Some think of science as advantageous, while others believe it can be immoral. Acts of science can lead to manipulation of the natural world and cause those performing the experiments to “play God.” Nathaniel Hawthorne 's short stories “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment,” “Rappaccini’s Daughter,” and “The Birthmark” each incorporate characters that attempt to alter a natural aspect of life and in turn are met with failure. It is through his short stories that Nathaniel Hawthorne reveals opinion of science: Men should not engage in scientific studies that require them to act as God.
Alike Shelley, he cautions his audience about a civilisation which has been corrupted by science and technology – however, while Shelley’s text results from the contradictions in ethics of her context in Romanticism and Rationalism, Scott deduces the late 20th century conundrum of scientific knowledge as a commercial product. Thus, Bladerunner and Shelley’s Frankenstein both result in a discussion of contextual ethical dilemmas involving the exploitation of science for personal
Guilt Obsession Within the novel The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathanial Hawthorne Reverend Dimmesdale drastically develops throughout the novel, from being a symbol of Puritan religion to displeasing the population of the Puritan expectations through his actions. His appearance as well as his privilege and prominence within the community alters radically. He begins the novel as the town reverend, and later, the shame of Hester accepting the entirety of the blame and the fact that he escaped with no punishment or shame from the town ultimately consumed him. Throughout the novel, it was revealed that he had a red mark on his chest in correlation to the “A” that was displayed on Hester’s chest.
Science is a powerful tool for a human to study because it can lead to numerous possible opportunities. Science may be used it several different aspects such as curing sickness, breaking down the process to understand how life works, or to even understand how life is started. But, when it comes to the novel Frankenstein and the short story “The Birthmark” the key characters in these stories take a bold and unusual step in science. In these stories, the two characters have a similar situation, but different intentions and outcomes. The characters try to push their limits on their intelligence playing the role of God by trying an experiment that has not been done before.
The flower is perfect, “but Georgiana had no sooner touched the flower than the whole plant suffered a blight, its leaves turning coal-black as if by the agency of fire” (Hawthorne). Again, her fate is foreshadowed, as it is made clear that perfection within the living is simply out of reach. Georgiana, subtly made to hate herself, is fated to suffer the same fate as the flower she reached
In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorn, children play a variety of roles. They are presented as more perceptive and honest than adults because children learn from society and the people around them. The people around them play important roles in the child's development because they influence how that child thinks. Children are the perfect representation of the corruption and goodness in society. A quote from WEB Dubois says, "Children learn from what you are than what you teach," This is evident in The Scarlet Letter.
Despite many people's attempts at making decisions soberly and impartially, most fail to suppress their inner emotions from causing havoc, or even realizing what trouble subconscious decision-making can get them into. Throughout “Rappaccini’s Daughter”, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Giovanni does not make decisions with his brain; but rather with his heart and his cravings. In the beginning of the story he is portrayed as a lonely man who just moved from Southern Italy into Padua for his studies. He soon finds a garden of an old scientist, Rappaccini, underneath his window, and sees Rappaccini's daughter, Beatrice. He is very fascinated by the garden and observes it daily, falling in love with her as well.
In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter, almost everything holds a purpose or a deeper, symbolic message. Hawthorne’s affluent use of literary devices are present throughout the entirety of the text, specifically, his ability to create distinct tones intended to illustrate his message. Through the use of these tones, Hawthorne creates a contrast between the corruption of humanity in Puritan society and the honest purity as seen in nature. Hawthorne draws upon ideas from Romanticism, such as nature and children representing the truth. Using this idea in the novel, he shows how the location of the forest is representative of nature which causes characters to be immersed in truth, showing their true selves.
In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, the tragic story of Victor Frankenstein serves as a warning about the dangers of arrogance and failing to examine the ethical implications of one's actions. Victor's tireless pursuit of scientific knowledge, regardless of the possible harm it may cause others, has terrible effects on himself as well as those around him. His single-minded determination to achieve his goal blinds him to the potential consequences of his actions, resulting in great anguish and regret. Through Victor's story, Mary Shelley emphasizes the importance of ethical issues in scientific research and experimentation, encouraging readers to consider creators' moral responsibility to their creations along with the broader societal ramifications
Emphasised by way of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s ‘The Birthmark’ challenging the lingering influence of the Enlightenment Era in Romantic America, illustrating the consequences of individuals who seek to exceed the limits of natural laws in their pursuit of perfection. Congruent with the characterisation of Victor Frankenstein, the protagonist Alymer is a scientist “proficient in every branch of natural philosophy” who possesses hubristic self-confidence of being on the level of Mother Nature and the gods, promoting a commentary on the battle between science and nature whilst ultimately embodying the collective hubris of man as his dedication to scientific progress comes at the expense of common decency ultimately resulting in immense tragedy for both husband and wife. Demonstrated by his scheme to "corrected what Nature left imperfect in her fairest work". His hubristic obsession with eradicating a tiny blemish on his wife's face ultimately leads him to disregard the consequences of tampering with nature, neglecting the delicate balance between science and ethics a central concern in the technological advancement and world of
There are unlimited ways society can impact people. Society is a preconceived notion that limits our behaviors, in fear of being judged. It causes anxiety and burdens our conscious because we are unable to expose our true characters in public. Both authors of The Scarlet Letter and Canterbury Tales reveal corruption in the church that was prevalent in society. In the Canterbury Tales, pressures from society restricted characters to doing certain jobs in order to meet social expectations of success, status, gender roles, etc.
In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, a scientific view about the pursuit of knowledge by mankind is presented, yet Shelley also notes how the application of new information can work against the creator. Shelley’s view that technology can bring corruption is demonstrated in the novel through character actions, and this theme can relate to the modern world through processes such as genetic engineering because this practice utilizes advanced technology to tamper with potential lives. Genetic engineering raises questions about ethics within science and relates to Frankenstein because the novel deals with a primal form of genetic engineering. Throughout the novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley presents her fear about the monstrosities brought about due to the unnatural implications of scientific discoveries.
Since religions and beliefs began to form, corruption has always been present in their midst. Sometimes it is due to greed, like indulgences, other times it is due to power and authority. In The Sun Also Rises, this same exploitation is prevalent in the Catholic, Protestant and Jewish religions (the faiths of three characters: Jake, Bill, and Cohn). The type of corruption present in the novel is that having a faith, or one that has a higher morality, makes you superior to those that do not. Ernest Hemingway uses irony and negative connotations to develop this theme that religion is corrupt.
Corruption within the church seemed to be a common occurrence throughout Medieval Europe. In The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Victor Hugo explored the concept and mixed in some well thought out realities of religious corruption through the character of Archdeacon Claude Frollo. Frollo is a very interesting example presenting the corruption within the Catholic church, though he is also very different from other examples of clergal corruption. Frollo is initially presented as a very well educated perfectionist of a holy man who generously adopted a deformed child that comes to be known as the book’s namesake Quasimodo, the hunchback of Notre Dame. Later on, Frollo is shown giving in to his lustful temptations, stalking on several occasions the same
In order to be successful, knowledge is a key factor. For centuries people have gone to school to study math, history, literature, and science. While studying science is beneficial, it can hold consequences if morals and ethics are not applied. In the past, and even today, humans have encountered what science without a conscience can lead to. In Frankenstein, a cautionary tale by Mary Shelley, the reader is given a more extreme example that proves science has boundaries and shows many consequences without responsibility and ethics.
