Since its initial publication by Mary Shelley in 1818, Frankenstein has remained a cultural staple for over 200 years. From movies to cartoons to Halloween decorations, we can’t resist the allure of this creature.
The widespread success and positive reception of the new 2025 movie adaptation of Frankenstein, written and directed by Guillermo del Toro, an already established icon within the gothic movie genre, shows that even after two centuries of knowing the monster, we still can’t get enough.
The movie dominated the Netflix charts upon its release, racking up over 60 million views within its first 10 days on the platform. This is hardly surprising considering how highly anticipated it was by viewers—myself included.
It’s clear that even after centuries of hearing the story and dozens of different adaptations of it, we’re still hungry for the story of Frankenstein’s misunderstood creation.
But why are we so obsessed with literary monsters?
What is it about Frankenstein and Dracula or werewolves and zombies that’s so intriguing to us? Why are we so intrigued by their horror?
Since their first mainstream literary appearance, during the Romantic and Victorian eras (though their origins trace back to ancient folkloric myths), monsters have immediately sparked readers’ interest. During this time of scientific enlightenment and social repression, they symbolized both humans’ ability to harness science and the loneliness and isolation created by the repressed social climate.
Something is intoxicating about the way they represent a life outside of humanity. They’re a reminder of our mortality and fragility.
Victor Frankenstein’s audacity and daringness to play God by trying—and succeeding—to create life out of death definitely cause his downfall. Still, it is also a display of the impact of the Age of Enlightenment.
The late 17th to late 18th centuries were known as the Age of Enlightenment in European and Western civilization, marking a period of scientific revolution and the prioritization of reason. Monsters like Frankenstein’s monster encapsulate both triumphs and fears surrounding the sudden cultural shift towards science.
Literary monsters are a means of creating terror, but also of highlighting the best—and worst—of humanity. Whether it be our hubris or our ability to persevere even in the face of peril, monsters take human struggles outside of the bubble of humanity and recontextualize them.
The monsters are undeniably inhuman—humanoid at best. However, as the stories of many of these monsters progress (think Frankenstein in particular), you start to feel sympathy for them. You realize they’re more similar to you than you first thought.
On top of their fear and might, they represent something more vulnerable: how lonely and suffocating it is to be human.
This era was a time when the length of your skirt being an inch too short could get you socially shunned, so it’s no surprise that writers, particularly feminist writer Mary Shelley, found ways of fighting back against this repressive social climate through fiction.
The monsters in their books aren’t just nightmare fuel or scientific creations—they show us the darker sides of humanity we often try to ignore.
They’re a manifestation of how oppressive, harsh social norms can be and how being forced to adhere to them is draining and damaging, like putting on a mask or an alter ego. (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, anyone?)
It can be lonely going through life feeling isolated from others or feeling like no one fully understands you. What better way to represent and dramatize this feeling than through a monstrous creature that obviously doesn’t fit in with human society, but is actually more human than first expected?
While we’ve long left the Victorian era, it’s clear that these themes still hit home with us.
With technology advancing at a pace quicker than we can wrap our heads around (a second Age of Enlightenment, perhaps?) and a recent rise in social conservatism and call for “traditional” values, it’s no wonder that we find comfort in literary monsters just like we did two hundred years ago.