Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein, has definitely come a long way since 1818, even though Shelley's original purpose has been compromised for the sake of entertainment and profit. Through various appropriations throughout the twentieth century, Frankenstein has become more a tool for entertainment purposes, rather than the intended moral and scientific lesson it was first written to teach. This is strongly due to the fact that times are changing, as well as society's attitudes towards certain issues, including the many ethics raised within the novel.

Many of the earlier film adaptations of Shelley's Frankenstein, appropriated the eccentric aspects of the text, which shared a horror theme. This is highly due to the fact that horror films were relatively new, and also rapidly increasing in popularity throughout the 1900's. Frankenstein's story posed as an exciting one, and allowed great exploration of this horror theme. James Whale's 1931 version of Frankenstein depicted the monster as 'evil' and inse

Mel Brooks's Young Frankenstein appropriates Shelly's text into a lighthearted comedy, completely disregarding its moralistic intentions. In one scene it features Victor's grandson dancing alongside the monster ,the pair in top hats performing the Ritz, and also delves into the monster's sexual potency- an aspect of the creature which was probably deliberately ignored by Shelley, at the risk of creating satire within her novel.

As William Christie writes, "Not only does this monster/myth mean what it was intended to mean by its author or culture, it is also liable to get out of control and assume an independent, even potentially destructive life of its own," we are shown how the name, Frankenstein has lived for so long, through film, theatre, and various forms of writing. And although the text has been appropriated in many compromising forms, untrue to its author's intentions, it still holds a "dizzying profusion of meanings." (Baldick)

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Approximate Word count = 1509
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)