Oh Whale

Frankenstein directed by James Whale 1931

My preconception of the Frankenstein myth comes from the classic films such as James Whale’s Frankenstein (1931), as well as his other Frankenstein film. In the films he introduces the monster as this large green creature with a squared head who cannot utter a single word, which in itself is very much different when looking at the description of the monster given by Mary Shelley. The monster is created by Victor Frankenstein who many have since confused with the monster over the years and who people continue to confuse to this day, such as myself on the occasion. His interpretation of the monster alone has been used for decades, especially in the form of animations and cartoons like in the Scooby-Doo series or even the Marvel Universe although it doesn’t stop there. With a large cult following, the myth of Frankenstein and his monster have since lived on and has become something you find in pop culture. Its had many other film adaptations apart from James Whale’s 1931 classic such as Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1994) which gave the monster a whole new appearance. The monster appears more human in this adaptation although keeps with its grotesque appearance. He can speak more, and is shown to be more aggressive and cruel when he ripped out Elizabeth’s heart out of her chest. The film would later branch off and connect to another cult classic, Whale’s Bride of Frankenstein, when Elizabeth is brought back to life by Victor. Though there have been other notable works over the years that can be listed, it should be noted that the novel has also made its way in other such works with other intelligent beings being cursed with knowledge just as they had been in the novel.

Reading Shelley’s novel gave me an entirely new perspective of the monster, challenging the way I had once saw him. There was no longer this green square headed monster killing those around him or by accident. Fire was no longer his weakness and he was no longer mute. He had transformed, had become intelligent, for being a monster being brought back to life, and a incredibly lonely creature who only wanted attention from someone he couldn’t get it from, something many people can relate to. The monster became much more than what was shown in films through the years which was one thing I truly enjoyed when reading the novel. He became a more complex creature as I read on, one that wanted to be loved and to love and not exiled by humans or his creator for that matter.

If anything, the one thing I noticed that remained true through the myths that followed the novel was Frankenstein’s disgust for his creation and who truly was the villain in the story.

. Lou Flores