The multifaceted nature of humanity is revealed in both Mary Shelly’s novel Frankenstein as well as in Ridely Scott’s film blade runner. Despite the dissimilarity in time between the two, both texts essentially mirror each other, in effectively delving into the themes in which society was faced with. Together, both Ridley Scott and Mary shelly explore the repercussions that could come of growing scientific advancements that consequently slowly destroyed any concept of nature through out the 19th century, which brought about a rebellion against the concept of romanticism throughout that era. Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein unambiguously investigates the sublime in nature. Throughout Shelly’s era the notion of romanticism was highly influential
Murphie and Potts identify dichotomous attitudes toward technological change depicted within works of science fiction. Such attitudes can be described as celebration and fear. Where celebration or hope are evident the scene set is one of ‘technological utopia’. The utopia is achieved by using technological advancement for the betterment of both moral and material. Star Trek is a good example of this utopia; a seemingly infinite abundance to draw upon the society seeks to discover, catalogue and understand the elements within the universe with peaceful mission that forbids the Federation’s advanced Star Fleet to interfere with any world or civilisation it comes into contact with.
It suggests that an ambitious person will surrender moral integrity in order to achieve power and success. This is portrayed through Tyrell, the Creator of the Replicants and possibly the mastermind behind the world’s rapid propulsion into a world of science. Bladerunner is a dystopic science fiction that holds similarities to Huxley’s Brave New World (1932) and George Orwell’s 1984 (1949). Both these texts have influenced the themes present in the film regarding contemporary society’s failings and the speculation on the potential consequences of continued scientific pursuit. This pursuit of knowledge and progress is not unlike that of the Nazi regime.
Both movies are catalogued under science fiction, and even though it seems improbable that the USA and the USSR could destroy each other, they were absolutely capable of doing it. Although both of these films focus in the same subject, the way they approach the nuclear bomb problem is completely
Mary Shelley’s gothic promethean novel, Frankenstein (1818), was released during the industrial revolution as romanticism was thriving, while Ridley Scott’s futuristic sci-fi Blade runner (1992) grew with the dawning of a capitalistic increasingly globalised and technologically driven society. The comparative study of these texts encompasses themes of humanity and playing God through a tone of moral warning and allows the responder to explore how similar content in different contexts will reflect changing, but also constant values. Through the use of filmic techniques, Scott demonstrates how nature and religion are absent in a world overrun by consumerism and technology. Due to her context, Shelley alternatively uses imagery and allusions to hint at the consequences humanity will suffer if they try to better God through the misuse of science and the corruption of nature. Both of these texts reflect the distinctive contexts in which they were written; although separated by over 100 years of history, they still present similar issues and dilemmas which affected the form and features of the individual texts.
In the late 1960’s the English reader saw America’s Launch as a threat to their hierarchy; so, the writer write his piece in a repetitive manner to imply to the viewer that the Launch was also dull, boring, and not a momentous accomplishment. The audience of the 21st century not only in England but the world assessment of Armstrong’s moon landing as an achievement for mankind. Not only does the Launch benefit America but all nations with an interest to organize a similar expedition or even if they do not have the resource America did to have the Launch they can use America’s as there source. One opinion universally shared in both generations is Neil Armstrong is a moon landing “god”, in the second article the reader can deduct from the reading the author was fairly fond of Mr. Armstrong. A person just newly aware of the Apollo 11 Launch, if informed with an unbiased view would also agree or share the same perspective as the original author that Armstrong is a man to looked upon as a national hero.
new Brave New World is a book that centres on the idea that if we allow science to take control of too much of our lives, then science will control us. It is not simply a warning of what could happen to society if things go wrong, it is a satirical look of the society that we live in as well as the society that Aldus Huxley, the author, lived in. From the incompatibility of happiness and truth, shown through the use of soma, to the attempt that the world state makes to control and muffle any attempt by a citizen to gain any sort of scientific truth, we see how serious the matter is when it comes to a society controlled by technology and/or science. It causes one to wonder if the theme of two of the most bloody and ruthless pieces of literature,
In pursuit of knowledge and technology, society begins to lose a sense of humanity. The 1818 gothic novel, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and 1982 science fiction film, Blade Runner directed by Ridley Scott although composed over one hundred years apart contain the same concepts on the nature of humanity. Through context and a variety of film and literary techniques both composers were able to convey their purpose of a cautionary warning about the consequences of playing God. This was achieved through the dislocation of the natural world and mans attempt to play God. The texts present a view that questions the ethics of science which progress is unchecked.
Blade Runner, however, extends upon this value, suggesting that the corporatisation of humanity’s scientific advancement has and will continue to destroy nature. Scott draws this from the mass environmental destruction tied to the excess and overconsumption of resources in the ultra-capitalist policies of Ronald Reagan in the 1980s. In fact, the only notions of nature are artificial, as witnessed with the visual motif of Tyrell’s artificial owl which hints at the illusion of humanity’s wisdom in the age of information. Further, Deckard’s dream of the unicorn, assisted by the mystic, non-diegetic choral music, hints at the
Matt Fischer Mrs. Cook Grade 10 English, Period 4 September 12, 2011 Bradbury’s Dystopia Humans often best define what they do want by first naming what they do not want. In describing a utopia, perhaps one should first describe a far less appealing reality, in order to find what they truly want. In order, to warn man against believing more in technology over his own soul, Ray Bradbury creates a futuristic society in his novel Fahrenheit 451, which controls individuals and banishes thoughtful reflection. In Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury creates a dystopian world in which soulless science uses technology to enslave people rather than free them. In Bradbury’s futuristic, imagined universe he shows how intellectual oppression and insidious