Frankenstein: The Impact of God-like Sciences Stemming from Modern Technology

In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley, explores the concept of humanity through distinguishing it from that of a demonic nature. This is done through a constant doubling between her two superficially opposing characters throughout the novel. Through the thematic use of nature, knowledge, wretchedness, and vengeance, sometimes as direct comparisons other times as striking contrasts, Shelley blurs the lines between human and demon within her own characters.

Victor Frankenstein finds himself exploring the world of science where “it was the secret of heaven and earth… the outward substance of things or the inner spirits of nature and the mysterious soul of man” that attracted him (Shelley 18). Victor thirst for knowledge comes from his study of chemistry with a zeal for the antiquated world of alchemy. It was the alchemy books that convinces him to go beyond what the normal human limits can do, that is, the answer to life. Through the books he thrives on learning about natural science and looked upon the alchemists works and “took their word for all that they averred, and became their disciple” (Shelley 25). His readings direct him toward the study of forbidden knowledge which ultimately set him up for failure as he became addicted to create life to the point where he robbed graveyards for limbs and committing many unholy acts to create his monster. His unchecked ambition proves to have devastating consequences as his irresponsibility causes the death of those he loves most and he himself falls under the ascendancy of his own

His friend from home comes to surprise Victor but he ends up consoling him for months — he does not want to confront the horrors he has single handedly created. He is such a disaster that he cannot write his family, only putting them under more stress. Finally, after months go by Victor begins to regain his mind and consciousness. He receives a letter from his father stating that his child brother was murdered. This, of all things, is what finally pushes Victor to return home to his family. Once Victor has returned to his family he realizes what exactly he had done. Victor’s creation had made its way to his family’s home and had taken the life of his brother. Not only is has the life of this young child been stripped away but Justine, a family friend, has been accused of killing the poor boy. Justine had never done anything but love and care for the child as if he were her own. He claims Justine’s innocence but he does not come clean— he cannot. If Victor were to mention that of a monster he would be institutionalized and Justine would still be found guilty. Justine is put to death, the second being stripped of life at the his monster. Victor feels “a weight of despair pressed on [his] heart,” (Shelley 111). These murders are the fault of Frankenstein and the weight he feels is overwhelming guilt. Without the construction of a new life, of a monster, these lives would not be lost… still he manages to fond great comfort in

The monster asserts,” It was your journal of the four months that preceded my creation… I sickened as I read. ‘Hateful day when I received life!’... ‘Accused creator! Why did you form a monster so hideous that even you turned from me in disgust?” (Shelley 134). The monster discovers Victor’s hatred towards him, sending him into a revengeful attitude. The monster’s first experience of love comes from Victor creating him; although now that it is gone, the monster obtains no concept of love. His absence of love adds to his unethical and lethal terror on Victor and his family. Kim A. Woodbridge writes, “Even though the creature received a moral and intellectual education, the lack of nurturing and loving parent as well as companionship and acceptance from society led him to reject morality and instead destroy”. Victor’s gluttony causes the monster’s immoral turn to violence. Representing another deadly sin, Victor only provides for himself and puts his interest and well-being before the monster’s. In doing this, Victor not only angers the monster, but compels the monster to feel unloveable. The one person the monster wants love from the most deserts him, creating a destructive animal, ready to

“...Hateful day when I received life!' Accursed creator! Why did you form a monster so hideous that even you turned from me in disgust?.... Satan had his companions, fellow devils, to admire and encourage him, but I am solitary and abhorred” (Shelley 119). The monster after discovering that his own creator is horrified by his existence, continues to lose hope about his position in the world. He is left alone with no one to care for him or show him love. “I was dependent on none and related to none….My person was hideous and my stature gigantic... These questions continually recurred, but I was unable to solve them”(Shelley 117). The quote expands on the idea of how the monster has expanded his knowledge from listening and reading literature on his existence and his place int the world. “Sometimes I allowed my thoughts, unchecked by reason, to ramble in the fields of Paradise, and dared to fancy amiable and lovely creatures sympathizing with my feelings and cheering my gloom;...”(Shelley 118). This quote continues on the theme of how the monster is expanding knowledge and becoming much more intelligent and aware of his place on earth. It shows how his thoughts are directly focused and stemmed on a few pieces of literature. It shows that he may be narrow-minded and needs to broaden his horizons to other possibilities and pieces of

Victor Frankenstein travels to Ingolstadt to study. Once there, he was stuck to the sciences and especially for chemistry. He reads all the books he could come over and going at all lectures in the subject. In the end, one thing that interests him most and is the body's structure and origin of life's principles are based. He studies the anatomy and he gets very interested in death to thus get answers about the origins of life. After some time, he finds that he is inclined to give life to inanimate objects and decide to create your own creature from dead matter. This turns out to be not too successful. Frankenstein do not think through the consequences of his actions he may have and when the monster finally gets life and becomes Frankenstein

Frankenstein, written by author Mary Shelley, was a romantic based story written in Europe during the eighteen hundreds. During this time period, Europe was experiencing many social and economic changes. Many of these changes were a product of the industrial revolution of Europe. This time period can be defined and era of exploration, discovery and industrialization in which ideas were pushed to the limits. Victor’s creation of Frankenstein is a reflection of the industrial revolution and a scientific era in which the borders of the possible are pushed and society is forced to face a monster of their own.

Many are familiar with the well known novel and even better known movie Frankenstein. A young scientist reanimates the dead but abandons it immediately, terrified by his creation, who wouldn’t be. A hulking mass of ragged body parts, black stringy hair and dull sockets with yellowing eyes make up the creation that is the creature. This threads itself into the creator’s life, the creature following the scientist and wreaking havoc upon the man’s life. While most people would often run away from something so terrifying, there is more to Victor Frankenstein, the young scientist, and his tale of terror. Throughout the book, as he recounts his story, it is hard not to notice the fact that his actions cause much of the deaths, if not all of them.Victor’s

Victor Frankenstein was a regular scientist until he became obsessed and mentally ill. “This state of mind preyed upon my health… all sound of joy or complacency was torture to me; solitude was my only consolation-deep, dark, deathlike solitude” (Shelley 77). Mary Shelley created the character Victor, who devoted most of his time, research, and effort into creating a being which can hold life. Victor became successful, yet mentally scarred after the sight of his creature. This hurt Victor, but not as harshly as the creature's following actions. The creature goes on to kill members of Victor’s family and kill his closest and dearest friends. The creature’s actions cause Victor to suffer both mentally and physically. Victor then falls back

Victor Frankenstein’s passionate drive for education leads him to great suffering and evidently feeling as if life has lost its purpose. Victor’s life forever changes when he leaves his family in Geneva and embarks on a journey to the university of Ingolstadt, where he confronts the study of nature philosophy and falls in love with science. His obsession with reanimation foreshadows because from the very beginning Victor propelled his intelligence to a point at which people viewed him as crazy. Agony soon catches up with him after the creation of his monster. Victor believed that bringing this corpse to life would fill the hole in his heart that was spawned by the death of his mother.

Victor Frankenstein was a scientist that grew up in Geneva, Switzerland. He went to college in Germany where eventually he was able to achieve his goal to create life out of lifeless tissue. However, when he brought life to his creature it frightened him so he ran away. Victor’s creature was feared and hated by all. The creature was able to learn many things about life and how to speak, read, and write from observing a family through a hole in the side of their cottage.

Victor Frankenstein was a gifted scientist who could masters all his science studies within the first few years in the University of Ingolstadt at a very young age. However, he was so interested in outdated alchemist and fascinated by the secret of human life and death. Further, he became obsessed with his concept of creating life out of non-animated objects and started his experiment. Victor’s motive may seem to be innocent and noble, because he wants to discover the secret of life which have the potential to enhance the entire human race. However, it is evidenced in the book that Victor’s creation was the result of his arrogant and desire to become powerful being.

“Here we find nature to be the circumstance which[…] judges like a god all men that come to her.” is one of the first statements by Ralph Waldo Emerson in his essay “Nature”, referring to nature’s role in romanticism. Nature, as well as science, are one of the main topics depicted in writings of the romantic period. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein can be attached to these writings. Her novel implies many natural and scientific characteristics that approach throughout the novel and finally clash by Victor Frankenstein’s creation of the monster. The following essay states the importance of nature and science in Frankenstein and argues that Frankenstein’s monster is a personalization of the danger involved in connecting both nature and science.

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

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.