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NAME
English
4 March 2012
Modern Day Prometheus
"Learn from me . . . how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge,
and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world
than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow."
(Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus)
Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus is a well known novel by one of the most
prominent women writers of English literature - Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. It is known to
be the story written on the edge of the two eras in English literature. In fact, Shelley was the
part of Romantic Movement alongside such poets like Samuel Taylor Coleridge, William
Wordsworth, Percy Shelley and Lord Byron, etc. Altogether, they were greatly exposed and
influenced by the Romanticism era that had a deep reflection on their work. Thus,
Frankenstein was written by Mary Shelley in the context of the great changes.
French Revolution deeply echoed in society and literature, as well as the English
Industrial Revolution of the 18th Century influenced on Mary Shelley's life and work.
Eighteenth and nineteenth century Europe was fascinated with scientific exploration and
experimentation. The novel was aimed to manifest the urge of romantics among those
changes. In fact, dehumanization, mass production of the Industrial Revolution had to pose a
threat to the Romantic ideals dramatically. Ideals of the beauty of nature, importance of the
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individual, and the emotional and free spirit were undermined. That gave birth to
Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus.
Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus, can be viewed as a protest against the great
scientific revolution. Like Prometheus from an ancient myth, the main hero of the story, a
creature of Victor Frankenstein was born to show the humans the brand new. Just like the
ancient god Zeus Victor discovers the means by which it is possible to imbue an inanimate
matter with life. That is how Prometheus was introduced to the world.
From a young age Frankenstein was curious and intelligent. He had an urge to possess
godlike features and divine powers. Indeed, he was intelligent, sensitive, and passionate about
his own interests and became totally absorbed in the quest to find out what can create life.
With ultimate drive and fervor, being inspired by masters of medieval alchemy, he set about
constructing a creature, perhaps intending to create a companion. Frankenstein also learns to
distinguish between ancient myths and current fact, resolving to “pioneer a new way to
unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation.” However, Shelley describes the way of
Frankenstein's monster creation through alchemy, by means of piecing together of corpses, or
a combination of the two. In the novel the episode of creation is stated through the use of
bones from charnel-houses where corpses were kept at the time. (Chapter 4, volume 1)
However, when the creature was awakened, Victor was disgusted. The matter is that
he intended the creature to be beautiful creation of the human being genius, a godlike, etc. In
fact, doctor was so obsessed with creation of life issues that he completely forgot about his
family, became selfish and alienated. As he later mentioned, he was really “misled by
passion” and that was under “the evil influence” of “the Angel of Destruction, which asserted
omnipotent sway over him from the moment he turned his reluctant steps from his father's
door.”
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Anyway, he reached his goal and satisfied his urge for knowledge and creation of the
new life. It is only after the creation of the demon Victor started thinking about the
consequences of his own actions. If only Prometheus could foresee the consequences of his
own actions! Victor’s obsession had apparently blinded him from doing that before, indeed.
Nevertheless, he does not take any responsibility for what has happened. In fact, he satisfied
his thirst for divine and godlike power of creation, he satisfied his ambitions and realized that
he was the only one human that managed to design the creature, make the inanimate move
and live. However, he seems quite eager to forget all about it, but of course the monster will
not let him forget and reminds of him with his own story.
Perhaps only after the monster has told Victor his story, creator does feel some
compassion, indeed. He even has a feeling of responsibility of his creation.
However, the responsibility for his fellow human beings eventually takes over, as
Victor decides not to comply with the monster's request after all. This sense of compassion
for the demon completely disappears when Elizabeth is killed. The only thing that Victor can
feel after that point is hate. “His sole purpose in life, which used to be creating life from
lifeless matter, now becomes avenging his family and friends by killing that newly created
life: the monster.” (www.english-e-corner.com/britishliterature)
However, it is not surprising that the title of the novel The Modern Prometheus refers
to the figure from Greek mythology that was responsible for a conflict between humans and
the Greek gods. The conflict between the creature and creator is obvious, as well as between
the human beings and the creature. Besides, Prometheus also refers to the story of
Prometheus the plasticator who managed to create and animate mankind out of clay.
(www.english-e-corner.com/britishliterature) Thus, due to the creating aspect, Prometheus
became a symbol for the artist - creator in the eighteenth century within the fast developing
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scientific progress conditions. In addition, the idea of creator and the created conflict can be
defined as the leading one in the story. Adam and Eve and God; Prometheus and Zeus;
Monster and Victor; Parents and Victor, etc.
Speaking about the story as the whole, it is considered to be a sort of an allegory that
was implemented to depict and reveal the peculiarities of an early Industrial Revolution
phase, at a time of dramatic and irrevocable change. What greater power could there exist in
comparison with the act of creation of life? The answer to the question made Victor search
for ultimate power or godhood.
Thus, Frankenstein and his utter disregards for the animal and human were gathered
in his pursuit of god power. In fact, the most rebellious and undermining turned out to be the
idea that it could be taken as symbolic of the rampant forces of laissez-faire capitalism extant
at
the
time
and
their
basic
disregard
for
human
dignity.
(www.english-e-
corner.com/britishliterature) Besides, the creation rebels against its creator further on. That
was a message of the author clear enough that irresponsible uses of technologies can have
unconsidered consequences. It is not surprising then that Frankenstein argues that the creature
will only double his efforts to destroy mankind if presented with a partner, and refuses
despite the creature’s threats of revenge. And that was rather prophetic assumption, indeed.
In addition, some critics consider that there is a search for ultimate power or godhood
behind Frankenstein's experiments. Indeed, the greater power could be the act of life creation.
The most significant was the fact that Doctor Frankenstein and his own, though, subtle and
implicit, but utter disregard for the animals, as well as the human remained gathered in his
own obsessive pursuit of power. It can truly be taken as symbolic meaning of some rampant
forces of laissez-faire capitalism that was developing at the time of Industrial Revolution, its
extant at the time and the basic disregard for human dignity that was also an integral part of
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the progress, total decline of human respect of human dignity and priceless value of life as it
is.
“The novel became one of the triumphs of the Romantic movement due to its themes
of alienation and isolation and its warning about the destructive power that can result when
human creativity is unfettered by moral and social concerns” (Moss and Wilson). It is also
should be noted that Mary Shelley’s 18th century Romantic novel Frankenstein raises the
same questions about a scientist’s quest to produce a living creature from the human parts. It
is rather a burning issue even nowadays in the modern world. In fact, when Dr. Frankenstein
decides to abandon his own creation out of remorse and horror, the monster sets out on a
quest of his own in order to connect with the rest of human-kind.
Dr. Frankenstein and his creature’s parallel journeys lead both characters and readers
to find out the answer to the question of the nature of humanity, the rights of their living, and
the responsibility of science in front of the whole humanity. In fact many people in modern
days appreciate these questions as they are facing many of the same issues even now they are
still burning and very important.
The search for self-identity, as well as the roles of technology verses humanity, and
the responsibility they have to others are the leading motifs of the story about the modern
Prometheus. Prometheus is an innovator; he is the impersonation of the brand new era, era of
progress. It will be interesting to find the re-visioning the common views of Dr.
Frankenstein’s creature and the creator himself and will form contemporary connections as
they also explore the role of parent-child relationships in Shelley’s Gothic tale alongside the
creator and his brainchild.
Moreover, there is the theme of creation rebelling against its creator, growth and
corruption of the monster. In fact, there is a clear message that the worst that can happen to
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the mankind is unconsidered consequences in the case of irresponsible uses of new
technologies and scientific solutions. Besides, it is impossible not to notice that absolutely
distinct parallels between Prometheus and Victor Frankenstein can be found in the novel.
Hence, Victor Frankenstein can be viewed as the modern day Prometheus. He
managed to defy the gods by creating life himself. Victor takes God's place and becomes the
creator, instead of being the created. Just as Prometheus, Victor gets punished for his deeds
just like Prometheus. However, he is punished by his creation whereas Prometheus was
punished by the god who he stole the fire from. Perhaps, that is why the book also touches
upon the ethics of creating life and has innumerable biblical allusions in its context that are
used by the author to intensify the idea. “Just as Prometheus went too far to give mankind the
mysteries of the gods, Victor goes too far in discovering the mysteries of God by trying to
defy death and learn how to create life.”
(http://www.lordalford.com/frankenstein/frankenstein.htm)
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Works Cited
A Teacher’s Guide to the Signet Classics Edition of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, 2005.
"Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft." The Bloomsbury Guide to Women's Literature. New York:
Prentince Hall General Reference, 1992.
Foglesong, Marilee, ed. Lives and Works: Young Adult Authors. Vol. 7. Danbury,
Connecticut: Grolier Educational, 1999.
Moss, Joyce, and George Wilson. Literature and Its Times: Profiles of 300 Notable Literary
Works and the Historical Events that Influenced Them. Vol. 1. New York: Gale,
1997.
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. New York: Bantam Books, 1981.
http://www.english-e-corner.com/britishliterature
http://www.lordalford.com/frankenstein/frankenstein.htm