Sickness and Madness in Frankenstein
Despite the many differences between the 1931 film version of Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein and the novel it’s based on, there is one thru line that deeply connects the two, specifically found in the main character of Victor Frankenstein. Victor Frankenstein is driven insane. It is remarkable how often the timid, bordering on naïve Victor of the novel falls ill with no discernable cause other than fright. The first time he constructs his monster he succumbs to sickness and mad ravings for a whole Winter, and afterward he takes two years to recover. He never seems to fully recover from these bouts either, as upon re-entering his homeland he can’t help but wax poetic about the mountains and valleys, something he previously didn’t seem to care enough to mention. Victor’s insanity is compounded by his profound guilt as the bodies of his family members pile up around him. His decision to destroy his second creation before completion is curious. His reasoning that a breeding populati