How the story of Frankenstein is relevant today and what films or books today are similar to Frankenstein?

Answer 1

I believe in three ways.

Firstly, the importance of appearances. The Frankenstein accept the "thin and very fair" Elizabeth Lavenza into their family (adopted from an orphanage over the "dirty little vagrants") purely because of her looks. This societies view of acceptance is inextricably linked to appearances which is why Frankenstein's 'abhorred' creature is not accepted into the family. The society is so shallow natured, it precludes all consideration of the creatures positive attributes, and thus forbids him a place in society. Parallels can then be drawn to the importance placed on appearances in a 21st century context, for example celebrities, modelling.

Secondly, the corruption of an innocent creature by an immoral society - in accordance with Rousseau's theory of the Natural State. Again many parallels can be drawn with a contemporary context.

Finally, the danger of scientific progress. Frankenstein tries to create life, by simply imparting electricity into deceased human body parts. Amazingly, this was not estranging to contemporary readers - experiments such as this were held often and came frightfully close to succeeding. (A witness of one such experiment is known to have died from shock). We live in a time were human cloning is not far way and stem cell research is hotly debated and perhaps in the not to distant future - life may again be pursued by radical scientists. Shelley's messages in relation to this hold true to our contemporary society.

Answer 2

You lazy bum! Go finish your homework and stop cheating!

Also, consider the consequences on an individual who is ostracized from a community and the morals and societal standards imposed by said community.

It can be seen as an example of the misuse of science.

Answer 3

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (A Modern Prometheus) will remain forever relevant to society. Shelley examines a variety of different human experiences in this Horror novel. Among these are love, fear, regret, and anger. Most importantly is a theme that Ms. Shelley contributed to the perpetual zeitgeist of the literate world: if you build a monster, it will kill you. It is a theme that has been repeated so completely since Shelley's novel was published, it has developed a name: The Frankenstein Syndrome. The term has been so completely assimilated by society, it is regularly applied to the field of philosophy, ethics, genetic engineering, virology, biological warfare, animal treatment, and engineering and technology--to name a few. It is a common theme in the literary genre of Science Fiction, while appearing in other genres as well.

Books and movies that are similar to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein are (by no means all inclusive):

Movies

• Contagion
• Blindness
• Alien
• Aliens
• Prometheus
• Columbiana
• Rise of the Planet of the Apes
• Arena
• Hannah
• X-Men
• X-Men Origins
• X-Men First Class
• Batman
• Chronicle
• 28 Days Later
• 28 Weeks Later
• (Every Zombie movie ever made)
• Night of the Living Dead
• Dawn of the Dead
• Land of the Dead
• Survival of the Dead
• The Crazies
• The Divide
• Invasion of the Body Snatchers (all variations)

Literature

• The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde
• Dracula
• The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow
• The Time Machine
• Carmilla
• The War Of The Worlds
• The Phantom Of The Opera
• Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea
• Candide
• Medea
• Gulliver's Travels
• Paradise Lost
• Tess Of The D'urbervilles
• The Giver
• Gathering Blue
• The Handmaid's Tale
• Oryx and Crake
• The Portrait of Dorian Gray
• Interview with a Vampire
• Andromeda Strain
• Sphere
• Jurassic Park

Answer 4

Frankenstein can be related to the war in Iraq. Both were done because of oil and terrorists.