...The Cost of Playing God in Frankenstein In today’s age, advances of in the fields of science, technology, and medicine are being made every day. From the invention of the computer to stem cell research, the human race is becoming more and more aware of ways in which it can improve its way of life and make living easier. As a species, the goal is to move forward, to keep making discoveries. However, this is the same drive that prompted a young Victor Frankenstein to attempt to create life in Mary Shelley’s novel with disastrous results. Shelley’s novel was more than likely not meant as encouragement to any would be scientists of her time. Rather, Shelley’s novel explores the dangers that come with extreme ambition and the act playing God while...
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...Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; or Modern Prometheus, is a daring tale of the creation of life gone wrong, inspired by the many alchemists and scientists of the time. From a young age, Shelley was exposed to the concept of social engineering and social and moral issues. When she married Percy Shelley, he brought about the ideas of man playing God. A man with a deep interest in chemical experiments, he exposed Mary the whelm of chemical experimentation and natural philosophy. Many will agree that Shelley’s novel was influenced heavily by four prominent European scientists: Luigi Galvani, Giovanni Aldini, and Johann Konrad Dippel. Electricity at this time was a new concept, only explored previously by Albert Einstein. Electricity had compelled the minds of many scientists,...
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...Alicia Bozzuto Period 6 Frankenstein Textpert Project: In Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, has captured the attention of millions of readers over the centuries. There are many questions one must ask in order understand the full purpose and intention of Frankenstein; can someone devaluate life so easily? What is the meaning of life? Can science really go too far? The outcomes of technology and science, even God for that matter, both positive and negative, can drastically affect the outcome of a creation. In Frankenstein, Victor realizes that triumphing science, the forces of nature and the mocking of God can, just as quickly, back fire. Victor Frankenstein, even as a young boy, was fascinated with the way things work and why they happened. In order to fulfill his quest social standings, he becomes obsessed with an idea that no one had ever thought or attempted before; creating a “perfect being”. With this idea, possibly mad idea, he did construct a being but certainly not “perfect” in his eyes. Victor shows as the devaluation of life and the society that demands for perfection by the creation of the monster. “Victor’s characteristics of selfishness, pride, dishonesty, and lack of value for life are presented.” (Lundsford) In his creation of life, something so incredible, once thought impossible, had finally come to a reality, but it was still not perfect enough for him. Frankenstein was unable to cope with his status as a creator; the thought of his creation haunted him...
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...Frankenstein as a Gothic Novel Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein is considered as a Gothic novel but it can be seen as a compilation of both Gothic and Romantic because of the significance of the sublime. Certain events and settings in the novel present the gothic themes. Shelley uses the different themes in her novel to evoke feelings of horror and terror in the reader. Frankenstein engages in a quest in pushing the realms of science to their limits which leads him to playing god and creating an unnatural being using science. One of the themes Shelley uses in the novel to create the gothic presence is the theme of Forbidden Knowledge. Mary Shelley introduces the ideas that science is capable of being very dangerous and has consequences through the character of Victor Frankenstein. Shelley’s time was described as the age of unprecedented scientific discoveries, which influenced her in writing of Frankenstein. The process of the creation of his creation was influenced by the Italian physician Luigi Galvani who discovered “animal electricity” which manifests with the twitching of nerves and muscles when an electric current is applied. Frankenstein seeks to find “the secrets of heaven and earth” to fulfil his quest. He calls them secrets; he is aware they are not to be known and should not be found. Frankenstein knows that acquiring such knowledge would not be easy as he states “how dangerous the acquirement of knowledge”. Frankenstein is aware of the uneasy task of seeking...
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...Warning: Beware of Creature On this, the night before Halloween, there are no more appropriate novels than Frankenstein to read. Although Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s original intent was simply to participate in a horror story contest with her friends (which she rightfully won), she ended up crafting a well-known, full-length masterpiece. Frankenstein is famous not only for being spooky, but also for its commentary on the themes of dangers of knowledge and hubris, and monstrosity via playing God and losing innocence. “‘I imagine you may deduce an apt moral from my tale...nor can I doubt but that my tale conveys in its series internal evidence of the truth of the events of which it is composed’” (19). Through Frankenstein’s voice Shelley describes the greatest moral she has to offer from the suffering depicted in her story: the dangers of discovery and knowledge, which is that sometimes, however well-meant and innocent the intent may be, the expected result of scientific pursuits can turn out completely different than expected. Shelley’s prime example of this is the Creature and all the destruction he brings in his wake. So much has been done, exclaimed the soul of Frankenstein -- more, far more, will I achieve; treading in the steps already marked, I will pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation (33). This is the epiphany that leads to the creation of the Creature, undoubtedly a somewhat naive and enthusiastic motivation...
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...Romanticism Unshackled: a Study of the Modern Prometheus The most remarkable aspect about Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is the ability to label the novel in so many different ways amongst many genres, ranging from science fiction, to fantasy, to horror, and have all of them be correct. At such a young age, Mary Shelley constructed a narrative so revolutionary, intricate, and involved that it is still pertinent to be written about in college essays almost 200 years after it was written. As the author, Shelley is often attributed with vast creative intellect, and rightly so, as is evidenced while reading through her novel. It is imperative to recognize, however, just how much influence her colleagues—the Romantic poets—had on the ideas that became manifested in her writing. Frankenstein should bear the title of Romantic literature because the novel embodies trademark Romantic ideas, situations, and characteristics throughout the text. In an attempt to categorize any novel as Romantic, however, one must first attempt to identify what, exactly, makes a work Romantic. A group of poets, including the likes of William Blake, Samuel Coleridge, William Wordsworth, John Keats, Lord Byron and—Mary’s husband—Percy Shelley, who are commonly credited as being the ground-breaking authors of the Romantic movement (Ferguson). A prime example of this method of poetry was introduced in the 1798 collection, Lyrical Ballads. This work, written by Wordsworth and Coleridge, is a compilation...
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...Elvis Dizdarevic Interpretation of Lit 11/17/2011 Frankenstein: The Pursuit of Dangerous Knowledge By: Elvis Dizdarevic Aristotle once said, “All men by nature desire knowledge” and I tend to agree with him. Every human being strives to be more knowledgeable. It is something we all want. In society, it puts people above one another and gives a certain power to the ones who are intelligent. It is revered to be only a good thing to have and to seek but in some situations pursuing more knowledge is, in fact, dangerous. In Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, two main characters have this obsessive pursuit of knowledge; Robert Walton and Victor Frankenstein. Walton, an Englishman, is on a quest to be the first to reach the North Pole. His story is the frame for Frankenstein and the monster’s stories. He is a determined man who wants to possess a knowledge that no one else has. Walton desires to explore uncharted lands and to discover new particulars unbeknownst to the average man. Victor Frankenstein parallels Walton in his obsessive pursuit of knowledge. Most would say Frankenstein is even more obsessive. Frankenstein is a man who is purely driven to learn more. While attending the University of Ingolstadt, Frankenstein learns all that his professors have to teach him. After mastering the sciences he becomes fascinated with life and its creation. So much that he neglects his family and stays in his apartment for months at a time to research. He believes that there is...
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...Allusions in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein Throughout the novel, Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelley, allusions to famous pieces to literature, including parts of mythology and the Bible, are often used to foreshadow events from another story to Frankenstein, and to connect stories for better understanding to what the point of the particular part of the book is. Pieces of literature including Prometheus, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, the Inferno, the Bible and Paradise Lost are often referred to throughout the book, especially Prometheus, the sub title of the book is The Modern Prometheus, Shelley is obviously alluding to the myth of Prometheus. Shelley would have never put the subtitle of the book as The Modern Prometheus if she didn’t want her audience to consider it while reading Frankenstein. In the myth Prometheus, Prometheus created man out of clay, as well stole fire from the sun, and gave to man. The actions of Prometheus made Zeus very angry, and he was condemned for his said actions, his punishment was to be bound to a rock for eternity while an eagle pecked at his liver. In Frankenstein, no one was condemned to have their liver pecked at, but Frankenstein was condemned by having his whole family murdered by the monster. He wanted to play God, and create something, and just like in Prometheus, a new creation was made, and because someone else wanted to play God, they were punished. On page 45, Shelley clearly alludes to Prometheus with the creation of man by clay...
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...In Mary Shelley’s classic horror story Frankenstein, Dr. Victor Frankenstein makes a scientific leap forward in his creation of the monster. He conducts this risky experiment in secrecy without referring to others, and with no contemplation of the possible penalties. Dr. Frankenstein creates the monster simply because he has the ability to do so. This turns out to be a blunder for him since his creation goes on a merciless killing binge over the progression of the next few years. There have been many debates over some of the improvements that have been made in the medical field. For example, stem cell research: Some say that with stem cell research, cures to many infections and ailments can be discovered. This can be done by using the stem cell and observing it in scientific ways. Contradictory opinions of that say that it is corrupt and immoral for researchers to do that because it is like murdering what would become a baby/ human being. Similar disputes occur within readers of this novel....
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...science. In fact, those of the Romantic Period actually had a valid point. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Victor attempts to regenerate a human back to life by using science; however, his ill-planned idea came back to haunt him for eternity. We find ourselves on the precipice of a scientific breakthrough. Mankind is now using genetic engineering, stem cell research and even cloning to play God in today’s society. Genetic engineering refers to the...
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...Texts in Time Texts embody paradigms corresponding to their social, economic and historical contexts. The capacity of thematic concepts to transcend time is manifest within Mary Shelley’s 19th century gothic novel Frankenstein (1818) and Ridley Scott’s science fiction film Blade Runner (1992) as both pose similar existentialist discourses regarding the fate of humanity. As a Romanticist, Shelley condemns humanity’s intrusive assumption as creator. Similarly, Scott responds to Shelley warning by also spurning man’s ruthless ambition. However, the film’s 20th century context of capitalist greed and mass industrialisation shifts the criticism onto the pursuit of commercial dominance. Both texts employ techniques such as allusions and characterisation to depict similar dystopian visions ensuing from man’s dereliction of nature. Composed during the Industrial Revolution and radical scientific experimentation, Shelley typifies the Romantic Movement as she forebodes her enlightened society of playing God. Her warning permeates through the character of Victor, whose self-aggrandising diction “many excellent natures would owe their being to me” represents a society engrossed with reanimation. Shelley moreover questions the morality her microcosm’s pursuit of omnipotence through Victor’s retrospection “lost all soul or sensation but for this one pursuit”, as the juxtaposition of “all” and “one” emphasises Victor’s cavernous obsession to conquer death; akin to scientists of her time...
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...In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein and the Creature take on the roles of God, and Satan at different occasions. Victor is often accused of attempting to assume the role of God, due to his multiple scientific endeavours as well as his relationship with the Creature. Despite this, one may suppose that Victor is not committing these acts with that goal specifically in mind, rather it becomes the consequence of his nature, when given excessive power. He is not a actively pursuing a goal of achieving godlike power, yet his actions would imply so. Victor’s actions could even be viewed as those of one who is actually Satan, spiting the powers of God. One could argue that Victor’s thirst for knowledge, and his desire for power through knowledge, is displayed at a relatively young age. After the death of his beloved mother his quest only intensifies, maybe due to an unconscious desire to reanimate the dead, rather than create life out of nothing. This increasing perseverance, which never once seems to falter until the actual reanimation of the Creature, is key to Victor’s character. However, this extreme tenacity also translates to stubbornness when coupled with naivety and impulsiveness. Victor never ponders the consequences of his own behaviour,...
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...Texts in Time Texts embody paradigms corresponding to their social, economic and historical contexts. The capacity of thematic concepts to transcend time is manifest within Mary Shelley’s 19th century gothic novel Frankenstein (1818) and Ridley Scott’s science fiction film Blade Runner (1992) as both pose similar existentialist discourses regarding the fate of humanity. As a Romanticist, Shelley condemns humanity’s intrusive assumption as creator. Similarly, Scott responds to Shelley warning by also spurning man’s ruthless ambition. However, the film’s 20th century context of capitalist greed and mass industrialisation shifts the criticism onto the pursuit of commercial dominance. Both texts employ techniques such as allusions and characterisation to depict similar dystopian visions ensuing from man’s dereliction of nature. Composed during the Industrial Revolution and radical scientific experimentation, Shelley typifies the Romantic Movement as she forebodes her enlightened society of playing God. Her warning permeates through the character of Victor, whose self-aggrandising diction “many excellent natures would owe their being to me” represents a society engrossed with reanimation. Shelley moreover questions the morality her microcosm’s pursuit of omnipotence through Victor’s retrospection “lost all soul or sensation but for this one pursuit”, as the juxtaposition of “all” and “one” emphasises Victor’s cavernous obsession to conquer death; akin to scientists of her time...
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...century since, Fahrenheit 451 has emerged as a staple of high school and college syllabi and continues to chart best-seller lists. Both Simon & Schuster and Del Rey are releasing fiftieth anniversary editions this year. This past summer it was the number one best-selling science fiction/fantasy paperback in Barnes & Noble stores. While it is most often used as a way of talking about media and censorship, Fahrenheit 451 also represents a literary mode that seeks to prevent a certain future by describing it. This mode is often -- but not always -- dystopian. It is distinguished most by a moralistic and apocalyptic state of mind. Let's call it Cassandraism, after the daughter of Troy whose prophecies were not believed. Launched with Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Cassandraism remains the most socially acceptable branch on the family tree of science fiction, embracing such respectably literary figures as Aldous Huxley, George Orwell, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., and Margaret Atwood, who with her 1986 novel The Handmaid's Tale became its foremost contemporary practitioner. In Atwood's new novel Oryx and Crake, digital convergence and genetic engineering are combined and carried to their logical conclusion, a media-filtered apocalypse that the characters (and, one senses, the author) simultaneously yearn for and struggle against. Like the Bible's Book of Revelation, Oryx and Crake should be read not as a prediction of the future, but as a nightmare of the present. It stands in a tradition of novels...
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...Artificial Intelligence Vs Humanity: Why we should think about the threat of Artificial Intelligence? Artificial Intelligence is definitely a touchy subject for the human race. The very mention of the term conjures up images of apocalyptic societies where intelligent super-computers have either enslaved the human race or eradicated the inferior species altogether. For some, the connotation of "artificial intelligence" attacks the very core of the human spirit, the pride of our race. The very thought of an "intelligent" computer that is on par, or more likely superior, to our own brain sends chills down the spine. Are these concerns realistic? Or are they unfounded worries of people who don't understand the issue? Some proponents of artificial intelligence insist that such concerns are the result of semantic misunderstanding. By definition, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the area of computer science focusing on creating machines that can engage on behaviors that humans consider intelligent ("Artificial Intelligence”, Herzfeld Noreen). The ability to create intelligent machines has intrigued humans since ancient times and today with the advent of the computer and 50 years of research into AI programming techniques, the dream of smart machines is becoming a reality (Nonlinear Science and Complexity, M. Marques). Researchers are creating systems which can mimic human thought, understand speech, beat the best human chess player, and countless other feats never before possible...
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