Every text is a product of its time. In Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein”, she uses the gothic horror genre to explore some of the concerns of her time relating to the use of science and technology and its impact on humanity. Similar concerns are also present in Ridley Scott’s “Bladerunner”, a futuristic text which combines science fiction and film noir to present a bleak view of a future world overrun by technology and consumerism, but devoid of human emotion. Both these texts offer insights into the human experience namely between man and science and man and nature.
In both these texts, the main concerns of their time was that the nature and effect on scientific research when divorced from ethical and moral responsibilities. Mary Shelley wrote her book when Romanticism was in full bloom, and this was also conveyed in the majestic beauty of Swiss Alps, Mont Blanc & the changing seasons, in an essentially pre – Industrial Revolution era. Shelley and other Romantic writers believed in the close connections between the health of humanity and Mother Nature’ whilst Victor used “profane fingers” to construct his “filthy creation” he thus cannot connect with or enjoy the fecundity of nature.
In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein detaches himself from ethical and moral responsibilities when he creates this monster. He is so emotionally detached from his work that when he finishes creating the monster, he then realises his creation was an abomination. “Beautiful! – Great God!” and “But now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart.” shows Victor’s change of heart. Here Victor uses science to play god. The biblical allusion to the book of Genesis – “I pursued nature... to animate the lifeless clay?” illustrates this. Likewise his obsession with science and pursuit to create life separates Victor from the beauty and majesty