frankenstein, science in the 1800's

"Welcome to the 1800's! The Industrial Revolution has begun and the world is growing and changing every year. Europe carves up the globe into little pieces of economic pie, the United States cries “Westward Ho!” and Civil War breaks out between the North and the South. Human rights, the abolition movement, women's rights and child labor laws are all hot issues of the day. Europe and it’s children are bursting with vigor, ambition and industry while the rest of the world struggles to survive against them." (http://www.oakhillclothiers.com/Catalog/1800s/tabid/666/Default.aspx)



According to wikipedia "The year Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein, the scientific inventions of industrial revolution was on its way to impact the world. However, Mary Shelley believed that the industrial revolution was taking over the world and it would only lead to harm." She thought the the revolution was becoming too powerful, and she thought science would be so ahead of its time that scientists would lose control. I believe this reflects in Frankenstein because victor tries to use science for issues far greater than any possible experiment. He tries to take human life into his own hands with the use of electricity and science.
And it eventually becomes too much for him to handle. He eventually loses control of science, just as how Shelley thought society would lose control of science during the revolution.


-Michael Nazares