Evolution By Natural Selection In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

The concept of man creating life is a subject matter people don’t really take into account. Have you ever contemplated how the world would be like if one day, a curious soul decided to create life? Would people of future generations possess and comprehend religious beliefs when they discover that human beings have the ability of creating life? Would the science of life be altered eternally? The novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley truly depicts the significance of this topic. In this novel, the author tells a story in which an inquisitive, eager man decides to create a living creature. This creature forms a mind of it’s own; a mind capable of much more than that of a human’s. Surprisingly, this creature finds a way, on his own, to absorb knowledge

John Dalton devised the atomic theory, thus changing the concept and perspective of organisms. Because of his theory, we now know that all matter is made of atoms. Charles Darwin conceived the theory of evolution by natural selection. Because of this theory, many people believe that all life is linked and has descended from a common ancestor and that natural selection acts as a preservation in order to enable a species to compete better in the wild. These two theories affected religious beliefs to a point it caused a number of people to dispute holding a religious perspective and confide in science. People started believing that men evolved according to their ancestors and that God did not create man from the image his mind possessed. – This is exactly what Shelley is implementing in the novel. She distinctly portrays this exact situation. In the novel, the character, Victor, tests God’s ability by creating life. Most religious beliefs comprise the act of believing that God, and only God, can create life. Shelley casts doubt upon this belief by telling a story other wise. In Deuteronomy 4:35 of the bible, it is stated that “there is none else beside him (God).” This is a substantial statement in the religious belief system and Shelley clearly disproves and casts doubt upon it by creating a character that is capable of God’s powers; that is creating