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Culture August 2, 2017
It's the perfect pre-Halloween holiday.
If you don’t know who Frankenstein is, you’ve probably spent your whole life living under a rock. Mary Shelley’s novel “Frankenstein” gave birth to one of the most notable monsters. And to celebrate the iconic success of her novel, Frankenstein Friday dedicates a day to the character and the book annually.
Do you want to know more about how the holiday started and the history behind the book?
Great news because ENTITY compiled all that information for you. We even threw in some fun things you can do on Frankenstein Friday and our favorite quotes from the novel.
Frankenstein Friday is celebrated on the last Friday in October. The point of the holiday is to celebrate the gothic-romance horror novel, “Frankenstein.”
Ron MacCloskey of New Jersey created the holiday in 1997.
The day was allegedly chosen because of the commonality between the “Fr” in “Frankenstein” and “Friday.” And of course the last day of October, around Halloween, is the most fitting time for the holiday because Frankenstein is one of the most recognizable monsters of all time.
English writer Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley started writing “Frankenstein” at age 18. The first copy was published anonymously in London in 1818 when she was 20 years old. However, Shelley’s name didn’t appear on the book until its second edition, which was published in France in 1823.
While many think of the character Frankenstein as the monster, the novel follows the story of a young scientist whose name is Victor Frankenstein. He created the grotesque humanoid monster, who remains nameless throughout the novel.
Fitting for its time in the 1900s, the novel features both Gothic and Romantic elements.
“Frankenstein” covers themes of what it means to be alive and examines human nature. It also goes into depth how the pursuit of knowledge can become dangerous.
“Frankenstein” can be considered early science fiction because of the experimental model leading to the creation of something from fantasy. Shelley also drew scientific influences from the debate over the safety and use of electricity that was going on during her time period.
If you look at “Frankenstein” at face value, it may seem that the novel doesn’t have a strong feminist message. After all, there are no female protagonists and the female characters don’t have notable qualities or roles. They are killed off and the female monster is terminated before existing because of her potential to be uncontrollable and harmful.
However, you have to read between the lines to catch the true feminist message in Shelley’s novel. In real life, her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, was a women’s rights activist, so it’s unlikely her novel intended to have an anti-women sentiment.
While science had an influence on Shelley’s writing, her personal life may have also contributed. Around the time she wrote Frankenstein, she also suffered a miscarriage and the death of her mother.
Other feminist themes in the novel show why a woman is crucial to the process of having a child. Created by a man and science alone, the monster is unable to become truly human.
So, rather than showing what the women are, the novel shows what the men are not without them. The women in the book, although appearing passive, emphasize the importance of charity and protecting their family.
“Frankenstein” movies date all the way back to the early 1900s. There are over 50 titles featuring the popular monster, so you’ll have plenty to choose from.
Another fun way to celebrate Frankenstein Friday is to dress up as the movie monster or his bride. If you want to stay true to the novel, you can dress up as Victor Frankenstein and practice your manic mad scientist laugh.
Acting out scenes from the novel with friends can also be another fun way to celebrate the Halloween-time holiday. To get you started, we included some of our favorite “Frankenstein” quotes below.
Enjoy your Frankenstein Friday celebrating one of the greatest horror characters created in history!
