Childbirth and Maternity

Childbirth and maternity is a major theme in Frankenstein in the book and both of the movies. And how Frankenstein in portrayed in each.

 In the book Victors fascination with creating a life begins with the death of his mother. And develops even more when he goes away for school and starts to ask his professor questions about creating life.  And in the end he finds bodies and creates his monster, but does not realize that creating or what he thought was his own form of childbirth also entails of taking care of what he created which he them learns when his “child” confronts him.

The 1930’s version does not give the same depiction of what childbirth can consist of it shows how Henry creates his monster, but that’s it does not give a accurate illustration of childbirth. Maternity was not shown in this film at all because Victor did learn his lesson after the monster ran wild throughout the town and came for Elizabeth. In this film he does not learn his lesson because he ends up trying to kill his monster and he still did not take responsibility for his creation.

Unlike the 1994 version which gives you every phase of childbirth for instance Victor buying the am biotic fluid from the mid wife, and to him forming his own womb for the monster and.  You also see the whole creation process step-by-step beginning with getting the bodies and even the brain.  Some of the maternity aspect of this film can be loosely seen through the birthing seen of the monster after the “water broke” or when the monster realized himself from the “womb” can be the same as the delivery room. But he did not have a very maternal nature because human nature would be to try to raise the monster. But Victor did not see that he just saw himself creating something he did not think that far ahead having to actually raise his “child” until the monster confronts him.