Last 30th of August, the British writer Mary Shelley would complete 220 years old, so this post is a tribute to her. She is considered the mother of science fiction. This post is a summary of five articles. The first was published at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Shelley. The second was published with the incomplete title above at https://my.christchurchcitylibraries.com/blogs/post/220th-birthday-anniversary-of-mary-shelley-author-of-frankenstein/. The third was published at https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/f/frankenstein/critical-essays/major-themes. The fourth was published at https://storify.com/jpratt97/mary-shelley-s-frankenstein. The fifth was published at https://whitmansyawp.wordpress.com/2013/12/01/you-could-learn-a-lot-from-a-shelley-ethics-of-frankenstein/
Mary Shelley (1797-1851) was an English novelist, short stories writer, essayist, biographer, and travel writer, best known for her Gothic novel Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus. Like much Gothic fiction of the period, mixes a visceral and alienating subject matter with speculative and thought-provoking themes. Shelley imbues the text with her own brand of politicised Romanticism, one that criticised the individualism and egotism of traditional Romanticism. Critics, Bennett for example, claims that Shelley works reveal a consistent commitment to Romantic idealism and political reform and Jane Blumberg's study of Shelley early novels argues that her career can not be easily divided into radical and conservatives halves. She contends that "Shelley was never a passionate radical and her lifestyle was not abruptly assumed nor was it a betrayal. She was in fact challenging the political and literary influences of her circle.
Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin was the daughter of two intellectuals. Her father, William was a writer and philosopher. Her mother, Mary also a writer and philosopher , was a proponent of women's rights who, in 1792, wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Women: with Strictures on Political and Moral Subjects. Unfortunately, her mother died soon after giving birth, but her ideas would be inherited by her daughter. From her father, Mary learned of the latest scientific endeavours. In 1814, Mary met the Poet, Percy Bysshe Shelley. at her father's house. Although he was already married, the two formed a relationship and in July of that year they eloped to Europe. Accompanied by Mary's stepsister, Claire, they toamed through France before arriving in Switzerland. In January 1816, she gave birth to a son. By 1816 Percy Shelley's health was deteriorating and in May they left England returning to Switzerland, where they joined another Poet, Lord George Byron and his physician companion, John William Polidori on the shores of Lake Geneva. On June 15, as a storm continued to rage outside Villa Diodati, the group decided to hold a ghost story competition. A few days later, Mary wouls soon find inspiration for her own story in the nightmare of a scientist reanimating a lifeless corpse. Although Frankenstein contained elements traditionally found in Gothic novels (ruined castles, dark forests, storms) it departed from standard Gothic novel of the time in that, rather than dealing with the supernatural, its horrific features had their origins in science. The success of Frankenstein allowed Mary Shelley to embark on a career as a novelist at a time when writing was still considered a masculine domain. She would proceed to write further titles, including the post-apocalypits novel, The Last Man (1826) before her death in 1851.
Mary Shelley makes full use of themes that were popular during the time she wrote Frankenstein. She is concerned with the use of knowledge for good or evil purposes, the invasion of technology into modern life, the treatment of the poor, and the restorative power of nature in the face of unnatural events. She addressed each concern in the novel, but some concerns are not fully addressed or answered. Victor Frankenstein learns all he can about the field of science. Prior to his enrollment at the university, Victor focuses on the ancient art of alchemy, which had been discredited by the time of Shelley's writing. Alchemy was an early form of chemistry, with philosophic and magical associations, studied in the Middle Ages. It is Victor's combination of old and new science that leads him down a path to self-destruction. This is one of Shelley's themes:"How can we harness the knowledge that we have so that it is for the benefit of all mankind? Since the Industrial Revolution had pervaded all part of Europe and British society by the time of her writing, Shelley questions how far the current wave of advances should push the individual in terms of personal and spiritual growth. She conveys the impression that the technological advances made to date rob the soul of growth when man becomes too dependant on technology. Personal freedom is lost when man is made a slave to machines and technology. Shelley presents nature as very powerful. It has the power to put the humanity back into man when the unnatural world has stripped him of his moral fiber.
Mary Shelley was very sick for the last ten years of her life and died at the age of 53 of a brain tumor. Her most famous novel Frankenstein was about a doctor who creates a creature in a scientif experiment. Mary Shelley started to write Frankenstein at the age 18 and it was published when she was 20 by an unknown publisher in London. Ethics in science is the topic, because there has many controversies over some of the advancements that have been made in the medical field. For example, human cloning, with modern technology we have the ability to create an exact clone of someone physically. And that is where ethics in science comes into play, scientists are not allowed to clone humans because it is unethical, immoral and inhumane, scientists have not right to play God. This article explains why ethics in research is needed and important. It state that some of the ethics include honesty, integrity, openess which are all examples of essential ethics in any situation.
Questionable ethics run rampant throughout Frankenstein, and it is not only seen in the characters Victor and the Frankenstein as is so often presupposed. By using multiple characters Shelley utilizes each unique perspective to reveal a didactic book of ethics and behaviour for readers to emulate and to avoid. The primary example of unethical cowardice is clearly seen in Victor. His constant refusal to take responsibility for the lives of those around him after what he construct. Victor is in a never ending flux of negative emotions. This cruel abandonment serves as a duality of lessons. First, it instructs us to assume responsibility for our actions and to follow through with commitments. Shelley diverts focus away from the common arguments of morality and the issue of "not playing God" and choses to divert the focus on the ethical problems of the individual. Not only does Victor shirk from his own responsibilities, he allows others to assume the responsibilities for his dangerous choices. This lack of ethics results in deaths. One of the most blatant examples of the wrongs of embodying passive ethics is seen during the accusation, trial, and then execution of Justine Moritz. It is Victor's refusal to own up to his unethical behavior that allows the innocent Justine to be killed for a crime, a crime which Victor is more rightly accountable for. Shelly shows the reader that this form of wallowing escapism does not render a person any less accountable for their actions. This teaches us that our ethical or unethical actions affect not only ourselves but others as well. There is a heavy price attached to actions and it is crucial to be aware of this interconnectedness. Shelley puts more emphasis on ethics of the individual rather than society because group ethics are so flawed. Elizabeth laments, "when I reflect... on the miserable death of Justine Moritz, I no longer see the world its works as they before appeared to me. Before, I looked upon the accounts of injustice, that I read in books or heard from others, or imaginary evils; at least they were remote, but now men appear to me as monsters thirsting for each other's blood". A person can not and must not rely on society to dictate an ethical way of life. it is up to each of us, the individual to construct his or her own ethical compass.
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