Power In Frankenstein

Words: 1440
Pages: 6
Open Document
Lord Acton once warned that “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.” The wise man noticed that humans almost always use their abilities, when given power, to achieve their goals regardless of how it affects the lives of others, or themselves. In the novel Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, the main character, Victor Frankenstein, utilizes body parts from deceased humans and other animals to bring about life for his own purposes. He neglected to consider the implications of creating life and in turn manifested an environment of destruction wherever he traveled. In spite of the horrific consequences of his actions, Victor quite enjoyed the process of artificially bringing life into …show more content…
All things considered, that is a sound conclusion, especially shown by the extent of science and technology in this modern time. However, the insightful conversation between Frankenstein and Walton adequately discusses the improper extent that people are willing to go to accomplish their goals. Walton ignorantly details what he is willing to sacrifice for his exclusive glory: “One man’s life or death were but a small price to pay for the acquirement of knowledge” (Shelley 12). This conversation takes place in the aftermath of the Creature’s destruction, so Victor, rightly, is horrified by Walton’s asinine statement. Shelley wisely articulates that life should be acknowledged as the most sacred facet of society, ultimately stating that no progress is worth a human life. So, in today’s civilization, humanity must halt experimentation when the life of any individual is at risk. The ultimate purpose of achievement is to preserve, protect, and improve life, so it is antithetical to objective thought to consider harming a human if it means possibly ameliorating another’s in the future. As additional proof, Victor’s trespass upon the sanctity of life resulted in the loss of those dearest to him: “I saw the benevolent countenance of my father, heard the silver tones of my Elizabeth’s voice and beheld Clerval enjoying health and youth” (Shelley 182). Victor wistfully, yet morosely, recalls those who either directly or indirectly died because of the Creature. The author shows the harsh consequences for tampering with life, thus displaying her disdain for those who refuse to evaluate the morality of controversial procedures. Overall, it is admirable to discover and explore so long as the one who attempts to complete these tasks impartially considers the ramifications of whatever they decide to
Show More

Related Documents: Power In Frankenstein

Power In Frankenstein Research Paper

knows for sure that they all possess superpowers. Power is found in those who has the ability to influence their surroundings. Nevertheless, whether for the better or the worse, power is something that people desire. In today’s society, the definition of power varies from person to person. In both Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, power involves the desire to overcome or surpass a belief. First of all, power could simply be physical means. Superheroes are…

Words 662 - Pages 3

Abuse Of Power In Frankenstein And Frankenstein's Monster

the classic American novel Frankenstein many themes manifest. A theme represents a main subject of talk and often teaches a moral lesson. One salient theme that I perceived states that the abuse of power leads to inevitable doom. This theme implies that when people abuse their power the occurrence of serious and possibly fatal consequences are feasible. The theme remains true beyond reasonable doubt throughout the novel and can be proven by the text. Victor Frankenstein and Frankenstein’s monster…

Words 499 - Pages 2

Hunger For Power In Mary Shelly's Frankenstein

In the novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelly uses many avenues to portray a certain character as hungry for power. Because this desire for power is very relevant amongst the pages of this story, it adds to the depth and meaning. Throughout the novel Victor’s hunger for power blinds himself from many learning opportunities he is exposed to; essentially making him less powerful. In the first chapters of the book, Victor spends his childhood studying books authored by great scientists and philosophers. He…

Words 454 - Pages 2

Power Of The Creature In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

very powerful but achieving such a status did not come easy. Humans take specific measures to gain power over another and animals do the same. The same actions used by us nowadays were used by both the Creature and Frankenstein. Although the creature is not technically labeled as a human, Victor and the creature both use the same techniques to gain power of the each other. In the book “Frankenstein”, the creature seeks dominance over Victor by threatening him, stalking him, and killing Victor's loved…

Words 1078 - Pages 5

Eaten Alive: Power In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

2015 Eaten Alive: Power in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein In the novel Frankenstein, a story about a man who oversteps the bounds of nature and suffers for it, the desires and struggles for power run rampant. With a literary base, Mary Shelley addresses the tendency of power to overcome and destroy its pursers. She presents three distinct characters, all of whom are infatuated with some form of power; all are responsible for the deaths of others due to the pursuit of this power. Robert Walton seeks…

Words 715 - Pages 3

Criticism Of Power And Empire In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

start, seen in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1819). This is a classic example of sf critiquing the imperialistic aim of making changes to nature. Between the 1940s and 1950s, which is described as the golden age of SF, there are not as many examples of this type of criticism, because of the hard SF authors who presented images of empire, even though there were soft SF writes with clear criticisms of technology and change. This text looks into different tests of power and empire in science fiction…

Words 233 - Pages 1

Who Is Responsible In Frankenstein

Victor Frankenstein does not deserve the reader’s sympathy and deserves to feel the burden of guilt for being irresponsible by creating and abandoning the creature. After creating the creature, Frankenstein says, “ I found it astonishing a power placed within my hands[…]” (Shelley 64). After discovering how to to create life, Frankenstein becomes determines to create life. He is aware of the power of creating life, but is irresponsible with that power by creating the creature and abandoning it after…

Words 368 - Pages 2

Examples Of Monsters In Beowulf

by making his character strong, courageous, and loyal. Another example of monsters is shown during the Romantic time period through Frankenstein, by Mary Shelly. Monsters are also seen as a scary creature in this passage, but instead of destroying monsters, Frankenstein creates a monster to get the public to appreciate him. Although Beowulf…

Words 551 - Pages 3

The Role Of Feminism In Frankenstein

process. Mary Shelley challenges these thoughts by writing her own book called Frankenstein , when she was nineteen years old. Shelley highlights this deep masculine jealousy of women's reproductive power by pushing it to the extreme.“In spite of the monster’s conventional views about women, he is often seen as a symbol of rebellion against the Establishment (Frankenstein xvi).” “Most women in Frankenstein act just as mother Wollstonecraft says the system conditions them to act: as…

Words 307 - Pages 2

Frankenstein Vs Prometheus Research Paper

In Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” and the Greek mythology, “Prometheus” there are several similarities that connect the two stories. “Prometheus” is a Greek mythology that tells the tale of a Titan who created men from clay and stole fire from Mount Olympus to give to man. “Frankenstein; or The Modern Prometheus” is a novel written by author Mary Shelley that shares the journey of a young scientist who created a flawed creature in an idiosyncratic way. Both the Titan (Prometheus) and the scientist…

Words 985 - Pages 4