Frankenstein: If you can,
should we?
This
stunning novel is considered the first text of the science fiction genre.
Resulted from a "competition" between Lord Byron, John Polidori (his
personal physician) and the marriage of Percy and Mary Shelley, in the summer
of 1816. That year saw the eruption of Tambora, and the northern hemisphere
endured a long and cold "volcanic winter". This situation, together
with the scientific experiments performed by Luigi Galvani and the writings of
Erasmus Darwin surely influenced Mary when writing "Frankenstein".
The
idea of the power of electricity to revive and inert bodies was taken from
Galvani and his experiments with frogs muscles.
The
story of Victor Frankenstein, a medical student obsessed with knowing "the
secrets of heaven and earth" and unraveling "the mysterious soul of
man", brings to the fore the struggle between science and ethics: can we
do anything just because we know how to do?Victor knows how to return a lot of
pieces to life, and he does. He does not stop to think that will happen later
with his creation. He just sees the opportunity, has the means and knowledge,
and does not hesitate to pull the switch that will make electricity flow by the
monstrous body to give it life.
When Victor Frankenstein realizes the implications of what he has created, he rejects the results of his experiment and flees the lab. With great innocence, he believes that simply denying what he's done, the problem will disappear by itself.
When Victor Frankenstein realizes the implications of what he has created, he rejects the results of his experiment and flees the lab. With great innocence, he believes that simply denying what he's done, the problem will disappear by itself.
Despite
having been written in the beginning of the industrial revolution, the novel is
a warning of conflicts that could lead to the development of science. In fact,
the rebellion of the creature against his creator (and their relatives) is a
clear message of the evils arising from the irresponsible use of technology and
the unintended consequences of its use.
The eagerness to achieve
goals in “Frankenstein”
"Frankenstein", the masterpiece of Mary Shelley, a mixture of
horror and science fiction, is an eloquent testimony that human ambition and imagination
have no limits.
Throughout the story set in eighteenth century Europe in scientific
effervescence, a physicist named Victor Frankenstein, who in search of the
secret of life and without considering the consequences that this will bring,
creates a new being with other parts of humans. The result is monstrous and
from here starts a confrontation carried to its extreme, the man against his
creator that will end with the tragic death of both.
As we see, Victor Frankenstein's attempts to give life to his creation
were very ambitious regardless of the
consequences.
The novel deals with ethical and moral parts
as well as making reference to what appears to be human cruelty. While at first
glance it may seem like a science fiction story or terror, the fact is that it
explores the moral and scientific issues, the creation and destruction of life,
and technology trying to compete with God, which demonstrate the audacity of
humanity in its relationship with him.
