Frankenstein is a famous monster in the West, known from ancient times to the present, and is often seen in costumes during the annual Halloween festival. He is a fictional character based on the original novel by author Mary Shelley titled “Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus“. It’s no surprise to see the image of Frankenstein during these seasons, and below are some interesting facts about Frankenstein that we hope will help you understand this monster better.
Facts About the Frankenstein Monster
- 1. Frankenstein is named after the person who created him
- 2. Frankenstein is not a villain
- 3. Frankenstein asked Victor to create a female monster so he wouldn’t be lonely
- 4. In the 1930s, Frankenstein was an obsession for many moviegoers
- 5. The most successful portrayal of Frankenstein is from 1931, which is still used and adapted to this day
- 6. Frankenstein was written by a teenager
- 7. The novel emerged from a ghost story competition
- 8. Inspired by science
- 9. The novel shares a name with a castle
- 10. Thomas Edison adapted Frankenstein into a film
1. Frankenstein is named after the person who created him
In the novel, Victor Frankenstein is the one who creates the Frankenstein monster. Victor is a curious and intelligent man, determined to create a living human form from assembled corpses. While it sounds horrific, this ambition serves as the basis for Victor’s future experiments.
Frankenstein is not a bloodthirsty monster nor has any intention to harm anyone.
2. Frankenstein is not a villain
Although Mary Shelley never explicitly stated that Frankenstein is a good or evil character, her portrayal makes it clear that he is not a bloodthirsty monster with a desire to harm anyone. In fact, after creating him, Victor seeks to escape because he finds Frankenstein more repulsive than he had imagined. Frankenstein seeks out Victor, believing he is his only master, teaching himself to speak and trying to escape his loneliness.
3. Frankenstein asked Victor to create a female monster so he wouldn’t be lonely
Frankenstein accidentally killed Victor’s younger brother; he only wanted to befriend him but, due to his monstrous nature and lack of guidance, he accidentally killed him during a chase. Victor was furious, and when Frankenstein asked Victor to create a female monster to keep him company, he promised he would not follow Victor anymore.
However, Victor eventually broke this promise.
4. In the 1930s, Frankenstein was an obsession for many moviegoers
In the early 20th century, Frankenstein began to take cinematic form, becoming the basis for numerous horror films. Consequently, in its early depiction, Frankenstein appeared quite terrifying, haunting many viewers. Of course, nowadays, Frankenstein appears far less frightening.
Additionally, in films, Frankenstein is often depicted as a villain rather than the tragic figure he is in the novel.
5. The most successful portrayal of Frankenstein is from 1931, which is still used and adapted to this day
Frankenstein – created by Jack Pierce (1931). (Image: Needpix).
The image of Frankenstein has been reinterpreted many times since Mary Shelley’s novel became widely popular. Frankenstein has been depicted in plays, costumes, and films. However, in 1931, Jack Pierce created the most successful and iconic portrayal of Frankenstein in the film “The Man Who Made Monster”, a design that serves as a “base” for adaptations in makeup, theater, and film up to the present day.
It’s no wonder that today during Halloween, in addition to pumpkins, ghosts, and other spooky characters, the image of Frankenstein is a staple – one of the most successfully constructed monsters in literature and cinema.
6. Frankenstein was written by a teenager
At least, it was during Mary Shelley’s teenage years. At 16, she eloped with poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. She gave birth to two children within two years. In 1816, the couple traveled to Switzerland and visited Lord Byron at Villa Diodati. Mary, then 18, began writing Frankenstein there. It was published in 1818 when she was 20 years old.
Mary Shelley reported that she got the idea from a dream. Initially, she had no concept for a ghost story. Later, she had a dream where she woke up: “I was not asleep, and I cannot say that I was thinking,” she said. In the introduction to the 1831 edition of Frankenstein [PDF], she described the vision: “I saw a hideous phantom of a man stretched out, who then showed signs of life while a powerful engine was working. … He was asleep; but he was awake; he opened his eyes; Do you see? The horrible thing was standing beside his bed, pulling back the curtain and looking at him with watery yellow eyes, but full of suspicion.” Mary opened her eyes to realize she had found her story: “What frightens me will frighten others,” she thought. The next day, she began to write.
7. The novel emerged from a ghost story competition
Godwin and Shelley visited Switzerland during the “year without a summer”, when the eruption of Mount Tambora in April 1815 in Indonesia caused unusual weather patterns and severe rainfall. For entertainment, the group, including Byron, Mary, Percy, and Byron’s doctor – John Polidori – read ghost stories and then competed to see who could come up with the best ghost story.
8. Inspired by science
A great deal of real science inspired Shelley, including Arctic exploration, the mysterious causes of its magnetism, and the work of chemist Sir Humphry Davy (whom Shelley attended lectures with her father as a child). Another source of inspiration was the phenomenon of muscle contraction due to electrical stimulation.
9. The novel shares a name with a castle
Mary created the name Frankenstein – in German, it means “the stone of the Franks.”
Historian Radu Florescu claims that the Shelley family visited Frankenstein Castle during their journey along the Rhine River. There, they heard about alchemist Konrad Dippel, who lived in the castle and attempted to create an elixir called Dippel’s Oil, which was said to prolong life for over a hundred years. Like Victor Frankenstein, it is rumored that Dippel dug up graves and experimented on corpses.
However, not all historians believe there is a connection between the two stories, as there are no indications in the novel that Frankenstein has a castle, and Shelley never mentioned visiting a castle during her trip along the Rhine.
10. Thomas Edison adapted Frankenstein into a film
In 1910, Thomas Edison’s film studio produced a 15-minute film about Frankenstein – one of the earliest horror films in cinema history. It was believed to be lost until it was rediscovered in the 1980s.
