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Comparison of victor frankenstein and the monster
Comparative essay on Mary Shelley Frankenstein
Frankenstein comparison and contrast essay
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Mary Shelly’s novel, Frankenstein and James Whales version of her book differ in many
ways. The most important difference is Whales making the monster less human. He
made him a deaf mute and violent. He came across as almost sub-human and barely
capable of anything but following basic orders, grunting and shouting. While Shelly’s
novel the monster constantly wanted to communicate with people but was unable to do so
due to his appearance. He simply scared people. This resulted into isolation and the fuel
behind his anger, hatred and crimes.
Another change would be the monsters meanness and/or evilness. In Shelly’s novel he
doesn’t appear to be mean or cause harm to anyone, but people assume differently. He
even explains by saying, “I made me a fiend. Make me happy, and I shall again be
virtuous”. (O’Finn) In the movie version, Whales completely eliminates this scene and
goes into a different direction by having Fritz steel a brain from the local university.
Frankenstein considered “the imperfect brain” would lead to violence and criminal
activity. That is why he desired “the perfect brain” So that is why he sends Felix to the
local university to steal “the perfect brain”. But instead, he takes the brain of a criminal.
The criminal brain is considered “abnormal” and to be “the imperfect brain”. He felt that
if you removed the brain form the body that all the tendencies would remain. This did
rain true in this case because the monster was eventually killed in the end by a lynch
mob.
There were a few other differences; that Victor is now Henry in the movie. Elizabeth
was no longer referred to as a “cousin”. She was now referred to as his fiancée which
eliminated any reference to incest. The endless arctic chase was eliminated, the
friendship with the old blind man at the De Lacey cottage and the monsters desire for a
mate. Also, in the movie Whales showed the monster had a sense of kindness toward a
little girl. Whales showed the interaction with the creature with Maria and simplest form
of kindness was viewed. The child did not judge the monster on his appearance or is
inabilities, but simply being kind to another individual.
Another difference would be the way that Victor is betrayed.
“We feel as if something inside us, in our blood, has been switched on. That's not just a phrase--it is a fact. It is the front, that has made electrical contact ... We are dead men with no feelings, who are able by some trick, some dangerous magic, to keep on running and keep on killing.”
Most Americans have some idea of who Frankenstein is, as a result of the many Frankenstein movies. Contrary to popular belief Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a scientist, not a monster. The "monster" is not the inarticulate, rage-driven criminal depicted in the 1994 film version of the novel. Shelley’s original Frankenstein was misrepresented by this Kenneth branagh film, most likely to send a different message to the movie audience than Shelley’s novel shows to its readers. The conflicting messages of technologies deserve being dependent on its creator (address by Shelley) and poetic justice, or triumph over evil (showed by the movie) is best represented by the scene immediately preceding Frankenstein’s monster’s death.
Peers, Douglas M. "The Professor and the Madman." Home. University of Calgary, 2001. Web. 11 Mar. 2014.
James Whale's Frankenstein is a VERY loose adaptation of Mary Shelley's 1818 novel. The spirit of the film is preserved in its most basic sense, but the vast majority of the story has been entirely left out, which is unfortunate. The monster, for example, who possesses tremendous intellect in the novel and who goes on an epic quest seeking acceptance into the world in which he was created, has been reduced to little more than a lumbering klutz whose communication is limited to unearthly shrieks and grunts. Boris Karloff was understandably branded with the performance after the film was released, because it was undeniably a spectacular performance, but the monster's character was severely diminished from the novel.
How can such disparate characters, that are even resentful towards one another, be so consubstantial? Though Victor and the monster do not share the same physical or social traits, they have many of the same personality traits. Victor and the monster are analogous with their desire for knowledge, relationships with nature, and with desires for family. The author uses complex diction, symbolism, and syntax to emphasize these similarities. Throughout the plot, these similarities become more apparent and as this occurs their relationship worsens.
to the birth of his life long work. The monster comes to life on a
Comparing the Novel and Film Adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. “Horror and science fiction tend to present radically opposite interpretations of what may look like comparable situations.” (Kawin, 1981.) Bruce Kawin helps the reader to understand how a story in the genre of science fiction could be adapted, or bastardized if you like, into a horror. This is similar to the film adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.
Severence, L., Goodman, J., & Loftus, E. (1992). Inferring the criminal mind: Toward a bridge between legal doctrine and psychological understanding. Journal Of Criminal Justice, 20. 107-120.
The monster does not resemble Victor physically; instead, they share the same personalities. For example, Victor and the monster are both loving beings. Both of them want to help others and want what is best for others. Victor and the monster try to help the people that surround them. Victor tries to console his family at their losses, and the monster assists the people living in the cottage by performing helpful tasks. However, Victor and the monster do not reflect loving people. The evil that evolves in Victor’s heart is also present in the monster.
is nothing but benevolent until society shuns him as an outcast on account of his deformities. The creature is more
was not a scientist. His real talent was his ability to clearly judge a problem
One of the more minor characters but still an intricate part of the story is the old man, De Lacy. He is the father of the family whom the monster watches after he has left his place of creation in Ingolstadt. The monster learns from the family and feels a closeness to them that is new to him. The fact that the old man is blind is no coincidence at all. Shelly purposely made him blind so he could not be influenced by the monster?s hideous appearance. When the monster finally works up the courage and the old man is finally alone in the cottage, the monster makes his move. He enters claiming he is a wanderer looking for a place of shelter and rest. As he tells of his predicament he seems to befriend the old man, appears to be fluent in the English language, and for all intensive purposes appears a normal person. It is not until the old man?s children arrive home and he is alarmed by the screams of Felix and Agatha, that the monster is seen as any...
The brain is arguably the most complex part of a human being and is linked to motivations, feelings, and actions. Therefore, when actions of individuals differ from “normal” actions, the brain is brought into question. Repeat killers commit actions that are not “normal” when compared to the general public and therefore research on their brains has been conducted. When comparing scans of everyday citizens’ brains as opposed to the brain of a convicted serial killer, the differences are clear. The two scans differ widely with the prefrontal gray matter of the average person’s, dwarfing that of the murderer’s (Adams). Pr...
work of a genius and the work of what he terms "a man of brains." (page
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is subtitled "The Modern Prometheus", and rightfully so. Prometheus, the Titan of Greek mythology that created man and gave them fire, is a fitting symbol for Victor Frankenstein, the man who created a "monster" and gave him life. The most obvious aspect of the similarity between Frankenstein and the Prometheus myth is the underlying theme - both stories deal with ill-fated actions with tragic consequences. The classic Prometheus stories, as told by Aeschylus, Percy Bysshe Shelley and summarized by Edith Hamilton, contain symbolic and thematic elements that closely parallel Mary Shelley's "modern Prometheus."