Everyone knows Frankenstein as the monster—the green/grey monster with stitches everywhere and bolts out of his neck—but this is a common misconception. Frankenstein is the name of the scientist who created the creature. The creature became depicted as a monster. Historically, there have been many forms of media surrounding this monster as a monster. However, one thing that both Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein share—that a lot of versions don’t—is that the true monster is Victor Frankenstein, the creature’s creator. 

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein:

Written in 1818, the novel captures themes of isolation and ambition. Victor Frankenstein’s creation is the result of ambition left unchecked. The creature he creates goes into the world and learns the spectrum of human emotions, and physical sensations. The creature understands fire is heat which burns, the snow is cold and it freezes. The creature also sees from a distance what real human connection is—and wishes for nothing more than to experience it himself. However, because he is a creature and not a human, he is shut out. Victor Frankenstein marries Elizabeth, his adoptive sister who the creature kills for revenge. Senior Maryam Rana says “I like the book better than the movie, because the movie feels like it’s been freestyle”. Senior Lauren Park also likes the book better than the movie, she says “I thought the movie was kinda boring”

Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein:

Released on October 17, 2025, this movie adaptation focuses more on the themes of isolation and abandonment, showcasing the consequences of a child left unnurtured. Oscar Issac plays Victor Frankenstein. From the very beginning, Victor Frankenstein mistreats the creature and takes on the role of an abusive and neglectful father, but the creature (thankfully) does get to have a form of human connection through a blind man who has no idea what he looks like, but cares for him deeply due to the nature of his kindness. Victor Frankenstein wishes to marry Elizabeth Lavenza, but instead of her being his adoptive sister like the novel details, she was set to marry William, Victor’s brother and she despised Victor for his lack of kindness towards the creature. Senior Tarunjot Kaur says “I love the movie, even though the movie strayed from the actual plot, there was more depth into some themes which the book lacked, Also I love Oscar Issac”. 

It’s true that the movie strays away from the book. However, both are really well written in their own ways. I feel like the best way to truly understand and experience the story of Frankenstein is to read the book and watch the movie. The overall message of the book and movie are amplified by one another. They stay relatively the same.