Scientific Advancements And Experiments In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is highly influenced by the things that were happening around her in the real world at the time. One of the things being new scientific advancements and experiments that were going on at the time. These experiments really scared the people at the time, and caused them to be weary of science and the outcomes. Even though scientific advancements and experiments have come a long way since Shelley’s time, there are still some experiments that really scare the people and make them weary of science even today. However, science was a lot more frightening during Shelley’s time than it is now. Mary Shelley grew up during a time where galvanism was popular, and scientists like Humphry Davy, who was experimenting with electricity, were on the rise (Legro). Davy believed that “science had the power to conquer nature”, and that “the mind itself could be altered with gases such as nitrous oxide” (Legro). With scientists like Davy going around sharing his works and beliefs, the masses were absolutely terrified. People saw scientists doing experiments involving electricity on frog legs, hog heads, and even a deceased convict in hopes to bring the dead back to life . This really did not go over well with the masses, they were terrified of what could become of these experiments, and even more terrified of what they did not know. While today we know much more …show more content…
But one thing is for sure, people seem to fear what they do not know, and whenever scientist try to play God. That is why the masses were so frightened during the time. When someone tries to play God, like Humphry Davy and Giovanni Aldini, people do not respond pleasantly. This is why scientific experiments were so much more frightening during Shelley’s time, because there were so many scientists trying to play God and that itself is