A6

The collage’s main focus merges two images: one of a handsome man and one of a horrifying monster - this is Frankenstein’s creation. These separate parts emphasize the creature’s humanlike characteristics as well as his monstrous characteristics. Some readers are able to identify with the monster as a human, which part of him is exemplified by his emotions and insecurities. Also, though distorted, Frankenstein’s creation contains the essential characteristics of a human: hair, eyes, a nose, a mouth, etc. On both sides of the monster’s face, placed in the center of the collage, each of these parts is evident, all paralleling the half on the other side. Therefore, this monster would be classified as a human…for what other creature could he be classified as? However, this creation also has monster-like characteristics. For example, the wretch commits brutal killings to innocent people, drives Frankenstein to insanity, and harasses other humans. In addition, the monster’s yellow skin and huge stature separate him from the general population. The two different faces both merge and differentiate between the humanlike as well as the monster-like characteristics of Frankenstein’s creation.

In addition, the incongruity of the two pictures in creating a whole shows that the monster is not one entity but rather a corpse built of many different parts from many different people. In the collage, the faces do not line up perfectly, slightly distorting the character’s features. This distortion mirrors the monster’s described deformation and ugliness. The two-sided merge also exhibits how the creature is unrecognizable by humans, as one could not wholly describe the face neither through a description of a handsome man nor a description of a horrible monster.

The cut-out faces of people engulfing Frankenstein’s monster represent the different reactions of not only characters in the novel but also the different reactions of the readers. Some of the people’s images look fearful, some interested, and others sympathetic. Most characters in the novel instantly respond with horror, either attacking him or screaming with fear. For example, when Felix and Agatha find the monster hunched over their loved one, De Lacey, they instantly become both enraged and terrified. However, the readers are presented with many different views along with the series of narrators, differing their perceptions from those of the characters. In the eyes of the reader, the monster entertains more varied responses: revulsion from his evil, as well as sympathy for his rejection from society. In the faces of the people surrounding the monster’s contorted image in the collage, viewers can spot many different reactions in response to this figure.

Also, the positions of the surrounding images exemplify the varying recognitions of the characters in the novel. Some gazes are fixed on the monster, while others are looking in opposite directions, not able to directly see his form. Analogously, in Frankenstein, some characters come in direct contact with the monster, while others only hear second-hand stories about his malevolence. However, all images rest in the same plane as the monster, exemplifying his pervasiveness in affecting countless people.

Most importantly, this collage purely uses images to exhibit meaning; in Frankenstein, the monster’s image is the main source of reaction. Images communicate the inner workings of an object. In the collage, the images display the combination of characters (a human and a monster) to form the creation, the incongruity of its parts, and the reactions of readers and characters. Like the collage, the monster’s image exhibits his true self – which must, in fact, be horrifying.