ipl-logo

Frankenstein Modifying Humans

960 Words4 Pages

Humans Creating Humans: Is it Okay to Play God?
In today’s society, scientists continue to strive toward knowledge regarding treatments and cures for the benefit of the human race. In some cases, these research methods go as far as cloning and modifying human genomic codes. These ideas make different communities wonder: how far is too far? In Mary Shelley’s well-known novel Frankenstein, the main character, Victor Frankenstein, uses forbidden knowledge to create life. In the end, Frankenstein’s plans end in chaos, revealing Shelley’s purpose of telling the audience humans should not play God.
To begin with, Frankenstein does not consider the consequences of creating life using newfound forbidden knowledge. Frankenstein becomes so focused on …show more content…

Frankenstein focuses solely on self-gain in the matter of his discoveries. Throughout his findings, he claims “wealth was an inferior object; but what glory would attend discovery, if I [he] could banish disease from human frame and render man invulnerable to any but a violent death” (39). Frankenstein visualizes all of the credit he would receive if he could successfully create new life, and not once thinking about the benefits of the creature itself, but the value of his gain. After the creature read Paradise Lost, he comes to realize God’s reason for creation was to nourish the world, while Frankenstein’s reason was to fuel his ego and glory. As the creature utters the statements, “I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel, whom thou drivest from joy for no misdeed. Everywhere I see bliss, from which I alone am irrevocably excluded. I was benevolent and good; misery made me a fiend” (105) clearly showing his lack of understanding where his creator went wrong as a nurturer. In the first few seconds of the creature’s life, Frankenstein flees for his own safety rather than the safety of the creature, proving Frankenstein’s inability to take responsibility of the creature. Unlike God, who gave Adam anything he needed in his life, Frankenstein abandoned his creation and left him to fend for himself until he inevitably caused issues that applied personally to Frankenstein. These issues became Frankenstein’s downfall, and were inflicted because of his conceited personality and hunger for fame rather than the concern for his creation. Since men, like Frankenstein, cannot live up to similar standards of nurturing as God proves humans should not replicate his

Show More
Related

Personal Responsibility In Mary Shelley's Paradise Lost

569 Words | 3 Pages

This profound statement raises the important question of personal responsibility for both the creator and the created. Victor Frankenstein, the ambitious protagonist of the gothic novel, is ardent with revealing the deepest, darkest mysteries of existence, and is lead by modern science and the occult to discover the methods to create life. By this dramatic discovery, Frankenstein is able to create an engineered man, a proclaimed monstrosity, whose miserable destiny perpetually connects with his creator’s. The novel chillingly dramatizes the dangerous potential of life begotten, and subsequently rejected upon a laboratory table, and shows

Read More

Secular And Spiritual Growth In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

284 Words | 2 Pages

Throughout Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, the knowledge of an existing creator has damaging effects on the creature as he tries to resolve what he views of himself while also having an enraging desire for approval and acceptance from his godlike creator. It is evident throughout the text that Shelley, a woman that did not adhere to the religious practices of her time, compares the development of humans through the contrasting of secular and religious connections. In the novel’s end, through the character of Victor Frankenstein, Shelley makes the conclusion that both a moral and spiritual growth is best achieved through detachment from strict belief practices, which eliminates God and moves toward reaching self-perception. Victor Frankenstein’s

Read More

Should Frankenstein Be Considered To Be Human

794 Words | 4 Pages

Even though he did not come out of a women's womb doesn’t mean that he not human, he was made with human body parts that Victor Frankenstein had to dig up at night I found this on page 37in the book, so no one would see him digging in graves. So, even though some people might think that just because he was made from human skin does not make him a human, well I think it does and he also had his own womb that he came out of when he was first born. On page 38 he was being created by Frankenstein, even though he was being created to me it does not mean that he is not human to me he should still be considered

Read More

Scrutinize The Punishment In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

1049 Words | 5 Pages

In Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, it scrutinizes the punishments when a man creates life, and plays the role of God. Victor Frankenstein, is at fault for the creature’s actions. Victor was looking for some honor and triumph, but when he accomplished his experiment, not only did it bring terror to Victor, but to the whole world. The monster never learned right from wrong and was never raised correctly, his first moment of life, all he experienced was the fear in Victor's emotion, and was abandoned right from the start. Victor selfishly isolated himself from society and ran away from his responsibilities which caused destruction to the people Victor cared for and loved deeply.

Read More

The Danger Of Knowledge In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

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

Frankenstein Vs Prometheus Research Paper

1035 Words | 5 Pages

He believed that “a new species would bless [him] as its creator and source.” (Shelley 58). His loneliness was probably the cause of the creation of his monster, so when it was finally created, Frankenstein felt extreme joy. This all changed quite suddenly when he realized just exactly what he had done.

Read More

What Does It Mean To Be Human In Frankenstein

1644 Words | 7 Pages

While Frankenstein’s creature’s humanity is debatable, his relationship with Frankenstein is implied to reflect a god and his creation. Using his education from books, the creature compares their dynamic to biblical figures, associating Frankenstein with God: “Remember that I am thy creature; I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel, whom thou drivest from joy for no misdeed” (qtd. in Shelley 114) . The creature argues that he should be the first of his kind, like Adam, and therefore treated with respect, but he is instead treated poorly, as he was abandoned by Frankenstein like a fallen angel is cast from heaven.

Read More

Frankenstein Pursuit Of Knowledge

559 Words | 3 Pages

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is a novel about the dangerous pursuit of knowledge, as it explores the consequences of unchecked ambition and the implications of playing God, through the characters of Victor Frankenstein, the creature, and Robert Walton, ultimately emphasizing the idea that the desire for glory can lead to catastrophic consequences. Frankenstein's inexorable craving for knowledge proves to be a risky endeavor as seen through his obsession with reanimating life. When Frankenstein speaks to Walton concering his research and results of those experiences, he says, “Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be

Read More

Loss Of Humanity In Frankenstein

469 Words | 2 Pages

The Monster's relationship with humanity in Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein is indeed a constant struggle, and his actions of vindictiveness towards humanity can be seen as somewhat justified due to his own plight. The Monster's creation and subsequent abandonment by Victor Frankenstein, his creator, leaves him in a state of profound loneliness and rejection, which fuels his sense of bitterness towards humanity. As the Monster himself expresses, "From that moment [his creation], I declared everlasting war against the species, and more than all, against him who had formed me and sent me forth to this insupportable misery" (Shelley 121). This quote illustrates how the Monster's vindictive behavior towards humanity is a direct result of his own suffering and anguish caused by his abandonment by his creator.

Read More

Social Belonging In Frankenstein

987 Words | 4 Pages

The moment Victor Frankenstein successfully infuses life into his creation he is overcome with horror and disgust. Without further examination he is certain to have created a monster, not a human being (Shelley 35-36). However, despite his grotesque appearance, Frankenstein’s creature was not born malicious. During the first stages of his existence, unbeknownst to Frankenstein himself, his acts are motivated by innocence and virtue, which even earns him the title “good spirit” (79). Frankenstein did not create a monster.

Read More

Frankenstein's Downfall Essay

735 Words | 3 Pages

After Frankenstein creates the monster, the scientist is horrified by his creation and becomes dangerously ill for several months. Even though Frankenstein had lived an ideal life surrounded by friends and family, he abandoned it to pursue proscribed science that man was not meant to discover. To gain revenge on Frankenstein, the monstrosity eventually kills all of the scientist’s loved ones, leaving Frankenstein completely alone and miserable. If Frankenstein had listened to his father, casting aside his studies of alchemy and disregarding his curiosity, he would have remained with his family and loved ones and lived in blissful ignorance; however, Frankenstein chose to abuse science and play God, for which he was harshly punished and ruins his life. In an attempt to assuage himself, Frankenstein finds solace in

Read More

Frankenstein Monster's Nature Analysis

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

Character Development In Frankenstein

1921 Words | 8 Pages

Such passion is seen in Victor’s ‘noble intent’ to design a being that could contribute to society, but he had overextended himself, falling under the spell of playing ‘God,’ further digging his grave as he is blinded by glory. His creation – aptly called monstrous being due to its stature, appearance, and strength – proved to be more of a pure and intellectually disposed ‘child’ that moves throughout the novel as a mere oddity, given the short end of the stick in relation to a lack of familial figures within his life, especially that of parents. Clearly, Victor Frankenstein had sealed his fate: by playing God he was losing his humanity, ultimately becoming the manifestation of Mary Shelley’s hidden desires, deteriorating into The Lucifer Principle by which the author Howard Bloom notes social groups, not individuals, as the primary “unit of selection” in human psychological

Read More

Paradise Lost And Frankenstein

1431 Words | 6 Pages

However, in Milton and Frankenstein’s cases, they act from a flawed perspective. Their creations are not from a God-like but rather due to the selfishness of man. Frankenstein is the extreme case, viewing his creation as an abortion, a failure, a stain to his reputation - shame. The grotesque reference disgusts the audience, using pathos to communicate the regret felt by Frankenstein for giving life to the creature. Furthermore, the creature itself sees himself as an abortion; he is supposed to be the pride and joy of his creator but is instead “the fallen angel” (69).

Read More

An Analysis Of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein: From Benevolent To Feind

1246 Words | 5 Pages

Frankenstein: From Benevolent to Feind “I was benevolent and good; misery made me a fiend.” (Shelley 69) Said by Frankenstein’s monster, this quote truly defines him: initially an affectionate, love-seeking creature, he transformed into an enraged killer, angry at humanity for the undeservedly poor way he was treated. Victor Frankenstein is an unique, complex individual who encounters a similar change of nature for similar reasons. The quote—though spoken by the monster—encapsulates the evolution of Victor Frankenstein’s personality; misery—a product of isolation and loneliness—aroused a deterioration of temperament from an initially benevolent Frankenstein.

Read More

More about Frankenstein Modifying Humans

Related Topics

Open Document