Frankenstein’s Message to the Modern Age
Frankenstein, also known as “The Modern Prometheus,” birthed the series of scientific novels that have captured readers to date. Mary Shelley, the author, wrote the book back in the 18th century, the age that began scientific discovery in Britain. Frankenstein is a story about a young and ambitious scientist known as Victor Frankenstein, who creates a hideous yet intelligent creature from an unconventional scientific experiment (Shelley 32). Victor was trying to make a human being from the remains of a corpse, but the secret experiment went wrong. The book refers to the creature as a “monster,” “daemon,” “wretch,” “it,” and “fiend” to show how alien it was. Victor was so scared of his creation that he abandoned it and ran away, falling sick for quite a while. Enraged with his maker’s rejection, the monster retaliated by killing Victor’s loved ones. The novel hints towards themes such as scientific discovery, the role of language, and our responsibilities towards others as global citizens, among others. This paper will discuss Frankenstein’s message to the modern world regarding scientific discoveries.
Shelley wrote this book during a period where scientists believed they could bring back the dead through alchemy and galvanism. The novel applauds and criticizes scientific trials and the experimenters themselves. The first message that Frankenstein’s story relays to the world is that scientists should be cautious in creating innovations and technologies. They can do this by ensuring they adhere to the set ethical standards. Clearly, in the 21st century, we witness a lot of scientific and technological advancements day in day out. Cloning, genetic engineering, and robotics are some of the most controversial scientific discoveries of the modern world. Scientific experiments are guided and regulated by specific ethical standards and procedures. It is the reason why bodies such as The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) were formed. The ethical standards were put to ensure that the experiments are safe, not harmful to the community, and do not go against human rights and humanity in its entirety.
Victor created a monstrous creature that he and the community could not stand. He says,
“My abhorrence of this fiend cannot be conceived.
I thought of him I gnashed my teeth, my eyes became
inflamed, and I ardently wished to extinguish that
life which I had so thoughtlessly bestowed.” (Shelley 103).
He created it in secret and an unorthodox experiment, meaning that he was going against the set ethics that guided scientists at that time. He used a dead person’s body cells to create his creature. The monster eventually killed Victor’s family and friends. Shelley states, “When I reflected on his crimes and malice, my hatred and revenge burst all bounds of moderation” (103).
Frankenstein’s second message to the modern world is that that scientific research should be carried out in-depth. Scientists should conduct extensive research before doing tests and experiments. This is because scientific knowledge can be used for either good or bad, and innovations can come out having great benefits, but also endanger humanity. Victor was indeed intelligent and learned, but he was overly ambitious and did not pause to consider the consequences of his experiment. Shelley (103) states, “When I reflected
on his crimes and malice, my hatred and revenge burst all bounds of moderation.” Victor’s knowledge eventually led him to self-destruction. His initial intention was to bring people back to life, but he created a creature that ended up killing Victor’s people.
In the modern-day, scientists continue to make discoveries every day. They should carry out considerable research before releasing their inventions. Additionally, they should be careful as to how they use their knowledge; is it beneficial or harmful to the human race? Scientific knowledge has been used to make nuclear bombs and other military equipment that has and can cause great harm. An excellent example of science poorly used is the atomic bombings that happened in Nagasaki and Hiroshima, Japan, back in the 1990s, killing thousands of people (Selden et al.). Machines such as Alexa, factory equipment, phones, and cars are quite helpful.
Shelley focuses on the use and abuse of technology. Frankenstein’s message to the modern world is that we should distinguish between self-destructive inventions and those that are beneficial to humankind. Victor focused on alchemy, an art that had been banned by the time Mary Shelley wrote the book (Haynes, pp. 243-253). He amassed scientific knowledge both in and after working at the university. However, the secret project that saw the creation of a hideous monster eventually destroyed his life instead of helping humanity. Victor was trying to reanimate man from the dead, which would have been useful in bringing back those who had passed away while still too young. However, he failed in exercising due diligence and responsibility for his creation and abandoned it instead. The book also compares Frankenstein to Prometheus, who stole fire from Zeus and gave it to man; Prometheus was later punished as the fire proved to be both good and evil (De Mul 277). Human cloning was banned in over 70 countries such as South Africa, India, and Australia by 2018 (Vanityfair.com). This is because cloning is seen as a controversial and potential abuse of technology. TV series and movies such as Orphan Black and Us portray the negative aspects of human cloning, such as the mass genocide of humans.
Frankenstein also advises the modern world scientists to be more collaborative and not isolate themselves. Victor did his unorthodox experiment secretly and alone, and because he had no help or counsel from other qualified scientists, he failed and made a monster that destroyed his life. Wise counsel from experts and experienced peers is helpful, especially as regards innovations. Scientists have local, international, and global associations such as The American Association for the Advancement of Science that perform regulatory and oversight functions when it comes to discoveries. Therefore, scientists should join such organizations and work with their colleagues in discovering inventions that will help society. Besides, in the end, two heads are better than one, and unity is strength.
Shelley wrote the book during the Industrial Revolution that pervaded the British at the time. Victor became obsessed with his ghastly trials and experiments on the dead and his ambitions to bring back the dead. Eventually, a once intelligent and ambitious scientist lost his moral compass because of science. Frankenstein advises the modern age against being pushed to the corner in terms of personal growth by their technological inventions. Nowadays, in homes, offices, buses, roads or cinemas, people are glued to their screens.
Further, man has become overly dependent on machines. Microwaves heat food, curtains ad gates opened by remote controls, and deliveries are just but a click away. In fact, devices such as Alexa and Siri are now a need in most households. To make it worse, countries are focusing on robotics to replace human labor in the future. We have lost our freedom and become slaves to our inventions. Frankenstein’s message is that we should not overindulge in science and, the process, lose our moral fiber and humanity just like Victor did, only to later bear witness of his creation. Shelley’s novel is a beautiful read that has great advice for the modern age in terms of science.
Works Cited
Cohen, Haley. “How Champion-Pony Clones Have Transformed the Game of Polo.” Vanity Fair. July 31, 2015. Retrieved from https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2015/07/polo-horse-cloning-adolfo-cambiaso
De Mul, Jos. “Prometheus Unbound: The Rebirth of Tragedy out of the Spirit of Technology.” The Locus of Tragedy. BRILL, 2008. 277-298.
Haynes, Roslynn. “From alchemy to artificial intelligence: Stereotypes of the scientist in Western literature.” Public Understanding of Science 12.3 (2003): 243-253.
Selden, Kyoko Iriye, and Mark Selden. The Atomic Bomb: Voices from Hiroshima and Nagasaki: Voices from Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Routledge, 2015.
Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft. Frankenstein, or, The Modern Prometheus, 1818. Engage Books, AD Classic, 2009