Frankenstein's Monster (Trope)

An iconic product of mad science, this creature has lumbered through scores of films and TV series, monstrous yet also pitiful. In the original 1818 book by Mary Shelley, Victor Frankenstein creates the monster, then, repulsed by his creation, immediately throws him out. Later, the monster returns and demands that Victor make him a wife. Victor agrees, then reconsiders and destroys the half-completed bride. The monster retaliates by killing Victor's best friend and threatens more death should Victor ever marry. Victor marries his adoptive sister, who is also his cousin, Elizabeth, who is promptly killed while Victor is dutifully staying away from her, thinking the threat was to him. Victor then chases the monster into the Arctic, but dies from the cold. The monster then goes off and kills himself (or at least he says that's what he's going to do). Few of this book's tropes are original — most are commonplace in Gothic novels of the eighteenth century — but they provide the oldest examples that are still widely read today. In it, the monster is created a blank slate, but is driven to evil by the way society mistreats him. Tropes introduced by the novel include: Flesh Golem Non-Malicious Monster (At least, not initially...) If I Can't Have You… Gone Horribly Wrong Creating Life The book was first filmed in 1910, but the 1931 Universal Pictures production was the most influential version. This film added several now familiar tropes to the story, including: The Mad Scientist Laboratory Grave Robbing to get the parts for the monster Lightning Can Do Anything (Using lightning to create life.) Torches and Pitchforks (The torch-wielding mob of peasants.) Victor's death at the hands of his creation Hulk Speak The Igor Kill It with Fire The "It's Alive!" quotation above The "standard" appearance of the monster, usually consisting of a square (or just flat-topped) head, greenish skin (despite the classic Universal films all being released in black and white)note , enormous proportions, a scarred or stitched forehead, and bolts (actually electrodes) on either side of the neck. (To contrast, the most monstrous features of the novel's creature are his proportions and his jaundiced, soulless eyes.) Nowadays this is a Discredited Trope, but can still be seen in spoofs and other comedic interpretations, or in intentional homages to the Universal version. Haunted Castle Überwald (Arguably, the film and its sequels codified the setting.) Mighty Glacier (The novel's version is if anything a Lightning Bruiser) Implacable Man: He might be slow and staggering, but he is coming for you. In the early films, the monster is evil because a criminal or damaged brain was used. Modern films and TV series often revert to the original idea, depicting the monster as an innocent trapped in a monstrous body, unaware of the damage he can do, rejected by a cruel world. When he starts out as an Evil Minion, he often does a Heel–Face Turn. The name of the monster is up for debate. Popular opinion and even a couple of the movies just go ahead and refer to him as "Frankenstein" (which does make sense, because he's a twisted sort of "offspring" of the doctor and Frankenstein is a surname). Originally, his name is Adam, at least according to readings given by Shelley during her lifetime.note In the text of the book, though, he is generally referred to as "the creature" or "the daemon." (Frankenstein didn't care about him enough to give him a name, and since the creature never made any friends, he didn't bother to name himself.) See also Dr. Fakenstein for cases where this naming issue is averted. Part of the classic Monster Mash with Dracula, Mummy, and the Wolf Man. Compare also with the Flesh Golem and Mix-and-Match Man.