Reference：Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft(1797-1851),(2009).Frankenstein.
Mineola, N.Y. : Dover Publications
“Frankenstein” was written by Mary Shelley (1797-1851). Frankenstein is a young man indulges in science. Devoting every effect to the scientific experiment, Frankenstein finds that he successfully discovers the secret of life: the power of bestowing lives to lifeless matters. This makes him go wild with joy and forget this discovering actually comes along with dangers. It is when the giant, ugly Monster he creates awakes and shocks him that he comes to realize his error. The Monster kills its creator’s most loving people just because it hates the desolate state it has. Frankenstein tries to do everything with utmost effort to destroy the Monster’s life but all in vain. The Monster keeps killing and Frankenstein continually fails to catch the Monster. At the end of the story, Frankenstein dies before finishing his task, and the Monster decides to go to the most northern extremity of the globe and embraces the death.
Actually Frankenstein symbolizes human being’s ambitions of experimenting, discovering and creating. “But this discovery was so great and overwhelming that all the steps by which I had been progressively led to it were obliterated, and I beheld only the result, what had been the study and desire of the wisest men since the creation of the world was now within my grasp.” (p.47)As a scientist, it is undoubtedly that he is full of excitements to see his experiments finally yield positive results. The secret of life motivates him to bestow life to lifeless creature, and it is so fascinating to him that he can’t pay any attention to the potential dangers. “I was like the Arabian who had been buried with the dead and found a passage to life, aided only by one glimmering and seemingly ineffectual light.” (p.48)That’s the mistake Frankenstein makes which leads to the miserable tragedy. He doesn’t consider any possibilities of wrongs or mistakes about his actions.
The other character, the Monster, actually symbolizes the ill effects produced by human being’s ambition, impulse and proud. The Monster once said to his creator: “Remember that I am thy creature; I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel, whom thou drivest from joy for no misdeed.”(p.107) Men try hard to challenge nature and control the power and secret of life, but have no ability to control the lost situations. We can see numerous of creations (even babies included) are born with deformity from men’s experiments. It is unfair for them to live with abnormal shape or functionless organs. The Monster says to Frankenstein, “How dare you sport thus with life?” (p.106)Indeed. How dare men treat life and nature in this way?
Although we human beings are eager to find out ways to lengthen our lives, we should do it on the basis of ethics of technology. When something is given life by humans, it is needed to be respected by others as well since it is an individual and not a byproduct. While inventing and developing, we should never forget humanity. Maybe you can find out a balance between technology and morality. How should we react to the potential danger we may face while progressing? After all, the two elements are the same important.
回覆刪除I agree that men should not alter the natural course of nature. There are certain boundaries between science and nature that requires maintenance. We have no right to sabotage and nose around in the secrets of life. There will be consequences that human have to bear when we break the balance. Let nature take its course.
回覆刪除It reminds me of a sentence from Bible:" Much wisdom, much grief; the more knowledge, the more sorrow." To Frankenstein, decoding human's body is just only a small triumph because he soon discover a more serious problem is following- how to control his creature? This question is tougher than before. I believe technology will keep moving forward and creating a life is no longer impossible, then what should we do with this creature? This is the sorrow and grief come after Frankenstein's huge discovery.
回覆刪除I agree with your opinion that man should not challenge nature and control the power and secret of life. When I read this annotation, I remind a book that I read last month. It was called My Sister's keeper. In the book, parents gave birth to the young sister to save their older child's life. The younger sister's birth was in a need and for a reason not just for the love. I though that every life should be unique and should be respect, the birth of a life was such noble and we should not try to add any negative intention. Life should not be created to save for another life, and also, could not be created to satisfy human being's pride and curiosity.
回覆刪除I think “Frankenstein” is a good example for your thesis. (I think all of your examples are chosen quite well.)The story tells about a young man who is ambitious to find out the secret of life, however, he creates a monster. The ending of the story is a tragedy, and we can take it as a warning, reminding us that do men really have the right to change life? The ambition and the discovery make Frankenstein meet the tragedy in the end. Now there are still a lot of scientists want to figure out the secret of the life, creating or reproducing life through an artificial way. Even though they have the ability to create life, they may not have enough ability to control life.
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