The Role Of Cloning In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Dr. Frankenstein and Playing God Robbing graves and uniting separate body parts to make a living monster has led to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein being viewed as a Halloween staple. A creature generated with a powerful surge of electricity has undoubtedly brought to mind a crazy, out of control scientist. Although Dr. Frankenstein created his monster, it invokes the reader to examine whether man has the right to play God because of his motivations, the perspective quality of life of the being, and the concept of its control.
When contemplating the right to create life, the creator’s motivation needs to be examined. In the factious novel Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein’s purpose for constructing his monster was purely for the expansion
Currently, contemporary scientists have developed cloning by taking the genetic blueprint for a living being (their DNA) and creating another person using the exact same blueprint for reproductive and therapeutic reasons. (Esposito) Just as Dr. Frankenstein created his monster out of selfishness, some people desire to generate clones for their own self-interest. Consequently, reproductive cloning could allow infertile couples a chance to have children in their own image, and provide grieving parents a chance to DNA duplicate their child. While that sounds compassionate, producing a clone would also allow parents to use the child to live the life they always wanted, use the “copy” to examine their own psyche, or even to aid in the quest for immortality. (Smith Benefits) In therapeutic cloning, clones would be exploited for harvesting organs, healthy cells, and even sources for plastic surgery. (Smith Benefits) Compelling Truth contends that ” there are many other reasons for cloning, but they all suffer from abundant self-absorption.” (CompellingTruth Christian Cloning) It is difficult to express how vast of an ego cloning could satisfy. An important question is whether the use of technology should be manipulated for narcissistic ends. The underlying feeling in Frankenstein is that Victor wanted to prove he could use his scientific knowledge beyond the limits.
Benefits of technologically created life explained by the Human Cloning Foundation include having basic control over the being. In order for the clone to fulfill its intended purpose such as being forced to donate a kidney, control must remain in place. Indeed, scientists themselves have affirmed that clones would not be soulless, empty creatures. Because of the DNA and environmental circumstances, clones would be capable of making their own decisions with a free will. (Smith Myth) With regards to copying DNA of geniuses to benefit mankind, there is a problem based on the ability of the clone to choose its own path. As Compelling Truth emphasizes, “… although manipulated nature might be able to create another Einstein, there's no guarantee that nurture wouldn't turn him into a despotic evil genius.”(CompellingTruth Christian Cloning) Just as it was with Dr. Victor Frankenstein, control is out of the hands of scientists. Mary Shelley’s efforts to have Victor Frankenstein play creator simply points to the inability of an imperfect human trying to play God. Man’s motivation to use science to advance selfish needs becomes an obstacle in the quality of life that the creature created would experience. The idea that free will trumps control of living beings is easily recognizable. In the end, the failure of the monster to be successful speaks to the intricacy of creation. The complexities