Netflix’s 1 Key Frankenstein Book Change Finally Makes the Monster’s Story Heartbreaking

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Guillermo del Toro’s new film, Frankenstein, is visually stunning, and Jacob Elordi’s portrayal of the Creature and his emotional arc is particularly captivating. The film differs significantly from Mary Shelley’s original 1818 novel, a landmark work of Gothic fiction. Shelley wrote Frankenstein when she was just 18 years old, and it tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a unique scientist who successfully brings a corpse back to life. The novel has since become a classic and has been adapted for film and other media countless times.

Guillermo del Toro’s film adaptation of Frankenstein finally arrived in 2024, though he’d been discussing the project as far back as 2007. Like his other films, it’s a stunning achievement. With excellent performances from Jacob Elordi and Oscar Isaac, and truly beautiful visuals, the story of Victor Frankenstein and his creation is elevated to a new level, particularly through the creative changes made from the original novel.

Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein Elevates William’s Impact

Although Frankenstein primarily focuses on Victor and his creation, several other characters play important roles in moving the story forward. In Mary Shelley’s novel, we meet Victor’s young brother, William, after the Creature learns about his own beginnings. Driven by a desire to find and confront his creator, the Creature travels to Geneva. But instead of finding Victor, he encounters seven-year-old William, who is portrayed as a cheerful, endearing, and remarkably innocent child – the youngest in Victor’s family.

In Mary Shelley’s novel, William becomes a victim of the Creature’s anger. When they first meet in Geneva, the Creature briefly considers taking William with him, drawn to the boy’s innocence. Interestingly, the Creature is arguably just as naive as William. Understandably frightened, William tries to escape and insults the Creature, calling him an “ugly wench.” The Creature’s discovery that William is Victor’s brother seals the boy’s fate, and he is killed. This murder marks a turning point for both Victor and the Creature. For Victor, William’s death destroys his remaining innocence, while for the Creature, it’s one of several acts committed in anger and as an act of revenge.

Guillermo del Toro’s version of Frankenstein reimagines William, traditionally a young boy, as a grown man engaged to Elizabeth Harlander. Unlike the original story, William willingly assists Victor with his experiments, despite feeling overshadowed by him and their father. He doesn’t try to connect with the Creature as Elizabeth does, and while he still dies, the circumstances are different: the Creature accidentally kills William after his marriage to Elizabeth, rather than intentionally.

In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the Creature kills William impulsively, driven by rage, and specifically to cause Victor pain. This pattern of targeting those connected to Victor continues throughout the novel. However, Guillermo del Toro’s film adaptation reimagines William’s character and, consequently, the motivations behind his death. Instead of representing a loss of innocence, William’s death in the film serves as a direct consequence of Victor’s own choices and actions.

The Creature’s Violent Nature In Frankenstein Is Humanized

In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, whether called a “Monster” or a “Creature,” the result of Victor’s scientific work is undeniably violent and destructive. From the very beginning of the 207-year-old novel, readers immediately sense the Creature’s frightening nature, just as the characters do. Initially, before the Creature understands he was created in a laboratory rather than born naturally, he reacts with shock, surprise, wonder, and curiosity. Though Victor abandons him in fear, the Creature rapidly learns and gains knowledge through self-teaching and experience, developing into a uniquely intelligent—though dangerous—being.

Throughout Shelley’s Frankenstein, the Creature experiences deep feelings of abandonment, loneliness, and resentment, though these emotions often get overshadowed by the story’s events. The murder of young William in Geneva marks a turning point, solidifying the Creature’s image as a villain and largely dismissing any moral ambiguity. From that point until Victor’s death, the Creature is consumed by revenge. Each act of violence stems from rage and a deliberate attempt to inflict pain on Victor, particularly after Victor rejects his request for companionship.

Guillermo del Toro makes the Creature incredibly sympathetic by portraying William’s death as an accident and aging the character. Like the Creature in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, this version experiences a full range of emotions, but del Toro emphasizes these feelings to create a more powerful and moving story. Moments like the Creature’s desperate pleas when Victor tries to destroy his lab are particularly heartbreaking. The Creature’s longing for acceptance is also shown through Elizabeth’s compassion and his brief friendship with the blind man in the woods, highlighting his desire to be included and loved.

As a big fan of monster movies, I’ve always found the Creature in Frankenstein to be a deeply tragic figure, and Guillermo del Toro’s version really nails that. What struck me most is how the Creature’s bitterness grows the more he’s shunned and forced into isolation. But it’s crucial to remember, especially with the way the Creature is portrayed as an adult, that he doesn’t actually want to kill anyone. When William dies in del Toro’s film, it feels more like a terrible accident, a chain of unfortunate events, rather than the calculated murder we see in Mary Shelley’s original novel. This version of the Creature isn’t a villain; he’s profoundly lonely and desperately craves connection. Considering he was brought into existence without wanting to be, and struggles with controlling his emotions, it’s easy to feel sympathy for him. Del Toro doesn’t present a monster to be feared, but a deeply misunderstood being deserving of our compassion.

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Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein Changes Make Sense

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a classic novel, but most movie and book adaptations make changes to the original story. A good example is the character Igor, who first appeared in the 1931 film and has become a popular figure in gothic horror, even though he isn’t in Shelley’s book. Conversely, the character Henry Clerval is often left out of adaptations, and Victor Frankenstein’s name is sometimes changed to Henry, as seen in the 1935 film Bride of Frankenstein.

A key difference in Guillermo del Toro’s version of Frankenstein lies in the Creature’s abilities. While the book portrays the Creature as incredibly strong and resilient but still vulnerable to injury and death, del Toro’s adaptation gives him the power to regenerate, making him nearly impossible to kill. This change significantly impacts the story, making the Creature’s isolation – particularly after Victor refuses to create a companion, mirroring the original novel – even more poignant and drawing greater sympathy from the audience.

One of the biggest shifts Guillermo del Toro made in his Frankenstein film is with Elizabeth’s death. In Mary Shelley’s novel, the Creature strangles Elizabeth on her wedding night, which is horrific. In the movie, it’s a tragic accident – Victor accidentally shoots her while trying to kill the Creature. While her death is still devastating either way, I actually found it more emotionally impactful in the film. Because the Creature didn’t kill her, and because Elizabeth and the Creature were starting to connect, it just hit differently than it does in the book. It felt… sadder, somehow, and more complicated.

Del Toro masterfully enhances and delves into these themes. The adaptations from the book, such as making William older and engaged to Elizabeth, heighten the tension and reveal new layers of complexity in both Victor and the Creature, both individually and in their relationship. Though a secondary character, William is given a compelling role and finally gets the attention he deserves, over two centuries after the original novel was published.

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2025-11-09 00:07