My Twisted Dark Beautiful Monster

A literary classic of the Romantic era, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley exposes the desperation and emotional mania of human nature as individuals suffer in their endeavors to achieve glory.

The wonder of this piece lies in its unique exploration of how a reclusive and seemingly antisocial man, seeking to understand the world, attempts to make a legacy for himself. After losing his mother, he suffers from severe grief that makes him almost unable to function normally. He dedicates himself to his work, sacrificing his health and his relationships in order to stand out and truly solidify his genius within the public eye.

That wasn’t about Frankenstein by the way. Despite its uncanny similarity, “the piece” in reference is My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by Kanye West, quite a fitting name for both works in general. Following his notorious music video controversy with Taylor Swift at the 2009 VMAs as well as a breakup with his girlfriend Amber Rose, a most definitely unstable Kanye was definitely not on the good side of almost anyone besides his most loyal fans. The loss of his mother, Donda West, in 2007, had severe negative effects that were very clearly visible publicly with his change in demeanor and perhaps even an escalation of his mental illness.

As a response to his tarnished public image, Kanye decided to exile himself to Hawaii and abstain from contact with anyone besides his closest collaborators and friends. His sheer determination led him to book studio rooms 24 hours a day for multiple weeks in order to complete his project, never sleeping a full night during the entire extended stay but rather resorting to power naps in order to rest.

Kanye West is, in a sense, a modern Victor Frankenstein. Overly dedicated to his work, grieving his lost mother, often unstable and definitely a victim of mental illness, the parallels drawn are innumerable. Yet among all the struggles of these characters, their raw talent and genius are never unquestioned. Despite his numerous questionable social and political decisions, Kanye West has never once been doubted as a musical genius. His work speaks for itself, 21 Grammys, 12 critically-acclaimed albums, and a billion-dollar net worth as a result of his clothing line directly as a result of his music, Kanye is the closest version of an eccentric genius that modern hip-hop has faced.

Victor Frankenstein, in contrast, never achieved the success of Kanye West. He was respected by many, for sure, but he never regained public favor and always had to watch behind his back for the monster he had created. He created his own worst nightmare, in contrast to Kanye’s “Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,” the title of perhaps his most braggadocious and bombastic work. The most apparent connection between the two characters stands to be the song “Power,” which details Kanye’s most egotistical yet justified moment of pride. He gets to be proud of his work, unlike Victor’s fear, and I think ultimately that shows the difference between a fantasy-like Frankenstein and a real person like Kanye West. Despite all the negative press he achieves, Kanye is still immensely successful in overcoming his obstacles. He is a visionary and pioneer and continues to break boundaries in ways that Victor Frankenstein’s fear would never let him.