Science, a field that involves various subjects including math, biology, chemistry etc, is one of those most influential aspects of human history. Merriam-webster dictionary defines it as: “such knowledge or such a system of knowledge concerned with the physical world and its phenomena: Nature Science” (“Science”, Merriam-webster Dictionary). What it studies is alway related to our nature, ourselves. It is a field that requires sophisticated knowledge and skill, as well as long-term devotement. Hence, whenever there is major breakthrough, it possibly can change the entire course of mankind. Take steam engine as an example, it took James Watt decades to study the prototype of the original steam engine and then successfully modified it for commercial use. Such tremendous breakthrough in mechanical science became the key to the first Industrial Revolution, and a page-turn to a new chapter of human history. However, such scientific innovations always have to take another aspect of mankind into consideration—the moral question: whether one invention is against human nature and the principle of our physical world or not. It is a crucial concern because as long as an invention is abnormal to what we believe in, or works in an opposite way contradicting our nature, it might have a disastrous consequence. In Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein and Robert Louis Stevenson’s Strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, both authors have expressed their opinions on such concern. In their novels, they present two different stories about two scientists and their unordinary creations, and the aftermaths of such inventions, both to themselves and to the society. In my point of view, I argue that with the use of first person point of view, detail description on ...
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...rom them; vivid descriptions of the monsters demonstrate what terrible results such studies can create; and the side characters and social background makes the readers more convinced such studies are unacceptable. The same message from these two novel needs to be remembered, even nowadays. Only when the boundary and limit of human nature are not broken, can science benefit mankind.
Works Cited
Bright, Wilson, E. An Introduction to Scientific Research. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1952. 8. Print.
Schwartz, Barry, and Hugh Lacey. Behaviorism, Science, and Human Nature. 1st. New york: Norton, 1982. 7. Print.
"Science." Def. 3b. Merriam Webster Online, Merriam Webster, n.d. Web. 16 Mar 2014.
Struzziero, Maria Antonietta, ed. "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: Themes." Dualism & Dualities . N.p.. Web. 16 Mar 2014. .
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.
Stevenson focuses on two different characters Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but in reality these are not separate men, they are two different aspects of one man’s reality. In the story, Dr. Je...
Deadly and helpful, science is a dual-edged sword. Nathaniel Hawthorne is one of the first to emphasize this through his literary works. “Rappaccini's Daughter” and “The Birthmark” are two of his works where he teaches this lesson through the trials of his characters. Focusing on the motif of the “mad scientist”, Hawthorne brings to light the points that people struggle with humanity, learning to love themselves and others, and that science can be more harmful then helpful.
Science is a broad field that covers many aspects of everyday life and existence. Some areas of science include the study of the universe, the environment, dinosaurs, animals, and insects. Another popular science is the study of people and how they function. In Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Dr. Victor Frankenstein is an inspiring scientist who studies the dead. He wants to be the first person to give life to a dead human being. He spends all of his time concentrating on this goal, and gives up his family and friends. When he finally accomplishes this, everything falls apart. So, Victor Frankenstein is to blame for the tragedy, not the monster he has created, because he is the mastermind behind the whole operation, and he is supposed to have everything under control, working properly as a good scientist should do.
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.
In conclusion, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, represents many themes of duality in human nature. This is represented by the characters of Henry Jekyll, Edward Hyde, Hastie Lanyon, and John Utterson. Some themes represented are the duality in conforming to societal conventions, curiosity, and temptation. Stevenson utilizes significant events including the deaths of Lanyon and Jekyll, and the transformations of Jekyll into Hyde to prove “that man is not truly one, but two” (125)
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.
Since a boy, Frankenstein’s passion is to explore science and that which cannot be seen or understood in the field. He spent the later part of his childhood reading the works of commonly outdated scientists whose lofty goals included fantastic, imaginative desires to “penetrate the secrets of nature” (Vol. 1, Ch. 2). While he was told that these authors predated more real and practical scientists, he became intrigued by their ambitions, and devoted himself to succeeding where they had failed. When Victor is criticized at college for his previous studies in obsolete research, he takes after one of his professors, M. Waldman, in studying chemistry. In a lecture, Waldman tells of ancient teachers in chemistry who promised miracles and sought after “unlimited powers” (Vol. 1...
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are two horrific tales of science gone terribly wrong. Shelley?s novel eloquently tells the story of a scientist, Victor Frankenstein, who creates a living monster out of decomposed body parts, while Stevenson?s novel describes the account of one, Henry Jekyll, who creates a potion to bring out the pure evil side to himself. Although the two scientists differ in their initial response and action to their creations, there are strong similarities between their raging curiosity to surpass human limitation, as well as their lack of responsibility concerning their actions. These similarities raise an awareness of human limitation in the realm of science: the further the two scientists go in their experiments, the more trouble and pain they cause to themselves and to others.
The story of Frankenstein written by Mary Shelley is revered as one of the greatest novels to be formulated. It takes the point of view of a scientist named ‘Victor Frankenstein’ who is fuelled by an insatiable thirst of expanding his knowledge. His interests draw to that of being able to give things life where he takes the seat of god feeling that he has the power to do all he envisions, which in the end destroys him. Almost 150 years later the book Flowers for Algernon written by Daniel Keyes and published in 1959, manages to recreate the conflict between science and ethics and the implications of ungoverned scientific experimentation. The book observes a young man named Charlie who has a mental disorder, he continuously seeks to “become smart” and is attending a special school to achieve his goal. While visiting this school he is
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 reacted to him. The novel also showed the differences between morality and science. The differences of science from when Shelley wrote the novel until today, including the foreshadowing of what would happen if we use science for the worse.
Butler, Marilyn. "Frankenstein and Radical Science." Reprinted in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Norton Critical Edition. 1993; New York: W. W. Norton, 1996. 302-313.
Robert, Stevenson L. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. New York: Dover Publications, 2013. Print.
Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel ‘The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ was deeply influenced by his family and social background. Stevenson was born in a family with a history of doctors, lawyers and other standard occupations. He was taught wrong from right from a very young age by his nanny who was a very faithful Christian. Therefore, he received a good education in his childhood. These well-educated experiences restricted his behavior and forced him to perform formally which is similar to Dr. Jekyll delineated in his novel. Another influencing factor is Darwin’s theory of evolution. ‘The origin of species’ was published in 1859 in which Darwin stated that men are descended from apes. This made Stevenson believe that we all have human nature within our physical body and it has rationality that cannot be strangled. Another factor which have significant influence on Stevenson’s portrayal of the duality of man was Sigmund Freud’s psychological theory. According to Freud, everyon...
Science is the knowledge gained by a systematic study, knowledge which then becomes facts or principles. In the systematic study; the first step is observation, the second step hypothesis, the third step experimentation to test the hypothesis, and lastly the conclusion whether or not the hypothesis holds true. These steps have been ingrained into every student of science, as the basic pathway to scientific discovery. This pathway holds not decision as to good or evil intention of the experiment. Though, there are always repercussions of scientific experiments. They range from the most simplistic realizations of the difference between acid and water to the principle that Earth is not the center of the Universe. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein depicts this very difference in the story of Victor Frankenstein. A scientist who through performing his experiments creates a monster which wreaks havoc upon humanity. Frankenstein concentrating wholly upon discovery ignores the consequences of his actions.