The Monstrous Truth About Frankenstein

"Thus strangely are our souls constructed, and by such slight ligaments are we bound to prosperity or ruin."                                                          —Frankenstein

Most people know the name Frankenstein and recognize the iconic character: large in stature, green skin, large forehead, and pegs in his neck.

But what if I told you that's not who Frankenstein is?

The truth is, Frankenstein is not the hideous green giant but his creator.

The classic tale that has inspired numerous movies and additional spin-off stories is actually very different from the mainstream image of Frankenstein.

Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein was a fun Gothic tale unlike what I expected or anything I've read before. Here are some notable aspects of the novel:

Brief Synopsis

Frankenstein is a young science student who becomes obsessed with “bestowing animation upon lifeless matter.” He creates a creature from human body parts but is horrified by its hideousness. The creature runs away and learns about humanity in lonely isolation. Afterwards, the monster asks Frankenstein for a request, or else he will exact revenge on his creator.

Writing Style, Pace, and Structure

This novel is very characteristic of older writing styles. The sentences are often lengthy, sometimes being four or more lines long. Also, it’s written in what I would call “high/elevated language,” meaning that there are lots of “big” words that are strung together. This can sometimes make the meaning of sentences hard to understand. For the most part, the book is an easy read once you get into it.

The story itself was very dark through and through. Victor Frankenstein was constantly ill, it seemed, and always in torment. His narrative was very sad, and he remained in his own perpetual hell.

The pacing of the story is a bit slow in the beginning but picks up after Frankenstein creates the monster and recovers from his illness. The beginning of the book was challenging to me—mainly the part where Frankenstein is talking about his interest in science and philosophy. That part of the story dragged for me. It was full of information about philosophy and natural science which fascinated Frankenstein but bored me (it's just not my cup of coffee). I became lost amongst the unfamiliar topic and elevated language. Even though it's essential information for the novel and understanding Frankenstein's character, it can stretch out the novel for some.

After the creation of the monster the story picked up pace. It really was a page-turner; I kept wanting to know what was going to happen next and was tempted to stay up all night to find out.

Structurally, this book is a frame narrative—basically it's a story within a story. The narrative starts in the preface with letters from a Captain Walton to his sister. Within these letters he recounts Frankenstein's tale (which is where chapter 1 begins). The middle portion of the book furthers the frame narrative with the Monster's tale within Frankenstein's. 

Characters

There is a common misconception that Frankenstein is the name of the Monster. This is not true. Victor Frankenstein is indeed the mad genius who created the Monster, who is often referred to as a dӕmon by his maker.

Also, the Monster is not as pleasant looking as the green, peg-necked portrayal so commonly used. According to the novel, the Monster is quite grotesque. He is large in stature but with yellow skin and is more hideously deformed than is humanly possible.

Oh, and Igor, the hunchbacked assistant? The Monster's wife with the crazy hairdo? Yeah, they’re not in the original tale at all. Those well-known characters are not part of Mary Shelley's classical story. Instead there are other characters at play—Elizabeth and Henry Clerval being two important ones.

Elizabeth is what is called “the angel of the house.” She is exceedingly beautiful, kind, and wonderful in every way. Everyone loves her, and she is the treasured darling of the family. In the story, she is taken in by the Frankenstein family at a young age and raised as one of their own.

Henry Clerval is Frankenstein's closest friend. He parallels with Igor in a way. Igor is always portrayed as being Victor Frankenstein's assistant during his experiments and in creating the Monster. Clerval, although he doesn't assist or even know about the experiment, does take care of Frankenstein during his illness after the Monster's creation.

Monsters and Duality

Although there is only one physical monster in the story, there are really two monsters: Frankenstein and the Monster. They are similar and different in the ways they are monsters, which can be seen through their separate narratives.

Frankenstein is torn up inside about what he's done—creating the Monster—and loathes the Monster for what he does (don't worry I won't spoil anything). Although not physically ugly, Frankenstein tells about the monster inside him that consumes him when creating the actual Monster. The very thought of what he has done makes him despise himself. Naturally when reading this book, you are drawn to feel sorry for Frankenstein and hope that he can overcome his torment.

However, the Monster's narrative makes you, along with Frankenstein, feel sorry for the Monster. There is a struggle with the true nature of the Monster that tugs you in both directions due to the frame of the story. At first, you feel sorry for the Monster because he is lonely and hates himself because of his horrific appearance. But through Frankenstein, you also hate the Monster for what he does and who he chooses to be.

Both ask for sympathy from the reader, but both prove themselves to be monstrous in nature and repulsive to themselves. The duality of the two characters also balance them. They oppose each other yet are the same.

Gene Wilder (Frankenstein) & Peter Boyle (Monster) 
in the movie Young Frankenstein

Overall, the novel deals with the impact of what man is capable of doing. Just because you can do something, does it mean you should? Frankenstein deserves to be called a classic piece of literature. It is a great story with well developed characters, action, romance, and the struggle within man to be the light or darkness inside himself.