Similarities Between Frankenstein And Bladerunner

How Frankenstein and Blade Runner Invites consideration of humanity
Both Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’ and Ridley Scott’s ‘Bladerunner’ were created to invite consideration of humanity, that is, the social, moral and ethical views universally shared throughout to ensure the wellbeing of humans, being humane. Though these texts were written 160 years apart they both highlight questions of humanity and humanities direction. They are both concerned approaches dealing with the deterioration of societies moral and ethical values, a change in our view of humanity.
‘Frankenstein’ was written during a time in history when humanities views and ideas on what was considered ‘humane’ was rapidly changing within the age of enlightenment with the monarchy
being challenged constantly with the American war of independence and the French revolution and the issue of slavery and the morals and ethics surrounding it. Also due to the age of enlightenment and the industrial age science and scientific discovery was experiencing a massive growth period with many aspects of ethics and thought for the future ignored which is seen in cases like Britain’s fascination with Egypt and its consequent “pillaging” of the nation, now seen as historical abomination but all under the pretence of discovery.
This change in humanity is something Shelley questions extensively throughout her novel with Victor’s parallellism with society in the way he goes about his science ‘I was left with a Childs blindness added to a student’s thirst for knowledge’ this thirst for knowledge in victor was not accompanied by thought for the future it was the ‘childs blindness’ to go with his ‘ardent curiosity’ that created a ‘monster’. Frankenstein’s arrogance and ignorance is making a statement about humanity’s lust to be enlightened with ‘both eyes open, only to be blinded in one eye’ with the morals and ethics of our society lacking the support and discussion needed. tragic circumstance’s within Frankenstein are made to show what should have happened in the circumstances, which involves thinking of morals and
ethics his society and our own believe in, such as the rights of a child to be adequately cared for by its parent/s, something Frankenstein fails to ensure, abandoning his ‘child’ or ‘monster’ immediately after its ‘birth’ or creation. Only after this negligence has taken place and Frankenstein further refuses to acknowledge the monsters rights is the ‘monster’ truly born and with plenty of excuses for his actions, paralleled to Shelley’s society refusing to acknowledge the need to reform its morals and ethics and its consequent social troubles such as revolutions. As such this is a dystopian society, with that which we claim as ‘humane’ is ignored.
Ridley Scott’s Bladerunner was made to directly question what is humanity and what direction is it heading from the films time.
Set from the start in a wide sky shot is a clearly futuristic setting and ominous background foreshadowing doom. We soon discover that if a human is built, not born, any and all rights including the right to live are forfeit and such beings are worth no more than slaves. This type of setting with a control over individuals, their suffering and dehumanization is typical of dystopian fiction. The actual setting of prey machines that seem ‘more human than human’ next to a seemingly mechanical, predatory human invites a consideration of what we consider humane, placing you as a human in the hot seat and asks the hard questions about your own morals and ethics. The heavily polluted, over populated and foreign environment highlights ethical questions posed by the growth in environmental awareness and the consideration of impacts occurring in our surroundings which now affects the future, coming from an awareness of historical mistakes and the growth of NGO’s like greenpeace which increase the public’s negative view on the small changes taking place for the
environment.
Humanity- That which all humans share concerning morals and ethics, to ensure the wellbeing of humans, that which we consider humane. enlightenment is intellectual and philosophical- reforms based on reason changing the morals and ethics of society- recognition of the human condition at the time social restructuring and reform- American revolution and French revolution- abolition of slavery started in C18 and continued to cause debate throughout the C19