Okay, it’s not like I don’t see the appeal in the modern-day version of Frankenstein. I definitely do. He’s like the Santa Clause of Halloween. One single look at him and you know he’s all about that spooky season. That has grown to be an intrinsic part of his identity and you’ve got zero complaints from me there. It’s not like he is a being known to instill fear, unlike the characters from Five Nights at Freddy’s. It’s also a lot easier to say “Frankenstein” and have people quickly catch whom you’re referring to than it is to say “The Creature.” It’s also kind of a mouthful to have to say “Dr. Frankenstein.”
Then why is it at this ripe hour of 1:05pm am I having this seemingly irrelevant dilemma? Because, the message matters. Too often do I see the real life Dr. Frankenstein’s stay heroes while their victim remains a product of their actions with 100% of the blame. Yes, the creature did some horrible things, but that all seems pretty inconsequential compared to the huge colossal “F- You” from his own dad towards his very existence the moment he was born. The most formative experiences of the creature’s early life was devoid of any and all ki ndness o r k inship. And no, there is no light at the end of the tunnel- no redemptive quality to this act. The creature was in no possible way an accident. The D r. took months t o create him, all because he wanted to play god and attain u ltimate knowled g e of l ife and death a nd then instantly deny any and all responsibility. The s econd The Creature took his first breath, Dr. Frankenstein was like “holyshit you were a colossal mistake that I made. I’m going to dip now even though I’m the only person on this planet that knows what/who you are.” This is an especially relevant topic today when addressing cancel culture. Too often do we jump to whoever looks the worst on a surface level, refusing to form our own opinion, and without trust in our own judgement when faced with the facts. We learn to stop seeking the truth and the sensationalized, redefined, version of “Frankenstein” only highlights that.
However, there is quite a bit of truth in this newer version as well. Technically, no one is necessarily wrong when they call Frankenstein the monster. They just don’t know how right they potentially are either. If anyone should be considered a monster, it’s the doctor, miles before it’s his creature. Also, in a way it does seem like a bit of poetic justice. Dr. Frankenstein probably rolls around in his literary grave every time someone gives his creation his last name. All The Creature ever really wanted was a family and all Dr. Frankenstein wanted was the ability to erase what he considered his biggest mistake from the face of the Earth with complete deniability.
I guess the real moral of the story is that real life is much more complicated than hero and villain, creator and creature, myth and monster.