Bacteria On The Brain By Emily Eakin

Shelley’s age saw the rise of Naturalism which normalized the discussion of sex and birth that had before been considered inappropriate. In Moers’ eyes, this is how Shelley was clever, talking about birth in an unnatural way. If so, the established status quo of the Naturalist movement had risen the bar and Mary Shelley could have possibly wanted to cause a comotion to get a new thought out there with the idea of the unnatural creation of life. In science, Sir Humphry Davy had released a book on biology that Shelley herself sought out to study, and studies concerning mesmerism, electricity, and galvanism were also beginning at this time. These all influenced Shelley as she designed the science of the creation of the Creature, to make it as scientifically correct if it was plausible as possible, relaying possible dangers of the current time.

Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelley, explores the theme of the pursuit of knowledge and scientific discovery through the main characters; Victor Frankenstein, the Creature and Robert Walton. This pursuit of knowledge drives the plot of the novel, leading Victor to create the Creature in his attempt to break down the mortal barriers that surround him and unlock the secret of life. Robert Walton’s quest for discovery leads him to the North Pole, far beyond the reach of Humans at that time. Ultimately Victor’s thirst for knowledge and scientific discovery did him more harm than good with Victor’s hatred of his creation driving him to death. Frankenstein’s message to the modern is age is simply put as “humans should not meddle in the business of the gods”. Mary Shelley’s is using Frankenstein and the actions of the characters in the novel to warn us that although we have the technology to for example, create a human being, some things are better left to nature. In our quest for knowledge we can do ourselves more harm than good. Through her novel Shelley tells us that on our path of scientific discovery there are some trails better left unexplored.

During M. Waldman’s lecture, Frankenstein says, “… I felt as if my soul were grappling with a palpable enemy; one by one the various keys were touched which formed the mechanism of my being; chord after chord was sounded, and soon my mind was filled with one thought, one conception, one purpose.” By using personification, imagery, and a metaphor, Shelley displays that Frankenstein has finally found the last note to the chord. Frankenstein, from Waldman, has now heard of the remarkable discoveries from the philosophers that he grew up admiring. This makes him engrossed in wanting to pursue chemistry because he now has validation that these philosophers were valuable to the advancement of science. The audience, through Shelley’s figurative language, can not only perceive a picture both visually and audibly, but they can also more easily understand Frankenstein’s thoughts and emotions.

In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Victor neglects his family as he buries himself into his research to create life. Victor’s raw ambition stems from a hubristic desire for omnipotence raging with a thirst for the elixir of life without any consideration of consequences. By choosing to throw himself into the wildest realms of science, Victor forfeits his limited time with his family, a time of immeasurable value. This in essence proves advancement’s paradoxical ungratifying nature; in Victor’s attempt to uncover the secrets of life, he strains family relationships, something of much greater value than the pittance of knowledge he acquired. Similarly, in the Rime of the Ancient Mariner, the Mariner shoots the albatross associating the bird with a lack of wind. Neglecting to appreciate and love all life around him, the mariner’s decision to whimsically kill the albatross demonstrates his overreaching his role as a human ideally loves all living beings. Such audacity bears great misfortune and death, punishing not only himself, but his entire crew who suffer horrible deaths; the nature of overreaching and stretching the limits of knowledge exacts unexpected

The critique of Victor’s carelessness mirrors the new technologies that humanity tries to innovate upon society. Shelley reflects on the demise in the progression of humanity because this will only further remove us from our compassion and identity [p. 266- Mary Shelley bio]. Thus, science in Shelley’s novel offers no hope, only death for both mankind

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein explores the concepts of knowledge and science and the dangers involved with the pursuit and investigation of these ideas. The novel conveys Shelley’s attitudes towards science by portraying it as having the capability to exceed the bounds of human restraint. Through the development of her protagonist Victor Frankenstein, the romantic and gothic aspects of her novel, the period of 1818 and the influences of the world she was living in that

Victor had an obligation to care for his creation, but chooses at first glance of his construction to abscond from its presence. The comparison of Victor as God-like highlights Enlightenment philosophers who have gone beyond the limits of humanity in order to attain knowledge. Victor is characterized then as a savant manipulating nature. The Creature acts as a balance for philosophers to stop and reflect upon their own enterprise and determine the fine line between acceptable and unacceptable knowledge as it pertains to nature. To this end, Shelley enforces that humanity must pay due respect to the limits placed in front of them by avoiding the Enlightenment philosophy that man is to find a definite definition for every phenomenon he encounters.

Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein cannot merely be read as a literary work of the early 19th century. It represents the workings of young Shelley's mind. Further, it represents the vast scientific discoveries of the time, combined with Mary Shelley's intuitive perception of science. She views science as a powerful entity, but also recognizes the dangers if uncontrolled. Shelley demonstrates this fear in the book as science drives Victor Frankenstein to create his monster. In the end, it is also his use of science that inevitably becomes his demise.

With austere, scientific accounting of human nature, Shelley documents how zealous Captain Walton rescued Victor Frankenstein, the passionate student of natural philosophy and impetuous, chance creator of life, from death in the remote regions of the North Pole. It is through Walton's journal entries that readers comprehend Frankenstein's

A professor of his by the name of M. Waldman presented Victor's interest in science and technology to him. He taught Victor that the modern philosophers and scientists were able to "penetrate into the recesses of nature, and show how she works in her hiding places. They have acquired new and almost unlimited powers; they can command the thunders of heaven"(929). The notion of penetrating nature was very romantic and would lead to the unleashing of Victor's technological side. From that point forward, "natural philosophy, and particularly chemistry, became nearly my sole occupation"(930). Victor was on his way. Shelley began to bring together romanticism and technology. Like Victor's, her actions were to be irreversible.

Victor Frankenstein, a complex character created by Mary Shelley, experienced a complete change in attitude and perspective on the scientific world as he knew it. Between the deaths of his close family and friends, to the constant fight for survival as his own creation stalked him, Victor was under straining circumstances that allowed for his evolution as a character. Pre monster, Victor had strong morals and close relationships with his family. His family was his priority. Victor’s dedication to science was always a constant nagging in the back of his mind, but it did not mean more to him than his family dead. During the formation of his creation, he began to block off his family, especially his fiancee, Elizabeth. His dedication to science was his only priority, above food and hygiene. He was driven by the creation of his monster. After creation, his family members were killed off, eliminating any type of relationship he had with them, he rejected all science and moral values.

Explore the ways in which Shelley presents the impact of scientific research in Volume One of Frankenstein Mary Shelley conveys the impact of scientific research as a dangerous concept; this comes from Shelley’s belief that scientific research is interfering with religion. The leading way in which she represents this idea is through Frankenstein’s monster; an example of scientific research causing misery and anguish upon the community. Leading up to the creation of Frankenstein’s monster; Victor Frankenstein talks of his family’s success; for example he states ‘my family is one of the most distinguished of that republic’ also ‘my father has filled several public situation with honour and reputation,’ foreshadowing how Frankenstein in the novel

This desire for scientific advancement which Shelley writes about must be similar to what motivates scientists even today. In the

Nature has a mostly positive effect on Victor, as he describes it as “happy”, “calm” and “lovely” (Shelley 7, 45, 92). Every time Victor comes into contact with natural phenomena such as the sun, the moon or a sea, it immediately takes him back to the past where he was a “happy creature” and had no worries (45). Already at a young age, Victor develops his passion for science when he witnesses a lightning. Fascinated by its power, he does his own experiments and even attends lectures of natural philosophy and other sciences such as mathematics and chemistry. Slowly, Victor realizes his interest in science and in the human life which lead him to the anatomy of the human body (31). This development of interest hints at the upcoming clash of science and nature. Victor’s improving abilities in scientific experiments make him believe in even severing the boundaries between life and death and thus connecting science and nature (33). When Victor is uncertain about the recreation of life, he again refers to the scientific abilities that have improved and offer a wide range of possibilities (33). This improvement of science goes back to the actual achievements in times of romanticism when people like Davy imposed significant ideas of natural philosophy and other scientific fields such as electrochemistry. (Cunningham & Jardine

In her novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley is trying to convey the message that science and technology can be dangerous in the wrong hands. She affirms this idea through the character of Victor, a cautionary tale, but dispels the idea that all pursuit of knowledge is bad through more traditionally romantic characters such as Henry Clerval. Shelley is complicit in her understanding that curiosity and experimentation are unbreakably tied to the human condition, and tries to warn the world of the evil that can come from this. However, the effects of the interpretation of this book can vary: it is an exemplary cautionary tale, and a much needed reminder of ethics in an increasingly technology-dependent world, but one could easily take these warnings too far and use her novel as a means to quell innovation or incite censorship. In a world of technology that would be unbelievable to Shelley, her work still remains relevant, notably in the field of genetic engineering. Frankenstein raises important questions about ethics, responsibility and censorship, and is applicable to modern technological issues such as genetic engineering.