Read both the excerpt from the poem "The Creature" and Chapter 5 of Frankenstein. Respond to the prompt that follows.

Question

"The Creature"
by Harry Frank

Cursed by all the eyes that see
Also judged by what they "know"
My appearance makes them flee
Due to how the features show.

Despite the woe I reveal
They ignore the soul within
Each day once again I feel
And don grief upon my skin.

Chapter 5, Frankenstein
by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Unable to endure the aspect of the being I had created, I rushed out of the room and continued a long time traversing my bed-chamber, unable to compose my mind to sleep. At length lassitude succeeded to the tumult I had before endured, and I threw myself on the bed in my clothes, endeavouring to seek a few moments of forgetfulness. But it was in vain; I slept, indeed, but I was disturbed by the wildest dreams. I thought I saw Elizabeth, in the bloom of health, walking in the streets of Ingolstadt. Delighted and surprised, I embraced her, but as I imprinted the first kiss on her lips, they became livid with the hue of death; her features appeared to change, and I thought that I held the corpse of my dead mother in my arms; a shroud enveloped her form, and I saw the grave- worms crawling in the folds of the flannel. I started from my sleep with horror; a cold dew covered my forehead, my teeth chattered, and every limb became convulsed; when, by the dim and yellow light of the moon, as it forced its way through the window shutters, I beheld the wretch—the miserable monster whom I had created. He held up the curtain of the bed; and his eyes, if eyes they may be called, were fixed on me. His jaws opened, and he muttered some inarticulate sounds, while a grin wrinkled his cheeks. He might have spoken, but I did not hear; one hand was stretched out, seemingly to detain me, but I escaped and rushed downstairs. I took refuge in the courtyard belonging to the house which I inhabited, where I remained during the rest of the night, walking up and down in the greatest agitation, listening attentively, catching and fearing each sound as if it were to announce the approach of the demoniacal corpse to which I had so miserably given life.

In a response of 3–5 sentences, achieve the following:

identify and explain one similarity between the poem and the novel excerpt
identify and explain one difference between the poem and the novel excerpt
provide textual evidence from both the poem and the novel excerpt throughout your response

Answer 1

One similarity between Harry Frank's poem "The Creature" and Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" is the theme of alienation due to physical appearance. In the poem, the speaker notes, "My appearance makes them flee / Due to how the features show," which underscores how the creature is judged and ostracized based solely on its looks. Similarly, in Shelley’s novel, Victor Frankenstein describes his reaction to the being he created, saying, “Unable to endure the aspect of the being I had created, I rushed out of the room,” illustrating Victor's immediate revulsion and subsequent rejection of his own creation.

A key difference lies in the emotional responses of the respective narrators towards their creation. The speaker in the poem expresses a sense of sorrow and introspection, stating, "Despite the woe I reveal / They ignore the soul within," which suggests a yearning for acceptance and understanding beneath the creature’s exterior. In contrast, Victor's response is driven by horror and regret; he describes experiencing “the wildest dreams” and a panic-induced rush from the creature, emphasizing a visceral fear rather than a reflection on its inner essence. This contrast highlights how the poem focuses on the creature's emotional pain due to rejection, while the novel excerpt centers around its creator's immediate fear and guilt.