In what ways does a comparative study accentuate the distinctive contexts of Frankenstein and Blade Runner? The values and morals of society have dramatically changed throughout the course of history, so too has the knowledge of science, its teachings and influences on the world. As new technologies have been under further experimentation into the production of man-made life forms, the debate between science and religion has continued. It is these issues within an author’s context that influences them and the texts they create. 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.
Cloning today has not yet been perfected. Dolly the sheep was the first healthy clone; it had 276 failures before it was successfully cloned. “Dr. Rawlins thought that humans would eventually be cloned, it’s a matter of technique and time, the genie is out of the bottle.” However in the Brave New World “Standard men and women; in uniform batches “are created in “The whole of a small factory staffed with the products of a single bokanovskified egg”. Why can’t we do this today?
Skloot’s purpose of telling Lack’s story does not come without the terrifying discovery of human experimentation. Researchers claim their experiments are for the greater good, but when they walk on a thin line, they will inevitably trample on both sides. According to the School of Law at Northwestern University, people who “violate bodily integrity and autonomy are routinely punished,” and yet scientist will escape unethical situations will only a slap on the wrist (99:1). Uncovering facts of Henrietta’s immortal life, Skloot indirectly poses the argument of medical malpractice. The medical experiments conducted during the nineteen forties and fifties were very controversial.
Shelley warns the audience that we, as the creators, must take care of our surroundings or the outcomes could be fatal. These warnings continue to resonate with 21st century audiences, and it seems that the warnings are almost more important today, in an age of environmental breakdown and the use of nature as a commodity. Shelley also examines the moral responsibility of the scientist, and how far humans can go in their quest to be the creators. This moral responsibility is also examined in Scott’s Blade Runner. In Frankenstein, the ideas of cloning and the ability of human science has only started to catch on with small numbers of scientists such as Frankenstein, whereas in Blade Runner the human ability to create and control has manifested itself on a global, corporate scale.
In addition, the use of implied metaphor highlights the dehumanised society, “lone car wandering and wandering.” This shows the power of technology and shows that it has taken over humanity. The verb “wandering” conveys a predator looking for someone to pick on, showing that the humans are the “prey.” This emphasises the idiotic humanity as we are the creators of technology and now we are being ruled by it by relying on it too much. Bradbury has intended to show how the world could end up if technology takes over and how dehumanised and powerless humans could be. Therefore it is through characterisation that Bradbury speculates a world saturated with technology. Overall, Ray Bradbury’s short story “The Pedestrian” successfully
B: The End of men How have the sex roles changes over the centuries, and can women or men rule the world alone or do we need each other? In the magazine, The Atlantic, from July/August 2010 Hanna Rosin writes about the women overtaken the men’s place in the society today, especially in the economy. Hanna writes about a biologist, Ronald Ericsson, who invented a method in the 1970’ties that made it possible to select the sex for your child. Ericsson were certain of parents now would prefer their children’s sex to be boys, but in the ‘90s he could see on the statistics from the clinics that used his methods that people preferred girls over boys. First the topic is very clear in Hanna Rosin’s article; women have today overtaken the men’s role in the society.
Technology has the power to completely enslave and or free mankind kind depending on how one uses it. throughout the chapter the effects on humanity through technology steadily increases. One my think that the author might be trying to show us through the story how technology can be evil. Huxley portrays technology very negatively because how the D.H.C. uses technology to
The headline flashed all over ever television at school as all the teachers were instructed to turn them on. How can people being paid so much money to do a job make such a fatal mistake? After watching for a few minutes, I hear even more disturbing news of how a charred skull was found amongst the rubble of the space shuttle. Columbia’s loss was said to have been from the loss of a piece of foam insulation the size of a small briefcase from the external tank during the launch. This news brings me to the conclusion that from the moment they launched that shuttle, and that insulation started deteriorating, they were doomed to failure.
What started out as a west coast fad is now a rapidly growing epidemic. The east coast is just now getting a taste of what has been known to west coast families for years. Greater chemical regulations need to be set so that the ingredients are not obtainable in common household items such as fertilizers, lithium batteries and cold medicines. According to his biography on the New York Times website, Mr. Tierney has a long history of attending schools and working on the east coast, not giving him a chance to ever experience the effects of the meth epidemic from the other side of the country’s point of view. When it eventually reaches him, his family, and friends I believe that he will eat his words.
In Scarlett Chiang’s article “Education on Safe Sex Needed :Poll” she gives a quote from Associate professor Steven Ngai Sek-yum who said “the survey showed the government's 1997 sex education guidelines were outdated. In the past 11 years, things have changed a great deal. No one predicted teenagers could get so much information on the internet. The recent cases of pregnant young girls show the importance of sex education” (par. 4).