The Social Issues Of The Frankenstein Novel English Literature Essay

The Social Issues Of The Frankenstein Novel English Literature Essay The use of first person in the novel causes the responder to imagine themselves in the situation faced by the protagonist; this powerful technique is used to subconsciously force the responder to dwell on the consequences of Victors actions, drawing them into a debate of morals and ethics in their mind. Blade Runner is a product of the 80s where corporate greed through overindustrialisation has severed humanitys relationship with nature. Ridley Scott extrapolated these negative and dystopian views from the values he witnessed in the 1980s society and constructed Blade Runner as a warning. This warning is reflected through his profound use of film noir. From the opening scene the audience is immediately submersed into a post-modern, post-industrial and post-apocalyptic city resembling hell, this scene is an exaggerated reconstruction of society in the 1980s during which time people were fearful. America and Russia were both on the brink of nuclear war and had enough atomic weapons to utterly decimate the world; this potential global destruction is reflected in the opening scene of Blade Runner. This scene shows a hell that has come to exist on earth, an urban city extends as far as can be seen, a scarred world which has been devastated by us. The rising fire columns are symbolic of the fires of hell which have sprung forth on earth through our exploitation of the worlds resources though our ignorance and greed. Asian advertisements floating above the city on dirigibles serve as a constant reminder of the Asianisation of western civilization as a consequence of corporate greed. Frankenstein was composed during a time of major scientific developments; this is evident as science plays a central role in the story. Shelleys Frankenstein is based on the dogma of the Romantic Movement to create a world in which the protagonists desires for the omnipotent powers of God and creation have bypassed all ideas of conventional authority. Victors reflective words: how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, can be seen as her warning of the dangers of disrespecting authority and the order of things. The Tyrell Corporation is the ruling power in Blade Runner, producing replicants that are more human than human, by enabling them to have an emotional capacity. This is visible when Rachel angrily confronts Deckard: Are these questions testing whether Im a replicant or a lesbian, Mr Deckard? Ironically the replicants have a greater capacity for emotional responses, showing more compassion and love than the humans. Shelleys use of epistolary narrative adds a subliminal layer and speculates at the consequences of what Frankenstein has done; her warning is present throughout the story, forcefully questioning the ideas of scientists and science during the Romantic era, this reinforces the dangers of humanitys desires for playing the role of Creator. Frankensteins core completion imitates the Romantic Movements influence on Shelleys ideas, and her criticisms of the French and Industrial revolutions. The imagery of the patched corpse through the lexical chain of gruesome descriptions: his skin lustrous blackà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ yellow skinà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ watery eyesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. shriveled complexion, and repeated use of terminology associated with the horror genre for referring to the monster bring about feelings of disgust for this scientific milestone. This physical unusualness is what makes it initially seem like the monster in society. However, Shelley brings forth a sympathetic response from the audience because the monster quickly portrays itself as misunderstood. The narrative, Frankenstein is one that allows the audience to realise a different side to the story as readers are able to understand the reasons behind the monsters murders, thus allowing further depth in the exploration of the human nature because of the different views presented in the novel. Frankenstein overflows with letters, notes and journals as Waltons letters envelop the entire tale; Victors story fits inside Waltons and the monsters inside Frankensteins. This is an important aspect of the structure of the book as the various writings serve as a concrete manifestation of attitudes and emotions within the characters. Victors warning to Walton: avoid ambitions of science and discoveries is symbolic of Shelleys hatred of the visionaries of the French and Industrial Revolution. Similarly, Scott expresses his heedfulness of the state of the human race. In particular global warming, the development of genetic engineering and nuclear weapons during the Cold War. During this time people were fearful of imminent doom by nuclear war, whilst at the same time fearful of the rapid developments science had made in the field of genetics and the controversy raised by its applications. Scotts warning present in Blade Runner is of the potential outcome if we allow certain actions to be taken without consideration of the consequences. By making the audience realise that by continuing on our current path can only bring about humanitys divorce from the natural world he leads us to ask the question what humanity is and is there a place for nature in an artificial world. Shelleys warnings are enhanced by the juxtaposition of Victor Frankensteins relationship with nature to that of his creation, whereas Victor, due to his unhealthy immersion in science is numb to its charms, and results in his near constant solitude. Frankensteins creation a more intimate connection with the pleasant showers and sunny warmth of spring, and many human qualities that Frankenstein lacks, this characterisation captures Romantics idolisation of nature, cautioning us against the dehumanising effect of removing ourselves from nature and natural order. We can see the reflections of Shelleys beliefs and the beliefs of Romantics in the novel Frankenstein, which looks to the social conventions of the time in order to warn us of the punishment for transgressing into the realm of God. Scott also draws upon the social conventions of his time. The dark scenes represent Scotts interpretation of the darkness within society, which in turn represents the ruthlessness of a material society.