In 1816, a time accompanied with great political and industrial revolutions, Mary Shelley wrote the novel Frankenstein. While Frankenstein comments upon some modern anxieties —parenthood, isolation and abandonment— the novel also touches upon the meaning and fears behind bioethics and scientific discovery. The idea of science and discovery develops into this horror story, in which the scientific ambition’s of Victor Frankenstein harms mankind and himself rather than helping it. Tampering with or altering nature also stems from this fear of scientific discovery as well. Through analyzing the journey and aftermath of Victor Frankenstein’s monstrous creation, Mary Shelley questions the sake of scientific discovery and deems its effects to be detrimental.
In the novel, Victor Frankenstein’s interests and studies lead him to unearth the astonishing secrets of creating life, which causes him to become engrossed in his obsession. Mary Shelley seems to frown upon scientific discovery due to this exact reason. One of the motivating reasons why Victor proceeds in his project is because he believes that his scientific discovery has the ability to provide himself with a certain amount of fame: “from the midst of this darkness a sudden light broke in upon me...I was surprised that among so many men of genius who had directed their inquires towards the same science, that I alone should be reserved to discover so astonishing a secret” (38). Overtime, however, he is so immersed in his work that it becomes hard for him to actually stop: “I doubted at first whether I should attempt the creation of a being like myself, or one of simpler organization; but my imagination was too much exalted by my first success to permit me to doubt of my ability ...
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...unnatural and goes against “god’s creation”; it also posed a threat to those close to him, while at the same time, leading to his own physical and mental deterioration. Modern day science deals exactly with the issues of which Shelley was keenly aware of while illustrating the journey and aftermath of Frankenstein’s ambition. In a society where technological and scientific advancement are highly valued, people get so caught in getting ahead that it becomes inevitable. People end up getting blinded by their desires and forget about how it can negatively affect the wellbeing of everyone as an individual and as a whole. Ultimately, Mary Shelley acknowledges that the future of scientific discovery, if uncontrolled, could be detrimental; her novel serves as a warning to readers, both past and current, of one’s own powers and how it can affect the world in which they live.
Frankenstein has been interested in natural science since childhood and has described himself to “always have been imbued with a fervent longing to penetrate the secrets of nature”(Shelley 25), which foreshadows his future aspiration to create life, and
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was published in 1818 during the Romanticism era. Romanticism describes the period of time from the late 18th century to the mid 19th century. This period was seen as a response to the Enlightenment; overall there was an increase in the desire to understand the world in an objective matter (lecture). Though Romanticism is commonly viewed as a literary and artistic movement, Mary Shelley gives evidence on the development of Europe in a historical sense through her novel, Frankenstein. Through the motifs and personal experiences of her characters, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein gives insight on scientific development, emerging roles of women, and how the individual is viewed the
1818 gothic novel, Frankenstein was written during the Post-Enlightenment era, early 19th century, which challenged traditional values of Religion furthermore, the advances in science and discovery arose to take place. Shelley has used Victor Frankenstein, a young enthusiast towards science and discovery to indicate the advances in science and discovery. Victor is on the search to discover the secrets of Heaven and Earth, “It is the secrets of Heaven and Earth that I desire to learn” within chapter 2 this quote is delivered, it symbolizes that Mary want’s Victor to challenge the values of Religion and advance his search in discovery. Shelley’s use of sci...
In the world today there is a drive to evolve and improve life through science and its findings. When looking at the good of a society, the people have to decide when the line between right and wrong is drawn. In the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, she proves that the possession of knowledge can lead to destructive forces through Victor Frankenstein’s monster’s journey. The events that lead to Victor’s monster’s destructive path is when he comes into contact with the cottagers, he murders Victor’s brother, and runs away after destroying Victor’s life.
In Shelley's Frankenstein, it's interesting to use the text to ask the question, whose interest's lie at the heart of science? Why is Victor Frankenstein motivated to plunge the questions that bringing life to inanimate matter can bring? Victor Frankenstein's life was destroyed because of an obsession with the power to create life where none had been before. The monster he created could be seen as a representation of all those who are wronged in the selfish name of science. We can use Shelley's book to draw parallels in our modern society, and show that there is a danger in the impersonal relationship that science creates between the scientist and his work. It seems to me that Shelley was saying that when science is done merely on the basis of discovery without thought to the affect that the experimentation can have, we risk endangering everything we hold dear.
Journalist and English Teacher, Chris Bond, in his essay, “Frankenstein: Is it really about the dangers of science,” addresses the topic of conflicts within the novel, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, and argues that science has little significance in the book in comparison to environmental factors such as female absence and ostracism. Bond supports his claim by using direct quotes from the novel to back up his reasoning and convey his message to his audience. The author’s overall purpose is to share his thoughts and perspective on the story in order to give readers a greater understanding of the piece. Bond utilizes a formal tone in order to appeal to an educated audience.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus, explores the monstrous and destructive affects of obsession, guilt, fate, and man’s attempt to control nature. Victor Frankenstein, the novel’s protagonist and antihero, attempts to transcend the barriers of scientific knowledge and application in creating a life. His determination in bringing to life a dead body consequently renders him ill, both mentally and physically. His endeavors alone consume all his time and effort until he becomes fixated on his success. The reason for his success is perhaps to be considered the greatest scientist ever known, but in his obsessive toil, he loses sight of the ethical motivation of science. His production would ultimately grieve him throughout his life, and the consequences of his undertaking would prove disastrous and deadly. Frankenstein illustrates the creation of a monster both literally and figuratively, and sheds light on the dangers of man’s desire to play God.
Victor Frankenstein, blinded by pride, remained unaware of how his experiment would affect not only him, but the world around him as he formed his new discovery. His secret to creating life only caused more life to be lost. Because of Victor’s reckless behavior, he caused the depressed and lonely world around his own creation, one who, in the end, Victor did not want to take responsibility for making, no matter how remarkable. The Creation, a being of unfortunate circumstance, exemplifies how knowledge has dangerous and everlasting effects if not used safely or for good intentions. Unfortunately, The Creation leaves his own damage behind as well, again showing how knowledge is harmful, by killing Elizabeth, Victor’s wife, Henry Clerval, his dearest friend, and other members a part of Victor’s family and friends. This demonstrates how knowledge, if not used wisely, can lead to death and suffering. The power of knowledge, in Mary Shelley’s writing, is a gift bestowed on those who can handle the power responsibly, as opposed to using it for selfish boasting. In contrast, she uses these two characters to show the importance of being knowledgeable in both science and responsibility and the unforgivable mutilation that comes if you fail to overcome
The book shows Victor Frankenstein’s desire to become a great scientist leading into disasters. She warns readers they must not get so caught up in science, for they may forget their own responsibilities. First, Victor’s lack of interest in the monster, proved the effect on his morals. Second, his priority in health was also shown while making progress on his creation where he said, “My limbs now tremble, and my eyes swim with the remembrance; but then a resistless and almost frantic impulse urged me forward; I seemed to have lost all soul or sensation but for this one pursuit.” Lastly, in the greed of becoming a famous scientist, Victor had also left his family. This can be proved, as Victor had left his family a few weeks after his mother’s death. That is how the scientific revolution is represented in Frankenstein by Mary
In today’s world of genetically engineered hearts and genetically altered glowing rats, the story of Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, seems as if it could be seen in the newspapers in our near future. The discoveries seen in modern science, as well as in the novel, often have controversy and negative consequences that follow them, the biggest of which being the responsibility the creator of life has to what has been created. Victor Frankenstein suffers from a variety of internal and external conflicts stemming from the creation of his monster, which in return also experiences similar problems. Shelley uses these tumultuous issues to portray the discrepancies between right and wrong, particularly through romanticism and the knowledge of science.
With the advancement of technology and science, we are now able to genetically modify animals. Mary Shelley found a way to make science an epitome, and confirms what could happen if science is taken too far. In conclusion, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is considered to be a historical novel, based on scientific advancements. In this novel Shelley depicts her own definition of human nature, by showing the creature and the ways that humans react to him. The novel also showed the differences between morality and science.
Butler, Marilyn. "Frankenstein and Radical Science." Reprinted in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Norton Critical Edition. 1993; New York: W. W. Norton, 1996. 302-313.
The Novel Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, is about a guy named Victor who grew up in Geneva, Switzerland. Victor has always loved science growing up and wanted to study and learn more about it. He pursued his dreams in science at The University of Ingolstadt in Germany. In this novel, you will see the curiosity victor has for science in many different ways. The author shows a recurrent theme of obsession. Obsession is shown throughout knowledge, revenge, and fear. Victor is obsessed with the creation of life and the knowledge of science and how to create it. Victor also becomes obsessed with getting revenge against his creature. Finally, he becomes obsessed over the power of science and the fear that comes along with it.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a nineteenth century literary work that delves into the world of science and the plausible outcomes of morally insensitive technological research. Although the novel brings to the forefront several issues about knowledge and sublime nature, the novel mostly explores the psychological and physical journey of two complex characters. While each character exhibits several interesting traits that range from passive and contemplative to rash and impulsive, their most attractive quality is their monstrosity. Their monstrosities, however, differ in the way each of the character’s act and respond to their environment. Throughout Frankenstein, one assumes that Frankenstein’s creation is the true monster. While the creation’s actions are indeed monstrous, one must also realize that his creator, Victor Frankenstein is also a villain. His inconsiderate and selfish acts as well as his passion for science result in the death of his friend and family members and ultimately in his own demise.
Frankenstein becomes preoccupied with natural philosophy, enthralled by the fact that “in a scientific pursuit there is continual food for discovery and wonder” whereas in the past he has felt his ambition quelled by outside forces (Shelley 29). As a result, Victor “improved so rapidly that at the end of two years [he] made some discoveries in the improvement of some chemical instruments, which procured [him] great esteem and admiration at the university” (30). Not only does this mark Victor’s first relationship with his instruments of creation, but it also kindles the spark of glory he craves, beckoning him to continue down the path of creating his own