Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein: How Victor’s ending differs from Mary Shelley’s classic tale, explored

Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein is a fresh and deeply human take on Mary Shelley’s timeless tale of creation and redemption, particularly in how it redefines the fate of Victor and his monster.

While Guillermo del Toro takes major creative liberties with Mary Shelley's original text, the conclusion of his adaptation is one of the major digressions from the original novel. Unlike Shelley's book, Victor and the Monster get to experience a parting moment and say their goodbye in Frankenstein's end, changing the novel's tragedy into a powerful and emotional reunion.

In Shelley's original novel, Victor dies without expressing regret over his actions. However, del Toro's version acts as a cautionary tale of his ambition and obsession, one where he understands the moral weight of his creation and eventual abandonment and asks forgiveness for his grave sin from his creation.

More on Frankenstein's ending in our story.

Exploring the different conclusions of Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein and Mary Shelley's classic novel

In Mary Shelley's book, Victor eventually succumbs to his wounds and dies on Walton's (changed to Captain Anderson in the movie) ship after narrating the tale of his horrors and madness. Moments after Victor's death, the creature arrives, lamenting and regretting over his creator's death and for his actions. He leaves Victor's body and promises Walton to follow his creator in death. Shelley's novel ends in tragedy as the Monster vows to burn himself alive on a funeral pyre.

This tragedy is emotionally changed in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein as the Monster meets a dying Victor on his deathbed. Unlike Shelley's novel, the Monster gets to experience a moment of companionship and tranquility with his creator, where Victor addresses him as his 'son' for the first time. As Victor expresses regret over his abandonment, the Monster forgives him and the movie ends on a hopeful note.

Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein redeems Victor

Guillermo del Toro’s decision to digress from Shelley's ending works in favor of his protagonist, who was finally forgiven by his creation. While Victor abandoned the Monster, even tried to burn him alive and blamed him for Elizabeth and Harlander's deaths, he was remorseful about his actions. In the final moments of the movie, Victor accepted his fate and was ready to face the Monster on Anderson's ship.

In a true emotional moment, he even calls the Monster his 'son' and urges him to live a full life. While he has once abandoned his creature, he finally realized that the Monster is more humane than him. With these final parting words to the Monster, Frankenstein redeems Victor in death:

''Forgive me, my son. And if you have it in your heart, forgive yourself into existence. If death is not to be, then consider this, my son: While you are alive, what recourse do you have but to live? Live.''

Frankenstein features a hopeful ending for the Monster

Jacob Elordi's creature is undoubtedly one of the most humane depictions of the monster, who was less violent (than Shelley's creature) and had a much lower death count. Unlike the original text, where the Monster killed Elizabeth on her wedding night with Victor, he forms an emotional and genuine human connection with her in the film, before she is killed by Victor himself.

The Monster's tale ends in regret, guilt and tragedy in Shelley's work but Guillermo del Toro salvages both Victor and the Monster. After spending days looking for a companion and the meaning behind his existence, the Monster gets to share an emotional moment with his creator and experiences closure.

Frankenstein ends on a hopeful note for the Monster, who is seen facing the sun's rays, mimicking Victor's only happy moment with him. While the novel suggests that the creature likely died after Victor's death, the movie suggests that the Monster will make true on his creator's dying words and start afresh.

Frankenstein is streaming on Netflix.