Frankenstein: Science and the Industrial Revolution
Frankenstein: Science and the Industrial Revolution Frankenstein, written by author Mary Shelley, was a romantic based story written in Europe during the eighteen hundreds. During this time period, Europe was experiencing many social and economic changes. Many of these changes were a product of the industrial revolution of Europe. This time period can be defined and era of exploration, discovery and industrialization in which ideas were pushed to the limits. Victor’s creation of Frankenstein is a reflection of the industrial revolution and a scientific era in which the borders of the possible are pushed and society is forced to face a monster of their own.
Victor Frankenstein is one of the main characters in Shelley’s novel, as well as the creator of Frankenstein. He spent two years working and collecting body parts in order to accomplish his goal of creating life. One quote made by Victor is “No one can conceive the variety of feelings which bore me onwards, like a hurricane, in the first enthusiasm of success. Life and death appeared to me ideal bounds, which I should first break through, and pour a torrent of light into our dark world” (Shelley 58). Victor did have the typical romanticism ideology which was present throughout most of that era’s society. He instead was a product of the industrial revolution. It can be said that Victor’s creation of life represented the same feeling embodied by this scientific era (Ziolkowski). The light/ fire that created life symbolize the enlightenment of knowledge and discovery. It gave a sense of accomplishment, productivity and meaning when the final puzzle piece was put into place to make “new life”. This new life is seen in the industrial revolution with the creation of new work machines. Once Victor found the secret to creating life he was inspired and would not stop his developments until his creation was made. The monster was not intended to be created for evil. During the early stages of the industrial
Victor Frankenstein is one of the main characters in Shelley’s novel, as well as the creator of Frankenstein. He spent two years working and collecting body parts in order to accomplish his goal of creating life. One quote made by Victor is “No one can conceive the variety of feelings which bore me onwards, like a hurricane, in the first enthusiasm of success. Life and death appeared to me ideal bounds, which I should first break through, and pour a torrent of light into our dark world” (Shelley 58). Victor did have the typical romanticism ideology which was present throughout most of that era’s society. He instead was a product of the industrial revolution. It can be said that Victor’s creation of life represented the same feeling embodied by this scientific era (Ziolkowski). The light/ fire that created life symbolize the enlightenment of knowledge and discovery. It gave a sense of accomplishment, productivity and meaning when the final puzzle piece was put into place to make “new life”. This new life is seen in the industrial revolution with the creation of new work machines. Once Victor found the secret to creating life he was inspired and would not stop his developments until his creation was made. The monster was not intended to be created for evil. During the early stages of the industrial
Cited: Bland, Celia. The Mechanical Age: The Industrial Revolution in England. New York: Facts on File, Inc., 1995. Cohen, Jeffrey Jerome. “Monster Culture (Seven Theses).” Monster Theory: Reading Culture. Ed. Jeffrey Jerome Cohen. Minneapolis: U of Minnesota P, 1996. 3-25 Lane, Peter. The Industrial Revolution. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 1978. McCullough, Joseph Allen. “The Luddites: General Ludd’s fight against the Industrial Revolution.” 15 April 2007. .. Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein (1831) Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998 Ziolkowski, Theodore. The Sewanee Review. Vol. 89, No. 1 (Winter, 1981), pp. 34-56 Published by: The Johns Hopkins University Press Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/27543797