FRANKESNTEIN*ESSAY**

TO*WHAT*EXTENT*DOES*YOUR*COMPARATIVE*STUDY*OF*FRANKESNTEIN*AND*BLADE-RUNNER-SUGGEST*THAT*THE*RELATION*
BETWEEN*SCIENCE*AND*NATURE*IS*IMPORTANT*UNIVERSAL*CONCERN.**
IN*YOUR*RESPONSE*MAKE*DETAILED*REFERENCE*TO*BOTH*TEXTS.*
Humanitys ardent desire to discover secrets of the nature had led humans to transgress beyond the boundaries
set by God. Humans such scientific pursuits had summoned dire ramifications that inflict destruction to their own
fragile frame. This fear is echoed by Mary Shellys gothic fictional novel Frankenstein (1818) and Ridley Scotts
film noir science fiction movie Blade Runner (1982) outlining their societal excessive scientific endeavours
degrading human identity. Through exploration of notions of Dangerous knowledge and true meaning of

humanity these texts didactically communicate their societal concerns aroused through humanitys ardent desire
to assimilate secrets of natural phenomena. Thus even after emerging with massive difference of time, these texts
are unified in their didactic universal appeal to fear of science and nature relationship.

Humanitys desire to acquire excessive knowledge had unleashed dire unseen consequences. It is this fear of
humanitys quest for knowledge, which influences Mary Shelly and Ridley Scott to communicate didactically to the
dangers of excess knowledge. In Frankenstein, the fear of excess knowledge is communicated by Victors selfimposed seclusion emphasized through alliteration, deep, dark, deathlike solitude. Through this Shelly portrays
societal isolation promoted through industrialisation. In addition, Victors symbolic warning, I wish the

gratification of your wishes may not be a serpent to sting you allows Shelly to portray unknown fears that might
circulate industrial endeavours.. In addition, Shelly utilises Victor assertive statement, my human nature turned

loathing from my occupation to comment on self-destruction that prevail solitary scientific pursuits. Victor after
creation of his monster describes its evil frame through grotesque imagery, his yellow skin scarcely hid the work

of muscles and arteries beneath demonstrating his lack of understanding for his creation. This portrayal of
Victors inability to accept moral obligations of his act of creation allows Shelly to comment on the necessity to
test moral obligations of scientific industrial pursuits of her society. Otherwise she foreshadows future undesirable

consequence through the example of Victors ambiguous statement, thus ended a day memorable to meIt

decided my future destiny. Shelly successfully establishes fearful link between science and nature through the
portrayal of ramification of dangerous excessive knowledge in order to call out her societal concerns of
industrialisation.

!
In Blade Runner excess knowledge similarly promotes fear. In contrast to Shellys modern society, the postmodern world of Ridley Scott had already indulged in excessive scientific endeavours creating world of
materialism. These excess scientific pursuits had created post modernistic hell as portrayed by dystopian opening
scene of Los Angeles 2019 where chiaroscuro of billowing flames pierces the darkness of night. In addition the
visual hell is void of children outlining societal degradation engendered by Reagen era of Scotts contemporary
society. Further the absence of nature and artificially cloned animals such as Zhoras snake and Tyrells owl
emphasizes the ecological degradation promoted by pollution in industrialised society. Thus Scott visually portrays
negative connotations surrounding science and nature engendered through excessive scientific pursuits of
knowledge. In Blade Runner Tyrell is reflection of Shellys scientist Victor Frankenstein. Tyrell is portrayed as
corporate God having a single mantra, commerce is our goal here at Tyrell. But this seemingly God like
identity, like Victor, fails to nurture his creation and this introduce dire consequences where Roy crushes his skull

diabolically murdering him like Victors monster, killing all that were dear to Victor. Through this Scott, like
Shelly, underscores necessity to control the creation otherwise dire consequences like pollution and ecological
destruction will hover over the society. Both Shelly and Scott explore negative relation between science and
nature that outline their societal fear instigated by scientific explorations.

The true meaning of humanity is constantly eroded by scientific pursuits of nature in both Frankenstein and
Blade Runner. In Frankenstein the doppelganger relationship between Victor and the creature blurs the
boundary between humanity and monstrosity. Shelly utilises religious allusion to Paradise lost to demonstrate the
doppelganger connection. Victor asserts, I was cursed by some deviland carried with me my eternal hell in

comparison to monsters angry tone uttering, I like the archfiend bore the hell within me. This seeming
resemblance of these statements blurs the boundary between humanity and monstrosity. Further, shelly utilises
romantic style of her era to emphasize the doppelganger relation of humanity and monstrosity. For Victor nature
summons negative feelings outlined through his melancholic tone, the rain depressed me and my old feeling

reoccurred in contrast to positive effect outlined through cheerful tone of the monster, my spirits were elevated
by enchanting presence of nature. This juxtaposition between the effect of nature on Victor and monster further
underscores the blurred nature of humanity. As human identity Victors lacks values of love and affection towards
nature and his exact opposite monster demonstrates such values. Through such portrayal of the doppelganger
human versus nature relationship, Shelly successfully outlines eroded presence of humanity endorsed through
secluded application of science desiring to unravel natural secrets.

Blade runner similarly questions the true meaning of humanity as eroded through corporate pursuits of profit.
Deckards simile, Replicants are like any other machines they are either benefits or hazards establishes replicants
as corporate commodities and thus demolishes their personal identity. In addition men utilises euphemistic
language, the killing of replicants was called retirementnot execution to justify his immoral actions. Through
these examples Scott portrays completely eradicated humanity in human identity as they lack true human values
of love and compassion towards their creations. This lack of humanity in human identity, allows Scott to
comment on his contemporary societal destruction of societal values of families enforced by Reagen era. Scott
further blurs the boundary between monstrosity and humanity by rendering these human values of love and
compassion in presumably non-human identities. Roy, the replicant, demonstrates his emotive connection for his
fellow Pris through emotive language, If we dont find help soonPris does not have long to live. In addition, his
God like status is promoted through religious symbolism, chiming of Church bell and release of white dove.
Through such ironic presence of human values in nonhuman identities the true meaning of humanity is blurred in
Blade Runner. This allows Scott to comment on the social irony enforced through mens negligence of core human
values in their scientific pursuits.

Both Frankenstein and Blade Runner portray humanitys ardent desire to unravel secrets of nature. Through such
forbidden desires the dire consequences are seen to be summoned in these texts. By exploration of dangerous
knowledge and true meaning of humanity, these texts didactically appeal to humanitys pursuits of nature.
Thus, even after emerging after massive difference of time, they strongly communicate universal concern of
nature and science relationship.