Adapting Famous Writers: Mary Shelley

Chapter Four

The rain descended relentlessly against the windows of my study, concealing the pale moon from view. The sky had long been dark, yet I remained unmoved from my table, eager and persistent, observing the specimen before me. I had, for an extended period, sought to reveal the most clandestine truths of the natural world, unwavering in my feverish attempts to uncover the pivotal innovation that would allow me to ascend beyond the order of the human race; and by this night, I had been rapidly approaching this epiphany. Or so I believed. 

My heavy eyelids made every effort to remain open as I lazily poked and prodded at the lifeless prototype in front of me, instruments lustrously glistening under the lamplight. Had my heavenly sister been present, I would have, in that moment, graciously accepted Elizabeth’s sympathetic advice and made the immediate decision to leave my work in its precise location and retire from my study to get some sleep. As this was not the case, I observed from the corner of my eye, still daring only to tear my eyes away from my work for just a moment, the shining face of the sun gently peering into my study through the window pane, after it had passed some number of hours, unbeknownst to me. Still unsuccessful in the replication of life, I sank into my chair, with abounding disappointment. 

But do not be mistaken: this miniscule misfortune did not deter me in the slightest. Oh, how I now wish I had allowed myself the opportunity to abandon my scientific pursuits at that very moment. But as disheartened as I was, I, foolishly, remained persistent.

Reflection

My adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein aims to convey the internal battle between Victor Frankenstein’s dedication to his work and his disappointment in his lack of progress, as he attempts to accomplish his objective of creating a new being from lifeless matter. Similarly to the novel, this struggle results in him feeling discouraged and exhausted from his unsuccessful attempts. This is demonstrated through the unreliable first-person narration style, which allows readers to observe his thoughts and experience the series of events the way he remembers them. For example, Frankenstein states that he had been working for “some number of hours, unbeknownst to me”. In this moment, he is not omniscient, which could indicate that he was so tired he cannot remember exactly how much time had passed, or that the amount of time was so large that he lost track. Regardless, he continues working through the night, which would illustrate his immense desire to succeed and the importance of his work to him. Toward the end of his retelling of events, the narration style switches to second-person, as Frankenstein addresses Walton directly. The framing of the story allows for these moments, in which Frankenstein stops to warn Walton (and perhaps readers) against following in his footsteps. Now omniscient, Frankenstein (in the present) is aware of the negative consequences of his previous actions, which were a direct result of his unrelenting scientific ambition and extreme desire to succeed. Furthermore, pathetic fallacy is used at the very beginning, to set the tone of the events that will ensue within the chapter. By describing rain pouring down outside while Frankenstein is working sets a dark and moody atmosphere. This was a staple of Gothic literature and reflects Shelley’s intention behind writing Frankenstein, which was to write a ghost story. The fact that it is raining heavily could also foreshadow the discontent and frustration that would follow later in the chapter.