Samantha Sellers Mr. Molinet English 12A - 4 16 March 2014 Frankenstein Literary Analysis Science and Life !

he "ngoing Str#ggle An ongoing str#ggle e$ist on ho% science is to &e a''lied to life. Science itself is com'letely &ased on o&ser(ation and facts. )o%e(er in real life* there is more than fact to &e considered. Life is com'le$ for emotion* o'inion* and &elief* as %ell as fact* contri&#te. A 'rime e$am'le of this ongoing str#ggle is Mary Shelley+s Frankenstein. ,ictor Frankenstein first hand e$'eriences non-ethical science as he e$'eriences the effects of his -reation. Science itself cannot tell #s ho% to li(e. !here is m#ch more to life than '#rely science. Life contains emotion* o'inion* and &eliefs. Altho#gh science may &e fact* it cannot o(erride the other com'le$ities of life. !he 'hiloso'hy of science is irrele(ant if one allo%s kno%ledge to o(err#n him. .n ,ictor+s case* he &ecomes so cons#med %ith science that it o(ertakes him. )e allo%s it to disintegrate his 'hysical and mental health. As %ell* he seeks this kno%ledge for his o%n 'o%er* e(en if it means h#rting others s#ch as his -reation or &ystanders. !his is the e$act reason that the )i''ocratic "ath %as created. .f science tells #s ho% to li(e* one cannot determine %hat is ethically right. Science then %ill &e in (ain and h#rt those %ho it tries to e$'lain. Scientific reasoning sho#ld 'lay the role of reasoning in society. !his reasoning hel's 'ro(e %hat something is. )o%e(er* this reasoning sho#ld not &e #sed solely. Ethics and morals as %ell sho#ld &e #sed in con/#nction. 0itho#t ethics and morals &eing contri&#ted* science can r#n am#ck. For e$am'le* ,ictor %as &eyond ca#ght #' in creating his -reation* he did not sto' to

think ho% this %o#ld affect the -reation. )e did not consider that it %o#ld &e &ro#ght into a lonely* desolate %orld of hatred. !he -reation %o#ld li(e a life of nothingness. !his is a 'rime e$am'le as to %hy scientific reasoning is scientific. .t may gi(e #s facts* &#t it does not address morals and ethics of %hich are of e1#al im'ortance. .f scientific logic and reasoning %ere the only consideration* others li(es %o#ld &e greatly in danger. 2o matter %hat the conse1#ence* scientist %o#ld go to all 'ossi&le lengths to e$'lain the %orld. !he -reation %as created %itho#t concern for others. !he conse1#ence for ,ictor is that his yo#nger &rother %as &r#tally m#rdered* 3#stine is #n/#stly tried* and so forth. ,ictor did not consider the ethics and morality of his actions* and therefore he m#st 'ay the 'rice. 4#e to ,ictor+s &latant ignorance to ethics* he m#st deal %ith the conse1#ences of his -reation. Life is too com'le$ to &e solely defined &y fact. Frankenstein+s -reation had its o%n emotions and o'inions for it %as h#man-like too. 4#e to ignoring ethics* ,ictor has to deal %ith the conse1#ences of his actions %hich #ltimately lead to many deaths of his lo(ed ones. Frankenstein &y Mary Shelley is a 'rime e$am'le on %hy the &attle of ethics and science e$ist. Altho#gh one may gain 'o%er and kno%ledge* it may &e all in (ain if it does more %rong than good.