The Bride of Frankenstein: Reaction Paper

1. How does Frankenstein the book and the film reflect upon the role of morality and science.?

Both versions of Frankenstein essentially serve as cautionary tales, depicting the risks of delving too deep into the mysteries of life. Like The Fly, Frankenstein was produced at an era in which science was beginning to develop at increasingly astounding rates. Society generally feared that science was moving too fast, that the power it granted humanity was to some extent affecting the way we viewed our traditional values and mindsets. Frankenstein can thus be perceived as an attack against the most extreme forms of scientific arrogance and hubris which might threaten to ruin the fabric of society.

2.  2. The difference between the movie adaptation of the monster and in the book is that the monster was able to carry a decent conversation. Why was the monster made dumb?  Did it work?

What I find interesting about the movie adaptation is not just that the monster is dumb, but that throughout the movie it begins to learn some manner of speech. This creates a sense within the audience that the life created within the monster is one that, while imperfect, has the potential for growth and development. This makes the monster almost child-like in our eyes, and incites our pity, especially when it cannot communicate its usually harmless intentions. Of course, the monster's lack of speech also dehumanizes it to an extent,  making it less relatable and more intimidating to the audience. On these levels, the change from the book was an incredibly effective one.

Marco Del Valle
2013-20474