The Fearful Frankenstein

Fearful Frankenstein People naturally fear the capabilities of science. Nuclear war, flying in airplanes, and even cloning are all examples of twenty-first century fears. We fear these because of science. Nuclear war would devastate the world, flying in airplanes is risky because of the unnatural ability of human flying, and cloning because it seems to play God. Well, according to Peter Hutchings in his book The Horror Film movie monsters are “expressions of or metaphors for socially specific fears and anxieties” (37). Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, is an example of societies fears in the 1800’s. This was the time of the Industrial Revolution, and people were just beginning to see what science could do. Although Frankenstein is just a gothic novel, it is also an expression for societies fears of science and playing God in the 1800’s.
The story of Frankenstein is a gruesome tale. Victor Frankenstein is a college student studying natural philosophy and chemistry. He wants to find the secret of life and when he is certain he has found it he begins to create a life form. Victor spends months collecting body parts and putting them together to create a live being. One night he finally brings the monster to life, but he is fearful of how the monster looks and Victor runs into the city. Victor then finds his friend, Henry and he stays with him. Victor gets sick and decides to return home to be with his family, but then he receives word that his youngest brother has been murdered and he is convinced the monster did it. Victor hurries home and meets a kind girl the Frankenstein’s adopted named Justine Moritz. The Frankenstein’s believed that Justine committed the murder and she is then killed for her actions. Victor begins to feel very guilty for the death of now two innocent people. In need to ease his grief Victor goes to the mountains where his monster confronts him. The monster tells Victor he murdered his brother because he was trying to hurt his cruel creator for abandoning him. The monster also asks Victor to create him a mate, but Victor first refuses. The monster slowly convinces Victor to fulfill his wish, and Victor goes to a secluded island to begin to create a female monster. Victor continues working on a new monster until he sees his current beast glaring and grinning at him from outside the window; Therefore causing Victor to realize what the consequences of his actions could be so he destroys the female monster. The beast outside the window furiously declares revenge on Victor on his wedding night. Victor’s friend Henry is then murdered and Victor is put in jail because he is accused of the crime. Victor is finally able to return home where he marries a girl named Elizabeth. He remembers the monsters warning so he sends Elizabeth away to wait for him, but as he waits for the monster he hears Elizabeth’s screams and realizes the monster was after her. Victor returns home to his father again, who dies of grief soon after. Victor then vows to get revenge on the monster and he departs to begin his quest. The story ends with Victor dying of sickness, and then the monster kills himself to end his suffering (Shelley). Mary Shelly released Frankenstein in London in 1818 during a time of great advancement in science, otherwise known as the Industrial Revolution. Many people were frightened by what science could do. Frankenstein represents their fears because of the monster that Victor brought life to using extreme measures of science. In the book The Romantic Frankenstein by Anneli Elsaesser she states:
Shelley’s novel can be interpreted in a way that suggests that she wants to criticize this new development and its consequences, particularly the consequences that can arise when scientists deal with their creation in an irresponsible way. These concerns surface in the novel a lot, particularly in the idea of the scientist as God, and thus creator of new life, but also in the obvious lack of responsibility that Frankenstein displays towards his creation (8)
Frankenstein represents people’s fears during the Industrial Revolution, because of their fear in science and the effects it will have on society. Victor irresponsibly left his monster, which parallels to societies fear of science not being able to handle what it creates. Elsaesser continues to explain, “Many romantic poets concerned with this new development felt that the mass production and dehumanization of the Industrial Revolution posed a threat to the Romantic ideals…they didn’t approve of the scientist’s desire to break down and understand nature to the last atom and not to accept the mysteries of nature” (Elsaesser 8). Frankenstein was an expression of this fear of playing with science and nature expressed by Victor creating life. People also did not like the idea of scientist’s playing God. In Shelly’s story, Victor “would try to take the reins from God in the process of life and death by creating the monster and giving it life, the research would turn around and destroy the researcher. There are some secrets that man isn 't intended to know” (Anzia1). Victor’s consequence for playing God not only led to his death, but the death of everyone he loved as well. This was people’s fear with the Industrial Revolution because of the new machinery, technology, and scientific advancements. Movie monsters express societies fears. Frankenstein displays societies fears in scientific advancements. Victor played with science and played with God, thus defining certain fears in the 1800’s. Societies fears with science are all understood, especially when it comes to scientific advancements. Science is oblivious to what it is creating, and it’s only a matter of time until another “Frankenstein” is created.

Works Cited

Anzia, Michael. "Mary Shelly 's Frankenstein and Its Indictment of the Enlightenment." Associated Content. 8 June 2008. Web. 26 Apr. 2011.
Elsaesser, Anneli. The Romantic Frankenstein. Amherst: University of Massachusetts, 2006. Print.
Hutchings, Peter. The Horror Film. Harlow, England: Pearson Longman, 2004. Print.
Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft. Frankenstein. Irvine, CA: Saddleback Pub., 2006. Print.

Cited: Anzia, Michael. "Mary Shelly 's Frankenstein and Its Indictment of the Enlightenment." Associated Content. 8 June 2008. Web. 26 Apr. 2011. Elsaesser, Anneli. The Romantic Frankenstein. Amherst: University of Massachusetts, 2006. Print. Hutchings, Peter. The Horror Film. Harlow, England: Pearson Longman, 2004. Print. Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft. Frankenstein. Irvine, CA: Saddleback Pub., 2006. Print.