Frosty the Snowman was a jolly, happy abomination against the natural order of things — oh, God, kill it now!
When listening to Gene Autry sing the classic 1950 Christmas song, the last thing on your mind is the psychological horror and ethical questions posed by Mary Shelley. But though their stories are separated by 131 years, their characters and basic plots follow the same beats.
Don't believe me?
Let's take a look at the evidence.
Image by John Gara/Buzzfeed
Both Creators Regret Their Creations
As a children's cartoon, Frosty's creator, the magician Hinkle, is the bad guy. Hounding after his accidental progeny, Hinkle's attempts to reclaim his hat would have the side effect of putting the "abomination" down.
Mary Shelley leaves Frankenstein more ambiguous. Whether the scientist or the creature is the villain is left up to the reader. Regardless, Frankenstein spends a majority of the book bent on his creation's destruction.
Both "Monsters" Are Created Through Artificial Means
As Arthur C. Clarke once said, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
One is a magical hat bringing together an amalgamation of snow, a corncob pipe, and a button nose, and two eyes made out of coal. The other is cobbled together from the pieces of many corpses and animated via electricity.
Six of one, a half-dozen of the other.
Despite Appearances, Both Try to Be Good People
Frosty loves kids and wants to make them happy through games and play. When Karen (pictured above, left) becomes too cold to move while helping him get home, Frosty is willing to sacrifice himself to take her into a greenhouse for warmth.
Frankenstein's monster, on the other hand, lives in the barn of a poor peasant family while learning what it means to be alive. He secretly helps them through hard times, tending the farm or making conversation with the blind, old grandfather.
