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Analysis Of Frankenstein: The Parallels Of Modern Science

1213 Words5 Pages

Samuel Osborn
Mrs. Joyner
Honors English IV Period.1
8 December, 2015
“The Parallels of Modern Science and Frankenstein”
The novel “Frankenstein”, and its main character Victor Frankenstein’s research parallels the research of many scientists today. In the book Victor created life by modifying and reviving a dead body. In modern times we genetically modify things, and we could technically bring people back as clones. Modifying and giving life to things that nature could not do on its own. Victor and the scientists of now do or did these things without thinking of any kind of consequence, and complete disregard of what could happen. This is all in their endless hunger for finding out the unknown, and being blinded by “good intentions”.
Victor …show more content…

He saw what he had done, and regretted it since. “...now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart.”(Shelly,35). He was too devoured by his pursuit of creating the monster to realize what he was doing. He was also blinded by good intentions of fixing problems.
A near perfect example of a Frankenstein situation is, the issue of genetic modification on humans and cloning of human beings. The scientists responsible for this field feel that a lot of good will come from the situation. Although the chance of doing good exists, just like Victor creating the monster, the chance is slim to none. Also we have no clue how far they will take the research in their “pursuit of good”. Plus their is a question of the ethics and how the clones will be treated by their creators.
Most experiments performed come under three guidelines as to why the experiment was done or even considered. The first is utilitarian motivation, the scientist believes that it can be used for the greater good of man and solve whatever problem is at hand. The second is curiosity-driven, the scientist is wondering the basis of life and how it was created. The third is wealth generation, the scientist and the company want another way to make money, whether it is from a new product or a modified version of a current product. …show more content…

It is wrong. Victor Frankenstein did not realize that until it was too late. That is why his creation from bad immoral science, killed everyone that he loved and that he cared about. The science of today is no different and is susceptible to the same mistakes that Victor had made. Especially in the fields of cloning, genetic modification, and synthetic biology. Where one step in the wrong direction can change everyone’s lives, and the world that everyone lives in. The only thing that keeps the world of science in check is a few laws and a thin veneer of morals.

Shelly, Mary. Frankenstein. Dover Publications, 1994. Print.
"HUMAN CLONING PROHIBITION ACT OF 2001 AND THE CLONING PROHIBITION ACT OF 2001." Online posting. www.commdocs.house.gov. N.p., Web. 15 Dec. 2015.
"HUMAN CLONING PROHIBITION ACT OF 2001 AND THE CLONING PROHIBITION ACT OF 2001." Online posting. www.commdocs.house.gov. N.p., Web. 15 Dec. 2015.
"Synthetic Biology." Online posting. Synthetic Biology.www.churchofscotland.org.uk. Church of Scotland, May 2010. Web. 16 Dec.

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