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H.G. Wells and Mary Shelley are renowned for their additions to science fiction literature, and the monsters they crafted. However, they both tackle a horror even more terrifying than the creatures they make, society. During the 19th century where a sense of polarization between social classes started to occur, which led to Marx’s famous Communist Manifesto, Frankenstein and the Island of Dr. Moreau explore the problems that society had developed into. The stories attack the idiocy of society’s laws and the hierarchical rankings that have been formed. According to the authors, these flaws lead to an uprising of the lower class, the same warning given in Marx’s famous piece. The Island of Dr. Moreau and Frankenstein address the flaws of …show more content…
society's rules, the hierarchy established and imminent revolt of the lower class due to these failings. The persecution of Justine exposes the defects of society’s laws and the justice system, especially against the lower class.
The creature framed Justine for the murder of William, but it did not take much effort on his part. Other than the “several strange facts” (54) that were not in favor of Justine’s innocence, the court truly had no indication to mark Justine guilty. Victor states “The public indignation was turned with renewed violence, charging her with the blackest ingratitude.” (56) According to Victor, Justine was prosecuted because the community was restless and had a sense of violence, which they turned onto innocent Justine. Also, Justine was not of the higher class, but simply the servant of the Frankenstein’s. Thus, in the trial of Justine, Mary Shelley displays the defects of society’s judicial system and the discrimination against the lower …show more content…
class. Mary Shelley reinforces the flaws of society’s judicial system with Salfie’s father’s trial. Salife’s father was a Turk, unfortunately for him Paris had a racist view against Muslims. Therefore, Salfie’s father was persecuted simply because of his religion. Although, Justine’s trial was not judged on religion, both individuals were persecuted for capital punishment on erroneous evidence. Mary Shelley, thus, reestablishes the fallacies of society’s judicial system, especially since the two trials were taken place in two different countries. H.G. Wells does not criticize the judicial system Mary Shelley thoroughly does, but instead attacks the laws society abides by. The beast people all follow a number of laws called The Laws of the Land. The laws seem plain out foolish to humans, including “Not to go on all-Fours…. Not to suck up Drink.” (59) Although the laws may seem irrational from a human perspective, according to the beast people they are entirely normal laws that they must abide by. Through this notion of the novel, Wells reveals his indignation of society’s laws and how flawed they truly are. He raises the question of why do we actually follow these laws and who created them? Of course the reader knows that Moreau has created these laws, which produces another argument Wells creates. As Moreau represents the higher class and the beast people the lower class, Wells creates the argument that the social order and laws society obeys are generated by the higher class. The next argument that Shelley builds about society is the polarization between the class levels. The creature consistently receives discrimination due to his grotesque figure. Shelley uses the Creature as a reflection of how society oppresses the lower class, especially Frankenstein who has a respectable amount of wealth. However, the creature does very benevolent actions. When the girl is drowning in the river he rescues her and supplies the De Lacey's with wood. The humans repay the creature with violence and bigotry. Thus, Shelley insinuates that the monster is just as human, maybe even more than the other characters. The creatures character symbolizes the nonexistent difference between the higher and lower class. Parallel to Shelley, Wells indicates the similarities amongst class ranks. The beast people, although more reflective of animals, like Frankenstein’s creature represent the lower class. Moreau, Montgomery and Prendick all represent the higher class in society and consume an air of authority against the beast people. Moreau creates the laws they follow, Montgomery yells at the beasts once he's drunk and Prendick acquires the same leverage that Montgomery and Moreau have. Although the beast people are not as civilized, intelligent or normal looking as the men, Prendick soon realizes the humanity in the beasts. Once Prendick reaches London, humans have the remnants of the beast people. On the other hand, Moreau could be seen as more wretched than the beast people as he inflicts vast amounts of pain on them and simply abandons them in the forest. Thus, Wells, like Shelley, shows the small disparity between the upper and lower class. By displaying the defects of society’s laws and class system, each author constructs a warning about the insurrection of the lower class. Once Walton and his group of men become enclosed by ice, the laws of society are completely obliterated. Due to dire circumstances, the men mutiny against Walton forcing him to end his mission to reach the north pole. The creature after constant abuse from mankind decides to unleash a reign of terror. His main goal was to terrorize Frankenstein, but on the way people were murdered and towns were pillaged. Shelley delivers a forewarning of the lower class’s power in a potential rebellion. Although the lower class receives judgment from the higher class including the law system, they have the power to achieve high-class status. Wells portrayal of a lower class uprising goes more in depth into society’s law system.
Once Moreau kicks the bucket, havoc starts to encompass the island. After Moreau’s death, the beast people become curious about the status of the law of the land. Due to Moreau’s death they believe the law is dead; “Is there a Law now?" asks Ape Man. Without a sense of a law system, the beast people become more reckless. Montgomery and M’ling are murdered and Hyena-Swine remains on the prowl to create mayhem. Also deprived of the laws of the land, the beast people begin to revert back to their beastly states, very similar to the revolt of Walton’s men once out of society’s boundaries. Through the events that followed Moreau’s death, Wells demonstrates that without sense of rules man will become beast yet
again Frankenstein and the Island of Dr. Moreau jab at the weaknesses of society: more specifically the fallacies of the law and class system. The beast people follow a series of laws that make fun of the laws humans follow, and once these laws are gone the beast people revert to atavism. Also, the beast people have striking similarities to humans, though they are considered a lower class. In Frankenstein, the creature continuously receives abuse by citizens, yet shows more humanity than the humans themselves. The trials of Justine and Salfie reveal the corruption of society’s law system, particularly against the lower class. In each story, the discrimination of the lower class and the loss of laws leads to a proletariat uprising. This brings up a very important question; with the large wealth gap created in today’s society could Marx’s prediction of a proletariat rising be forthcoming.
The result of society’s resentment, Shelly’s cynical text unmasks the fact that Frankenstein’s creation was not produced as innately monstrous but instead learned to become a monster over time. Once again utilizing the literary element of irony, the monster’s exclamation “Nay, these are virtuous and immaculate being!”, demonstrates the monster’s resentment towards not only humans but also himself. Realizing biological inferiority to be the cause of his misfortune, the monster’s frustrations underline the novel’s central paradox of the natural versus the artificial. That is, because human beings exist within the natural order of society and therefore control the law, characters such as Victor, Felix, and even Walton’s carelessness remain protected. Meanwhile, Frankenstein’s creation, an artificial production, exists as mankind’s ostracized enemy regardless of the being’s emotional or intellectual superiority. Beyond envy, the monster’s monologue additionally reflects a sense of desperation. Utilizing the repetition of the word “injustice,” Shelly’s literary choice solidifies the perpetual denial of societies crimes against Frankenstein’s monster. Concluding his speech with the word “injustice”, Frankenstein’s monster testimony signifies the unavoidable truth the being’s presence never caused
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is ‘one of the pioneering works of modern science fiction’, and is also a frightening story that speaks to the ‘mysterious fears of our nature’. Mary Shelley mocks the idea of “playing God”, the idea that came from the Greek myth of Prometheus, of the Greek titan who stole Zeus’ gift of life. Both the story of Frankenstein and Prometheus reveal the dark side of human nature and the dangerous effects of creating artificial life. Frankenstein reveals the shocking reality of the consequences to prejudging someone. The creature’s first-person narration reveals to us his humanity, and his want to be accepted by others even though he is different.
Everyone can see that the Creature is guilty of the murder of Justine, Elizabeth, and William. There is no doubt in my mind that the creature was guilty of murder. Just because Victor Frankenstein brought the creature to life does not make the Creature responsible for these murders. The Creature is a person with a heart and a brain who is capable of making his own decisions. So I hope that everyone that heard this story of these horrible murders would see that the Creature is guilty of these murders and not Victor Frankenstein.
Frankenstein: Contexts, nineteenth century responses, criticism. By Mary Shelley. Norton Critical Edition. New York: New York. 1996.
Many innovations throughout the modern world have made life significantly easier, safer, of higher quality, and are said to be done for the "greater good of humanity". However, these accomplishments come at a cost, as expressed through the concepts of creation and responsibility that lie at the core of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. It is through these concepts that Shelley explores how society has changed during Romanticism and the Industrial Revolution, with lessening importance on shared knowledge and the "public sphere" and more emphasis on individual achievement and identity, leading to a fractured and isolated society. In this paper I argue that Mary Shelley's Frankenstein criticizes the impacts of Industrial Revolution and Romantic era-inspired individualism on the community and individual, using Victor Frankenstein's disruption of the reproductive process and subsequent relationship with his creation as examples of potential negative consequences. To begin our analysis, I will look at how Mary Shelley positions Victor Frankenstein's motivations to create life against natural laws within the ideas of individualism, as Victor can correlate directly to the educated human at the center of Enlightenment, Industrialism, and Romanticism values.
Like all works that have been taught in English classes, Frankenstein has been explicated and analyzed by students and teachers alike for much of the twentieth and all of the twenty-first century. Academia is correct for doing so because Frankenstein can appeal to the interests of students. Students, teachers and experts in the areas of medicine, psychology, and sociology can relevantly analyze Frankenstein in their respective fields. However, Peter Brooks explains in “Godlike Science/Unhallowed Arts: Language and Monstrosity in Frankenstein” that Shelly had presented the problem of “Monsterism” through her language. According to Brooks, Monsterism is explicitly and implicitly addressed in Shelly’s language. While this may be correct, Brooks does it in such a way that requires vast knowledge of subjects that many readers may not be knowledgeable in. After summarizing and analyzing the positive and negative qualities of Brooks’ work, I will explain how the connection of many different fields of study in literature creates a better work.
Tragedy shows no discrimination and often strikes down on those undeserving of such turmoil. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, a creature more repulsive than one can imagine is brought to life by a young scientist. Although this creature is horrifying in sight, he is gentle by nature. Unfortunately, the softer side of the creature is repeatedly overlooked and the so called “monster” is driven to a breaking point. Even though the Creature committed many crimes, Mary Shelley’s Creature was the tragic hero of this story because of his efforts rescue the life of a young girl and helping destitute cottagers.
The popular 1931 version of Frankenstein, based on Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein, depicts an anti-exploration and anti-intellectual philosophy. In Frankenstein there are criticisms for the immoral behavior that is involved with progress, the natural tendency for humanity to attempt to be greater than God and the pursuit of knowledge. Frankenstein, the doctor, aims to create a man in his own image. His personal ambitions drove him mad and into isolation. He leaves school in pursuit of better facilities and free rein to test, create and revise.
Justine was killed because Victor Frankenstein’s younger brother, William, was murdered. An item that William was wearing during the night of the murder was found on Justine, leading everyone to believe that Justine is the murderer. When Victor arrives back to Geneva and hears that Justine has been accused of the murder, his reaction was, “Justine Mortiz! Poor, poor girl, is she accused? But it is wrong; everyone knows that; no one believes it, surely.”.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a nineteenth century literary work that delves into the world of science and the plausible outcomes of morally insensitive technological research. Although the novel brings to the forefront several issues about knowledge and sublime nature, the novel mostly explores the psychological and physical journey of two complex characters. While each character exhibits several interesting traits that range from passive and contemplative to rash and impulsive, their most attractive quality is their monstrosity. Their monstrosities, however, differ in the way each of the character’s act and respond to their environment. Throughout Frankenstein, one assumes that Frankenstein’s creation is the true monster. While the creation’s actions are indeed monstrous, one must also realize that his creator, Victor Frankenstein is also a villain. His inconsiderate and selfish acts as well as his passion for science result in the death of his friend and family members and ultimately in his own demise.
Romantic writer Mary Shelley’s gothic novel Frankenstein does indeed do a lot more than simply tell story, and in this case, horrify and frighten the reader. Through her careful and deliberate construction of characters as representations of certain dominant beliefs, Shelley supports a value system and way of life that challenges those that prevailed in the late eighteenth century during the ‘Age of Reason’. Thus the novel can be said to be challenging prevailant ideologies, of which the dominant society was constructed, and endorsing many of the alternative views and thoughts of the society. Shelley can be said to be influenced by her mothers early feminist views, her father’s radical challenges to society’s structure and her own, and indeed her husband’s views as Romantics. By considering these vital influences on the text, we can see that in Shelley’s construction of the meaning in Frankenstein she encourages a life led as a challenge to dominant views.
This novel supports Shelley’s thought about society’s attitude toward female authors and how they were considered inferior. She demonstrates how female authors are shunned by society, just like the creature is shunned. The creature embodies the feminist ideals Shelley weaves into the novel and highlights societies unfair treatment of women. In some ways Shelley identifies with Victor because both of their creations were not what they expected them to be and were worried about the criticism they would receive for it. They both hid their creations for a while, Shelley did not immediately claim the novel and Frankenstein did not claim his experiment
Since its publication in 1818, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein has grown to become a name associated with horror and science fiction. To fully understand the importance and origin of this novel, we must look at both the tragedies of Mary Shelley's background and her own origins. Only then can we begin to examine what the icon "Frankenstein" has become in today's society.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus, explores the monstrous and destructive affects of obsession, guilt, fate, and man’s attempt to control nature. Victor Frankenstein, the novel’s protagonist and antihero, attempts to transcend the barriers of scientific knowledge and application in creating a life. His determination in bringing to life a dead body consequently renders him ill, both mentally and physically. His endeavors alone consume all his time and effort until he becomes fixated on his success. The reason for his success is perhaps to be considered the greatest scientist ever known, but in his obsessive toil, he loses sight of the ethical motivation of science. His production would ultimately grieve him throughout his life, and the consequences of his undertaking would prove disastrous and deadly. Frankenstein illustrates the creation of a monster both literally and figuratively, and sheds light on the dangers of man’s desire to play God.
In his book In Defense of Lost Causes, Slavoj Zizek demonstrates a connection between Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein and the French Revolution. Zizek shows us that Frankenstein focuses on family drama to obfuscate its true historical nature. Zizek also acknowledges that there are many different interpretations of the monster created by Dr. Frankenstein. The monster can be interpreted as…. Through the definition of a monster that Zizek gives us, we can conclude that there is a monster in Hilary Mantel’s, A Place of Greater Safety.