Why is Frankenstein such a popular text?
Frankenstein is a science fiction novel written by Mary Shelley during
the time of the Romantic Movement. It has remained popular ever since
it was first published and still sells well today, with many reprints
of the book since the first edition.
One of the main characters of the story and probably the most
(in)famous, Frankenstein's monster, has become an icon of all that is
monstrous and wrong. The story has been adapted and interpreted many
times all in different ways, causing the monster and the stereotypical
view of him to become intertextual. The most popular and well
recognised representation of the monster and the one that most people
would attempt to draw for you if you asked them what he looked like,
is that of a huge green man with bolts coming out of the side of his
neck and a flat, broad head. This was created for film by Boris
Karloff as his interpretation of what the monster should look like. He
would typically move very laboriously, with his arms outstretched as
if chasing something. His speech is slow and primitive.
This, however, is not the true Frankenstein's monster as described in
the book, but one created for television and primarily the cinema, as
the book centred more on the issues and moral conflicts when dealing
with such a creature, whereas cinema and the media tend to concentrate
more on the action and thrilling sides of the story. Various other
representations of the monster, including characters in television
films such as "The Adams Family" and "The Munsters", as well in comics
such as "The Incredible Hulk" and "The Fantastic Four", have occurred
throughout the twentieth century, causing the image of the "real"
monster to becom...
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...xtent of what the
is doing as sees that the lengths he is willing to go to are not
acceptable or justified at all. This culminates two stories, that of
Frankenstein's adventure and Captain Walton's giving the reader an
increased feeling of cathagy.
In conclusion, the two reasons I believe to be why Frankenstein has
remained such a popular text are:
a. That the central theme of the story and the issues and situations
the arise throughout it are becoming more and more relevant in
everyday society so people can relate to the story and
b. That it is the first true science fiction story ever and so has
been promoted as such that it has grabbed everyone's attention. There
are probably a number of stories quite similar and perhaps of even
better quality than Mary Shelley's work but few people have heard of
them and so they remain in Frankenstein's shadow.
does not have faith in his ability to walk, he persists anyway. This is because he wants
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein as a Complex Character "Frankenstein" is a gothic horror novel which was written by Mary Shelly in 1818. It was inspired by a biological scientist named "Luigi Galvani". He had experimented with electricity and deceased frogs, and discovered that a charge passing through a inanimate frog's body will generate muscle spasms throughout its body. Frankenstein is about a man on a pursuit to create a perfect being, an "angel" however his experiment fails and his creation becomes an atrocity compared to an "angel". The creature is created using Luigi Galvani experiments of electricity and dead corpses of criminals, stitched together to form this creature.
wants everything to stay the same always. One example of that is when he talks about
...e to his alienation he is unable to take upon this action and remains filled with knowledge and morality about the truth of the World State that he despises.
Because each person reacts to differences in different ways it is a difficult subject to explain. In my opinion the films "Frankenstein" and "Edward Scissorhands" both mirror how society as a whole reacts to differences.
verses evil, the monster is meant to be evil but we as the reader feel
Compare and Contrast the episodes of the creation of the monster and the creation of the second monster in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Mary Shelley finished her first edition of 'Frankenstein' in 1816, when she was nineteen years old. Since then her "monster" has become so popular in the twenty-first century that he appears in films, advertisements, comics and even computer games. So how is it that as such a young age she was able to write such a gripping novel, which has become more famous than any other work of 'Romantic' literature, and indeed, her own? It could have been a result of an intellectually stimulating childhood due to having free access to her fathers extensive library and literary connections; or it could have been a result of her being emotionally undernourished as a child. Whichever way, she has succeeded in writing a novel that 'speaks to the mysterious fears of our nature and awaken thrilling horror' (p.8 - author's introduction), as she wanted; and she has included many personal ideas about politics and familial relations as well as moral, philosophical and scientific ideas on the creation and 'elixir of life' (p.42).
In Marry Shelly’s book Frankenstein, she tells the story of a man named Victor Frankenstein. The character of Frankenstein contains traits that parallel Prometheus from Greek mythology. Through his actions and emotions Victor Frankenstein becomes the modern Prometheus by producing ill-fated actions that carry tragic consequences just as Prometheus’ did.
Mary Shelley’s text, Frankenstein is a text, which is highly regarded in today’s society for its outstanding literary worth. However, the text as it was seen during the time of Shelley and its appearance and appeal today, most certainly differ. The most significant difference is that over a hundred years ago, the text was seen as a popular text, our modern day Simpsons, if you like. Conversely, today it appeals to the cannon of high culture. Its gradual change over time has been based on a number of deciding factors.
Frankenstien Many punishments for crimes are often given to innocent people. In the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelly, there are several instances in which the punishment is given to an innocent person. Justine, a maid at the Frankenstein residence, was killed for a crime she did not commit. Felix, a character the Monster encounters, was exiled from his country, for helping an innocent man escape from jail. Lastly, Victor himself was jailed for a murder, which he did not commit.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is a very complex book riddled with underlying messages. From the characteristics of each individual to the main storyline Shelley depicts a world of opposites. Victor Frankenstein, a privileged young man, defies nature when his obsession with life and death has him attempting to bring someone/something to life. He succeeds and quickly goes from obsessed over its creation to disgust with its form. He then rejects his creation, which sets the stage for the terrifying events to come. This is the embodiment of a modern novel as it contains alienation, disillusionment, and a critique of science.
Many timeless novels have impacts on our everyday culture, not only as a book, but also through music or movies. Many popular novels have multiple adaptations, which shape how we approach their interpretation, in ways we may never even notice. In some films, humans are depicted as monsters, whether through their actions, or through the thoughts of other beings. In these films we find issues with our own society, and in turn see ourselves as monsters, and look for ways we can change, for the better. One particular novel that influences this side of Hollywood is Mary Shelley's “Frankenstein”. The ways Frankenstein influences pop culture can be seen in science fiction films in which humans are depicted as monster, and “monsters” are seen as more humane beings, such as I, Robot, and Ender’s Game.
...nto thinking that there is no turning back and he must continue to murder and deceit.
what meets the eye. So in an odd way then, Shelley leaves us to decide
even though he wants to do the same thing, he has to try and do it