ipl-logo

Frankenstein And Ex Machina Comparison

750 Words3 Pages

Bana Tekeste
Sookram McElcheran
ENG3U1-03
07 June 2023
Frankenstein vs Ex Machina
This essay is about the contrast between Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein and Alex Garland's film Ex Machina .Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein and Alex Garland's film Ex Machina both explore the theme, relationships, and Symbols and of creation and its consequences, but do so in different ways. Both the novel and film raise questions about the ethics of scientific progress, the pursuit of knowledge, the relationship between creator and creation, and the limitations of human knowledge.

In Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein's obsession with creating life leads him down a dangerous path, ultimately resulting in the creation of a monster that he cannot control. …show more content…

The film explores the theme of the work of knowledge, as Nathan is driven by a desire to create artificial intelligence that is identical to human intelligence. Nathan argues: "One day the AIs are going to look back on us the same way we look at fossil skeletons on the plains of Africa. An upright ape living in dust with crude language and tools, all set for extinction" ( Ex Machina 01 :10 ). This quote highlights the idea that technology is advancing at an alarming rate and that there may come a time when machines surpass human …show more content…

In Frankenstein, Victor's attempts to create life are eventually useless, as his creation turns out to be a monster that he cannot control. The novel suggests that there are some things that are beyond human understanding and that the pursuit of knowledge can be dangerous. Victor says, "I had desired it with an ardor that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart" (Shelley 56). This quote highlights the idea that Victor's creation has led to his own

Show More
Related
321 Words | 2 Pages

In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley uses Victor’s selfishness and ambition for knowledge to questioned how far society has to go to satisfy our yearn to be God. Vicor’s God complexion shows the dangers of wanting to challenge the limits of human knowledge without thinking of the consequences. When Victor attends university and the material he has learned is belittled by a professor as a waste of time, Victor is determined to prove him wrong. As Victor becomes more interested in the sciences and in the creation of life he sees that as the only way to make advancements that others have not yet done. He succeeded in bringing the dead back to life but not in the form he had in mind.

Read More
503 Words | 3 Pages

The intricate depiction of Victor Frankenstein's and his creature's parallel journeys in Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" emphasises their common experiences with loneliness, the pursuit of knowledge, and the disastrous results of unrestrained ambition. Victor's words throughout the book vividly capture his sense of isolation: "I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body... I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart" (Shelley 42). Here, Victor becomes emotionally isolated due to his intense desire to learn and his ambition, which causes him to feel horrified and disgusted

Read More
1255 Words | 6 Pages

If one were to hear the quote, “It’s alive! It’s alive!”, they would instantly know where it comes from. This is entirely due to James Whale’s Frankenstein released in 1931 by Universal Films and based off the book written by Mary Shelly, that was published anonymously in 1818. Universal Films THESIS STATEMENT.

Read More
1233 Words | 5 Pages

In both Blade Runner by Riley Scott and Frankenstein by Mary Shelly, Shelly and Scott explore the topic of human made creation. Another word used to describe this phenomena is Artificial Intelligence (AI), which is basically something that humans have been striving to create which emulate human behavior, thoughts, and activity. AI, like other new forms of technology, is meant to make life easier for humans. For instance, once a computer gets to know its user, the computer will suggest certain things on search engines like Google. Technology, including AI, can also help store information, monitor trends, and even interact in such a way that it can make a positive impact on a hospital patient with a certain illness.

Read More
1535 Words | 7 Pages

“Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley has been a great tool of advice for those who get the wisdom out of the message that she is trying to convey to her audience through the tale of a man who seeked powers no human should ever think of. When examining the issues of desire of knowledge God-like powers that we see how a human was made for such knowledge and that due to the curiosity of “Frankenstein” that we see the effects of possessing thoughts and knowledge not meant for men that those who seek it eventually regret possessing this ability to understand. Once the main character “Frankenstein” obtains a vast amount of knowledge about biology, electricity, pseudo-genetic engineering and Galvinism and with the knowledge provided from these was he able to give life to a creature that was the destruction of his happiness and a threat to humanity with physical attributes no other creature possesses in the entire history of humankind. Throughout the novel we are able to depict Shelley’s comparison of the feminism criticism by the way she uses Frankenstein and Elizabeth specially on the way they are being portrayed and the

Read More
1659 Words | 7 Pages

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein released in 1818 takes us through the journey of several of the most famous characters in literary and movie history from two perspectives. While Mary Shelley’s original interpretation is considered a very popular and successful literary work, it wasn’t until James Whaley’s movie interpretation that the character of Frankenstein became so famous throughout the world. The movie which was adapted from a screen play written in the 1920’s became one of the pioneering horror films due to James Whaley’s inspiration of essentialist styles originating from Germany. Both works bring different elements to the table with Shelley’s novel involving complex but interesting moral debates involving the characters and their decisions

Read More
1365 Words | 6 Pages

This quote is told by Victor when he is at the start of telling his horrific story of his creation. Victor was filled with knowledge and had much ambition, but this was also the reason for his downfall. His intelligence and ambition is what pushed him to create the creature, thinking he would do something revolutionary for the world. Instead he was faced with the biggest mistake of his life that ruined his and other people's peace in their life. Another quote that talks about Victor's intelligence and ambition is stated in “Mary Shelley's Frankenstein” by Harold Bloom, in this book he says, “The young man who discovers how to piece together a man and reanimate the body with the spark of life is a sensitive through driven character.

Read More
610 Words | 3 Pages

In the novel, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, ambition evolves into a form of obsession with revenge. But the result of vengeance is a curse to human life and its longevity. Both main characters in the novel, Victor and the monster become obsessed and let vengeance be their downfall. Victor was a very ambitious character who longed for knowledge and the presence of new life. He soon became obsessed with his creation and said,“I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body.

Read More
222 Words | 1 Pages

One of the prominent theme in Frankenstein is the danger of knowledge. Victor Frankenstein find himself exploring the world of science where “it was the secret of heaven and earth… the outward substance of things or the inner spirits of nature and the mysterious soul of man” that attracted him (Shelley 18). It is apparent that Victor have a thirst for knowledge through the reading of the alchemy books which lead him to go on go beyond what the normal human limits can do, that is, the answer to life. His new-found knowledge ultimately set him up for failure as he became addicted with creating life to the point where he robbed graveyards for limbs and committing many unholy acts to create his monster. His unchecked ambition proves to have devastating

Read More
1494 Words | 6 Pages

Victor Frankenstein is a man who holds lots of power because he comes from a rich family in Geneva. His ambitions and what people expect from him lead to the creation of a being that he later regrets. “ No one can conceive the variety of feelings which bore me onwards, like a hurricane in the first enthusiasm of success. Life and death appeared to me ideal bounds, which I should first break through, and pour a torrent of light into our dark world ” (Victor). Basically Victor is talking about creating the Monster.

Read More
1127 Words | 5 Pages

Instead, he focuses on the practical aspects and the materials he needs to conquer death. He says, “Invention, it must be humbly admitted, does not consist in creating out of void, but out of chaos; the materials must, in the first place, be afforded: it can give form to dark, shapeless substances, but cannot bring into being the substance itself" (Shelley 34). While Frankenstein seems to realize that he must be careful in creating life, he fails to realize that creation requires love and devotion. Victor’s fear of the creature results from his lack of love. Victor was selfish and inconsiderate of the life of his creature because he never thought about how the monster would feel so lonely and unloved.

Read More
137 Words | 1 Pages

In Mary Shelley's novel "Frankenstein", the theme of ambition and its consequences is prominent throughout the story. Victor Frankenstein's ambition to create life ultimately leads to his downfall and the destruction of those he loves. His relentless pursuit of knowledge and power blinds him to the ethical implications of his actions, and he becomes consumed by his desire to succeed. The consequences of his ambition are not limited to himself, as his creation, the "monster", also suffers immensely due to Victor's actions. The monster's isolation and abandonment by his creator lead him to seek revenge and ultimately bring about the tragic ending of the novel.

Read More
447 Words | 2 Pages

In order to further understand the person who is Victor Frankenstein, we will analyze two specific quotes in which he ponders the consequences of creating his monster. The first specific quote that shows Dr. Frankenstein pondering the consequences of his actions is when he states, “but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust fill my heart.” When Victor is initially building his creation, all he thinks of is the great science behind his work. However, he never once thinks of the consequences he may face once his creation becomes a reality.

Read More
1457 Words | 6 Pages

He wants to create a “true” AI, that pass the Turing test and make you think she is human. Nathan states “one day the AIs are going to look back on us the same way we look at fossil skeletons on the plains of Africa. An upright ape living in dust with crude language and tools, all set for extinction” (Garland, Ex Machina). He thinks that the future lies with AIs not with humanity. Despite creating previous models which seem to display more emotion and are more representative of the human likeness, for Nathan the ultimate test for Ava was to simulate emotions enough to manipulate a

Read More
833 Words | 4 Pages

In the novel, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, readers follow the life of scientist Victor Frankenstein and his creation. The accomplishment of creating life is quickly overshadowed by Victor’s lack of responsibility regarding the monster’s needs. Victor doesn’t give it respect or love. Society’s rejection of the monster is responsible for his evil tendencies.

Read More

More about Frankenstein And Ex Machina Comparison

Related Topics

Open Document