The 1818 novel was revolutionary in
its depiction of science and religion and served as a pioneer text in the sci-fi genre.
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.
On the surface, it’s a novel about a scary monster, but her sympathetic description of
a soulful creature makes us rethink who we label as the “monster.”
I'm Dr. Emily Zarka, and this is Monstrum.
Remember, this is not Frankenstein.
This is.
Although Shelley’s character was not a doctor of any kind, he actually never even finished
his university studies, I’ve decided to refer to him as Dr. Frankenstein as he was
first called in the 1931 movie to emphasize the distinction between him and his creation.
Dr. Frankenstein was the Scientist who created the nameless creature.
Boris Karloff’s depiction of a tall, shambling,
mute man with bolts sticking out of his neck has become the classic image of the monster.
But Shelley’s original description is actually much more macabre.
Shelly writes, quote, “His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath;
his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness...his watery
eyes...his shriveled complexion, and straight black lips.”
Shelley’s Dr. Frankenstein assembled his
Creature from materials found in “charnel houses,” the vaults where corpses were kept.
But he also took bits from “the slaughter-house.”
So, yes, her Creature is made of both human and animal parts.
But here’s the thing.
The Creature definitely looks scary, but just because something looks scary, doesn’t mean it is.
Shelley’s original creation is a highly intelligent vegetarian who hates the idea
of harming another living creature.
At the beginning of the novel, he wants nothing more than to be accepted and loved by another being.
Ironically, it’s the monstrous treatment he receives from humans that drives him to kill.
Dr. Frankenstein abandons the Creature at the moment of his animation, letting what
basically amounts to a newborn wander into the darkness alone to fend for himself.
The tension between Frankenstein and the Creature represents the struggle between parent and
child, self and other, love and hate, science and morality, abandonment and acceptance.
It’s a warning, to treat all living things with respect, or else.
200 year old spoiler alert— Shelley’s novel ends with Frankenstein and his entire
family dead, and the Creature himself presumably committing suicide.
What led Mary Shelley to explore these dark and tragic themes?
...That’s complicated.
Mary’s life was plagued by death.
Her own mother died from delivery complications only a few days after giving birth.
Shelley would mourn the woman she never knew for the rest of her life.
Shelley’s first child with her married lover
Percy, died shortly after birth in 1815.
The following year was known as the “Year Without a Summer”
due to the lingering effects of the eruption of Mount Tambora.
Stuck indoors, Shelley and her friends entered into a “dare” to pen the most terrifying
story they could imagine.
Shelley’s story came to her in a nightmare.
In 1818, she finished Frankenstein, and was finally able to get married—but only because
Percy’s pregnant wife committed suicide.
Mary’s second child Clara, also died that year, and their third child, William followed
Clara to the grave in 1819.
Then, just four years later, in 1822, Percy’s drowned body washed ashore.
All that death and grief may be why when editing
Frankenstein for an 1831 edition, Shelley made Dr. Frankenstein’s decision to form
the Creature a matter of “fate.”
This change makes the Creature more of a monster as his violence and desire to destroy Frankenstein becomes his “destiny.”
Shelley’s original text, and all those that
follow in its shadow, makes us ask, “Who is the real monster in this story?”
We are constantly updating the Frankenstein myth and the themes of life, loss, and monstrosity
Shelley wove into the original text as a way to explore our definitions of humanity.
Interpretations like Ex Machina explore the intimate, and complicated, relationship
between the creator and the created, and asks the audience to consider if robotic consciousness constitutes “life.”
You are dead center of the greatness scientific event in the history of man.
If you've created a conscious machine, it's not the history of man, that's the history of gods.
The film Splice, looks at how engineering
human and animal DNA to design an entirely new life form can result in dangerous, unforeseen
complications—even if the creator shelters, educates, and loves their creation.
Do you think they could really look at this face, and see anything less than a miracle?
Frankenweenie, retells the Frankenstein storyas a young boy’s decision to resurrect his
dead dog, emphasizing the devastation, and desperation, that comes from loss.
Sparky! You're Alive! I can't believe it. You're alive!
The 2017 comic series Victor LaValle’s Destroyer updates Shelley’s story for the current
moment—adding important conversations about race, gender, immigration, police brutality,
social injustice, and the proliferation of violence in the modern world.
All of these interpretations show sympathy
for both the creatures and their tragically flawed creators.
Despite all the destruction that comes from scientific experimentation in these adaptations,
I don’t believe Shelley intended her original story to scare readers into believing all
science is evil or monstrous.
I do think she warns us to consider the repercussions of technological and scientific advancement.
Just because we can, doesn’t mean we should.
Shelley’s novel calls us to be accountable for what we create, and what might be destroyed
in the process.
Check out Sound Field, the new music education show from PBS Digital Studios.
From Bach to Beyonce, they break down our favorite songs and styles.
Looking at things like theory, history, and culture.
It's hosted by two amazing musicians, Nahre and LA.
Who even collaborate to create an original song for every episode.
Check it out in the link below and tell them Dr. Z sent you!