Frankenstein Theme of Science

Frankenstein is in one sense the literary manifestation of an entire population’s fear of scientific advancement. It serves both as a reflection of present times and a warning for the future. In another sense, Shelley doesn’t condemn science itself, but rather the abuse and misuse of it by ignorant or irresponsible individuals. Either way, Frankenstein would warn us to proceed with caution as we continue to discover and to create.

Questions About Science

1. How is alchemy portrayed in Frankenstein? What if we consider Victor’s natural philosophy professor? What if we consider the work Victor does in building a monster?
2. What’s the difference, in this book, anyway, between "alchemy" and "science"? Does Victor see them as the same thing? Is this the real problem here, that he’s calling it "science" when it is clearly not? Or is what he does science after all?
3. What is it about science that is terrifying enough to merit a cautionary tale about obsessively pushing the boundaries of that field?

Chew on This

Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.

Victor considers his creation to be an act of science, while the rest of society deems it unnatural and evil. In fact, Frankenstein argues that there is no difference between the two.