For this assignment, I'd like you to research an example of the Frankenstein story in popular context that betrays Shelley's text to some degree. Be sure to explain the artifact and its characteristics while also revealing how this piece deviates from Shelley's original 1818 text.
Do not copy and paste. Explain ideas in your own words or you will not receive credit. Happy hunting!
Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" had many different adaptations of it, some wilder than others. One of the adaptations that defied Mary Shelley's original story was the 1935 movie, "The Bride of Frankenstein". This movie opposed Shelley's "Frankenstein"'s theme in many ways. One of the ways this movie violates the book is that the movie renamed Victor Frankenstein to Henry Frankenstein with no apparent reason besides the way the name portrayed him. Also, Frankenstein has a wife in the movie, while Elizabeth, Victor's fiancee was killed in the book. The creature in this movie does not request for a mate although he encourages it, the person who encourages this is a mad scientist by the name of Dr. Pretorious, who forces Henry Frankenstein to create this for the sake of science. In the book however, the creature desires a mate after watching other people have companions and company, and Victor Frankenstein destroys the new creature before it was created, stopping any further possibility of harm. There are many more examples of this movie defying Shelley's book.
ReplyDeleteFor over a century, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein has gone through a revolutionary, evolutionary game of telephone, giving way to an array of films, television programs, even video games. Surprisingly however, many of these contradict the original 1818 version.
ReplyDeleteOne such adaptation is Terrence Fisher's 1969 British horror film, Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed. While there is a similar theme pertaining to non-acceptance and vengeance, the plot, setting, characters, and meaning of this version, are dramatically different. First of all, Victor's purpose in fashioning a creature is quite shifted. Unlike the book where he wishes to gain glory, fame and be recognized as a "God," Victor creates the creature in order to save his sick friend. When his friend's brain is transplanted into that of another body, things turn downhill, as he realizes his terrifying new look. To make matters worse, not only does society banish him, so does his own wife.
Another example of an altered Frankenstein piece is, The Curse of Frankenstein. Released in 1959, this version starts off with Victor Frankenstein in prison awaiting execution. It is there where he tells the story of his life. In it he describes his father's death, which in the book takes place after he successfully resurrects the dead. Also, Victor brings a dead dog to life, which becomes his source of inspiration to resurrect deceased humans. Additionally, in the movie Victor has a mentor, Paul Krempe, who helps in Victor's project. When the creature escapes, the two hunt it down and kill it, only to bring it back to life and use it to their advantage - in this case, to kill those they do not like. On their list is Justine, Victor's maid who is murdered by the creature under order of Frankenstein after learning of his experiments. This contradicts with the book, where Justine is accused guilty in the murder of Victor's young relative and is put to death even though she is innocent. Here, Victor has no control over the creature's doings. Finally, the creature is killed in the movie after falling into a bath of acid, whereas in the book he escapes and continues to roam the world, leaving the reader thirsty for what happens next.
Thus, the list of works that deviate from Shelley's original Frankenstein is endless, which goes to show just how many perspectives there can be to literature. Just how stories were passed down in the old days, we the descendants, continue the tradition. Overall, I feel the greater there are of remakes, the greater works are. In fact, true literature is one that sticks to the mind and puts no restrictions, no boundaries to views and so surely enough we can conclude Frankenstein to be a compelling piece of literature - one that will indeed..continue to roam the world.
There is a film remake of Mary Shelley's book Frankenstein made in 1931 (directed by James Whale). In this version, Frankenstein begins his experiments on animals as opposed to jumping right into the animation of a human being with the help of Dr. Waldman. Frankenstein desires to make this creature in his image and he digs up a grave to acquire the body. The bad brain is accidentally stolen and put in the creature. When brought to life, the creature turns out to be very gentle being who is afraid of fire. Despite this, Frankenstein and his father agree that the creature should be humanely destroyed. However, in the meantime, the creature is treated as a violent monster, because he lashed out when surprised by the presents of fire and Frankenstein decides to lock him in a cell. While in this confinement, the creature is continually provoked and bullied by Frankenstein's assistant, Fritz. Eventually, the creature can no longer contain his anger and kills Fritz. Dr. Waldman finds the creature and sedates him unsuccessfully and the creature wakes up, strangles the doctor and escapes. In his freedom, he starts tossing flowers into a pond with a little girl. He observes that the flowers float when they are thrown in the water. Later, when the creature runs out of flowers, he throws the little girl into the water as if she were a flower and expects her to float. Unfortunately, she does not, and drowns instead. The creature continues by going on to strangle Elizabeth on her wedding day and escapes once again. This time, however, Frankenstein hunts the creature down and they eventually come face to face at an old mill. The creature throws Frankenstein off the mill, but does not kill him, while the villagers set fire to the mill and destroy the monster. The movie ends with Frankenstein's father celebrating his son's recovery and toasting to a future grandchild.
ReplyDeleteIn the original telling of this story by Mary Shelley, Frankenstein creates the creature alone. There is no Dr. Waldman, or Fritz. Additionally, the creature is never locked in a cell and never kills anyone outside of Frankenstein's family and close friends. In Marry Shelley's book, Elizabeth, William, and even Frankenstein die in the end, while the creature lives.
The story line of this interpretation is generally consistent with Mary Shelley's ideas, but the details are extremely different.
Throughout the years, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein has been adapted and reinterpreted to fit different art forms and appeal to different audiences. Through these interpretations, however, the creature loses its original identity and persona, making the creature appear to be less human and more supernatural. In one episode of Wizards of Waverly Place, Justin creates a creature called “Franken-Girl” that, unlike the creature in the original version, is used for the specific purpose of keeping Justin’s sister Alex out of his room. When Alex attempts to sneak into Justin’s room later in the episode, Alex discovers that the Franken-Girl’s brain is a computer and is programmed to shut down when it says “Control-Alt-Delete,” making it less human than the creature featured in Shelley’s Frankenstein. Justin then comes into his room and sees that Alex has turned Franken-Girl off. In order to bug his sister and get back at her for breaking into his room, Justin makes Franken-Girl Alex’s “BFF,” referencing to the creature’s desire for connection in the original Frankenstein. At first, Alex reacts negatively to Franken-Girl, leaving her behind when she goes to school so no one will see their matching outfits. But that is the end of any similarity between this version of Frankenstein and Mary Shelley’s, because Alex soon learns that she and Franken-Girl have more in common than she had originally thought, and grows closer to the creature. Franken-Girl portrays the creature in Mary Shelley’s version to be an imbecile, whereas in the original text, the creature is thought to be quite smart and cunning. In Biology, for example, Alex is surprised when Franken-Girl eats the frog they were about to dissect. This modern version of Frankenstein not only puts a pop culture spin on a classic, but goes so far as to change the original endearing, intelligent creature into a dimwitted pawn that is more computer than human.
ReplyDelete