What is a text that transforms you? This question was substantially more difficult than I anticipated. Of course my mind instantly went to some of the most influential and powerful texts composed by a number of famous authors, like Plato’s The Republic or Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince, however after much contemplation I settled on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Now I know what you are thinking, this text is simply a science fiction novel that cannot possibly compare to deeper texts that reflect on values and applicable life lessons like The Republic or The Prince. Nevertheless, I believe that Frankenstein accomplishes this and much more. In this paper, I will be discussing how this text has had the ability to remain a relevant part of society.
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The monster has been made and remade time and time again as it still continues to be one of the primary faces of the science fiction genre. Through every generation, since 1818, this story has been a relevant part of people's lives. Since its debut, various books and other forms of literary works have been created reiterating the original story of Frankenstein. Even if people have not sat down with the original work, everyone is familiar with the basic story and character of …show more content…
Perhaps one of the most famous themes of the story is the concept of the dangers of nature and the harmful effects of taking science too far. This is perhaps one of the most prominent themes of the novel because it teaches a lesson of the effects of dealing with the forces of nature without being cautious through Victor, the monster, and Robert Walton. A second theme is how this novel takes a religious approach. Readers have made connections with Frankenstein and the Bible, explaining how Victor is attempting to “play” God and the creature and his female partner are to be Adam and Eve. This even ties into the theme of the dangers of nature, because God created Adam and Eve as beautiful creatures while Victor, a mortal man, meddled with a science not to be pursued by a man and created a hideous creation. A final observation and one that is less known but has certainly resonated with me is the idea that Victor that Frankenstein’s horrific experiences were merely hallucinations and he is the real “monster” suffering from paranoid schizophrenia. I believe this novel is extremely impactful literature because of how you are able to conduct these widely different observations from one story. Transitioning to my final point of the essay, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was a revolutionary story
The monster has been made and remade time and time again as it still continues to be one of the primary faces of the science fiction genre. Through every generation, since 1818, this story has been a relevant part of people's lives. Since its debut, various books and other forms of literary works have been created reiterating the original story of Frankenstein. Even if people have not sat down with the original work, everyone is familiar with the basic story and character of …show more content…
Perhaps one of the most famous themes of the story is the concept of the dangers of nature and the harmful effects of taking science too far. This is perhaps one of the most prominent themes of the novel because it teaches a lesson of the effects of dealing with the forces of nature without being cautious through Victor, the monster, and Robert Walton. A second theme is how this novel takes a religious approach. Readers have made connections with Frankenstein and the Bible, explaining how Victor is attempting to “play” God and the creature and his female partner are to be Adam and Eve. This even ties into the theme of the dangers of nature, because God created Adam and Eve as beautiful creatures while Victor, a mortal man, meddled with a science not to be pursued by a man and created a hideous creation. A final observation and one that is less known but has certainly resonated with me is the idea that Victor that Frankenstein’s horrific experiences were merely hallucinations and he is the real “monster” suffering from paranoid schizophrenia. I believe this novel is extremely impactful literature because of how you are able to conduct these widely different observations from one story. Transitioning to my final point of the essay, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was a revolutionary story