Between Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
and the movie Frankenstein, directed by James Whale in 1931, there were
many differences and similarities. Most of what happened in the movie was the
same as parts in the book. For example, in both pieces Victor went rummaging
through graves to get parts for the monster’s body. But, the similarity that I
recognized the most was the scene with the little girl named Maria. Maria was
just playing by herself when the monster caught her attention. She didn’t
hesitate to go over to him and ask if he wanted to play with her. The monster truly
seemed happy but got carried away and eventually tossed Maria into the water
killing her. I think this part of the story was important because the monster
seemed to be enjoying himself with someone he could possibly relate to. Maria
wasn’t scared of him and he felt like he could be himself around her. This
showed that all the monster wanted was to be loved.
In the
book I noticed that the monster made a big deal about having a companion to be
with. In this version of the movie, there was really no mention of a wife for
the monster. In the book, Frankenstein started working on a wife for the
monster so he would have company. But, he eventually gave up because he knew it
would just turn out badly. The monster then ends up killing Elizabeth,
Frankenstein’s new wife. I think he did this because he was mad at Frankenstein
for not giving him a companion that he wanted and thought he deserved. I don’t
know why they didn’t put this in the movie I watched because I thought it was
important to the overall story. The monster seemed to want nothing out of life
if he didn’t have someone by his side.
This movie, in my opinion, skewers the actual story of Frankenstien the most. I doubt the part about making a companion wasn't included because this movie was designed to be more of a horror film. I read an article a few years ago comparing this film to the Great Depression and it made several great connections between the two, if only I could find the article now.I agree however that the part where the creature wants a companion is vital to understanding the story as a whole, and the director of the film should have included this topic.
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