Frankenstein's monster facts for kids

The actor T. P. Cooke as the monster in an 1823 stage show of Shelley's novel

Frankenstein’s monster is a famous fictional character from Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. He is brought to life by another character in the book, Victor Frankenstein. The creature doesn't have a specific name in popular stories. People sometimes call him "the creature," "the monster," or "the being."

In the novel, Victor creates this human-like monster in his apartment at the University of Ingolstadt. He builds it by putting together body parts from graveyards and butcher shops. He uses a special method involving chemistry and galvanism to make the creature alive. Victor is so scared when the creature wakes up that he leaves it right away. The monster then leaves Victor's apartment in the middle of the night.

What Does Frankenstein's Monster Look Like?

Boris Karloff's movie version of Frankenstein's monster

In the novel, the monster is described as having:

“his yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same colour as the dun-white sockets in which they were set, his shrivelled complexion and straight black lips."

He is very tall, about 8 feet, because Victor thought it would be easier to build a human body if the parts were bigger. In movies and TV shows, he often has green skin. But in the book, his skin is actually described as yellow. The idea of him having green skin and bolts in his neck came from Boris Karloff's movie portrayal of the monster.

How Does Frankenstein's Monster Act?

At first, Frankenstein’s monster is like a newborn baby. He cannot talk and learns about the world by using his senses and watching things. He slowly understands simple ideas like hot and cold, bird sounds, and the difference between the sun and moon. He eats roots, nuts, and berries when he is hungry. He also finds a coat and some books while exploring the wilderness.

The monster is described as sensitive, emotional, and very smart. He can also get angry and violent. He learns to speak by watching a family. He teaches himself to read the books he found. He feels deeply rejected by Victor and by almost every human he meets. These bad experiences make him feel hated and unwanted. He grows to dislike humans and even feels hateful towards them because of how they treat him. Because of this, he causes harm to several people, including Victor's younger brother William, Victor's best friend Henry Clerval, and later Victor's wife Elizabeth Lavenza.

Many movie versions show him as mute and child-like, rather than intelligent.

The Monster's Relationship with Victor

The creature has a complicated relationship with Victor. Even though Victor rejected him at the start, the monster still wants a "father-like" figure. Victor is the only real human connection the monster has. He demands that Victor take responsibility for his happiness.

In the novel, the creature even calls himself “Adam.” This makes Victor seem like a God-like figure to him.

After the monster learns to read and speak, he goes on a journey to find Victor. They meet in the mountains, and the monster tells Victor his life story. After sharing his difficult journey, he asks Victor to create a female monster for him. He hopes this will mean he won't have to be alone anymore.

How the Monster is Shown in Movies

A statue of Frankenstein's monster, based on Boris Karloff, at the National Museum of Cinema in Turin, Italy

The most famous image of Frankenstein's monster comes from Boris Karloff's acting in the 1931 movie Frankenstein. For this role, he wore special makeup designed by Jack P. Pierce. Pierce based the monster's face and flat head shape on a drawing his daughter made from a dream. Karloff's daughter's company, Karloff Enterprises, now owns the rights to his image.

Since Karloff's movie, the creature is almost always shown as a very tall, undead-like figure. He often has a flat-topped, angular head and bolts on his neck. These bolts look like electrical connectors or scary electrodes. He wears a dark, often torn suit with short sleeves and heavy boots. This makes him walk in an awkward, stiff way. In the novel, he is actually described as much more flexible than a human. His skin color changes in different movies, but green or gray are common. His body often looks stitched together, especially around the neck and joints. This famous image has even inspired other characters, like the Hulk.

Images for kids

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  Charles Stanton Ogle in the 1910 film version

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  A close-up of Charles Ogle as the monster in Thomas Edison's Frankenstein (1910)

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  Frankenstein's monster in a cartoon from 1896, showing an idea about the Silverite movement

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  Colin Clive and Karloff in Frankenstein (1931)

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  Evelyn Ankers, Lon Chaney Jr. as the monster and Bela Lugosi as Ygor in The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942)

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  A re-release lobby card for Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943) with Bela Lugosi and Lon Chaney Jr.

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  Glenn Strange as the monster in House of Dracula (1945)

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  Onslow Stevens and Glenn Strange in House of Dracula (1945)

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  Christopher Lee as the creature in Hammer Films' The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)

See also

In Spanish: Monstruo de Frankenstein para niños