In Shelley's Frankenstein, it's interesting to see how Mary Shelley both admires and despises science. When writing the novel, Shelley makes a point to note that Victor's idea to create life through inanimate body parts is noble and the science behind the idea could become a great scientific leap for mankind. On the other hand, Mary Shelley makes the point that Victor Frankenstein's life fell into turmoil and destruction from his obsession to obtain the power to create life. Through the many experiments his obsession brought him, Victor Frankenstein was able to create life, a feat that no man had yet been able to achieve. However in his haste, Victor created a monster rather than a human. The monster created by Victor can be considered as …show more content…
Today in order to conduct scientific research a scientist must distance themselves from individuals while conducting there research. By doing so they release all liability if something goes wrong during an experiment. The purpose of distancing themselves from a test subject is mostly for legal purposes. However, a scientist distances themselves emotionally as well so that they can feel better about what they are doing in the event of a mistake. Scientists consistently tend to blindly pursue and test there knowledge without waiting for the research necessary to safely use said knowledge. In order to advance as a society it is important to seek after knowledge, but it is more important for people to know when to use the knowledge they have acquired. Shelley seemed to realize this and symbolized it in the novel. Shelley pointed all of the good things that could have came from Victor's scientific ambitions in Victor's mind but she also made it clear what Victor's intentions were. By doing so Shelley symbolized that science itself does not destroy our humanity but it is the choices we make while pursuing science that leads humanity into harmful and self-destructive habits or
Shelley exaggerates the consequences technology can bring when it is overused and how it can control someone’s life, possibly even ruining it. Victor Frankenstein masters the art of technology and uses it to his advantage to make a creature. However, technology ends up turning on him. He even says to Robert Walton “You seek knowledge and wisdom, as I once did; and I ardently hope that the gratification of your wishes may not be a serpent to sting you, as mine has been” (Shelley p.13), which shows how his technological creation and his over involvement in technology ruined his life. Once Victor saw the horror of the creature, he ran away, which enraged the creature and made him into a monster. He sought revenge for Victor from that point forward, killing his little brother and framing his family friend for it. This filled Victor with immense guilt because he felt responsible for creating the monster. The guilt pushed him away from his family life and left him alone. The monster then started killing off other people he loved like his best friend, Henry Clerval and his wife, Elizabeth, so Victor was also removed from his social life. He wasted the rest of his life hunting the monster while feeling more ill and depressed in his last
Victor Frankenstein was obsessed with science and anatomy, and the balance between life and death while he was a university student. Frankenstein claimed to create the monster to better mankind, but it is more likely he created him out of the desire to become more like a God. “. A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me; I might in process of time (although I now found it impossible) renew life where death had apparently devoted the body to corruption. (Shelley 54)” This is basically Victor explaining how he wants to cheat death and create a new race of species. Victor wants the creature to look at him as a God figure or as his ruler. The irony is that Victor never gives the creature a chance and that is the reason the monster did all the
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
Victor Frankenstein had the great idea of creating a human-like creature that ultimately became bigger, stronger, and meaner than everyone around. The process and steps took a lot longer than what Victor predicted. When the creature finally took his first breath, the two long years of anticipation finally relieved Victor of his stress. Victor stayed up numerous nights and missed so many meals stressing over this creature. He never gave up despite all the difficulties wanting to become the first ever bringing life to a creature. “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” (sparknotes). The creature was very hideous, gigantic, and didn’t look to friendly to humans. All the time and work Victor put into
Shelley values the dedication to expand the knowledge of humankind as well as life and the avoidance of death at all costs. She often references the sciences, and the idea of pushing science further, for example, when Victor creates life. He “had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body” (35) and succeeds. In doing so he attempts to expand the sciences with his discovery, and achieve the impossible. Shelley highlights this dedication to broaden science when framing
In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein we are introduced early in the story to one of the main characters Victor Frankenstein and subsequently to his creation referred to as the monster. The monster comes to life after being constructed by Victor using body parts from corpses. As gruesome as this sounds initially we are soon caught up in the tale of the living monster. Victor the creator becomes immediately remorseful of his decision to bring the monstrous creation to life and abandons the borne creature. Victor describes his emotions and physical description of his creation as follows:
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
In Walton's letters he is writing to his sister about his desire to discover the North Pole. In this way it is similar to Victor’s curiosity with nature, which leads him to create a fiend that he soon disowns. They both venture out to try and attain their goals. Walton heads out on his vessel but then gets stuck in between some ice, while waiting for the ice to free up, his crew discovers Victor Frankenstein and one of his dogs trapped on the ice. Frankenstein refuses to ride in the vessel until Walton tells him he is heading north. Frankenstein starts to recover, he promises to tell Walton his story hoping he will draw something from it, and not make the same mistakes as he did. Frankenstein's story tells about how seeking for knowledge and wisdom can turn around to bite you in the butt. Unlike Frankenstein, Walton did not get to complete his voyage due to the lives of his sailors.
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.
Mary Shelley believes when a person attempts to create or discover a scientific advancement, the creator must fulfill their responsibilities, if they fail to do so, terrific events will ensue, as seen in her novel Frankenstein. Curious people interested in the sciences are responsible to consider the outcome of their experiments. An inventor has a duty to share their discovery with the scientific world. In the case that the experiment concludes with a living being, the creator must provide it with a quality upbringing.. If any of the responsibilities are overlooked by the creator, the consequences are somber.
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.
It must be noted, in any case, that in spite of Shelley's message about the naturally impartial nature of science and learning she is not saying that science and information can't be risky. There is certainly an uncertainty to science, one which is produced out of the way of humanity. Chris Baldick contends this point in his "In Frankenstein's Shadow", saying "learning is appeared to be twofold edged, its advantages and risks relying on the circumstances, and the soul, in which it is sought after" (Baldick 45). Human culture and researchers must be capable with their manifestations and disclosures; on the off chance that they are then the sad outcomes found in the occasions of "Frankenstein" won't happen. However this doesn't imply that human
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
Sure, we see Victor Frankenstein first attempting to learn the secrets of nature by consulting classic works of the occult in Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's Frankenstein. The truth is, he is curious about a real-world science by observing his professors. Which annex the idea of how magic can be considered as a science since every element can affect a human by our 5 senses. To support the thesis, on pages 34 and 35 “If, instead of this remark, my father had taken the pains to explain to me that the principles of Agrippa had been entirely exploded and that a modern system of science had been introduced which possessed much greater powers than the ancient, because the powers of the latter were chimerical, while those of the former were real and practical, under such circumstances I should certainly have thrown Agrippa aside and have contented my imagination, warmed as it was, by returning with greater ardour to my former studies.This is the moment where science becomes more empirical”(Shelley 34,35). This is the main cause of what made Victor Frankenstein fulfill his curiosity of modern science because the modern science has taken some ideas from medieval science and feels creative of doing this action.
His hypothesis was that through the power of nature, he could reanimate organic tissue which his chosen mentors had claimed to achieve. Though Victor Frankenstein’s experimentation required a form, which took him to the charnel houses to claim tissue from the deceased. The creature was complete with the animating science developed by Victor Frankenstein. His hypothesis proved true in the respect that it could give life. Throughout the process he underwent to create the creature at no time in the process was there a point to reflect as to whether or not he should create such a monster. There was no point in the process to stop and contemplate the possible outcome of his experiment and its effect on humanity. Victor Frankenstein followed the scientific process to the letter of the word, without trepidation as to his actions. There was no point, as it was not ascribed to be essential to the course of discovery. Victor Frankenstein’s creation was not completely due to his own scientific irresponsibility, it is due to the scientific community whose emphasis on the if we can do something outweighed the decision of whether or not we should do something. There is no safeguard to this question of advancement or what is beneficial to humanity. Victor Frankenstein performed his profession and found it to be lacking in this one area, and he would pay for it in the lives the creature would soon end. Victor