Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a novel constructed around the idea of a potentially dangerous pursuit of science. The calamities of the novel unfold because of Victor Frankenstein’s irresponsible and unchecked subversion of the laws of nature; Victor, through his scientific achievements, gives rise to a species that he is ill-equipped to take care of and monitor. However, Shelley’s novel is not meant to be a critique of science as a field of study, but rather a critique of the methods with which her protagonist chose to study science. Victor’s greatest vice is not his love for knowledge: it is the isolation that he willingly and gladly subjects himself to in order to make accomplishments. Shelley uses Victor Frankenstein and his creature to
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This distinction, which shifts the blame from the pursuit of science entirely to the pursuit of science responsibly, is important for highlighting Shelley’s main claim: she does not attempt to create a novel that vilifies scientific accomplishments, but rather to shed light on the need for accountability and oversight in modern scientific fields. Humanity keeps itself in check to avoid overstepping natural boundaries; by separating himself from society, Victor ignores these boundaries and contribute to the rise of a phenomenon that he is unable to take charge
This distinction, which shifts the blame from the pursuit of science entirely to the pursuit of science responsibly, is important for highlighting Shelley’s main claim: she does not attempt to create a novel that vilifies scientific accomplishments, but rather to shed light on the need for accountability and oversight in modern scientific fields. Humanity keeps itself in check to avoid overstepping natural boundaries; by separating himself from society, Victor ignores these boundaries and contribute to the rise of a phenomenon that he is unable to take charge