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.
Whilst texts may be fictitious constructs of composers’ imaginations, they also explore and address the societal issues of their eras. This is clearly the case with Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, which draws upon the rise of Galvanism and the Romantic Movement of the 1800’s, as well as Ridley Scott’s film Blade Runner, reflecting upon the increasing technological advances and the predominance of capitalism within the late 20th Century. Despite their differing contexts, Shelley and Scott ultimately warn us of the dire consequences of our desire for supremacy and scientific progress, concepts which link the two texts throughout time. Composed in a time of major scientific developments, including Galvani’s concept of electricity as a reanimating source, Shelley’s “Frankenstein” utilises the creative arrogance of the Romantic imagination to create a Gothic world in which the protagonist’s acquisition of the divine privilege of creation has derailed the conventional lines of authority and responsibility. 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.
Randel develops meaning behind the places of Ingolstadt and the Northern Lights, Geneva, England and Scotland, Ireland and Evian to prove his thesis of the importance of political geography. He often refers back to the French revolution and uses that to compare to Shelley’s portrayal of her opinions on the political geography of each place. Randel believes that the tale Frankenstein is a metaphor for the French Revolution. Throughout the essay Randel is associating Frankenstein, Frankenstein’s monster and the victims of Frankenstein’s monster to people like Jean-Jacques Rousseau, King Charles I, Lord Viscount Falkland, and John Hampden—all of which are big contributors to the French Revolution. Although Randel puts forth some peculiar evidence, he is able to explain and utilize historical facts to further strengthen his argument.
Although contextual principles and ideologies evolve consistently alongside society, perpetual values regarding humanity and its profound interest in scientific progress continue to resonate over time. The didactical texts, Mary Shelley’s, ‘Frankenstein’, and Ridley Scott’s 1991 film, ‘Blade Runner-Director’s Cut,’ critique society’ definition of humanity and its values. When analysed in cohesion, the influences pertaining to the Romantic and Post-modernist contexts challenge the responder to question the ethical and moral concerns of its era. These include the violent, implacable and hubristic behaviour engrained within human beings, thus demonstrating the similarity between their respective contexts and textual mediums. 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.
Although texts are often constructed to reflect the values and ideas prevalent in their composer’s society, evolutionary relationships may exist between two texts, presenting similar issues, governed by the same values and perspectives. This is evident in Mary Shelley’s Gothic novel Frankenstein, and Ridley Scott’s film noir Blade Runner, which both present parallel themes of the exploration of humanity, man’s connection to the natural world, and the danger of uninhibited pursuits of knowledge. The epistolary form of Frankenstein, and the metanarratives within Blade Runner, allow audiences to balance perceptions and formulate ideas, ensuring that despite being written in different times, audiences can appreciate contrasting values, while simultaneously
Summative task Values evolve with society’s perspective becoming newer and more profound; this is a result of enlightening events and innovative use of form in influential texts. Values that have advanced over time are the delicate relationships between science and nature, which ultimately defines our humanity and the ethics and morals behind the progress of science. A comparison can be made, showing the development of these values over time, between ‘Frankenstein’ a romanticised novel written by Mary Shelley in 1818, about a mad scientist named victor creating a monster. The other text, BR, is a post-modern film directed by Ridley Scott in 1982, about a Deckard, a blade runner, hunting down replicants. The texts use a variety of literary and cinematic techniques to offer a fresh perspective on the implications of scientific disregard.
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.
To what extent has your comparative study of Frankenstein and Blade Runner revealed a change in values over time? It is the comparative study of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818) and Ridley Scott’s 20th century film Blade Runner (Directors Cut 1992) that reveals that issues at the core of humanity remain universal and relevant despite time, however, the values remain the same. Shelley’s novel critiques the Enlightenment philosophy that progress is inherently good and reflects the Romantic elements of her context, whereas Blade Runner questions and challenges mass industrialisation of the 20th century. Each text acts as a cautionary tale in relation to scientific endeavour being unchecked by morals and ethics. The film is, is in fact a response to societies failure to heed Mary Shelley’s original warnings about scientific pursuit.
Frankenstein and Blade Runner “By studying two texts together, we come to a heightened understanding of their meaning and significance.” Period literature and cinematography provide insight into the composer’s societal paradigm, reflecting the historical setting and contemporary issues maintained at the time. Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel, “Frankenstein”, and Ridley Scott’s 1982 film, “Blade Runner”, encapsulate distinct time frames and contexts, respectively highlighting the author’s opinions and concerns within those periods. Despite contrasting societal environments, both texts comment on the human obsession toward scientific advancement and its subsequent consequences, as well as questioning the aspects and qualities that define humanity. Being composed over 150 year apart, the congruency of the texts’ core values transcends time barriers, not only demonstrating their significance and omnipresence within the human condition but also providing new insight and perspectives through differing contextual interpretations. As a romantic novel, Frankenstein responds to the encroachment of rationalism and the Age of Enlightenment, specifically the unknown repercussions of man’s hubristic pursuit of knowledge.
Despite being written nearly two centuries apart, Scott’s Blade Runner contains many similar themes to that of Shelley’s Frankenstein. By examining each composer’s contextual concerns and values we can see that prophetic extrapolation highlights their fear of humanities ramification on our worldspace and personal identity. However, differing zeitgeists has altered these values and presented two fundamentally similar but thematically different texts. The worldspaces established by each composer reflects their values and concerns. Inspired by a retreat into the Swiss Alps, Shelley constructs her text in the setting of the nature-rich Geneva.