Often revered as a horrific work in science fiction, Mary Wollstencraft Shelley’s Frankenstein, is also an epoch work, written during the early nineteenth century when the European society and culture was undergoing dramatic change, in the threshold of the first industrial revolution. While the novel is considerably Gothic in its style and approach, it abundantly touches on the romantic sentiments of the time. The paper presents a review of the work, in relation to the historical context in which it was written, and attempts to analyze the socio-cultural and philosophical issues addressed by Mary Shelly, with special reference to the books approach to science and medicine as well as nature, gender and family.

Written is pursuance to Lord Byron’s proposal of writing a ghost story during the summer of 1816, Mary Wollstencraft Shelley’s Frankenstein, is one of the first and most enduring Gothic novels of the English literary tradition. Gothic literature, a genre of the Romantic Movement that started in the late eighteenth century and extending to about three decades into the nineteenth century, is characterized by the portrayal of elements of horror and supernatural occurrences, aimed at evoking terror in the readers. However, underneath the seemingly ghastly horror story, Mary Shelly steadfastly, at times discreetly, comments on the romantic sentiments and presents her anxieties of living in an age of “new beginnings and high possibilities,” insinuated by the scientific inventions of the time.

Frankenstein presents the tragic story of an egocentric doctor Victor Frankenstein, who obsessed with the idea of creating life, explores the realm of the supernatural. He assembles body parts of dead men to create a man and animates the Creature. However, Dr. Frankenstein is horrified to see his own creation and casts off the Creature when it wakes up. Others also reject the Creature due to his obscure features and the apparent evil nature. To share his solitude he demands Dr. Frankenstein to create a mate for him, and out of frustration sets out to kill Victor’s family. Though Dr. Frankenstein ultimately creates a mate for the Creature, he kills her at the horrifying realization that the two Creatures might reproduce. In retribution, the Creature kills Dr. Frankenstein’s wife, Elizabeth on their wedding night. The Creature eventually kills his creator, Dr. Frankenstein. [Shelly, 1818]

Thus Frankenstein presents the tragedies accompanying man’s unchecked intellectual aspiration, rather delusion, to control nature – to become ‘the creator’ than ‘the created’ – triggered by the advancements in science and technology. However, as the creature declares: "Remember that I have power; ... I can make you so wretched that the light of day will be hateful to you. You are my creator, but I am your master,” [Shelly, 148]Dr. Frankenstein’s morally irresponsible aspirations created a monstrous master, capable of destroying not only the creator, but also human civilization itself. The story is presented both from the perspective of Dr. Frankenstein and also from that of his listener, Captain Walton, who muses similar aspirations in the natural sciences.

As could be seen, Frankenstein was written during the early Victorian era – t he socio-political landscape of the period was represented a crisis in humanism: the failure of the French Revolution [Botting, 1991] However, the period, heralded by first industrial revolution, was still characterized by a strong conviction that the scientific developments would bring about rapid and far-reaching changes to the society. [Mellor, 1988] The extent to which the changes would be beneficial to mankind was debated by many; however, the developments in the field of physics, chemistry and natural sciences etc were generally perceived to impart increasing power to man to exercise control over nature. Through the disastrous fate of her character Frankenstein, Mary Shelley prophetically cautions the dangers inherent in rampant scientific advancements and exploitation of nature, typical of the technological society.

Mary Shelley herself uses some of the latest technological inventions of her time in Frankenstein. She equates the electric spark, a new discovery of science, to the divine fire of the Prometheus myth; and the resultant galvanization process is used to animate Frankenstein’s monster. However, Mary Shelly foreshadows the perils inherent in man’s quest for knowledge to take control of nature, as Frankenstein states, “Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, and how happier the man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow.” [Shelley, 1818; 39] In forewarning the tragedy that ensues man’s overreaching aspirations, Mary Shelly, the only daughter of philosopher William Godwin’s and wife of the Romantic poet P.B. Shelly, makes a formidable comment on the romantic sentiment of her times.

While critiques many a time claim that Frankenstein is the first authentic illustration of the genre called science fiction, the novel is little based on valid or in-depth scientific research; and as Mellor suggests, it offers a humanistic critique of the very nature of scientific thinking drawing on certain specific technological inventions of her time. [Mellor, 1988] The novel essentially presents a romantic approach to the disastrous possibilities of the new scientific discoveries – the scientific and medical research prevalent in Europe on the application of electricity to induce and sustain life, as exemplified by Galvani in 1791. Shelly presents a stark criticism on pursuing the potentialities of science and medicine without ethics and conscience.

Frankenstein also presents Mary Shelly’s feminist sentiments, a trait perhaps garnered from her feminist mother Mary Wollstonecraft, the author of A Vindication of the Rights of Women, as she touches upon the elements of family, gender and as well as her observations on man’s dominance over nature. It is striking to note that Mary Shelly presents nature as a passive female –as Professor Waldman teaches Frankenstein: the scientist “penetrate into the recesses of nature, and show how she works in her hiding places” [Shelley, 1818; pg. 34] – the sole existence of which is considered as aimed at satiating man’s desire for power and dominance. The far-reaching effects of scientific revolution are implied by the harmful consequences of the increasing exploitation of nature and environment.

When analyzed from a feminist perspective, Frankenstein could be seen as an illustration of the tragedy ensuing man’s creation of life, without the crucial participation of women. Mary Shelly seemingly foresaw the possible exclusion of women from her sole and vital role in the society --reproduction and sustenance of life. In the development and education of the monster, Mary Shelley how the nurturing of a loving parent is extremely important in the moral development of an individual. It is imperative to note that the Victorian ideals of womanhood were essentially centered on the reproductive role of women and their role as caretakers of the family; Frankenstein in a way reprimands the advancement of science to the disadvantage of women and family in society. However, the fact that the monstrous creature also seeks a mate and loves to a have a family, points to the indispensability of women and family in the society.

Thus, it may be surmised that Mary Shelley's ghastly tale of Frankenstein goes beyond the percepts of a grotesque ghost story, and offers a philosophical insight into the possible consequences of ethically indifferent scientific and technological development. [Mellor, 1988]