In modern society, the rise of technology and science like cloning brought convenience to people’s life, but this rise also led to the fears of unintended consequences. One novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley reflects this particular fear. An emerging science known as cloning is recently gaining attention and excitement with their publicized attempt to clone a mammoth and their potential benefits, but the fears highlighted from Shelley’s novel remains. While cloning has a beneficial potential, the unintended consequences can be monstrous to the subject like how Shelley described the story of Victor Frankenstein’s discovery unintendedly leading to Frankenstein’s downfall. To understand how Frankenstein connects to the dangers of cloning, one must realize how the author Mary Shelley wrote to warn people of how science and technology could …show more content…
When Captain Walton was trying to find the Earth’s magnetic field, Frankenstein warned him about “exposing [himself] to the same dangers which have [affected Frankenstein]”(Shelley 13). Shelley described Captain Walton having the same ambition in advancement of science like Frankenstein. Walton was ambitious enough to risk his and other people’s life and not think about what might come unexpectedly in his quest for the magnetic field, but he decided to back out in the end. However, Walton would likely continue with this quest if he had not heard Frankenstein’s story and warning. Shelley wrote how Walton might have avoided a potential crisis likely related to his and his crew’s lives being in danger. With this story, Shelley connects to the assertion that the unpredictable effects of science can be harmful. The assertion can also related to the cloning having the potential to create dire outcomes when left unchecked as people learn more about this
The potential of Stem Cells have great usage ;however the possibility of the ability for stem cells to create cancer is to much of a risk for any society performing the research due to the unsurity of humanity. In contrast Victor Frankenstein creates a monster in which he stitches together and he does not completely understand his creations instability. The inability to control science and the unknown is integrated in Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein. Mary Shelley’s perception of technology is without understanding science; technology can be misused for purposes that were not intended for its use.
What differentiates Mary Shelly’s novel, Frankenstein from the majority of horror novels are the very real and timeless themes it explores. The overriding theme of the novel - scientific investigation without consideration of morality and responsibility is still an important topic in today’s world. “Perhaps the reality of cloning and genetic engineering makes this theme more relevant today than when Frankenstein was first published”(Patterson). This theme, along with the more subtle themes of revenge, the inability to accept those who are different, and the inability to control one's destiny are all themes which separate Frankenstein from other novels in the genre.
Upon hearing Frankenstein?s story, Walton understands that he is heading in the same direction that led Frankenstein to where he is at. He states, ? I cannot lead them unwillingly to danger ?? (Hunter 151; ch. 7). He recognizes that Frankenstein had put many people in harms way without them even knowing.
Victor Frankenstein was obsessed with the idea of being able to create a monster. He was fascinated by the thought of being able to bring a figure back from the dead and have people use this operation to make their own lives better. He originally thought up the idea and put so much work into it because there was a possibility to make loved ones come back from the dead. His creation would help people never have to deal with the grief of losing someone they love again.
Over two centuries ago, Mary Shelley created a gruesome tale of the horrific ramifications that result when man over steps his bounds and manipulates nature. In her classic tale, Frankenstein, Shelley weaves together the terrifying implications of a young scientist playing God and creating life, only to be haunted for the duration of his life by the monster of his own sordid creation. Reading Shelley in the context of present technologically advanced times, her tale of monstrous creation provides a very gruesome caution. For today, it is not merely a human being the sciences are lusting blindly to bring to life, as was the deranged quest of Victor Frankenstein, but rather to
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
Mary Shelly’s novel, Frankenstein, can be greatly related to many horror novels, no consideration of morality or thought. Shelly writes her story in a real world perspective showing themes of corruption and downfall making it seem frighteningly realistic. It truly is mind-boggling how research can conflict with religion without a thought or care. During the enlightenment, science began to mask over faith and religion, creating a cultural phenomenon. This is still a factor in today’s world. Although experimenting and research can have poor and great affects, the common question comes to mind, “even though it can be done, should it be done?” While Shelly talks of science and technology, it seems to become more predominate that not all
This desire for scientific advancement which Shelley writes about must be similar to what motivates scientists even today. In the
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.
Frankenstein had the idea that creating these creatures was not just an advancement in his knowledge but an advancement to nature around us, because of this everyone should “owe [our] being[s] to [him]”(55). With Frankenstein’s technological point of view, he fails to see the horror he is about to animate. Before the monster had been brought to life Frankenstein had suppressed his repugnance for his monster. Frankenstein ignores his repugnance all the way til “the dull yellow eye of the creature open[s]” and “breathless horror and disgust filled [his] heart”(58). Frankenstein finally regains his repugnance after months of ignoring it, but in order to see his repugnance, he had to create a monster of “breathless horror and disgust”(58). Frankenstein is the fictional example of his warnings of the repugnance of cloning come to life.
This article states that Ishiguro creates a feeling of an uncanny world where cloning does not create inferiority to a class of non humans, but instead breaks humanity’s entirety. This article reviews Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go as a modern Frankenstein which Marchalik explains that the novel informs the readers to consider those who prosper and those who suffer. As these new innovations of science continues, he claims that scientists will have to face ethical predicaments and due to that, Marchalik states novels like Never Let Me Go serves as an important reminder of the costs of science-based ambitions which can cause unexpected consequences and failures. This article is useful for my research because it touches on the subject that the reader
The pursuit of discovery and knowledge are thrilling aspects of human achievement, but can also be very dangerous if not handled correctly. In Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein,” Shelley portrays these two aspects of accomplishment as dangerous, destructive, and even fateful. Shelley begins her novel with an ambitious seafarer named Robert Walton. Walton is determined to reach the North Pole, where he may “tread a land never before imprinted by the foot of man” (6). During his journey, he writes constantly to his sister, Margaret Saville. Unfortunately, due to the laws of nature, sheets of impassable ice enclosing on their ship soon interrupt Walton’s mission. Trapped, Walton meets
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.
Modern science has dramatically evolved over the past years, there is a concern on whether or not people will try to play God with such developments and what damaging consequences could occur. Body modifications, cloning, Genetic engineering, and various fields in biotechnology are prime examples of fields that are attaining great advancements in a swift manner that increase concerns over the consequences. Progress in science induces people to question what it means to be a human and their own human nature, just as it causes people to question the effects that scientific progress may have on their good fortune, happiness or common welfare.The protagonist of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein is incited to advance the field of