes him to ignore the ethical ramifications of his actions, ultimately resulting in catastrophe.
Isolation and Alienation
Both Frankenstein and his creature experience deep isolation. Victor isolates himself from his family and society in pursuit of his experiments, while the creature is shunned and rejected by everyone it encounters. The novel explores how isolation can affect the human psyche and lead to destructive outcomes.
The Dangers of Playing God
One of the novel's central themes is the ethical dilemma of scientific experimentation. Frankenstein's attempt to "play God" by creating life results in unintended consequences, warning of the dangers of pursuing knowledge without considering the moral implications.
Revenge and Justice
The creature’s desire for revenge against Victor mirrors the destructive power of vengeance. The novel examines the human desire for justice and the often devastating results of pursuing it at all costs.
The Nature of Humanity
The creature’s struggles with its identity and its relationship to human nature raise questions about what it means to be human. Despite its monstrous appearance, the creature exhibits human-like qualities such as compassion and a desire for companionship
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1) What are some major differences between the movie and the novel Frankenstein?
Major Differences Between the 1994 Frankenstein Movie and Mary Shelley's Original Novel
Kenneth Branagh’s 1994 film Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was marketed as the most faithful adaptation of Shelley’s groundbreaking 1818 novel. While the film does preserve many of the novel’s key plot points and characters, there are still significant differences between the two. These variations range from character portrayals and thematic tones to added scenes that never appeared in the original text. Let’s explore some of the major differences between the novel and the film.
1. Elizabeth’s Resurrection and the Reanimated Bride
One of the most dramatic additions in the movie is the resurrection of Elizabeth Lavenza, Victor Frankenstein’s fiancée. After she is murdered by the Creature on their wedding night, Victor reanimates her by stitching her head onto Justine Moritz’s body. This creates a grotesque and tragic “bride,” who ultimately sets herself on fire when torn between the two men.
In contrast, the novel only hints at the idea of a female companion. Victor begins constructing a female creature at the Creature’s request but ultimately destroys her out of fear of creating a second monster. Elizabeth is never resurrected in the book, and this entire subplot is unique to the film.
2. The Creature’s Origin and Body
In the film, the Creature is made using the body of an executed criminal and the brain of Victor’s mentor, Professor Waldman. This merging of intellect and violence creates a layered interpretation of the monster’s character.
However, in the novel, Shelley gives no specific identity to the parts used to assemble the Creature. The focus is less on the origins of the body parts and more on the moral and philosophical implications of reanimating life.
3. Tone and Style: Gothic Novel vs. Operatic Cinema
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a philosophical, subtle, and introspective work, exploring themes of isolation, ambition, and the responsibilities of creation. The narrative is primarily epistolary and reflective, told through layered storytelling via letters and personal accounts.
Kenneth Branagh’s adaptation, on the other hand, is visually intense, melodramatic, and action-packed. Critics have noted the film’s “operatic” tone, with dramatic lighting, frantic pacing, and emotionally explosive performances, especially from Branagh himself as Victor. This heavy-handed style stands in contrast to the novel’s quieter, more haunting atmosphere.
4. The Creature’s Characterization
In both the novel and the film, the Creature is intelligent, articulate, and deeply emotional. However, the film emphasizes his physical grotesqueness more than his intellectual growth. De Niro’s portrayal includes grunting speech, physical deformities, and a raw, tortured presence, especially after his creation.
By contrast, Shelley’s Creature is eloquent and philosophical, even quoting Paradise Lost and expressing a deep awareness of his tragic condition. The novel gives him more agency and complexity, while the film leans more into horror elements.
5. Justine’s Fate and the Use of Her Body
In the novel, Justine Moritz is falsely accused and executed for the murder of Victor’s brother William. Her death serves as a symbol of injustice and Victor’s guilt.
In the film, Justine’s body is used to create Elizabeth’s resurrected form, which adds a new layer of body horror and blurs the lines between characters. This gruesome twist never occurs in the novel and is a cinematic invention that emphasizes the film’s darker tone.
6. Victor’s Personality and Motivation
Shelley’s Victor is portrayed as a deeply flawed, guilt-ridden intellectual, whose ambition leads him to ruin. His descent into obsession is slow, tragic, and self-aware.
Branagh’s Victor, however, is more impulsive and emotionally charged, bordering on heroic at times. His energy and physical presence are dialed up significantly, and some critics argue that this turns him into more of an action protagonist than a tragic figure.
7. The Ending: The Creature’s Fate
Both the novel and the film end in the Arctic, with Victor dying and the Creature mourning his creator. However, the film adds a dramatic funeral pyre scene, where the Creature burns himself alongside Victor’s body an explicit act of redemption and closure.
In the novel, the Creature vanishes into the darkness, stating he will destroy himself, but his fate is left ambiguous. Shelley’s ending is more open-ended and reflective, while the film provides visual finality.
Final Thoughts
While Kenneth Branagh’s Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein aims to be faithful to the source material, it takes notable creative liberties that shift the tone and themes of the original novel. The additions—such as Elizabeth’s resurrection, Justine’s reused body, and the operatic style may enhance the cinematic drama but alter the subtle philosophical exploration that Mary Shelley originally crafted.
For those studying both the novel and the film, these differences offer rich ground for analysis from how adaptations interpret themes to how media shapes storytelling for different audiences.
2) Who do you think is a real monster?
In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the question of who the real monster is Victor Frankenstein or the Creature is central to the novel’s moral and philosophical message. While the Creature is often feared and labeled a “monster” because of his unnatural appearance and later violent actions, a deeper reading reveals that Victor Frankenstein himself is the true monster. His decisions, his lack of moral responsibility, and his treatment of his creation reveal a dangerous combination of arrogance, emotional detachment, and ethical failure.
Victor Frankenstein: The True Monster of the Story
Victor Frankenstein begins as an ambitious young scientist obsessed with pushing the boundaries of knowledge and science. His desire to “conquer death” is driven not only by curiosity but also by ego and pride:
"Life and death appeared to me ideal bounds, which I should first break through, and pour a torrent of light into our dark world." (Chapter 4)
This quote shows Victor's God-like ambition to defy natural limits. However, as soon as he succeeds in animating the Creature, he becomes horrified by what he has done—not because of the ethical implications, but because the Creature is physically repulsive:
"I had worked hard for nearly two years... but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart." (Chapter 5)
Victor’s immediate rejection and abandonment of the Creature is his first monstrous act. Instead of nurturing and guiding the life he created, he runs from it. This failure to take moral responsibility marks the beginning of a tragic chain of events.
The Creature: Not Born a Monster, But Made Into One
The Creature, by contrast, begins his life with innocence and sensitivity. He learns to speak, read, and feel through observing the De Lacey family. He longs for love, companionship, and acceptance basic human needs that Victor denies him. The Creature expresses genuine emotion:
"I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel." (Chapter 10)
This Biblical allusion shows that the Creature sees himself as wrongfully cast out, like Satan in Paradise Lost, but also like Adam created, yet abandoned. He only turns to violence after being repeatedly attacked, rejected, and hated by humans based on his appearance alone. His most famous line captures his emotional descent:
"I am malicious because I am miserable." (Chapter 17)
Here, Shelley shows that evil is not inherent it is a product of suffering and neglect. The Creature’s acts of murder are horrifying, but they are also understandable responses to trauma and rejection, making him more of a tragic figure than a villain.
Victor’s Moral Failure: The Root of All Tragedy
What makes Victor Frankenstein truly monstrous is his refusal to acknowledge the consequences of his actions. He repeatedly chooses silence, secrecy, and denial instead of facing the truth. When his brother William is murdered and Justine is wrongly accused, Victor stays quiet even though he knows the Creature is responsible:
"I could not bring myself to disclose a secret which would fill my hearer with consternation..." (Chapter 8)
Victor prioritizes his own fear and reputation over justice and truth, allowing Justine to die. He continues this pattern of selfish behavior throughout the novel, even when he agrees to make a companion for the Creature only to later destroy it out of fear and jealousy, breaking his promise. His hypocrisy is clear:
He refuses to let the Creature have love, yet he enjoys the comfort of Elizabeth and his family.
In the end, Victor shifts all the blame onto the Creature without ever admitting his own part in creating the tragedy. Even as he chases the Creature across the Arctic, he is still motivated by revenge, not redemption or understanding.
Mary Shelley deliberately makes the answer complex. On the surface, the Creature looks like the monster. But morally and emotionally, Victor is far more dangerous. He plays God, then refuses to act like one. He creates life but offers no guidance, love, or compassion. He allows innocent people to suffer and die because he cannot face the consequences of his actions.
By contrast, the Creature becomes a monster because he is treated like one. Shelley challenges the reader to consider: Is evil born, or is it made? The novel’s answer is clear: monstrosity lies not in appearance or even action, but in lack of empathy, responsibility, and humanity.
3) Do you think the search for knowledge is dangerous and destructive?
Yes, in Frankenstein, the search for knowledge can definitely be dangerous and destructive. Victor Frankenstein becomes obsessed with uncovering the secrets of life and death, but he goes too far without thinking about the consequences. His desire to “play God” by creating life leads to the death of his loved ones and his own downfall. This shows that when knowledge is pursued with selfish ambition, without responsibility or compassion, it can cause great harm. Mary Shelley uses Victor’s story to warn that knowledge without limits or ethics can destroy lives.
However, knowledge itself is not always harmful it depends on how and why it is used. In Frankenstein, Captain Walton also seeks knowledge through exploration, but unlike Victor, he listens to warnings and turns back before causing destruction. This suggests that when knowledge is guided by wisdom, caution, and respect for human life, it can be valuable. So from my perspective, the search for knowledge is not evil by nature it becomes dangerous only when it is used irresponsibly, as Victor does. When handled with care, knowledge can lead to progress without destruction.
4) Do you think Victor Frankenstein's creature was inherently evil, or did society's rejection and mistreatment turn him into a monster?
Victor Frankenstein’s creature was not inherently evil. In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley shows that the Creature was born innocent and full of curiosity, just like any human being. He learns language, watches people with kindness, and tries to help the De Lacey family. At first, he wants nothing more than to connect with others and be loved. However, every attempt he makes to reach out is met with fear, hatred, and violence—not because of anything he does, but because of how he looks.
It is society’s rejection, Victor’s abandonment, and the Creature’s deep loneliness that slowly turn him bitter and vengeful. Even then, he doesn’t become violent right away. He only begins to harm others after being constantly pushed away and betrayed, especially when Victor breaks his promise to make him a companion. As the Creature says, “I am malicious because I am miserable.” This powerful line shows that he becomes a “monster” only because the world treated him like one. Shelley’s message is clear: evil is not born it is made through suffering, isolation, and cruelty.
5) Should there be limits on scientific exploration? If so, what should those limits be?
Yes, there should definitely be limits on scientific exploration, especially when it involves life, death, or serious impacts on humanity and nature. In Frankenstein, Victor crosses an ethical line by creating life without thinking about the consequences. His focus is only on success and fame not on the responsibility that comes with creating a living being. This leads to suffering, death, and regret. The novel shows that when science is done without moral thought, it can cause more harm than good.
The limits on science should be based on ethics, human safety, and respect for life. Scientists should ask themselves important questions: Will this help or hurt people? Am I doing this for the right reasons? What could go wrong, and am I prepared to handle it? Just because something can be done doesn’t always mean it should be done. Mary Shelley’s story is still relevant today, reminding us that responsibility, empathy, and caution must guide all scientific discovery.
Referance:
https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/frankenstein250307301/250307301
https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/frankenstein-by-mary-shelley-242065015/242065015
https://owlcation.com/humanities/frankenstein-invention-vs-inventor
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