In 1818, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus made its debut to the world. There are many common, arguable essay topics surrounding Frankenstein––all of which have been debated extensively. A common theme that I have noticed in many of these arguments is how Frankenstein, a nearly two hundred year old text, applies to today’s societal problems. In other words, we’re using a book from 1818 to try to explain modern culture. Sure, author Mary Shelley included the word “modern” in her title, but I suspect that she didn’t anticipate that how would continue to be modern for roughly two centuries. Or has it? I would argue that there’s a vast difference between Shelley’s Frankenstein and the “Frankenstein” that is commonplace in popular culture.
…show more content…
Many people have become more familiar with the adaptations than the original text. Some people are familiar with the characters than story than the actual plot line, but their level of familiarity is underwhelming. Many people don’t understand the difference between the two most important characters in the entire plot: Frankenstein and his monster. It isn’t uncommon to hear people refer to the monster by the name Frankenstein. This goes to show that “Frankenstein” as a term is still very relevant, and Shelly can take credit for first coining the word in 1818 when she published Frankenstein (“Frankenstein,” Merriam-Webster). Even still, time has taken a toll on the meaning of “Frankenstein.” This isn’t necessarily a bad thing; language is constantly evolving. For example, the roots for many spoken English words are derived from Latin, and their meanings have changed over time. But would you consider Latin to still be relevant today? Likely not. Our language is largely based on Latin, with some alterations, not unlike how today’s “Frankenstein” is largely based on Shelley’s, with some alterations. Myself and others usually wouldn’t consider Latin to be particularly relevant or modern, save its use in academia. Similarly, the modern and trendy implementations Shelley’s Frankenstein is diminishing, losing its relevance in popular
Many people have become more familiar with the adaptations than the original text. Some people are familiar with the characters than story than the actual plot line, but their level of familiarity is underwhelming. Many people don’t understand the difference between the two most important characters in the entire plot: Frankenstein and his monster. It isn’t uncommon to hear people refer to the monster by the name Frankenstein. This goes to show that “Frankenstein” as a term is still very relevant, and Shelly can take credit for first coining the word in 1818 when she published Frankenstein (“Frankenstein,” Merriam-Webster). Even still, time has taken a toll on the meaning of “Frankenstein.” This isn’t necessarily a bad thing; language is constantly evolving. For example, the roots for many spoken English words are derived from Latin, and their meanings have changed over time. But would you consider Latin to still be relevant today? Likely not. Our language is largely based on Latin, with some alterations, not unlike how today’s “Frankenstein” is largely based on Shelley’s, with some alterations. Myself and others usually wouldn’t consider Latin to be particularly relevant or modern, save its use in academia. Similarly, the modern and trendy implementations Shelley’s Frankenstein is diminishing, losing its relevance in popular