Entering into the Unknown”: Subverting Mary Shelley in the Teleplay Frankenstein: The True Story

Abstract

Since its publication in 1818, the narrative of Frankenstein has undergone diverse interpretations and adaptations. Despite the passage of two centuries, the enduring significance of this novel remains undiminished. The span between 1910 and 1975 saw the emergence of a total of thirty-two adaptations of the Frankenstein narrative. Notably, the 1973 adaptation of the novel, jointly written by Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy, has often eluded the thorough examination it warrants. Isherwood and Bachardy reimagined Shelley’s novel, introducing a homoerotic perspective that offers an alternative lens to examine the relationship between Victor Frankenstein and his creation. This interpretation of Frankenstein differs from the conventional reading of a strictly filial bond between the two characters. This essay aims to closely examine the 1973 teleplay Frankenstein: The True Story, analysing Victor Frankenstein’s relationship with his non-human/posthuman creation through the lens of a queer theory. Furthermore, the analysis will explore how the 1973 adaptation subverts the heteronormative ideology inherent in Mary Shelley’s narrative. Drawing from Butler’s theoretical stance, the essay contends that subversion serves as a political instrument to contest prevailing norms from within the framework of the narrative, thereby prompting a restructuring that highlights and questions heteronormative predispositions. This study will take a cue from the insights of posthumanist, queer, and feminist thinkers such as Julia Kristeva, Judith Butler, and Lee Edelman for analysing the teleplay.