Frankenstein's Monster

The Frankenstein Monster is a tragic villain in a novel by Mary Shelley and many, many film adaptations. Although he had immense powers of speech in the original novel, most film versions remove this, making him a mute, robotic character.

The Novel
The Monster made his first appearance in the 1818 novel Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus. He is described as having wrinkled skin which barely hid the blood vessels, black lips, black hair, and yellow eyes. He was created on a rainy November night in the late eighteenth century Ingolstadt, Germany, by the medical student Victor Frankenstein. Frankenstein is so horrified by his creation that he flees the house, leaving the monster to his own devices. The Monster takes a jacket to clothe himself, and eventually wanders off into the wild. He spends a lengthy period of time learning to survive. Any humans he comes across are so frightened by his appearance that they flee in terror. The Monster eventually takes up abode in a small hovel that abuts a cottage. He listens to the inhabitants, called the De Laceys, through a chink in the wall and learns to speak and read from their example. His first reading materials are several books he finds in a castoff suitcase, including the works of Milton, Plutarch, and Goethe. The Monster also reads a series of papers he found n his jacket, which turn out to be Frankenstein's notes. Through these he discovers his origins and that Frankenstein leaves in Geneva, Switzerland. The Monster largely ignores this, as he isfocused on the De Laceys, whom he has grown to love in his tenure as their "neighbor." The Monster decides to reveal himself to the blind father while his grown children are out. However, the children return and discover him with their father, and drive him from the house. Enraged at how the whole of humanity has treated him, the Monster sets fire to the cottage and determines to seek his revenge on Frankenstein and heads for Geneva. Shortly after he arrives their, he comes across a young boy and tries to befriend him. The boy, who is Frankenstein's brother William, shrieks that he will send his father, Judge Frankenstein, after him. Upon learning that the boy is a Frankenstein, the Monster strangles him to death and takes a wallet, which contains a portrait of Frankenstein's mother. The Monster moves on and comes across a young woman, who is asleep in a barn. On an evil impulse, the Monster places the locket in her pocket. It is only after the police arrest her for William's murder that the Monster realizes that she is Justine Moritz, the Frankensteins' servant. Justine is hanged for murder not long after. Frankenstein, in order to collect his thoughts, ascends into the Alps. The Monster confronts him their and pressures him into creating a mate. The Monster promises that if he is given this, he will never be seen by humanity again. Frankenstein agrees, and travels to Scotland, where he begins the process of creating a female. The Monster follows him and watches with eager anticipation. At last minute, Frankenstein recants and destroys the mate before it is given life. The enraged Monster swears to Frankenstein that he will be with him on his wedding night. The Monster then kills, in fairly rapid succession, murder's both Henry Clerval, Frankenstein's best friend, and Elizabeth Lavenza, his new bride. Now with nothing to lose, Frankenstein swears vengeance and pursues the Monster to the Arctic, where he is picked up by a ship heading for the North Pole. Frankenstein tells his story to the expedition's leader, then dies of exhaustion. The Monster shows up not long after to gloat over Frankenstein's body, but can only express remorse for his father's death. He announces his attention to reach the Pole, then destroy himself on a funeral pyre. He jumps from the ship, and disappears into the distance.