Title: Frankenstein
Author: Mary Shelley
Genre: Horror
Why I Read “Frankenstein”: I was raised on the old black and white Horror films featuring Bela Legosi, Vincent Price, Boris Karloff. Unlike other kids my age, I knew actors like Lon Chaney, Abbott and Costello, and my childhood crush Jimmy Stewart. I knew movies like “Them!”, “The Monolith Monsters,” “The Fly,” and others by heart. While on my honeymoon in Bath, England, I was excited to see a plaque honoring the legendary Mary Shelley at The Pump Room. I vowed I’d read her iconic novel one day. When I first came to prison with nothing to do, all I did was read. It’s now my goal to read many of the great classics I’ve always longed to read, but didn’t have time to when I was free. Frankenstein was a novel I loved more than I’d expected, filled with many surprises.
What I Learned: As I sat in my empty cell reading this book, I couldn’t stop my shock the moment I realized this novel would be nothing like the old Universal picture when I exclaimed, “It talks!” It was at this point I knew I was in for an adventure. We learn that Dr. Viktor Frankenstein (not to be confused with the monster) came from a very good family and though they suffered loss, they had deep love for each other. Against the warnings from Viktor’s professors, he set out to make a creation, which as we know was an assembly of the body parts of the deceased. He ignores his family’s pleas for him to return home from college and instead puts priority in his own self-fulfillment. I’d expected the scene where the monster comes alive to be more thrilling and (no pun intended) electrifying as it is in the movies. I was disappointed, waiting for the line “It’s alive! It’s alive!” that never came, with only the monster’s eyes opening to see its world and creator for the first time. Viktor, upon his creation’s wakening, fled the room and ran from the monster, not because he was attacked or threatened, but solely because of how his creation looked. It’s frequently described as grotesque and horrifying to see. Thus, out of fear, he made the choice to abandon his own creation. His monster catches up with him later where it communicates with him.
The greatest surprise to me was that Frankenstein’s monster not only spoke, but was extraordinarily eloquent. In its longing to understand and be a part of the world it inhabited, it observed with keen focus the people around him. Not only was it eloquent, but it was also a deeply empathetic, self-aware creature. While watching a peasant family unnoticed for months, he was deeply moved by their love for each other, the changing seasons, and music. The lonely creature cried sorrowfully while listening to their stories and wished deeply to be part of their family. He expressed selflessness in doing anonymous hard labor for the peasant family and yearned to do good. This was not the Frankenstein’s monster I expected. He was beautiful inside.
Unfortunately, any time the creature was discovered or seen by humankind, he was instantly judged anddespised based on his appearance and chased off into hiding, causing him a loss in hope for doing good. This resulted in his fury, hatred, and him turning violent. In being perceived and treated by others as a monster, he became a monster. Not even having been given a name was a heartache that caused him dismay. He had very valid questions much like we ask at an early age. When it spoke to his creator, it spoke clearly of its feelings – something people often find difficult. It explained to Viktor, who should’ve been like a parent, that it was lonely and wanted a partner to love and be love. He promised that he would then go off and live away from
mankind in peace with his mate. Viktor agrees to make his monster a bride, however turns back on his word, once again fleeing from his responsibility and running away, but not before tearing the new creation apart on the operating table in view of his first creation. It was here that completely confirmed my earlier opinion that Viktor Frankenstein is the real monster in this story.
How Reading “Frankenstein” Will Contribute To My Success: It’s the continual abandoning of Dr. Frankenstein’s responsibility that made him pay the price: having his new bride, Elizabeth, murdered by the monster on his wedding night. Shelley warns readers against abdicating responsibility. Dr. Viktor Frankenstein didn’t think his plan through and was ultimately unprepared for consequences of what he unleashed in the world. It’s a valuable lesson to all of us who’ve made poor choices in life and ran out of fear from what we’ve done. Viktor was never under threat by the monster; however, he was relentlessly tormented by thoughts of assumption for what the monster “might” do. This reminds me of how I’ve often concocted in my mind the worst-case scenarios. I was truly renewed in Christ a few years ago and have since made the deliberate choice to trust God and worry less; however, fear and lies sometimes try to creep in. If I entertain these fears and anxieties, I’ll end up running from everything just as Dr. Frankenstein did. As for Frankenstein’s monster, we have all been this creature. We come into this world completely helpless, full of questions as we grow, wanting to do good, and being hurt by others. We can empathize with this creature. Being judged hastily by his outward appearance before the goodness inside him is something else anyone can empathize with. In this way, I understand that with society’s labels for me, I too will be often viewed by society in similar, if not the same ways as Frankenstein’s creature was. We can’t control how others treat us. Many people are determined to not see the goodness within us. However, we don’t have to become the monsters they think we are. We can choose to be peaceful, loving, and delight in the beautiful world around us.
