Major Differences Between the Novel and the Movies

 Limits to Science: How Far Should Curiosity Go?

Thinking Activity: Reflections on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein

This blog is written as part of a thinking activity assigned by Megha Trivedi Madam. It explores some important reflective questions on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, a novel that continues to provoke debates about science, morality, and human responsibility.

Frankenstein: A Deep Exploration of Novel, Film, and Philosophical Questions

Introduction

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus (1818) is not only one of the earliest science-fiction novels but also one of the most powerful explorations of human ambition, scientific progress, and moral responsibility. The story of Victor Frankenstein and his creation has inspired countless adaptations in movies, plays, and television. Every version brings new interpretations, but at the heart of the tale remain timeless questions: What does it mean to be human? Who is the real monster? Is knowledge a blessing or a curse?

In this blog, I will explore these questions step by step. First, I will look at the major differences between the novel and its movie versions. Then I will ask, who is the real monster: Victor or the creature? I will also reflect on whether the search for knowledge can be destructive, whether the creature was inherently evil or shaped by society, and finally whether scientific exploration should have limits.

This blog is written in a simple, student-friendly style and aims to provide a detailed yet clear understanding of the themes of Frankenstein.

1. Major Differences Between the Movie and the Novel Frankenstein

Mary Shelley’s novel is very different from most of the movie versions we know today. The differences are not just small changes, but often completely different portrayals of characters, events, and even the themes.

a. The Appearance of the Creature

• Novel: Shelley’s creature is described as huge, about eight feet tall, with yellow skin stretched over muscles and arteries, black lips, and watery eyes. He is terrifying to look at but intelligent, sensitive, and articulate.

• Movies: Many films, especially the famous 1931 version starring Boris Karloff, show the creature with a flat head, bolts in his neck, and moving clumsily with limited speech. This image became so popular that people often imagine this version rather than Shelley’s original.

b. The Creature’s Speech

• Novel: The creature learns to speak fluently. He reads Paradise Lost, Plutarch’s Lives, and The Sorrows of Young Werther. He reflects deeply on life, morality, and justice. His long speeches to Victor show his intelligence.

• Movies: Most films show the creature as almost speechless, only able to groan or say a few broken words. This reduces the complexity of his character and makes him look more like a monster than a tragic figure.

c. Victor Frankenstein’s Personality

• Novel: Victor is an ambitious young scientist who is obsessed with conquering death. He is selfish, avoids responsibility, and abandons his creation out of fear. He suffers from guilt and despair but rarely admits his mistakes.

• Movies: Some movies soften Victor’s guilt or change his role. In many versions, he is shown as a heroic figure fighting against an evil creation, which is quite different from the novel’s criticism of his arrogance.

d. The Creation Scene

• Novel: Shelley does not describe in detail how Victor creates the creature. The focus is more on the moral and emotional consequences rather than the scientific method.

• Movies: Films often dramatize the creation scene with thunder, lightning, and giant electrical machines. The famous line “It’s alive!” is not in the book it was invented by the movies.

e. The Role of Women

• Novel: Women like Elizabeth Lavenza, Justine Moritz, and Safie are important but have limited power. They often represent innocence, compassion, and moral values, which are destroyed by Victor’s obsession.

• Movies: Many films reduce women’s roles even further or change them into love interests or damsels in distress. This shifts the focus away from Shelley’s critique of gender inequality.

f. The Ending

• Novel: The creature tells Walton (the Arctic explorer who hears Victor’s story) that he will kill himself because he cannot live with guilt and loneliness. His final fate remains ambiguous.

• Movies: Some films show the monster dying in a fire, others show him surviving. The tragic self-awareness of the creature is often lost.

-In short, the novel presents a deeply philosophical story about responsibility, morality, and human ambition, while the movies often simplify it into a horror story of a mad scientist and a monster.

2. Who Is the Real Monster?

This is one of the most debated questions in literature. On the surface, the creature looks like the monster terrifying appearance, superhuman strength, and violent actions. But when we look deeper, the answer is not so simple.

a. Victor Frankenstein as the Monster

• Victor creates life irresponsibly and then abandons it.

• He refuses to take responsibility for the creature’s suffering.

• His selfish ambition leads to the deaths of William, Justine, Henry Clerval, Elizabeth, and finally himself.

• His obsession blinds him to family love and moral duty.

- In many ways, Victor is the real monster because he causes destruction through arrogance and neglect.

b. The Creature as the Monster

• The creature murders innocent people: William, Henry, and Elizabeth.

• He seeks revenge rather than forgiveness.

• His actions bring terror and grief.

- From another perspective, the creature is monstrous because of his violent crimes.

c. A Tragic Answer

Mary Shelley blurs the line between human and monster. Both Victor and the creature share guilt:

• Victor is monstrous for his irresponsibility.

• The creature is monstrous in his actions, but not in his heart.

The novel suggests that the real monster is not just a person but unchecked ambition, lack of compassion, and failure of society.

3. Is the Search for Knowledge Dangerous and Destructive?

One of the central themes of Frankenstein is the danger of seeking knowledge without responsibility.

a. Victor’s Knowledge

• Victor wants to conquer death and create life.

• His thirst for knowledge leads him to isolate himself, neglect his family, and ignore warnings.

• The result is tragedy, death, and suffering.

b. The Creature’s Knowledge

• At first, knowledge gives the creature hope. Learning language and literature makes him dream of human connection.

• But knowledge also makes him aware of his difference and loneliness. Reading Paradise Lost makes him compare himself to both Adam and Satan.

• Knowledge increases his pain rather than happiness.

c. Walton’s Knowledge

• The Arctic explorer Robert Walton also seeks glory and discovery.

• He listens to Victor’s story and realizes the danger of blind ambition. He finally turns back to save his crew, showing that knowledge must have limits.

-Mary Shelley’s novel suggests that knowledge itself is not evil, but the irresponsible pursuit of knowledge without wisdom, ethics, or compassion can be destructive.

4. Was the Creature Inherently Evil or Shaped by Society?

This is another major debate.

a. The Case for Inherent Evil

• The creature murders innocent people.

• He admits to feeling rage and revenge.

• He becomes violent despite knowing right from wrong.

Some argue this shows he was born with an evil nature.

b. The Case for Society’s Influence

• At first, the creature is gentle, curious, and loving. He helps peasants, saves a drowning girl, and admires human beings.

• Every time he tries to connect with people, he is rejected, beaten, or feared.

• Victor, his “father,” abandons him.

• Loneliness, rejection, and pain turn him bitter and violent.

- From this perspective, the creature was not born evil. Society’s cruelty and Victor’s irresponsibility created the “monster.”

c. Conclusion

Mary Shelley seems to suggest that the creature is a victim of society. He becomes monstrous because he is denied love, acceptance, and responsibility. This makes us reflect on how society treats outsiders and marginalized individuals even today.

5. Should There Be Limits on Scientific Exploration?

Mary Shelley’s novel is a warning about unchecked scientific ambition. Even today, the same questions are asked about artificial intelligence, cloning, genetic engineering, and nuclear technology.

a. The Case for No Limits

• Knowledge leads to progress.

• Without bold exploration, we would not have electricity, medicine, space travel, or technology.

• Human curiosity is natural and unstoppable.

b. The Case for Limits

• Some discoveries can be dangerous: nuclear weapons, chemical warfare, biological experiments.

• Playing with life (cloning, AI, genetic modification) raises moral and ethical problems.

• Like Victor, scientists may create something they cannot control.

c. Ethical Responsibility

Mary Shelley does not say science is bad. She says science without morality and responsibility is dangerous.

Limits should not stop curiosity but should guide it. Ethical boards, scientific regulations, and moral discussions are necessary to ensure discoveries help humanity rather than harm it.

- The lesson from Frankenstein is clear: science must serve humanity, not destroy it.

Conclusion

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is much more than a horror story. It is a profound reflection on ambition, responsibility, and what it means to be human.

• The movies simplify the story, but the novel gives us deep questions.

• The real monster is not just the creature but also Victor’s irresponsibility and society’s cruelty.

• The search for knowledge is both inspiring and dangerous, depending on how we use it.

• The creature was not born evil but turned into a monster by rejection and loneliness.

• Science should not be stopped, but it must always be guided by ethics and compassion.

Even two hundred years later, Frankenstein speaks to our modern world. Whether we are talking about artificial intelligence, biotechnology, or space exploration, the questions Mary Shelley raised remain urgent and relevant: What are the limits of human ambition? And what responsibilities come with creation?

References-

Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. 1818. Edited by J. Paul Hunter, W. W. Norton & Company, 1996.

---. Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. Revised edition, 1831. Edited by Marilyn Butler, Oxford University Press, 2008.

Frankenstein. Directed by James Whale, performances by Colin Clive and Boris Karloff, Universal Pictures, 1931.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Directed by Kenneth Branagh, performances by Robert De Niro and Kenneth Branagh, TriStar Pictures, 1994.

Mellor, Anne K. Mary Shelley: Her Life, Her Fiction, Her Monsters. Routledge, 1989.

Levine, George, and U. C. Knoepflmacher, editors. The Endurance of Frankenstein: Essays on Mary Shelley’s Novel. University of California Press, 1979.