Science and Morality in Shelleys Frankenstein - Consequences of Technology :: Frankenstein essays

The Consequences of Technology Revealed in Shelleys Frankenstein In Mary Shelleys Frankenstein, written in the late nineteenth century, the creator proposes that fellowship and technology can be dangerous to individuals and all of humanity. Frankenstein was one of the first cautionary tales more or less scientific research. Shelleys novel offers profound insight of the consequences of chastely insensitive scientific and technological research.Learn from me. . . at least by my example, how dangerous is theacquirement of knowledge and how much happier that man is who confides hisnative town to be the world, than he who aspires to bewilder greater than hisnature will allow (Shelley 101) The popular belief of how Frankenstein came to be written derives fromShelley herself, who explains in an introduction to the novel that she, herhusband Percy Shelly, and master key Byron set themselves the task of creating ghoststories during a short vacation at a European villa. correspond to Shelley, theshort story she conceived was predicated of the nonion as the 18th becamethe nineteenth century that electricity could be a catalyst of life. In herintroduction she recalls the talk intimately Erasmus Darwin, who had preserved apiece of vermicelli in a glass case, till by some extraordinary meaning it beganto move with voluntary motion, (Joseph vii). The extraordinary means forms thebasis for Frankenstein. Many people also believe that a nightmare that MaryShelley had could also be partly responsible for the creation of the novel. At the cartridge holder the novel was written, England was on the brink of leadingthe industrial revolution in Europe. The experiments of Huntsman (cruciblesteel manufacture), Newcome (steam-powered pumps), and Cochrane (coal tarproduction) throughout the eighteenth century in England were peremptory in theinitial transformation of England into an industrialized region (Burke 137, 173,195). The emerging age of technology appears to have found followers throughoutthe culture and to have become firmly reinforced by the time Frankenstein waswritten. Eric Rabkin (author), says that in England early in the eighteenthcentury, there exist a populous communication community that evaluate the rhetoricof recognition (Rabkin 39). This rhetoric has proof extending fend for to the EnglishRenaissance. Those sensitive to change and those prepared to embrace a rhetoricof change need not be scientists. While scientists address a discoursecommunity of scientists, novelists address a wider discourse community ofthe literate. If we can accept the earlier argument that science and poetryare not ontologically antagonistic, then we great power well hope to find fictionaluses of the rhetoric of science .Science and Morality in Shelleys Frankenstein - Consequences of Technology Frankenstein essaysThe Consequences of Technology Revealed in Shelleys Frankenstein In Mary Shelleys Frankenstein, written in the late nineteenth century, the author proposes that knowledge and technology can be dangerous to individuals and all of humanity. Frankenstein was one of the first cautionary tales about scientific research. Shelleys novel offers profound insight of the consequences of morally insensitive scientific and technological research.Learn from me. . . at least by my example, how dangerous is theacquirement of knowledge and how much happier that man is who believes hisnative town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than hisnature will allow (Shelley 101) The popular belief of how Frankenstein came to be written derives fromShelley herself, who explains in an introduction to the novel that she, herhusband Percy Shelly, and Lord Byron set themselves the task of creating ghoststories during a short vacation at a European villa. According to Shelley, theshort story she conceived was predicated of the notion as the eighteenth becamethe nineteenth century that electricity could be a catalyst of life. In herintroduction she recalls the talk about Erasmus Darwin, who had preserved apiece of vermicelli in a glass case, till by some extraordinary means it beganto move with voluntary motion, (Joseph vii). The extraordinary means forms thebasis for Frankenstein. Many people also believe that a nightmare that MaryShelley had could also be partly responsible for the creation of the novel. At the time the novel was written, England was on the brink of leadingthe Industrial revolution in Europe. The experiments of Huntsman (cruciblesteel manufacture), Newcome (steam-powered pumps), and Cochrane (coal tarproduction) throughout the eighteenth century in England were decisive in theinitial transformation of England into an industrialized country (Burke 137, 173,195). The emerging age of technology appears to have found followers throughoutthe culture and to have become firmly reinforced by the time Frankenstein waswritten. Eric Rabkin (author), says that in England early in the eighteenthcentur y, there exist a populous discourse community that accepted the rhetoricof science (Rabkin 39). This rhetoric has proof extending back to the EnglishRenaissance. Those sensitive to change and those prepared to embrace a rhetoricof change need not be scientists. While scientists address a discoursecommunity of scientists, novelists address a wider discourse community ofthe literate. If we can accept the earlier argument that science and poetryare not ontologically antagonistic, then we might well hope to find fictionaluses of the rhetoric of science .