It’s Pronounced Frahnk-en-steen

By John Malkovich

With A Special Appearance by Nathaniel Jones

Imagine: You have just crash-landed on an unknown planet in an unknown solar system, separated from your ship by who knows how many light years of space. You begin to gain your bearings on the situation, when you suddenly meet with some of the inhabitants of this planet. It is then that you realize that this is not your standard planet… this is the Planet of the Apes. Yes, you are trapped in a world in which apes, creatures lower on the evolutionary scale than yourself, rule society, and they see you as a disgusting creature that should be destroyed. Now imagine this: You are on the planet Earth. You have just been given life. You are bigger, stronger, and more advanced than the human rulers of this world, and yet they are the ones who control you. This is the situation in which Frankenstein’s monster discovers himself in Mary Shelley’s gothic novel, Frankenstein. Frankenstein’s monster is forced to live in a world where he is both feared and despised, for no reason other than his appearance. He is shunned by both villagers and his own creator. Following his horrific experiences, he begins running amuck, destroying all that stand in his way. Many would say that this shows that Frankenstein’s monster is worthy both to be called such, and to be destroyed. However, I say it is Victor, not the “monster,” who is truly the bad guy.

Victor Frankenstein is a man intent on gaining for himself the power that should not belong in the hands of any human: the power to restore to life what once was dead. He uses his abilities for the purpose of giving life to a creature made from parts of corpses. By watching any horror movie involving the restoration of dead creatures back to life, one may discover the obvious fact that once a person is dead, the aforementioned person should stay dead. Just look at the movie Evil Dead. Look at The Mummy. Look at Frankenstein. No! Wait, I mean, uh… moving along. This one basic law of nature is all one must follow if one wishes to avoid mass destruction and possible severe bodily injury to persons relative to the position of said recreated monsters, zombies, etc. Surely, Victor Frankenstein knew this, since he was a fan of books, and if movies had existed back then he would have seen them. Victor Frankenstein’s reckless use of supernatural powers despite prior knowledge of its folly is clear evidence of his truly monstrous ways.

Although Victor’s creation is often depicted as evil, upon examination of his character we discover that this is not even close to the truth. Frankenstein’s monster is a gentle creature, wishing for nothing more than to receive the love that is well deserved by all human beings, including those made from the body parts of rotting corpses. Frankenstein’s monster was not interested in killing until his creator, the evil and corrupt Victor Frankenstein, shunned him for no reason other than the fact that he is freakishly hideous. It is important to note that the only reason that Frankenstein’s monster is so ugly is that Victor Frankenstein, vile and sick man that he is, created him that way. It is on account of this fact that one can clearly see that Frankenstein’s monster is not so much a “monster” as a gentle little lamb, trapped in the body of a gigantic homicidal maniac.

Victor’s creation offered him a chance to end the hysteria, and yet Victor denied him. Let us, for a moment, pretend (and I say pretend because this is quite clearly not the case) that Frankenstein’s monster truly is the horrible monster that he appears to be. If this were the case, then it would STILL be Victor’s fault because when he is given a way out of the situation, he refuses to take it. Frankenstein’s sweet, innocent creation told Victor that all he needs to do is create a wife, and he would not only end his scourge on mankind forever, but also leave civilization and live on a desert isle for the rest of his days. But does Victor do it? Nooooooo. He has to follow his “morals,” which, I may add, resulted in further death and destruction. I ask you, what kind of man would rather sign the death warrants of family and friends than eliminate all danger from this one creature forever? I’ll tell you what kind: a demented man, whose one wish in life is to end life as we know it. The kind of man who would burn the American flag while shouting “Hooray for Osama bin Laden!” An evil man, who is a monster in every meaning of the word. A man like Victor Frankenstein.

Is a monster a creature that only wishes to be loved, or is a monster a man whose actions cause the deaths of many innocent citizens? The answer is clear. Frankenstein’s creation is not truly the antagonist in the novel Frankenstein, but rather the victim of the antagonist, Victor Frankenstein. Victor is a lunatic, whose insane ambition brings death and destruction onto the land, while Frankenstein’s creation is a gentle and caring child. Then, when Victor has the opportunity to both save his family and grant his creation’s wish for happiness, he throws it away. It is clear to all that Victor is the true monster here. After all, even on the Planet of the Apes, the Human is given a chance.