The Celluloid Monster The Celluloid Monster The reshaping of Mary Shelley's story began almost from the

moment it first appeared. The 1931 Universal Studios production of Frankenstein, starring Boris Karloff as the monster, capped more than a century of variant tellings of the original story. Compared to Shelley's sensitive, articulate creature, Universal's was crude and unformed. But the sheer power of Hollywood image-making gave him an impact as great or greater than Shelley's, and made him into an icon of popular culture.

Just as Shelley's story was shaped by the science of the day, so was Hollywood's influenced by some of the scientific and pseudo-scientific preoccupations of its day, including eugenics, robots, and surgical transplants.

Escaping Shelley's Frame

In 1823 Mary Shelley's father told her of an English Opera House production of a play entitled Presumption; or, The Fate of Frankenstein. Though inspired by her novel, the play departed from it freely--as playwrights, filmmakers, and political cartoonists have done ever since. Shelley's original novel, memorable for its story and ambitious in the large questions it poses, has invariably been simplified and distorted, sometimes almost beyond recognition.

The Monster in Presumption; or, The Fate of Frankenstein, 1823 The actor T.P. Cooke played the monster in this 1823 stage adaptation of Frankenstein. His make-up left him, by one account, with a "shriveled complexion, lips straight and black, and a horrible ghastly grin."

The Irish Frankenstein, 1843 Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs

Division When nineteenth-century English editorial

cartoonists wished to depict some group as brutish, primitive, or inclined to run amok, they routinely invoked the image of the Frankenstein monster. Here, their target was the Irish.

The Edison Kinetogram, March 10, 1910

U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Edison National Historic Site

The first cinematic version of Frankenstein was a silent film produced by Edison Films; it came two decades before the famous 1931 Universal Studios picture.

Boris Karloff as the Monster in Frankenstein Photofest

Frankenstein earned rave reviews, was named to top-ten lists, and made lots of money; the production cost $290,000 in Depression-era dollars, and earned more than $12 million.

Boundary Crossings in 1931 In the years before Universal Studios released

Frankenstein in 1931, scientists seemed poised to penetrate once-sacrosanct boundaries between life and death, a prospect that continued both to trouble the intellect and thrill the imagination. Newspapers and magazines speculated freely about one day reviving the dead, achieving immortality through the use of artificial organs, and altering the genetic shape of future generations through eugenics. The Universal film responded to these themes in popular culture.

1935 Article: "Can Science Raise the Dead?" In the 1930s, American chemist Robert E. Cornish killed a dog with nitrogen gas, then revived it. Emboldened by this success, he vainly sought access to men executed in the chamber. These efforts to revive the dead got widespread press coverage during the 1930s.

Perfusion Pump When his sister-in-law was diagnosed with heart disease, aviator Charles Lindbergh helped develop this "glass heart"--a pump, made from Pyrex glass, intended to sustain organs removed from the body for study or transplantation. He and Nobel Prize-winning French surgeon Alexis Carrel kept hearts, kidneys, ovaries, and other organs alive for appreciable lengths of time.

Eugenics

Spurned by his creator, Mary Shelley's monster kills for revenge. The movie monster, on the other hand, kills because he's been given the brain of a criminal. Early in the twentieth century, "biological determinism" was in the air; heredity, more than environment or education, the idea went, caused social problems. Proponents of eugenics wanted to improve the human species through compulsory sterilization of criminals, the mentally retarded, and others deemed social misfits. Some two-thirds of Americans were said to support such measures.

Feature Creature

It may be hard to appreciate, but the many Frankenstein toys, masks, comics, and other objects and images in existence all pay tribute, of sorts, to a cold-blooded killer. These products of merchandising genius hint at menace, a creature out of control--yet never too much menace, never too out of control. Each makes the Frankenstein monster into a more one-dimensional version of Mary Shelley's creature. Each, in its small way, helps complete his transformation into a cultural icon.

Classics Illustrated Frankenstein December 1945

Reprinted by permission from Acclaim Comics, Inc. © Twin Circle Publishing Co., a division of Frawley Enterprises; licensed to First Classics, Inc. Classics Illustrated® is a registered trademark of Frawley Corporation. During the 1940s and 1950s, Classics Illustrated was considered the thinking adolescent's comic; some parents who wouldn't let their children read comics would nonetheless let them read these. Note here the arctic scene, which appeared in Mary Shelley's original story but rarely in the work of her successors.

The New Yorker, February 17, 1997

Edward Sorel ©1997 The New Yorker Magazine, Inc.

As this magazine cover illustrates, the Frankenstein monster remains a vibrant element of cultural literacy.

Frankenstein & Romanticism

SummaryGenre

CharactersA modern Prometheus

The subtitle The Modern Prometheus refers to the figure in Greek mythology who was responsible for a conflict between mankind and the gods. In order to help the people, Prometheus stole Zeus's fire from the sun. The people were thereby given an advantage to the animals since fire gave man the ability to make weapons and tools. Prometheus was severely punished by Zeus who chained him to a rock in the Caucasus. Every night, Prometheus was visited by an eagle who ate from his liver. During the day, however, his liver grew back to its original state.

It also refers to the story of Prometheus plasticator who was to said to have created and animated mankind out of clay.

These two myths were eventually fused together: the fire that Prometheus had stolen is the fire of life with which he animated his clay models.

Because of the 'creating' aspect, Prometheus became a symbol for the creating artist in the eighteenth century.

Victor Frankenstein can indeed be seen as the modern Prometheus. He defies the gods by creating life himself. Instead of being the created, Victor takes God's place and becomes the creator. Just as Prometheus, Victor gets punished for his deeds. He is, however, punished by his creation whereas Prometheus was punished by the god who he stole from.

Frankenstein: a summary Young Swiss student

discovers secret of animating lifeless matter

Assembles body parts Creates a monster Monster vows revenge

on his creator because Creator rejects him Society rejects him

Creator vows revenge on his creation because He’s abhorred by him Creature is killing

everyone.

Lots of people get killed by monster; Frankenstein dies; the monster finally loses his desire for revenge

Literary Genre Two major literary genre represented in the

novel Frankenstein: Gothic Science Fiction

Characteristics of Romantic Period

Emphasis on imagination and emotion, individual passion and inspiration

Rejection of formal, upper class works and a preference for writing (poetry) that addresses personal experiences and emotions in simple, language

A turn to the past or an inner dream world that is thought to be more picturesque and magical than the current world (industrial age)

Characteristics of Romantic Period

Belief in individual liberty; rebellious attitude against tyranny

Fascination with nature; perception of nature as transformative

Characteristics of Romantic Period

Concerned with common people Favored democracy Desired radical change Nature should be untamed

Style: Gothic Novel Frankenstein is generally categorized as a Gothic

novel, a genre of fiction that uses gloomy settings and supernatural events to create and atmosphere of mystery and terror.

Shelley adds to her development of the plot the use of psychological realism, delving into the psyches of the characters in and attempt to explain why they react as they do and what drives them to make their decisions.

Structure and Point of View

Epistolary – carried by letters

Frame Story

Allusion

Paradise Lost by John Milton – story of man’s fall from innocence to painful knowledge; Victor can be compared to Adam, Satan, and Eve

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, like narrator, tells story as a warning and a confession

Gothic Literature[late 18th - early 19th c. - expression of Romanticism]

Spontaneity Freedom of thought &

expression Idealisation of nature Belief in an age of

new beginnings and high possibilities

Reaction to scientific discovery

Wordsworth: “Good poetry is a

spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings”

Characteristics of Gothic Literature Mysterious disappearances Supernatural occurrences Protagonist a solitary and egocentric

character

Gothic characteristics and Frankenstein Nature creates

atmosphere Bleak, glacial fields of

the Alps Mists of the Arctic Craggy rocks Fog Bitter cold

Solitary Characters Social Isolationism

Victor Works alone Shuns his friends and

family Keeps secrets

The creature Avoids human contact Hides Has single-minded focus

and goal

Purpose of Gothic novels To evoke terror in the

reader

Show the dark side of human nature

Describes the nightmarish terrors that lie beneath the controlled and ordered surface of the conscious mind.

Gothic connection to poetry... Coleridge (“Christabel”) Keats (“Eve of St. Agnes”)

deal with The fantastic and the exploration of the

unconscious mind.

Gothic literature & women Vast number of female Gothic authors Provided a release for the submerged

desires of that [female] disadvantaged class.

Science Fiction Exploration of

The marvels and achievement that may result from future developments in science and technology

Mary Shelly Used technological

finds of her time to create Frankenstein

Replaced the heavenly fire of the Prometheus myth with the spark of newly discovered electricity

Concepts of electricity and warmth led to discovery of the galvanisation process which was said to be the key to the animation of life.

Characters

Victor Frankenstein Born in Geneva; distinguished family “misled by passion” “...the Angel of Destruction which asserted omnipotent

sway over me from the moment I turned by reluctant steps from my father’s door.”

Selfish & egotistical “Creative” [a not-so-subtle joke] Decides there are 2 ways to escape his (and the world’s)

dilemma [i.e. the monster’s revenge]: 1. Kill the monster 2. Kill himself

Elizabeth Lavenza Frankenstein Orphaned; adopted by Frankensteins Destined to become Victor’s wife “…none could behold her without looking on her as of a distinct

species [sui generis], a being heaven-sent, and bearing a celestial stamp in all her features.”

Symbolic for the good, the angelic Embodied the perfect middle-class young woman. Always calm and concentrated; unprejudiced; loves poetry and

the beauty of the countryside Ever loyal to her friends and family Unselfish in every way courageous

Alphonse Frankenstein Victor’s father; Elizabeth’s step-father Noble man; well respected Protective of family and friends Stood by his son (Victor) Patient; benevolent; self-control; level-

headed Worships Caroline (his wife)

Henry Clerval Victor’s only friend Victor’s opposite in almost every way Sensitive, imaginative, gentle Loved literature and adventure Loved language and nature “clear insight into others”

The Demon/Creature/Monster Nameless Created from various body parts

Yellow skin which “scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath…”

Horrendously ugly/malformed Long, flowing black hair White teeth “shrivelled complexion and straight black lips”

Isolated; lonely; feeling that he is abhorred Longs for kindness, protection, and company Negative emotions of hatred and revenge Eventually he has no feelings except hatred and

the desire to take out revenge Commits “self-banishment” when Victor dies

Minor Characters In General Two dimensional (flat)

Built around a single idea or quality

Not described in detail Literal role is to

contrast with or support the protagonist(s)

“Flat” characters don’t need to have the subtle representation and developing character of the main characters.

Represent the stock types of goodness, benevolence, and love.

Only Victor Frankenstein and his creation are three-dimensional.

Frankenstein: the modern Prometheus Two ancient myths: 1) Prometheus stole Zeus’

fire Gave it to man Punished by Zeus

Tied to rock; liver eaten daily by eagles every night

(2) Prometheus Plasticator Said to have created

and animated mankind out of clay.

[note the many creation stories we read earlier in the year]

Stories melded: the fire that Prometheus had stolen is theFire of Life with which he animated his clay models.

Prometheus became a symbol for the creating artist in the 19th century

Frankenstein: the modern Prometheus

Victor Frankenstein IS the modern Prometheus Defies the gods by creating life himself Takes God’s place and becomes the creator Like Prometheus, Victor gets punished for his

deeds However, he is punished by his creation

whereas Prometheus was punished by the god from whom he stole life