The chief obstacle to the progress of the human race is the human race (Don Marquis).

The acquirement of knowledge, and the subsequent progress of technolog de!oid of ethical and moral influence, destructi!el impact upon humanit "s core. This innate earning to e#cel has led to the e!olution of technolog and the subsequent de!olution of humanit . $ne!itabl , the threat of technolog e#ceeding humanit has pro!oked a sense of apprehension within certain composers who, while sub%ect to their surrounding conte#t, effecti!el e#plore the elements which constitute humanit and con!e similar warnings regarding the future of mankind through the use of representations within !ar ing forms of te#ts. The no!el &rankenstein (&) b Mar 'hell composed in ()(), and film *lade +unner (*+) directed b +idle 'cott in (,)-, embod the abo!e notions. . comparati!e stud of these te#ts re!eals that, despite the fact that the conte#t of composition moulded both works, the distinct uni!ersal ideologies embedded within each te#t consisting of the obsession of certain indi!iduals to push be ond natural limitations, due to their own m opic hubris, are ultimatel identical. These conceptual links are reinforced though the use of unif ing literar allusions and a humanist discourse focusing on the tensions associated with the ethics of creation and what constitutes humanit . 'ignificant te#ts, although sub%ect to time, ha!e the abilit to both reflect and challenge such constraints. Mar 'hell "s & is such a te#t as her literar , personal and historical conte#t form the foundations of the no!el. The +omantic mo!ement can be regarded as one of the ke influences which shape the te#t due to the representations of the imagination, indi!idualism and the enchanting appearance of nature. This mo!ement was a reaction against the /nlightenment which embraced reason, philosoph and science, and inspired the concept of gal!anism and Darwin"s theor of e!olution. During this period the focus on progress increased which, b opposing traditional beliefs, created a sense of fear amongst those who disagreed with, picking up shells beside the great and une#plored ocean of truth. &urthermore the no!el can be considered to be a gothic and modernised !ersion of the legend of 0rometheus. Man is the measure of all things, of the things that are that the are, and of the things that are not that the are not.0rotagoras" pronouncement applies perfectl to the protagonist and tragic hero of the no!el, 1ictor, whose obsession led him awa to a hell of intense tortures, such as no language can describe. 1ictor"s m opic hubris of chasing nature into her hiding places as he seeks to assume 2od"s prerogati!e, is foreshadowed b his father"s personalit earl in the te#t. 3is obsession with science is cemented when, as a teenager, he witnessed lightening reduce a tree to thin ribbons and was thus introduced to the ideas of electricit and gal!anism which caused him to set down natural histor and all its progen . 4hen reflecting upon this e!ent, 1ictor deems it as the last effort made b the spirit of preser!ation to a!ert the storm that was e!en then hanging in the stars, thus foreshadowing the subsequent e!ents. The film *+ pro!ides another e#ample of how a te#t is sub%ect to the deep seated influences of conte#tual forces as it depicts a pessimistic !iew of the future which represents the striking changes that took place during the (,)5s. This d stopic te#t e#aggerates the ke issues of globalisation, en!ironmental chaos, technolog , consumerism, commerce and population e#plosions. There is also an emphasis on the absence of nature as it is onl represented through s nthetic animals, such as the owl, and the motif of the constant rain which is oppressi!e as opposed to purif ing. 'cott"s focus upon the .sian ethnicit , as seen !ia the giant !isual of the 6apanese girl, alludes to the western fear of cultural

displacement and the continuous ad!ertising of the chance to begin again on off world colonies highlights the issue of o!er population. 'cott utilised a distinct film noir o!erla to s mbolise the dark uncertaint created when scientific progress leads to a regression of humanit as opposed to its ad!ancement. The ob%ecti!e of scientific ad!ancement within both te#ts can be separated into two categories7 that of noble intensions and that of personal greed. .lthough the creators in both te#ts aim to push the boundaries of nature, T rell"s ruling ideolog is profit as seen when he states, commerce is our goal here at T rell. More human than human is our motto. T rell"s dominance is established immediatel within the 3ades scene as the fires from his .8tec9like buildings are reflected b the e e. The iron of the T rell buildings reminiscing .8tec temples, in combination with the s mbolism of the e e bel ing not a soul but the destruction of natural laws, epitomises the near total loss of humanit and ascendanc of :progress". T rell"s pre!ailing position is again highlighted through the enormit of his office, as well as the contrast to the teeming populace in the streets below. 4hile 1ictor"s emotions fuel his reactions and decisions throughout the no!el, T rell is dictated b his intellect as opposed to his emotions. Despite this, both creators re%ect their creations, which is a mistake that leads to their demise. The impact of progress and the humanistic discourse of both te#ts is found at the core of the representations of the creations. $ronicall the question of what constitutes humanit is realised not through the achie!ements of the human race, but rather through the !irtues their creations possess. *oth te#ts can be considered to be reworks of 6ohn Milton"s 0aradise ;ost, though & takes on a more e#plicit approach, and *+ utilises an implicit and figurati!e representation. The creature in & is a tabula rasa whose soul, while untouched b humanities barbarit is beautiful, but whose bod is repellent. This contrasts, somewhat ironicall , with 1ictor"s !isual humanit but internal inhumanit . The more the creature learns through the obser!ations of his surroundings, in a similar wa as a child, and begins to feel the force of humanit "s cruel, re%ecting hand, the more he realises that he is apparentl united b no link to an other being in e#istence. The creature is indeed the other, or as Da!id Desser states, the monster, is 4oman. This concept, as well as the fact that 1ictor"s demise is a direct result of his male arrogance, allows the te#t to be !iewed from a feminist standpoint as, at its most profound le!el, is a 4oman"s no!el. The allusions to 0aradise ;ost are reaffirmed as the creature !owed eternal hatred and !engeance to all mankind, and subsequentl , the fallen angel becomes a malignant de!il. .llusions to 0aradise ;ost and feminism are similarl found in *+, howe!er 'cott"s humanistic discourse goes further than that of & as the replicants ha!e an understanding of passion and empath while being e#ploited as sla!es. The audience is forced to s mpathise with their plight and desire for life as the , specificall +o and +achel, represent the potential of humanit . +o "s comple# understanding of humanit , confronting aspects of emotion, and the fact that he is the embodiment of 'atan, .dam and <hrist, are brought to the fore when he unleashes re!enge against his creator, as well as through the final confrontation between himself and Deckard. 3is image as the redeemer is cemented in the film"s climatic chase sequence through the s mbolism of the spike through his right hand and release of the do!e, representing redemption and the 3ol 'pirit, as it flies toward the first da light shot of this entire noir film. Degrees of feminism are also addressed as all the female characters are quintessential femme fatales or pleasure models and the concept of equalit is ne!er brought

to the fore. +achel"s realisation of being a replicant is s mbolised at the beginning of the film as she literar and s mbolicall comes out of the shadows of uncertaint and into the truth, which ironicall leads her to gain further humanit . Deckard"s realisation that he is in fact a replicant is a significant element of the film as he picks up the artificial and m thical unicorn and nods in accepting recognition. /!identl , through the comparati!e assessment of the abo!e te#ts, it is clear that the representation and e#ploration of interaction between progress and humanit is a chief, uni!ersal concern. This concern, in combination with unif ing concepts, allows te#ts which are sub%ect to their time to e#ceed and challenge the boundaries of their conte#tual frameworks b resonating with newer audiences.