Esay Example: The Role Of God In Frankenstein

📌Category: Books, Frankenstein
📌Words: 401
📌Pages: 2
📌Published: 02 April 2022

Shelley constructs a replicated world through her gothic conventions to support her notion of pursuing extensive scientific knowledge without an ethical compass can become the downfall of humanity. Frankenstein’s usurpation of the role of God in his unnatural pursuit of science and technology to create life solely for his hubris is representative of the context of scientific discoveries like electricity being used to revive frogs. The ambition and arrogance in Frankenstein’s aspirations, similar to the mythical Prometheus, “...forced to spend days and nights in vaults and charnel houses” utilising the gothic imagery, amplifies the corruption of his purpose as he seeks to seize God’s role, embodying the social distress within Shelley’s time. The result of this is the macabre creation of the creature from dead body parts, highlighted in Frankenstein’s recount “but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart,” allegorically emphasising the capability of excessive human ambition that overpowers natural philosophy. Furthermore, Frankenstein’s extended pain and suffering after the creation of the monster eventually leading to his death are reflective of the idea that unrestrained scientific knowledge affects the undoing of humanity. Thus, connecting with Bradley's criticism of humanity's relationship with the world, Shelley’s portrayal of Frankenstein's lack of duty to the monster raises doubts of whether humans can be trusted for their ambitions. Shelley’s suggestion to end the upheaval is through the acceptance of the boundaries presented by the natural world and not proceeding beyond by performing inhumane transformations as seen through the exotic creature. The metanarrative structure of the novel further supports this idea, introducing Robert Walton’s shift from excessive ambition to the acceptance of the natural world’s boundaries after realising the brutal outcomes of loss and anxiety which resulted from Frankenstein’s creation. In parallel with Frankenstein’s purpose to gain reputation, Walton as a character foil, through his letters reveals his endeavour to discover, "the wondrous power which attracts the needle.” Despite the determination to gain fame, Walton realisation, “I cannot lead them unwillingly to danger, and I must return,” through the repetition of “I” signifies that he too has the responsibility of the sailors and should not be sacrificed for his purpose, allowing him to maintain his unity and solace, and not lose it like Frankenstein. Through the characterisation of Frankenstein's ambitious failure in usurping the role of God, Shelley foreshadows the consequences when scientific knowledge is left unrestrained, thereby providing the socio-political upheaval of her time. However, the shift in Walton’s attitude and perspective from human ambition to acceptance acknowledges Shelley’s solution to the disturbing world and its necessity of unity and solace.

+
x
Remember! This is just a sample.

You can order a custom paper by our expert writers

Order now
By clicking “Receive Essay”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement. We will occasionally send you account related emails.