Frankenstein depicts the story of a curious scientist named Victor Frankenstein who challenges the values of nature by reanimating the dead. Frankenstein later finds himself disgusted by his monstrous creation and because of it is followed by a downhill of events. Shelley depicts the necessity for balance between knowledge and understanding of the world we live in. Shelley also explores the arrogant minds of humans and how they alienate certain individuals based on appearance. Mary Shelley, an English novelist of the 19th century, highlights the dangers of science expressed in her well-known novel, Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus.
SOCIAL MILIEU
ROMANTICISM
Romanticism is a literary style originating in Europe during the 18th century …show more content…
One powerful literary motif Mary Shelley embeds in her novel is the reoccurrence of passive women in the novel. The passive women suffer but accept their misfortunes in the novel. For example, Caroline Beaufort dies early on in the novel as a selfless mother taking care of her adopted daughter, Elizabeth. Victor’s creation of the female monster is ultimately aborted out of fear that she will be just as bad as the first monster he created. Justine, a family servant, is executed for the murder of William, despite her innocence, however accepts her outcome. Lastly, as Elizabeth awaits Victor’s return, the monster vengefully murders her. All of these women were killed by the monster, a crime against nature, which conveys a message from Shelley forewarning her readers the too much knowledge of science can come back to haunt …show more content…
Dr. Patricia Fara, a science historian who studied at the University of Cambridge, analyses the mind of Mary Shelley when comparing “today 's growing ambivalence toward science as unleashing a Pandora 's box of evils”, in her book review, PANDORA 'S BREECHES: Women, Science & Power in the Enlightenment (Fara 224). Moreover, with each piece of knowledge defying nature learned, a part of the Pandora’s box of evils is cracked open and the evil is released, in this case the evil is the monster, to have revenge on whoever committed the unethical
SOCIAL MILIEU
ROMANTICISM
Romanticism is a literary style originating in Europe during the 18th century …show more content…
One powerful literary motif Mary Shelley embeds in her novel is the reoccurrence of passive women in the novel. The passive women suffer but accept their misfortunes in the novel. For example, Caroline Beaufort dies early on in the novel as a selfless mother taking care of her adopted daughter, Elizabeth. Victor’s creation of the female monster is ultimately aborted out of fear that she will be just as bad as the first monster he created. Justine, a family servant, is executed for the murder of William, despite her innocence, however accepts her outcome. Lastly, as Elizabeth awaits Victor’s return, the monster vengefully murders her. All of these women were killed by the monster, a crime against nature, which conveys a message from Shelley forewarning her readers the too much knowledge of science can come back to haunt …show more content…
Dr. Patricia Fara, a science historian who studied at the University of Cambridge, analyses the mind of Mary Shelley when comparing “today 's growing ambivalence toward science as unleashing a Pandora 's box of evils”, in her book review, PANDORA 'S BREECHES: Women, Science & Power in the Enlightenment (Fara 224). Moreover, with each piece of knowledge defying nature learned, a part of the Pandora’s box of evils is cracked open and the evil is released, in this case the evil is the monster, to have revenge on whoever committed the unethical