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Victor Frankenstein Dangerous

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During the 1800's, Mary Shelley was witnessing a time of great medical and scientific advancements. Despite its publication dating back to 1818, Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" continues to be viewed as a warning of the dangers of science. Shelley demonstrates these dangers through her depiction of Doctor Victor Frankenstein's obsession with new discoveries, the horrific and uncontrollable consequences of the creation of new life, an emphasis on the need for scientist to take responsibility of scientific outcomes immediately, as well as the dangers of science when taking on the role of God. Shelley illuminates the precariousness and the overall dangers science, mainly creation of life, may have when not carefully considered.
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Many religions consider playing God a major faux pas, and Mary Shelley keeps the same ideology. In Frankenstein, Victor becomes infatuated with the idea of being able to create life, even at an extremely young age. He describes his passion as “entered with the greatest diligence into the search of the philosopher’s stone and the elixir of life; but the latter soon obtained my undivided attention” (Shelley, 26) exhibiting his sole goal of creating life. Shelley exposes the risks such as one may become too powerful, obsessed with an element of science, and not control or consider the future effects. Furthermore, Frankenstein’s passion, and power-hungry self is a driving element in his efforts to create life. Mary Shelley’s journals describes the reason of writing Frankenstein was not to inspire scientist to bring dead to life, but to warn society of the possible dangers of advancing too far into science. Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein in a way that “graphically representing the horrific consequences of a scientist who reduces life to nothing but a complex arrangement of materials” and further respects “God's natural design and moral law”. The novel suggests the attempt to create life is an “irresponsible pursuit” and the science could in turn lead to “emotional chaos, spiritual devastation, domestic disruption, and existential despair” (Hogsette, 547). This also suggests Shelley’s views on the dangers of science were also influenced by religion. Subsequently, the character Frankenstein, and his terrible ending demonstrates not only the effects on the world, but the endangerment of those who try to take on a powerful and God type of position as the

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