Georgian Dream’s Fear of the Outsider
If you’ve watched Guillermo del Toro’s 2025 film Frankenstein you will know that this film has returned to the philosophical roots of a deeply human tragedy about creation, responsibility, individuality, and society’s fear of what it does not understand. While most film adaptations flatten Frankenstein’s creature into this horror villain everybody fears, del Toro emphasizes what Mary Shelley originally intended – a being who is not inherently evil, but made monstrous by the world’s reaction to him. He becomes an “other,” an outsider whose mere existence triggers the state and the frightened villagers towards action and therefore abolishing the creature.
The dynamic of the State’s fear of difference and the public’s acceptance of a demonising narrative, mirrors many modern political contexts, including that of Georgia. The governing party, Georgian Dream (GD), continuously constructs “outsiders” and “external forces” (EU, the West, NGOs, activists) as existential threats to Georgian identity. Some political narratives in Georgia resemble the frightened villagers: protectors of a fragile homeland, fighting off supposedly dangerous “creations”. Meanwhile, they do not want to understand what the purpose of ‘the outside power’ is, where it came from, nor what it wants.
This environment, which they have created through disinformation, affects public perception and creates confusion and uncertainty among parts of society. As in Frankenstein, the danger lies not in the outsider but in the State’s panic, paranoia, and reactive policies.
The Creature as worthwhile Individual
Del Toro’s interpretation of Frankenstein’s creature emphasizes personhood: the idea that even a being created unnaturally still possesses consciousness, desires, suffering, and moral potential. His identity is not defined by Victor Frankenstein, even though he was created by him, but by his own capacity to feel and choose. The creature embodies the struggle of an individual whose existence challenges collective norms. He has committed no crime, harmed no one, but society still responds with violence based on his appearance. His differences make him unacceptable.
The State becomes the oppressor when it refuses to recognize someone’s individual rights because they are different
In contemporary Georgia, groups such as: civil society organizations; pro-European activists; independent media and many more are framed by Georgian Dream as alien influences, “creatures” created by Western powers, or agents of destabilization. Their individual characteristics are erased in favor of a collective stereotype. Instead of viewing them as citizens with rights and autonomy, public narratives portray them as dangerous anomalies, echoing villagers who push the creature away simply because “he looks different.” In Georgia, people with different views are often portrayed negatively in public debates, and recent laws have raised concerns about pressures on civic actors.
The moral test of a society is whether it respects the autonomy of those who do not fit its norm, because people fighting against the ‘different’ aren’t just state agents, they are ordinary citizens poisoned with propaganda.
Georgian Dream Using fear as a tool to mess with the truth
The villagers do not rationally assess the creature, instead they panic. They hear lies from the scientist, they see the creature and respond with torches, weapons, and rumors. Their fear is not based on superstition or moral panic, they have the fear of the unknown and don’t know how to respond otherwise. For modern states, especially authoritarian-leaning ones, fear becomes a political tool to mobilize loyalty and suppress dissent. Fear is the biggest setback for society, afraid people are the easiest to control and GD has gotten its hands onto the easiest society to subjugate. People get convinced that difference equals danger and forget everything that has to be considered in order to maintain peace and order in the state.
Georgian Dream consistently frames itself as the defender of Georgia against “dangerous outsiders.” Instead of torches, they use disinformation campaigns, TV propaganda, legal repression (like the “foreign agents” law) and conspiracy narratives about the EU and the US, which are utterly devoid of logic. They have created nationalist rhetoric portraying NGOs as destroyers of “traditional Georgia.”
But as the movie’s narrative makes clear, the greatest violence in the story is committed not by the outsider, but by the fearful community. Fear started long before Frankenstein created ‘the creature’. It started in a small circle. In the movie, people were against the innovation of Frankenstein’s and said that creating this kind of creature would be a demonic, ungodly act. In Georgia, the same happened. GD used negative comments about the EU to make people full of fear. For example, that Europe would take away our authentic culture and make Georgian men more soft and feminine. They used LGBT propaganda badly for fear to take root into society and then they started actually ruling out the west. People who actually believed that the EU was a horrible choice for our country were happy, others who were thinking about our – and the next generation’s – freedom, were not.
Critics argue that the government’s actions raise concerns about rights, external influence, and accountability. People who support these ideas interpret these actions as protecting our nation’s future and culture, creating a better environment for education(general education reform from GD) and overall “strengthening” a nation’s powers as a sovereign powerful state. Individual freedom is set aside, and collective interest is brought forward. Fear becomes the justification for repression.
When the State Becomes the Monster
A central irony of Frankenstein is that Victor Frankenstein and society become monstrous long before the creature does.
Victor refuses responsibility for his creation. Instead of helping him integrate, he abandons him. This irresponsibility is tragic. Meanwhile, the villagers’ violence shapes the creature into something angry and desperate. The real monster is not the ‘outsider’, it is the creator who refused responsibility. It is the society that persecutes the innocent. It is the authority that fears difference!
Georgian Dream paints itself as a protector yet pushes anti-Western narratives that isolate Georgia from its allies; increases Russian economic and political influence; suppresses media and NGOs that hold power accountable; and uses fear to maintain control rather than building trust.
Much like Victor Frankenstein hiding his guilt, the ruling party hides its failures by blaming imaginary enemies. Society is told that “external forces” are the cause of Georgia’s problems, not the government’s own negligence.
By shirking responsibility, Victor and Georgian Dream start to become tragic monsters
Limited Government: Learning from the Village’s Failure
In Shelley’s story, the villagers represent unchecked collective power: driven by fear, they act as judge, jury, and executioner. Their panic overrides individual autonomy — a warning that when authority is unrestrained, persecution follows. A healthy political system does not allow a majority to destroy an individual simply for being different.
A healthy Georgia would not attack NGOs, journalists, or minorities for expressing independent ideas or cooperating with international partners. Del Toro’s Frankenstein shows that when power goes unchecked, the weakest, often the outsider, becomes the first victim. Georgian Dream’s push to expand surveillance, restrict foreign funding, and weaponize nationalism mirrors this pathology. The villagers’ violence is not strength but insecurity. A government that fears its own citizens exposes its own fragility.
Why Fighting “External Powers” Is Wrong for Georgia
Frankenstein teaches that the outsider is not a threat but a mirror reflecting society’s failures. Georgian Dream’s warnings about “external powers” expose democratic backsliding, corruption, and fear-based politics — not foreign danger. The West offers integration and stability while NGOs and political minorities simply demand rights. The real danger for the whole country is that its internal fear could be exploited for power. GD has been using fear as a tool for years. This is a great danger for the people, who understand every devious move of the government and want a better change. With individuals, filled with fear and lack of knowledge, it is hard for the knowledgeable people to make great changes. It is hard to go against the government. Just as the villagers destroy the creature out of panic, Georgian Dream risks isolating Georgia and damaging its civil society because of its power-hungry nature.
Destroy the Outsider or Embrace Individual Freedom?
Art creates a way for life. This piece of art was one of the best interpretations of the original story, from which Georgia has a lot to learn. What we really have to do is try to understand the messages artists are delivering and take action.
An egoistic scientist should be evaluated as such, rather than demonized. Progress depends on a society’s ability to understand difference, not reject it. Villagers, like any community confronted with the unfamiliar, must rely on education and critical thinking instead of suspicion. A lack of knowledge creates vulnerability to manipulation, whereas informed individuals are less likely to be misled by fear-based narratives. Therefore, social evolution requires not emotional reactions, but intellectual openness and continuous self-education.
This story asks us who the real monster is. It is not the creature seeking dignity and autonomy, but the society that fears him. The narrative contradicts its own aims. In the movie, fighting against the unknown with torches. In Georgia, waging war on imagined “Western monsters” while suppressing individuality and elevating collective fear over personal freedom. Yet the movie “Frankenstein” gives us reason to think about our countries and offers a measure of hope, suggesting that societies grow stronger by recognizing the outsider rather than destroying him.
Georgia’s path to democracy and Europe depends on defending individualism, personal responsibility, self-ownership, and limiting government power. Frankenstein warns that communities that attack the outsider ultimately destroy themselves. Georgia must reject fear and choose freedom.
This piece solely expresses the opinion of the author and not necessarily the magazine as a whole. SpeakFreely is committed to facilitating a broad dialogue for liberty, representing a variety of opinions. Support freedom and independent journalism by donating today.
