Frankenstein Pop Culture Analysis

Frankenstein in Pop Culture According to USA Today, since the first film in 1931, there have been over 20 direct film adaptations of Mary Shelley 's Frankenstein, ranging from horror films to science fiction comedies. Countless other movies, TV series, and short films have a version of Frankenstein’s Creature ranging from a friendly, animated Creature to a terrifying monster. One of the more recent movies to feature a character modeled after Victor Frankenstein’s Creature is Hotel Transylvania. Frank, the Frankenstein like character, is a major character and appears frequently throughout the movie. However, the Creature from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Frank from Hotel Transylvania lack resemblance because of their differences in appearance,

In the movie, Frank is a large, bulky monster whose hands and feet are much larger than the rest of his body. His shoulders are very far back and neck a forward position giving him the look of a hunchback. Frank’s head is also skinny and long with the top being flat. In the novel, Victor Frankenstein describes his Creature by saying, “His limbs were in proportion” (Shelley 43). With no other descriptions about his body form, one can assume that Victor Frankenstein tried to model his Creature as closely as possible to a human. This means that Frankenstein’s Creature was probably a large, ugly humanoid, that would not have resembled Frank. Not only do Frank and the Creature’s proportions differ, the hue of their skins are also contrasting. The Creature has a tight yellow skin that

Again the audience will see large discrepancies in the thought and behavior between the two characters. Frank is a friendly and easygoing who extremely kind to everyone he encounters. He often plays the voice of reason between he and his friends and is emphasised as very happy person. The Creature, as described by the Regional Library of Fredericksburg, Stafford, and Spotsylvania, is said to be, “A sensitive, intelligent being who becomes bitter, vindictive, and ultimately murderous because he was spurned by human society and his father-figure, Dr. Frankenstein” (“A History of Classic Monsters” 1). Again the target audience is a large factor in this disparity. Frank’s character is directed at predominantly children and his happy demeanor and simple emotions appeal much more to the younger audience than the Creatures complex feelings of abandonment, loneliness and revenge. Some of these elements, including the Creatures involvement in murders would be deemed to mature for a film rated PG. Not only do target audiences play a role, but time period in which these pieces of art were created. In 1800s the movements of both Gothic and Romantic literature most likely influenced Mary Shelley. Characteristics such as melancholy, loneliness, murder and mental instability are common themes of these movements that are present in the Creature’s character. In the 21st century, the Gothic and Romantic