Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein"

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that, a century or two later, Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein", which is a clever perception of what careless use of science could do to mankind, is a prophetic vision that was way ahead of its time. The author points out that science was an important theme in Shelly's days when modern scientists started showing an interest in the workings of nature; however, the Church was against such prodding and believed that only God needed to know how intricately things worked and that man need not meddle with nature, which also appears to be Shelley's advocacy in this book. The paper suggests that Frankenstein cannot believe that his careless use of science would produce such horrifying results thus raising an issue of responsibility in the use of science similar to the anxiety of today on the subject of cloning.

From the Paper:

"In Frankenstein's case, we understand that his obsession of creating a human being was grounded in purely egoistic beliefs. He was hungry for fame and power and wanted to be above everyone else. He actually felt that he was far superior to other people and felt that science would allow him to dominate the society. He hopes to use his creation as a slave or a servant when he proclaims: "..." Like a person who is impressed by social status and rank, Victor also possesses a desire to rise above the common heard and be counted as an important person."

Sample of Sources Used:

• The Mary Shelley Reader, eds. Betty T. Bennett and Charles E. Robinson (New York: Oxford University Press, 1990)

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