Frankenstein/ Blade Runner Essay

Ridley Scott’s film Blade Runner reflects some of the key themes seen in Mary Shelley’s classic novel Frankenstein. For one, both the sources touch on the necessity of creators taking responsibility for their creations. Another key theme established in both works is the idea that emotional complexity and knowledge, over memory and appearance, allow people to be defined as human beings.

Archetypal Characters inside Frankenstein The novel “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley involves the complex issues with the creation of life through an inanimate life. Shelley uses these character archetypes to develop a deeper meaning of the characters intentions. Shelley does an excellent job at allowing the reader to have a peak

Frankenstein and Blade Runner both explore ideas that are universally alike, however are impacted by their form, context and values. The texts explore similar ideas about man’s place in nature and progression of society, but do so within the conventions and context of their creation. Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’ and Ridley Scott’s ‘Blade Runner’ both draw ideas from their rapidly changing periods to contextually explore and analyse mankind’s thirst for forbidden knowledge which destroys one’s morality. With the progress of man, many aspire to achieve power, and morality is devalued.

As a young child Victor Frankenstein was loved unconditionally by his parents. They adored him and provided him opportunities and stability to develop into a well-rounded person. Victor becomes a scientist and is intelligent and loves research. As he develops, Victor became obsessed with creating life. He accumulates body parts for the local cemetery and begins to put together his monster. He is confident that he can be like God and has the skills to create life. Victor eventually creates a monster, and he comes to life. However, Victor is horrified by his monster, because of the way it looks. Instead of relishing in the joy of his accomplishment he runs away from it. The monster is left alone to fend for itself and doesn’t have the right skills to take care of his basic needs. He cannot speak, he cannot read and he doesn’t have anyone to teach him basic fundamental human skills. The monster escapes to the woods, afraid and alone, not sure where he is going or what he is going to do. Nearby is a village full of people and he sets forward to observe them. At first, he tries to be visible and friendly, but people turn from him in fright and run away. The monster is hurt and because he cannot make physical contact with anyone he decides to observe people secretly. During his observation, he watches human interaction and studies what is socially acceptable and what is not..

Shelley’s Romantic novel Frankenstein (1818) compares and reflects values of humanity and the consequences of our Promethean ambition against the futuristic, industrialized world of Blade Runner (1992) by Ridley Scott. The notions of unbridled scientific advancement and technological progress resonate with our desire to elevate humanity’s state of being, mirrored amongst the destructive ambition to overtake and disrupt nature and its processes. The disastrous implications of overreaching the boundary between progressive and destructive power and knowledge are heeded through the ultimate and inevitable loss of self and identity, transforming humanity into a form of monstrosity.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner, whilst separated by 174 years, feature very similar content which can be seen by comparing the two side by side. Coming from different contexts, they both express their anxieties about technology, which is shown through a man made creature, and they both exhibit a strong valuing of nature. However due to their different contexts, these ideas are represented differently. The medium of production is clearly different, as is the representation of the creature and whether or not they are able to assimilate into society. In both texts the responder

Despite different contexts, both Shelley’s Frankenstein and Scott’s Blade Runner enthrall the audience in a journey to explore the inner psyche through the various perspectives that are drawn.

Bound by different contexts, authors often use a popular medium in order to depict the discontent of the ideas of society. This is evident in the module Texts in Time; as Blade Runner, having been written more than one hundred years after Frankenstein is still able to reflect the ideas proposed in the latter. Blade Runner by Ridley Scott deals with the effects of globalisation and consumerism during 1980’s. Alternatively, the epistolary novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley deals with the kinship to the natural world set in the Romantic Era and enlightenment period. However Blade Runner, although subjected by a different context, also portrays a similar idea to Frankenstein; the fear of science and technology coupled with the value of the definition of a human. Through this commonality, we are able to utilise the values of Blade Runner in order to truly understand Shelley’s purpose.

Similarities between Frankenstein and Bladerunner Many similarities can be found between Mary Shelley's 1816 novel, Frankenstein and the 1982 movie Bladerunner . The number of similarities between these two works, created more than two hundred years apart, is staggering. A cursory look at both works reveals these similarities:

In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley shows a variety of themes that concern creation of humanity, family, the sublime. Shelley presents these themes through characters, and the actions and emotions experienced in particular situations. With these themes in Frankenstein, there are similar relationships that are in Scott Ridley’s Blade Runner.

Many years after its release, Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner has become one of the most analyzed and debated science fiction films ever produced. The film was a failure during its initial release in 1982, the reviews were negative and it wasn’t even close to being a box office hit; however, after the director’s cut release in 1992 Blade Runner had a rebirth and it became a highly respected science fiction film. Ridley Scott’s inspiration to produce Blade Runner came from Philip K. Dick’s 1969 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Although the screen writers for Blade Runner mostly just took the main character from Dick’s novel, they added certain key topics that kept a relationship between the two. At the film’s premier

Several fields have studied the relationship between creator and creation. The most significant aspect of this research considers the difference between nature and nurture. Sociologists, psychologists, scientists, and other professionals have tried to pin down the exact distinctions between these two types of upbringings. In literature, the same questions have been asked and studied using fictional characters, most famously in John Milton’s Paradise Lost, in 1667, and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, in 1818. The complexity of the characters in these texts creates the theme of nature versus nurture before they diverge and arrive at differing conclusions.

In “The Open Boat,” Stephen Crane demonstrates nature as a destructive symbolic element that describes an objective correlative aspect. There are specific events and characteristics which expresses emotions in the form of artistic revelation. For example, the mysterious experiences of nature as a character creates a persuasive impression. Stephen Crane illustrates descriptive phenomena as an exceptional delicacy: “The manner of her scramble over these walls of water is a mystic thing, and moreover, at the top of them were ordinarily these problems in white water, the foam racing down from the summit of each wave, requiring a new leap, and a leap from the air” (585). The beauty of nature compares a personality with a belief of faith in the human

The youth finds peace with Nature away from war. After running into the forest from the clamor of battle, he soon comes to an empty field. The solider could tell that “This landscape gave him assurance. A fair field holding life. It was the religion of peace. It would die if its timid eyes were compelled to see blood. He conceived Nature to be a woman with a deep aversion to tragedy.” Here, Nature is described as a sensitive woman who dislikes the horrors of war, just like he loathes it. The youth feels comforted by this fact accordingly, and takes some time to evaluate his actions. But this encounter with the omniscient Crane is far

Frankenstein In the novel ‘Frankenstein’ Mary Shelley Portrays a Monster. The view of the monster is hideous. In the beginning he was childlike, kind and helpful but with the time he gains knowledge he becomes miserable. Mary Shelley writes about the monster to express her views about knowledge and the changes it can bring. In the 19th century with the industrial revolution there were negative effects. At the time there was a lot of development in Science and technology causing people unsettled. The people died because diseases spread. When people felt unsettled they wanted to know why are these changes happening so, they turned towards religion or the supernatural. That’s why stories about supernatural became popular. When he was cold, when he felt lonely and when he was hungry there was no one to guide