Savannah Tessier
Professor Helms
EN 2490.01
3/03/2024
Since Mary Shelley published Frankenstein in 1818 it’s become a fan favorite. The book has been adapted in countless forms from plays, comics, movies, and other novels. Each adaptation of Frankenstein has brought its own unique perspective to the table allowing the story of Frankenstein to continue for generations. Although there are endless versions and spin-offs of the 1818 novel, from the Bride of Frankenstein to Frankenweenie, the one considered most iconic is the 1931 film production. The 1931 movie production of Frankenstein differs from the original plot of Mary Shelley’s original novel, but by doing so it allows Frankenstein to be enjoyed by a larger audience.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist. The novel begins with letters written by Captain Robert Walton, detailing his expedition to the North Pole. During his journey, Robert’s ship becomes trapped, and he encounters Victor Frankenstein, who is pursuing the creature he created, so Victor shares his story with Robert.
While a young scientist, Victor, became obsessed with the idea of creating life. After years of experimenting and research he finally is able to assemble a creature from various body parts collected from graveyards and bring it to life. However this creature is not how Victor imagined. When describing the creature’s appearance Victor says, “His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful!—Great God! 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; but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same color as the dun white sockets in which they were set, his shriveled complexion and straight black lips.” (Shelley, Chapter IV) Despite his efforts of trying to create a typically beautiful lifeform Victor was disgusted. Overwhelmed by repulsion of the appearance of this creature, guilt and fear of the dangers the creature will cause to society, Victor chooses to abandon his creature.
Once the creature is abandoned he wanders the countryside and faces cruelty and rejection from society due to his appearance. The creature desperately craves companionship and driven by loneliness he goes to get revenge on Victor. On this journey of revenge, the creature murders William Frankenstein, Victor’s brother. Creature claims that because he swore “eternal revenge” against Victor, William will be the first victim, as William “belongs” to the enemy because he’s his brother.
Creature’s extreme loneliness prompts a desire for a mate as he demands “a creature of another sex, but as hideous as myself; the gratification is small, but it is all that I can receive, and it shall content me.” When Creature doesn’t receive a mate he murders Victor’s bride, Eliziabeth, on their wedding night. These deaths give Victor the loneliness Creature has been consumed with as Victor says “I thought with horror of what might have been, and I considered futurity with utter despair. A thousand times would I have shed my own blood, drop by drop, to have saved their lives; but I could not, my father, indeed, they would have been miserable had they been persuaded to return with us.”
Ending the novel Victor continues to pursue Creature to the Arctic where Victor succumbs to the harsh environment and dies. Although Creature claimed Victor as his nemesis and did heinous acts of revenge, when Creature finds Victor lifeless he is heartbroken. Even saying, “‘But soon,’ he cried with sad and solemn enthusiasm, ‘I shall die, and what I now feel be no longer felt. Soon these burning miseries will be extinct. I shall ascend my funeral pile triumphantly and exult in the agony of the torturing flames. The light of that conflagration will fade away; my ashes will be swept into the sea by the winds. My spirit will sleep in peace, or if it thinks, it will not surely think thus. Farewell.’” So as Victor brought the creature to life, the heartbreak Victor brought upon the creature was the final straw of his death. The novel’s ending shows Creature’s capability for emotions and his intelligence, making it important to note when considering a contrast to the movie.
The 1931 film adaptation of Frankenstein produced by Carl Laemmle Jr. and Universal showed many differences from Mary Shelley’s 1818 version. In Shelley’s Frankenstein Victor’s creature is shown to be complex, having human-like emotions, and even being intelligent. Scriptwriters conveyed this even more by explaining that the brain in the monster acquired would determine his intelligence and morals. When diving into the movie he is shown as a simple mute monster. As shown below:
www.britannica.com/topic/Frankenstein-film-by-Whale.
Victor’s creature is made to be even scarier to the public. Dehumanizing him even more by taking away the only things Creature had, emotions and intellect. The way the movie depicts Creature it takes a tremendous focus on creating his horrifying looks, but does not develop his internal struggles or dive into his motivations for his actions. There’s a quote in the 1931 movie said by Dr. Frankenstein’s mentor, Dr. Waldman, when he first sees the completed creature. He remarks: “Look at it! You see? You see? Your triumph, complete! Your beautiful creation, SHUNNED BY EVERYONE, including by God!” It highlights the grotesque appearance of Creature by pointing out that even “God” could not accept such a creature even though his creation of life is such a “triumph” and something to him to celebrate.
Because of the movie choosing to create a focus on Victor’s creature’s looks and depicting him as only a monster, it simplifies the plot of Frankenstein, however this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Bethany Halford, of the 2012 American Chemical Society and Chemical & Engineering News, published an article addressing the many aspects of the 1931 movie and interviewed many for said article. One particular quote that is applicable from her article is, “Susan E. Lederer, author of “Frankenstein: Penetrating the Secrets of Nature” and Yale University history of medicine professor, tells C&EN that she thinks Jack Pierce’s makeup design, combined with Karloff’s brilliant, wordless performance and Whale’s direction, is what makes the film so influential and enduring.” Susan E. Lederer, author of “Frankenstein: Penetrating the Secrets of Nature”’s stance on Creature’s behavior making the film so endearing instead of taking away from a once complex “monster,” isn’t incorrect and drew a large audience in.
When it comes to movies, audiences often desire something less complex. Having a simple plot reaches a broader audience because it is easier for the general public to understand. Creature’s looks and behavior made the plot “scarier” and gave a clearer villain. In addition, more people were exposed to Frankenstein because of the movie adaptation. This is also due to the fact that the movie was advertised intensely and spoken about widely, with many movie posters and examples shown below:
https://creepyclassics.com/frankenstein-1931-photo-cover-dvd
The ending of the movie differs from the novel as well. Frankenstein’s creature is killed by an angry mob in the movie. In the novel Creature’s fate is left up to the reader’s speculation and it’s more implied and open ended. The movie’s quick violent ending in the movie is meant to appease the audience. Many people are unhappy if left with an open end to a movie so directors felt it crucial to make the ending simpler and physically intense in comparison to the grieving found in the novel.
Because Shelley’s version of Frankenstein is such an intense novel it would be hard to fit all components in an hour and eleven minutes of screen time. Writers of the film also cut out certain small characters of the book. More importantly though the film limited the representation of the relationship between Victor Frankenstein and his fiance Elizabeth. In the novel she was quite important and represented important aspects of innocence. Also showing their relationship helped show the pain Victor felt when Elizabeth died.
Both the book and movie contain elements of the classic horror genre, but choose to portray them differently in order to appeal to their targeted audiences. All adaptations of Frankenstein have brought appeal for a variety of people, allowing everyone to enjoy. No matter who you are or what type of movie or literature you prefer, there’s a version of Frankenstein out there for you.
Works Cited
Halford, Bethany. “Frankenstein (1931).” Chemical & Engineering News | Reel Science —
Review (Frankenstein), pubsapp.acs.org/cen/reelscience/recommendations/frankenstein/#:~:text=%22In%20the%20Hollywood%20tale%2C%20the,antiscience%2C%20Lederer%20tells%20Reel%20Science.
Frankenstein. James Whale director, Carl Laemmle Jr. producer, writers John L. Balderston, Garrett Fort, and Francis Edward Faragoh, Universal, 1931.
Pfeiffer, Lee. “Frankenstein Film by Whale (1931).” Britannica, 29 Feb. 2024, www.britannica.com/topic/Frankenstein-film-by-Whale.
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. 1818.
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