The Morality of Science Section: Book Reports
The creature, also realizing how wrong Frankenstein had been in his attempt to become God, exclaims to him, "How dare you sport thus with life? (Shelley p.96)?" Victor eventually agrees to create a female companion for his creature. While working on her creation, Victor becomes more acquainted with the moral implications of his work and destroys the new companion. "Might he not conceive a greater abhorrence for it when it came before his eyes in the female form? (Shelly p. 160)" When the creature discovers what Frankenstein has done he swears vengeance and hatred to his creator and his family. Frankenstein, who has become a terrible mess of an individual by this point, still tries to find happiness, despite his creation, and also swears to rid the world of his monster. "Frankenstein has sought this unlimited power to the extent of taking the place of God in relation to his creation (Damyanov)" and it has absolutely ruined him. Frankenstein selfishly endeavored to play God without considering that the result could likely have a negative impact on mankind. "Shelley's message is clear; a morally irresponsible scientific development can release a monster that can destroy human civilization itself (Damyanov)." Victor learns this lesson, but too late. He has already lost his family, his best friend, his wife and his livelihood. As he says while relating his tale, "Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, and how much happier that man who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow (Shelly p.36)." Shelly's moral lesson in her novel applies greatly to science today with all the advances in technology and miraculous discoveries in science, the implications of experiments and creations must be thoroughly investigated. At the time the story was written, it would have been unimaginable that these evens could hole any truth or possibility of reality. Now, the possibilities are far too real and the implications could result in the end of civilization, as it is now known.
Bibliography:
Shelly, Mary. Frankenstein. Ed. Maurice Hindle. London: Penguin Group, 1992. Damyanov, Orlin. "Technology and it's dangerous effects on nature and human life as perceived in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and William Gibson's Neuromancer." http://www.geocities.com/Paris/5972/gibson.html Neal, Patricia A., Ph.D. "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein: Myth for Modern Man." http://htserver.shc.edu/www/Scolar/neal/neal.htmlWords: 1055
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