Shaped by their distinctly different contexts, Shelley and Scott strive to convey this notion, through bold cinematic and literary techniques, characterisation and themes, of the fatal path humanity has placed itself on. Mary Shelley’s seminal novel, Frankenstein 1818, is a moral fable combining conflicting paradigms of Romantic idealism and Enlightenment rationalism. Shelley delves into these ideologies in a classic gothic horror story that presents the unequivocal issues concerning the ethics and consequences of the pursuit of knowledge and scientific experimentation. Influenced by the increasing popularity of galvanism, Shelley effectively illustrates her apprehensions through the character development of Victor Frankenstein and his juxtaposition against nature. Victor admits his deep desire for ‘immortally and power’ through ‘penetrating the secrets of nature’, which is manifested in his technological innovation of the creature, highlighting the extreme yet realistic potential for technology to create human life.
Her warning of the dangers of such actions is encapsulated within Victor’s concerning words of “how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge”, whilst Shelley’s use of a fragmented epistolatory narrative adds a disturbing sense of truth and realism, foreshadowing the dark consequences of Frankenstein’s actions. Shelley’s warning is evident throughout the novel which ultimately reflects her context through the concern of scientists within her era exploiting the advancements in science. It also reinforces the dangers of our humanity’s inherent yearning to play the role of the Creator. Such a warning also exists within Scott’s “Blade Runner” where the director echoes the rise of capitalist principles through the symbolic dominance of Tyrell’s towering dwelling, a reflection of both his desire for omnipotence and commercial power. Scott’s warning of the dangers of
The Gothic genre allows the purpose to reach the audience. In Chapter two, Victor meets his creation in the presence of nature, contrasting the scientifically created monster. The sublime gothic technique emphasises the power of nature to adjust Victor's mood, giving perspective of its relative importance. The novel's epistolary structure, as an example of realism, contains the personal accounts of Frankenstein and his monster. Their downfall due to technology gives credibility to the warning.
The texts use a variety of literary and cinematic techniques to offer a fresh perspective on the implications of scientific disregard. The dangerous connection science has , and how we can affect that fragile link, shapes who we are, since nature is a core part of a human’s identity. There must be symmetry between science and nature and when nature is thrown out of balance, destruction follows until brought back into line. Shelley uses her text to influence her society, bringing to light that they must not take their environment for granted, due to the advances in polluting industries at the time . We see this emphasis on nature when Victor ascends the mountain ‘and the solemn silence of this glorious presence-chamber of imperial Nature was broken only by the brawling waves’ the use of descriptive imagery and alliteration shows how nature is sublime to humans, which ties in with the romanticism of the text.
yThroughout the exploration of the module “Texts in Time”, we observe the connections between texts and their reflections of the constancy in human nature, whilst shifting contextual perspectives are maintained. Such a connection is demonstrated in Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel “Frankenstein” (F/stein) and Scott Ridley’s 1991 film “Bladerunner”, where both composers present a cautionary tale, warning us of the implications of science and technological advances on humanity and thus reflecting their own fears in their respective contextual eras. It is through the analysis of such values and implications that we can see the constancy of human nature throughout time. Frankenstein is a gothic inspired, fragmented epistolary, reflecting the rebellion of the Romantic Movement, which advocated the power of imagination, and ones relationship to nature. The gothic convention of sublime nature is represented thematically, through forces of good and evil leading to vengeance and murder, as well as macabre settings of graveyards and charnel houses.
Consequently, the nature of humanity and scientific progress are reflected through literary and filmic techniques, addressing the exploitation of mankind’s progress and ultimately questioning what it means to be human. By reflecting on their respective social and technological milieus, Shelley and Scott depict the detrimental repercussions of artificial construction through the parallels in ‘Frankenstein’ and ‘Blade Runner.’ In particular, the turn of the 19th century saw the fascination with Galvanism, regarding the animation of animal tissue through electricity, inciting Shelley to confront this ideology based on a ‘life force’ that would infuse life in an inanimate object. Through the first person perspective, responders are exposed to Victor Frankenstein’s obsessive behaviour in overcoming the metaphysical boundaries of ‘life principles’. Thus, by metaphorically ‘pursuing nature in all her hiding places’, Shelley questions the implications of synthetic formation through her use of a contemplative tone in acknowledging the ‘astonishing power placed within [his] hands…and the manner in which I should employ it’. She answers this through her
Identity is based on the individual characteristics by which a thing or person is recognised or known, and is impacted by various factors including human connections and the environment. A disruption of these stable elements ultimately fuels the loss of identity. Mary Shelly’s Romantic novel Frankenstein (1818) and Ridley Scott’s science fiction film Blade Runner (1992) demonstrate how a more profound and sophisticated understanding of disruption and identity arises from the consideration of the parallels between the two texts. Though Frankenstein and Blade Runner differ in context, they draw on similar philosophical and societal values of their time to simultaneously extrapolate the twofold themes of The Human Experience; what it means to be human, and the dangers of disrupting the natural order through technological advancements. Thus the linking premise is that dehumanisation or a loss of identity results once nature has been disrupted, and humanity becomes subservient to technology and scientific advancement.
The Blade Runner context is the science-fiction dystopic future of Los-Angeles in 2019. Frankenstein and Blade Runner may be divided by nearly 200 years, be conveyed in different forms, and develop their ideas in very different settings, but there are distinct issues that are shown throughout both texts. In both texts the natural world has been disrupted by the creation of artificial beings, with the monster in Frankenstein and the Replicants in Blade Runner which is one major similarity shown in both texts. Within Frankenstein, Mary Shelley illustrates the significance of the natural world and the connection that man has to nature. She depicts nature as a place for both Victor and The monster to be solace and let their emotions be confessed.
She elaborates on the issue of spraying chemicals and if it is increasing or decreasing the progress in the world. Carson’s article states that we are hurting ourselves more than we benefit ourselves from the spraying of harmful chemicals, and that we endanger our environment with these chemicals. In order to persuade the progressive intellectuals of this argument, Carson provides data to show the actual harm the pollution from the chemicals is causing, and provokes fear in her audience. In order to make her argument appear reasonable, Rachel Carson uses scientific observation to demonstrate how chemicals are the cause of killing pests. Carson provides rational examples to show the harm that pollution is causing to the earth and pests.
The ending of the story, when Victor almost chases to monster to the north pole, is also a glimmering example of how Victor has changed internally from a Geneva, to a cold, harsh, inhuman monster. The main characters, Victor and the monster, are both interesting mixes of good, as well as evil. Victor, on the one hand, is good in the sense that he wants to understand science to further humanity. He does have an ugly side, however. For example, Victor abandons his monster after he creates it because he realizes what he has done.