Frankenstein Symbol Analysis

References to the fictional creature of “Frankenstein” in Frankenstein in Baghdad suggest that fiction and reality are not always easy to differentiate. The character of the Whatsitsname in Ahmed Saadawi’s novel is based on the character of “the Creature” (popularly known as “Frankenstein”) in Mary Shelley’s classic novel Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus (1818). The novel acknowledges this original source of inspiration on multiple occasions: different characters mention the movie Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1994), starring Robert De Niro, and Saidi transforms Mahmoud’s article on the Whatsitsname into “Frankenstein in Baghdad”—the very title of this novel. These references identify similarities between the two fictional characters. For example, like the Whatsitsname, Shelley’s original “Creature” feels that humanity has treated him unfairly because of his hideous appearance. As a result, he seeks revenge on humans for their cruel actions.

More broadly, direct and indirect references to Shelley’s novel serve a political role: to launch a reflection on the fragile limits between fiction and reality in conflict-torn Baghdad. Characters’ transformation of the Whatsitsname into a fictional entity—as Saidi does when he calls the creature “Frankenstein”—aims to relegate horror to the realm of fiction, when, in fact, real-life gruesome events take place on a daily basis in the Iraqi capital. Using a fictional frame of references allows characters to maintain a sense of control over the chaotic reality around them, but also emphasizes the brutality of their current environment. References to Mary Shelley’s work thus reveal the multiple purposes of fiction in these characters’ lives, as they attempt to make sense of the horror around them and to cope with its psychological toll.