Nature
vs Science in Frankenstein
In the book Frankenstein we see the juxtaposition of
nature and science. Does science trump nature or does nature take the crown? We
argue that nature wins out in the end.
Dr. Victor Frankenstein is a man of science. He creates
his monster through his knowledge of science and how to recreate dead body
parts. In the creation of the monster science wins out. Science is what created
the monster and gave him life, but it does not win out in the end.
The monster runs away and continually watches a
family live their lives. Throughout this time the monster is living in nature
and living off nature. This is where the monster learns. He learns to speak, he
learns how geography and he learns about emotions. It is no coincidence that
Frankenstein’s monster learns all of this outside of the lab and in nature.
This is also the place that the monster has some self-awareness and figures out
who he is. He develops emotions and learns what love and caring is. He is
attacked by the family when he tries to talk to them, but he doesn’t fight
back, even knowing he could tear them apart, because he cares for them. The
monster learns about himself and becomes more human outside, in nature.
On the flip side, Frankenstein himself becomes less
happy, less human and more miserable without nature. He is consumed in his
science and turns into a somewhat bad person. When he is at home he is
depressed and the only time he can gain some semblance of happiness is when he
is out in nature.
While we see the creation happen in a lab (science),
we see a lot of the interaction between the two men, Frankenstein and his
monster, happening outside, on an ice patch or mountain. (nature).
There is no doubt a juxtaposition between good and
bad, happy and sad, and nature and science. Science is looked at as trying to
harness nature and create it, and while this is true, nature is where the
monster grew, it is where he became self-aware. The monster was created in a
lab, but he eventually went back to nature and assimilated into nature once
again. While science tries toplay god, no matter what happens nature will run
its course. The natural order of nature will prevail, no matter what. Nature
is, according to Frankenstein, a more powerful force than science.
To Beau, Sean, and Bean
ReplyDeleteI completely agree that nature takes the cake. Although the monster of Frankenstein is a science experiment for Dr. V we see that the monster is more human by the end of the novel than Dr. V himself. The monster has more empathy than Dr. V and has more emotion in all aspects from feeling love and compassion, to hate and rage when in contrast we see Dr. V delving into science so much so that he neglects his family, will not come clean about the possibility that the monster he created is responsible or Justine's death (allows her to die), abandons his dream creation (the monster) to fend for himself and cannot understand why the monster is the way he is nor does he even possess the desire to empathize with the complex struggle for the monster trying to survive in a world that is so cruel and understanding to begin with. The Monster also spends all his time in nature becoming more closely intertwined with his surroundings as he survives and gains self-awareness. By the end of the novel we realize that nature wins because everyone in the class said they empathize with the monster and NO ONE said they empathized with Dr. V. Why? Because nature prevailed in that transforming an unnatural scientific creation into a being with humanity and the creator who is so deeply corrupted by science and out of touch with nature loses his humanity when entirely consumed by the unnaturalness of his created monster when in fact the monster is just trying naturally understand why everyone including the man who made him, hates him so much. Nature wins!
From Melissa and Damian
not understanding*
ReplyDeleteYour post suggests that the Romantics were right: being in nature is what makes us fully human.
ReplyDelete