Some Somewhat Interesting Thoughts on Frankenstein
KEYWORDS: Capital R Romanticism, Classic, Horror(?)
Frankenstein is probably a word familiar to everyone. Coming to mind, whether it is the green, grotesque monster depicted in children's horror stories or the somewhat irksome PE warm up we had to do every class without Coach Rachael, believe it or not, they are actually misrepresentations of the original novel. The monster in the book was not named Frankenstein; in fact, he doesn’t even have a name. Frankenstein was his creator’s, Victor Frankenstein's, family name.
Briefly, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley featured a young, ambitious scientist, Victor, who devoted himself fully to study in search of knowledge and pride. Lucky(?) for Victor, his endeavor was somewhat successful: he animated a huge 8 ft tall monster from corpses he found in the vaults and charnel houses. However, right after seeing the grotesque appearance of the monster, he was overwhelmed by fear and nausea, causing him to immediately abandon his creation. This reckless act of Victor led to a series of tragic incidents, including the loss of multiple lives.
From birth, the monster was all alone surviving and exploring the world around itself. Initially, despite his appearance, he was a gentle and kind creature. His surroundings interest him; he is often immersed in awe of nature, and he treats everything around him respectfully and with care. However, when he eventually wanders out of the forest and into a nearby village, everyone around him does the exact opposite. Due to his hideous appearance, he was cast out by everyone. All his encounters considered him wicked and malicious. This instinctive repugnance and hatred of humans towards the monster inflicts deep resentment and animosity inside him, infuriating him to commit his first crime: murdering Victor’s little brother, William. With his last glimmer of hope and conscience, he tried to negotiate with Victor to make him a mate as ugly as himself. He promised to flee to Africa and never kill anyone again. Unfortunately, Victor, overwhelmed by grief, agony, and guilt, rejected his demand. The decision enraged the monster, causing him to...basically go around killing everyone close to Victor to punish him as a conscienceless and nonchalant creator.
The book goes in depth exploring the idea of evil and who is to blame for all the tragedies. Throughout the story, both perspectives are well portrayed. Victor, on one side, has lost almost all his family members and close friends due to the monster’s vengeance, living the rest of his life in extreme remorse. The monster, on the other hand, has been bestowed with the desire for sympathy and understanding like any other living creature, but the continuous “gratuitous” hatred from mankind eventually deprives him of all his benign senses. Everyone in the story is sitting on their stool, speaking from their point of view to approach the conflict. Nobody is generally right or wrong; everyone has been right and wrong.
I think I can see why Frankenstein has become such an outstanding novel in the classic and horror genres. It not only brought cautious warnings of the negative outcomes of scientific discoveries, but it also provided important, provocative themes for the readers to think about after closing the book.
However, I personally did not find the book too enjoyable to read. The lines weren’t super easy to follow. There weren’t a lot of actions and interactions between characters (like dialogues); in replacement, the book was rich in depictions of connections between nature and human feelings. This typical style of writing matches perfectly with the time period the book was composed. Romanticism: a period from the 18th ~ 19th century, where the Europeans emphasized nature and individual sensitivity over actual reasoning.
If you are a person into reading classics and are wondering what books were like during Romanticism, Frankenstein would be an amazing book to look at.
Thank you so much for reading!
Ruijing
Citation:
"Romanticism." New World Encyclopedia, https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/p/index.php?title=Romanticism&oldid=1091648, Accessed 15 Oct. 2023.
Hey Ruijing, I loved this blog, I've heard about this misconception of Frankenstein and always thought about reading it. Although you did say the book was not enjoyable, this review made me want to check it out for myself, especially since you said it focuses on nature and emotions. I think books that question the moral actions of everyone and look into human emotions in detail can positively impact the way we carry out our lives. Great book review!
ReplyDeleteHi Ruijing! I've encountered variations on Frankenstein in a plethora of movies and books, and none are like what you've just detailed. This is a very interesting new view of the green monster, and your initial description of it makes me want to read it! I love how there isn't a singular antagonist, and the book flips between two sides of a coin. Although you did not like it, I really want to read it now! Thank you for this new point of view and great job on the blog!!
ReplyDeleteHey Ruijing! I've always known different stories of Frankenstein, but this one is new! I enjoyed how you started your blog as well :). Also, despite the fact that you thought this book was not enjoyable, I found your description quite interesting! Great blog ! (I literally did not realize mine and Emma's comments sound similar whaatt T^T)
ReplyDeleteHi Ruijing! As someone who has consumed 0 Frankenstein content but always associated it with the original novel and the monster's creator, it's so interesting to learn that there is a misconception about it among many. Based on Emma and Jenny's comments, it seems to be a bit unclear to them that this novel is actually /the original/ 1818 Frankenstein, which I find hilarious because it only proves just how changed our perception of Frankenstein is since this novel was published! As someone who similarly isn't very interested in most classics and finds the old-timey and extremely dense writing style tiresome, I totally understand why you didn't like this book. I'll make sure not to pick it up then ;)
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