It is because this haunted story is not merely about a scientist who created a monster, but because man’s humanity, that constantly fluctuates between good and barbaric, is explored with intricate yet brutal honesty.
It tells the story of Victor Von Frankenstein, who creates his monster, which he wants to beautiful, immortal and super human. Yet the creature proves to be hideous.
The scientist soon laments playing God, as the monster is responsible for numerous deaths.
Just as the reader begins to feel no remorse for the monster, baying for his blood, suddenly the reader is confronted with a different reality.
In their first real encounter following Victor’s creation, the monster tells his master of how he had been hated and shunned by mankind.
It is because of this sudden abandonment that the monster has lost his mind and set out for revenge against Dr Frankenstein.
Greater tragedy, however, continues to unfold throughout the horrific tale, which, in the end, leavesVictor insane and chasing the monster all the way to the Arctic for revenge.
At the point of death, with the doctor still not finding his revenge, Victor tells the captain of the ship upon which he is stationed that he longer hates the monster, because he now knows that he has failed it, and that he, Victor, is responsible for the acts of evil it committed.
Thus, to the shock of the reader, we are confronted with a Victor who has assumed the very inhumanity of which he accused the monster. And so, driven by their hatred, the two monsters -Victor and his creation – move farther and farther away from human society and sanity.
Why are we talking about Dr Frankenstein and his monster, you may wonder?
Because what we see in society these days is rather similar to the Frankenstein and his monster scenario.
Society has also embraced the habit of labelling people as monsters, marking them as cruel and inhumane. How quickly these days does society not accuse those who are responsible for a crime as grotesque and hideous?
The world is full of violence, and acts of terror or any form of barbarism can never be tolerated or condoned. We are talking about all kinds of violence – from daily hijackings to house robberies, to terrorist attacks as seen in Tunisia.
Dr Frankenstein was quick to judge his monster, branding his cruel nature based on his acts. He soon, however, found out that his monster was an educated, emotional and exquisitely human being, who was driven mad by grief and pain.
Just so, society often bays for the blood of those who inflict harm and violence, calling for their destruction, just as Victor sought to destroy the life of his creation.
Yet, we need to be careful – behind the mask of cruelty a different story is often told and such a story is often a humane one, of loss, abandonment, ridicule, rejection and suffering.
Dr Frankenstein realised he was partly responsible for many deaths; just so we need to realise these “monsters” of our time are often the product of society’s ills, of pain, harm and violence afflicted against them.
Let us be frank – there is no excuse for violence or behaving inhumanely.
But as long as we continue to only stare at the mask of cruelty and look at the acts of horror, we, ourselves, as those branded “civilized”, can, like Victor, become dehumanised as we harbour revenge, malice and hate against the “monsters”.
We can easily become the “monster” ourselves, as we call for these “monsters” to be destroyed.
One would like to believe Dr Frankstein realised he should have helped his creation, instead of abandoning it.
Maybe society should take a long hard look at itself, for maybe all the violence we witness is society’s failure to be truly humane and compassionate to the suffering, to the needy, to the broken and to the shunned.
