English Language and Literature Commons^™

The Friendly Monster And The Complacent Queer: Assimilationist Approaches To Modern Adaptations Of Frankenstein's Creature, Cassandra Karn

Women's and Gender Studies: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

Monsters have been representations of othered communities since before the creation of the novel, so the Creature in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein should be no exception. The Creature defies binaries and rages against social injustice, making him a queer figure of resistance. However, modern adaptations of the Creature attempt to assimilate the Creature into the larger culture, removing both its queerness and its resistance. This unqueering brings into question how othered populations become accepted, and the cost paid for such acceptance.