Character of The Monster in the novel "Frankenstein" (1818) by Mary Shelley. Who is the Monster, The Creature or Dr. Victor Frankenstein in Mary Shelly's novel "Frankenstein Or The Modern Prometheus"

1. Frankenstein's
Monster

2. Prepared by: Nilay Rathod
MA Sem: 1
Paper 3: Romantic Literature
Roll No: 29
Enrollment No: 4069206420210030
Submitted to: Department of English
Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University

3. Definitions of Monster
• An imaginary creature that is very
large, ugly and frightening.
• Any animal or human grotesquely
deviating from the normal shape,
behavior, or character.
• Biology- An animal or plant of
abnormal form or structure , as
from marked malformation or the
absence of certain parts or organs.

4. Characterization
through
Appearance
• Boggs and Petrie mention that
when we see the characters,
“We make certain assumption
about them because of their
facial features, dress, physical
build, and mannerisms and the
way they move. Our first visual
impression may be proven
erroneous as a story progress,
but it is certainly an important
means of establishing
characters”

5. Characterization
through Action
• In the novel, the character
always do movements or
actions that could shape his
or her characteristics. In the
other hand, people can
guess how the
characteristics of character is
through the actions he or
she performs on every
occasion in the story and the
actions are more important
in revealing character and
characteristics.

6. Who is the Monster
• The Monster is a creation of Dr. Victor Frankenstein
in the novel written by Mary Shelly.
• The Monster is created by Victor Frankenstein in
Ingolstadt, assembled from old body parts and
strange chemicals, animated by a mysterious spark.

7. Mary Shelley seems to be
using the Monster as both a
product of modern science’s
refusal to accept the natural
world and as Victor’s dark
side.
It is as if the emotion
doesn’t seem to have
transferred into the
Monster, who has no idea
how to deal with it.
He tries to join regular
society, only to be rejected.
He looks in a mirror and
realizes he is ugly, a parody
of a human being.
Creatures' separation from
humanity drives him
growing rage toward the
man who created and then
left him.

8. Seeking revenge, he kills
Victor’s brother and
demands for a companion
like him, so he won’t be
alone.
Victor doble-crosses the
Creature, destroying his
work on the female
creation. Creature kills
Victor’s best friend and his
wife in return.
Torn between revenge and
his natural impulse,
Monster is destined to be
lonely and guilty over the
deaths he has caused.
Even Victor’s death is a
hollow victory; although
the source of his suffering is
gone.

9. • “I viewed myself in a transparent
pool! At first I started back,
unable to believe that it was
indeed I who was reflected in the
mirror; and when I became fully
convinced that I was in reality the
monster that I am, I was filled
with the bitterest sensations of
despondence and mortification.”
(Shelley’s “Frankenstein”)

10. Film adaptations
• The 1931- James Whale’s
adaptation of “Frankenstein” is
a notable adaptation of the
novel, featuring Boris Karloff
as Frankenstein’s Monster.
• “Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein”
1994 is considered the most
faithful adaptation to the
novel, featuring Robert Di Niro
as the monster.

11. Artwork Depiction
• The most given appearance of Frankenstein's
monster is his signature unusual green skin.
• Also shown to have huge scars and stitches on
his face.
• The idea of bolts in his neck was never in the
novel but was popularized through film
adaptations.
• Frankenstein's monster was even featured in
some political cartoons.

12. Graphic Novels
• "Frankenstein" also had
its fair share of graphic
novel adaptations from
both DC and Marvel
Comics.
• The characters were
based on Mary Shelley's
"Frankenstein" but were
often involved within
the comic universe.
• Often shared abilities
such as superhuman
strength, stamina, and
immortality.

13. The Presence of Double Consciousness in
Frankenstein’s Monster
• W.E.B. Du Bois in his essay "Of Our Spiritual Strivings" discusses the presence of a
"double consciousness" in African-American culture.
• He reveals that African-Americans are forced to look at themselves through the
eyes of the white majority.
• He believes that the double consciousness makes it increasingly difficult for
African-Americans to assimilate into American culture, because they are made
aware of being different.

14. • The concept can be directly applied to the
plight of the monster in Mary Shelley's novel
"Frankenstein".
• The monster is constantly reminded that he is
different from the world he was brought into,
because he is physically different from the rest
of humanity.
• The application of W.E.B. Du Bois essay to
Shelley's novel supports the claim that the
monster can be seen as a representation of a
sociologically other, who deals with similar
discrimination as the African-American as
noted in "Of Our Spiritual Strivings".

15. Works Cited: