Choose one of the following questions and respond using textual evidence as well as evidence from your own observations, or other sources. Remember to use appropriate and professional tone when disagreeing with someone's opinions. Make sure to include T.A.G + P in your response.
1.) Is it dangerous or wrong to be ambitious? What might a person have to sacrifice to achieve a goal?
2.) Should scientist tamper with the "elixir of life"? To what extent do you believe in scientific experimentation for the benefit of humankind i.e. stem cell research, cloning, etc.?
3.) What is the duty of a parent? Should people undergo psychological evaluations before becoming parents?
Enter your response to ONE of the questions here.
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DeleteIn Mary Shelley's gothic novel Frankenstein, the creator of the monster, Victor Frankenstein, uses his abilities to create something beyond normal life form as we know it. Through this creation of a monster, Mary Shelley begins to reveal to us the resources we have and the way we utilize them. In this scenario, it is controversial between if this is infact something beneficial, or if it solely a negative tampering with the elixir of life. Tying in present day to the book Frankenstein, we can find people in the world doing this. Victor Frankenstein created the monster with good intentions. He say, “The innocent and helpless creature bestowed on them by heaven, whom to bring up to good, and whose future lot it was in their hands to direct to happiness or misery, according as they fulfilled their duties towards me.” With the thoughts that the creature will become what Victor raises it to be. Just as today we are creating inventions such as self checkout machines to make our way of living easier, however we as humans are losing jobs in the process. Mary Shelley begins to unfold a significantly strong message. Sometimes we may have the intentions to create things that can better our way of life, but in the midst of our discoveries we are not always sure of the end product and consequences it may come with. Tampering with the elixir of life can be useful to an extent, however we come to know that it is only to an extent. We must be cautious of what we choose to tamper with, because it can lead to betrayal and the downfall of men just like Victor Frankenstein’s creation.
The Gothic novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley exerts a powerful lesson over judgment and being prejudice that is relevant in today’s generation. Throughout the novel, one of the main characters, Victor, acts churlish in every form possible when the monster is present. He exclaims “Devil” and “vile insect” in a scene in the novel. Victor’s claims relate to today’s generation because by observation, especially on social media, there are judgmental people who act acerbic against innocent people. Just like anyone else in the world, the monster felt abashed of himself and his appearance especially since his own “creator” could not take him in and comfort him. The monster would ask questions such as, “how, then, must I be hated, who am miserable beyond all living things!” He would was confused and was never contented on who he was. Today’s society even back in the day, people would come to judge you for either your race, ethnicity, appearance, and judge you based on who you are on the outside but never the inside. I feel as if Mary Shelley had a great purpose on revealing this lesson throughout her novel, and slowly revealing an issue that is oppressive and seen all over the world.
DeleteFirst, I would like to say that I completely agree with the point that you made with comparing Victors claims to today's generation. In general, most people tend to make assumptions about others so much that it gets harder for people to communicate with each other without judging each other by their appearance or other factors such as race, ethnicity, or language. Such as you stated in the latter part of your response to the question, even in the past, our society has segregated those who are different or disturb the social norm. Luckily, there have been people who rise up in light of these injustices and prove that they are just like everybody else. Unfortunately ,the same can't be said for the monster as he was immediately cast away from the Delacey family without so much as a chance to explain itself. Like you stated, the issue that Mary Shelley is trying to convey is that there will always be an oppressive force that will bring down everyone else.-Brandon Chan
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DeleteIn the Gothic Novel "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley, Shelley depicts a very controversial topic through one of the main character's actions. Victor Frankenstein, creator of the monster, is put in a position where his actions to bring the monster to life based on his own personal desires depict that controversial theme of "man v.s nature". Being a scientist, Victor decided to almost "play god" and tamper with the elixir of life. Only due to personal desires he decided to bring the monster to life, but his own expense many people and families were harmed and killed. Being that in his eyes his experimentation failed to create the life he desired due to its "horrid" looks. In my opinion, as a scientist Victor Frankenstein was completely in the wrong for doing so for several reasons. Their was no hypothesis nor end goal in creating the monster. Victor simply felt the need and satisfaction from creating such monster. Even in our said day and age, publicly scientific tampering with life itself is very well not only illegal but also very morally and ethically wrong. Cloning is so far illegal in the US as well as any "splicing" or genetic mutation of DNA, so why would it be okay for Victor to create a monster? I think if we continue to tamper with the idea of life physically we will eventually find ourselves altering the course of life itself. I am a huge believer in everything happens for a reason, so we should always just let life ride itself out and be what it's going to be. If you change the natural course of destiny and seek to prolong and abuse the "elixir of life" you might quickly find yourself fighting the poisonings of your ambitions much quicker than you will find yourself cherishing said "elixir".
In the short story “Frankenstein”, by Mary Shelley it shows the theme of ambition in which the main character Victor portrays ambition to reach a goal which then realises that for his own selfishness he created something evil something he should’ve never created.Theres is some ambition to other characters as well like the monster who’s ambition is to eliminate all of victors loved one’s and ruin his prosperity as revenge.Moreover, based on the book their ambition brought them to no good however they accomplished their goal but nobody won .Their ambition led them to give up their pride andvas for victor ,his family their life to a bitter ending.Therefore it is dangerous to have and ambition towards a goal that probably result in problems or inadequate.For example famous people they sure have all the riches that regular people struggling envy but they can’t really live in peace without constantly being stalked or bothered .Although some people have that ambition for money and fame so they do negative things like praising to the devil and they reach their goal but their soul is now in his possession and that is the most precious possession in the after life and well they just sacrificed their soul. So in point it is wrong to have an ambition towards a negative goal that includes sacrificing yourself or your loved ones and maybe a worthy possession.
ReplyDeleteTo begin with,I completely agree with your statement that Mary Shelley reveals the theme of ambition through the main character, Victor Frankenstein and other minor characters in the novel. Additionally, I am fond of your analysis, however the conclusion you drew from your observations is very specific, and cannot completely be applied to Victor's situation. Yes, ambition can be dangerous when intending to reach an irrational goal. Although Frankenstein did have a goal in mind, he planned to achieve it with the best intentions, completely oblivious of the end results. He was not aware of what would occur. My point is that, ambition is not always dangerous, but it CAN be. For example, ambition is what has driven scientists to their greatest discoveries. Driven by ambition, Watson and Crick performed painstaking research that lead them to fully draw out the structure of DNA. Try not to say, "it is dangerous to have ambition." Instead, say. "It can be dangerous to have ambition."
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ReplyDeleteMary Shelley's novel "Frankenstein" revolves around protagonist Victor Frankenstein whom is characterized as ambitious. Yes, having ambition may lead you to a great amount of success and even notoriety, but there are negative effects as there are to everything. Ambition can lead to one's downfall and that is exactly what happened to our main character after he tries to tamper with life. He was so consumed in his passion that he ignored everything -- loved ones, health, and his entire life. As a result of seeking for his answer, he creates a "monster" that ends up destroying every aspect of happiness he ever held in the palms of his hands. His ambition dug his own grave. So yes, I do believe too much ambition is dangerous. You end up hurting yourself in the process. You lose the person you once were due to that growing desire. Things become ignored and hurt. You end up trading in your old life for an endless consumption of what you want, which will eventually turn into what you NEED. Ambition is an important aspect of reaching a goal, but when one is consumed with too much, it turns into greed and disbelief.
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DeleteYour points and arguments are very similar to how I portrayed the novel. I completely agree when you state that Victor "dug his own grave" because he was the one who tampered with nature or the "elixir of life" as he would call it. Ambition is something people need to aim for to better themselves, yet Victor turns it into something that makes his life worse. He has isolated himself and pushed others away just to "succeed" in his creation. In the end, he leads to his own downfall. Furthermore, his actions toward his ambition have always gone against him such as his family dying. Victor should have learned to live a different life once he has lost everything. He has continued to add on to his suffering with his revenge at the end of the novel. Like you mentioned, his greed took over all throughout his life.
DeleteSalena, I really enjoyed how you responded to these topics very well. And I also agree with your views on this topic a lot. It indeed clearly is evident how Victor "dug his own grave" through his ambition, but all that remains in my head is to what extent he did so? So i have a couple questions that separate my exact point of view from yours. One of them being, If anybody in history was never ambitious, would we have as many accomplishments as we do today? And if it is okay to be ambitious, to what extent? Now think about everyone that's ever made any contribution to our world as whole. People such as artists, musicians, politicians, scientists, etc. They were and are all highly ambitious and sadly that ambition for the goal they seek is greater than any other circumstance that may factor into their lives personally. In my opinion, ambition is in a way a risk and leap of faith. Even at sometimes it is a sacrifice. Victor had the ambition and drive to achieve a goal in which he sit his mind to , just as any other successful person does, but sadly his leap of faith not only ended causing him more damage than success but it did others as well. But in my opinion, that's the name of the game when it comes to risk and ambition. We all aim to be and contribute to something greater than ourselves, sometimes we lose ourselves in the process but the outcome is a learning experience none the less.
Delete“My life might have been passed in ease and luxury, but I preferred glory to every enticement that wealth placed in my path.” Frankenstein, the novel written by the dauntless Mary Shelley, illustrates how ambition is very dangerous at times. Throughout her novel, Victor Frankenstein. He was fascinated with the “secret of life”; he was full of light in the beginning of his wonders. Once he got what he hoped to achieve, he was not proud or blithe. In fact, he was disgusted by his own creation. Rather than being content and sharing to the world an amazing discover he unfolded he kept his creation a secret. His secret is what destroyed him. He lost his youngest brother, best friend, wife and father. When you are too passionate about something it can be a positive or negative feature to your life. For instance, in Victor’s situation his goal did not turn out the way he expected therefore it he ended up being ashamed of it and disregarding it. At this point he was torn amongst all the tragedies that had recently occured, he began to perceive himself as a failure. A person who is afraid of failure will never grow. Victor was cruel to the monster; not taking into consideration on what he felt. What someone might have to sacrifice to achieve a goal is to be able to get rid of their distractions for the time being that they are focused. Although distractions can be good at times, they are also very harmful.
ReplyDeleteTo start off, I would like to say that your response to the first question is appropriate and professional. The way I portrayed the novel is very similar to how you explained your points and arguments. I agree with you when you stated that, “ambition is very dangerous at times” because in the gothic novel, Frankenstein, Mary Shelley illustrates how Victor was fascinated with the “secret of life.” Victor Frankenstein does achieve his goal of creating life with his own hands, but as the novel progresses, the audience can interpret the situation as a horrible thing because Frankenstein saw how ugly the monster was and just left him. Lastly, what I would like to add is, ambition may lead you to success or downfall depending on how you handle the situation around you.
Delete"When you are too passionate about something it can be a positive or negative feature to you life". I completely agree with what you stated here. I also enjoyed your perception on failure and how you connected everything to the novel. Not only did you use academic tone words and good sentence structure, but you also made everything flow reeky nicely. For the most part we have similar opinions when it comes to this particular topic. I get the relevance that you are trying to bring in when you are talking about how Victor wasn't consent even if he did create something with such high praise worthiness. Sometimes in life we end up working too hard for something that we don't even end up appreciating in the end.
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ReplyDeleteIn Mary Shelley’s novel “Frankenstein” , she discuss being ambitious through several of her male characters, most notably Victor Frankenstein. When the novel first begins we are introduced to Robert Walton, which we are able to see many of Victor’s traits mirrored in this character. His ambition to create life is parallel to Walton’s desire to reach the north pole. What Victor and Walton have in common is that they will stop at nothing in their pursuit of glory. Having ambition is one of the strongest characteristics in life , but it is also one of the most dangerous.This overreaching ambition tends to manifest in the novel in many ways. One being it causing complete failure which leads to a characters downfall. Victors ambition to creating life is what lead to his downfall. He was too focused on pursuing his goal that he ignored all the possible consequences and people he could possibly harm. Once he achieved his goal, he gave life to the Monster , but took others rights of living away. His ambition is what destroyed him internally. So yes, in my opinion having ambition is not always a good thing. Your own ambition can lead to arrogance hurting loved ones and yourself in the process of it. Having ambition is a very important aspect in pursuing a goal but having unchecked ambition or too much of it can only lead to tragedy.
ReplyDeleteTo begin with, I really like how you answered prompt number one. You did a great job at answering the question. I enjoyed how you included a brief summary, related the topic to the novel, and then answered then shared your opinion on whether ambition is dangerous or wrong. I agree with your statement that an excess amount of ambition can be dangerous because it can cause a person to devote their entire life into one specific thing and isolate themselves from the rest of society. Seeing how Victor strayed away from his loved ones in order to work on a project that caused him so many problems comes to show that ambition can lead to the downfall of a character.
DeleteMy views on how ambition affects lives in varying degrees match up with what you’re saying; that, while ambition is an important and powerful characteristic to have in life, becoming blinded by it is just as easy and dangerous as it is. Ambition, from how I see it, is closely related to the idea of pride and arrogance, and too much of it can create an aura of destruction around someone, negatively impacting not only the person, but those around them as well. Also, I completely agree with your statement that having unchecked ambition can only lead to tragedy; it is important to be mindful and reflective of our own ambition in order to avoid being absorbed in it to avoid tragedy in life, as was the case in Victor’s.
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ReplyDeleteIt is not wrong to be ambitious, though it can be dangerous if the person is blind to everything else other than that ambition. In Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, Victor’s ambition to create life causes him to face some terrible consequences. His role to play God in the novel backfires on him making him lose all the people he loves. Even during the building of the monster, Victor’s determination toward his ambition causes him to do unspeakable things like when he “dabbled among the unhallowed damps of the grave or tortured the living animal to animate the lifeless clay” (Shelley, 66). He mentions that he is not disturbed or frightened in doing showing that he is not normal. He then refers to the feeling of when his eyes were coming out of their sockets as he focuses on his creation and deprives himself of sleep. Not only this, but he got sick every night by contracting a small fever because he “kept his workshop of filthy creation” causing him to live in an unstable environment (Shelley, 67). Furthermore, the secrecy of his creation leads to him not contacting his family for over two years. This isolation had him blind to the people around him as he mentions how he “shunned his fellow creatures.” Finally, the novel has shown multiple times that he was saved by either family or friend when he is sick or in trouble. This reveals how isolation toward ambitions is not the answer in achieving it, but rather a downfall to oneself.
Your argument is extremely potent and valid. The most eye capturing analysis is when it did not frighten him to dig through grave yards. In essence, I would like to further your analysis by saying that his ambition numbs him to his own feelings -- natural human feelings. Has his ambition been prioritized to the extent that he feels the need to shut off emotions? Anyone digging through a grave would feel frightened, guilty, and cautious but not Victor. I applaud you for bringing up that statement. His ambition has furthered himself from society.
DeleteThe gothic fiction story called Frankenstein by Mary Shelley describes the relationship between a scientist and a Monster. The scientist is responsible for creating the monster therefore is considered the “Parent” to the creature. Victor the creator abandons his creation and these actions make the readers question what the duty of a parent really is. In my opinion, I feel the duty of a parent is to comfort and guide their children into this complicated world. In fact, according to psychology the first years are crucial in children and without physical interaction the child can feel neglected or stuck in the same place. Which is how the Monster felt when Victor abandoned him and he was alone with no guidance. For instance, in chapter 13 the Monster expresses to Victor that, “ Of my creation and creator I was absolutely ignorant, but I knew that I possessed no money, no friends, no kind of property.” He felt he was not attached to anything and therefore missing the same love he didn’t receive. I’m not sure people should undergo psychological evaluations before becoming parents because we all have that natural parental instinct it’s up to us to access them. For example, some teenagers or young adults have children and mentally think they aren’t prepare but it is only fearing telling them they can’t do it. However, there is a small percentage that are not cut out to be parents which is where I think Victor falls under. He wasn’t aware what he was getting himself into and didn’t expect to take responsibility for it.
ReplyDeleteYour comment highlights the juxtaposition of the monster's mental state and his physical appearance. The monster is in fact a child, and is treated like a murderer, you cannot expect someone to be treated like this and react in a positive way, especially if you did not grow in a loving environment that teaches you the cruel realities of the world. From your perspective I noticed that the relationship between Frankenstein and the monster can symbolize broken families, and how although there is no love and affection shown on the parent's part, their some children still manage to find a way to educate themselves. Although the child is not responsible for where they come from, they are responsible for where they go from there.
DeleteThe points you provided was very valid. The example you pointed about how the creation is a child and needs guidance from a parent. Also with how chapter 13 you showed victors point of view of his creation that he left alone by him selves. Victors connection with creation can be relatable how some people are not cut to be a parent and that's a great point.
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DeleteIn Mary Shelley's timeless novel Frankenstein, the protagonist, Victor Frankenstein, goes far beyond any other scientific experiments and finds an unnatural way to create life. Shelley wrote this to prove a point, just because you can do something, does not always mean you should. The idea that Victor tinkered with the "elixir of life" and found something successful is something very controversial. There is a line of morality that was crossed in this book, and although this is a fictional story, the same idea should apply to actual scientific experiments. People are so obsessed with the end goal, with the reward of some new discovery the world has never seen, that they lose sight of what it takes to get there. The tremendous amount of work it takes to undergo scientific research is not only an abundance of tedious and complicated work, but also something partially questionable. Perhaps the reason these never before seen discoveries have not been witnessed for humanity's sake of holding onto our sense of morality.
ReplyDeleteYour points are valid and none of the less strong, but I have to also disagree with you. Yes, there are some experiments that should not be tinkered with -- for instance, the "elixir of life". Your arguments on that are crystal clear and I do agree with you on that aspect. The more questionable point is the scientific research. I believe it should be furthered. Yes, morals are challenged but that is what keeps humanity thriving. Curiosity is the striving point and if past scientists did not research, we would all be killed off right about now. There are some lines that must not be crossed, but for the most part, research needs to be funded. New discoveries keep us alive and processing.
DeleteIn Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein, we see the results of an irresponsible scientist take the shape of a monster once good, gone bad. The question at hand is "What is the duty of a parent? Should people undergo psychological evaluations before becoming parents?" Parents are essentially, to most, a guide and guardian. They nourish, protect, and mold their children. Now, what if this role was removed or poorly executed? What then? While the exception may use this as fuel to better themselves for their own sake, most are scarred by such circumstances and tend to go off the rails. Most children need love and care in order to grow into healthy and morally sound adults. If they are not shown compassion by their own parents, they may become numb and see no need to show compassion to a stranger. Parents are the role model and how they raise there children can have both good and bad effects. Now, should parents have psychological evaluations before having children? Yes.If an adult is not mentally sound, then who's to say they wont beat the crap out of their children in the future. If someone is not responsible enough or cannot take care of themselves, then how can they take care of another being.
ReplyDeleteI really like the points that you made when answering the questions ‘what is the duty of a parent’ and ‘ if people should be evaluated before becoming a parent’. I do agree when you stated that parents need to be nurturing and protecting of their children in order for their children to grow into responsible adults. However I simply do not agree when you said that people should get psychological evaluations before becoming parents. My opinion on this question is that I do not think that some people even know how to be parents. There is no perfect parent because just like the monster in Frankenstein, people have flaws as well. I believe that parents learn and grow with their child in the same way that children grow from their parents nurturing.
DeleteI have to 100% agree with this whole idea of the mentality test basically. I never had the thought of actually testing people who are mentally ready to have a child and if they are committed to providing for the child. You have made some very strong and valid points. To add on what you have stated, parents, regardless if they are mentally ready or not they need to show love and affection towards their child. Neglect is something no child should endure because there are negative outcomes towards that. If a child is neglected they go down a path of hatred and essentially treat others how their parents treated them. It was clearly shown in Frankenstein, Victor completely neglected his creation and you know what his creation did? Killed everyone that was close to Victor. All because Victor did not show love and affection towards his “son”.
DeleteYour intro is a good discription of victor and his creation. the points you made of how a guardian of a child is to guide them to a better or have a good direction to lead them which is a good point that you provided. With taking a mentality test is something i would agree on based on people is not suitable for things like being a parent. The last sentance was very critcal of if someone cant be responsable for themselves how can they take care of another being is very valid.
DeleteBeing ambitious is a trait many wish to have. Although, with lack of moderation, this characteristic can turn into a madness full of grievous consequences. In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, the topic of ambition is deeply discussed right at the beginning of the reader's encounter with Walton's character. He directly admits to his sister in letters 1-4, that his journey to finding the "seat of magnetism", might not end well. He is ambitious to acquire this scientific discovery and doesn't care about the consequences this ambition of his might have. Victor as well is extremely ambitious. Although unlike Walton, he doesn't openly admit to the possible consequences of his ambition and drive to create life. Once he does successfully play the role God, he doesn't have the right mental stability to maintain and nurture his creation. He is so consumed in this passion he has, that he begins to let himself and his surrounding fall apart. From being weak to the point of fainting, to not communicating with his family for two years, he develops extreme carelessness at the face of ambition. Even though ambition is not necessarily bad, it can be extremely dangerous once someone begins to lose sense of reality. The construct, acceptance, and acknowledgement of reachable goals is vital for one's success. If not, ambition will consume oneself and the end result of one’s initial goal will not be what one was striving to achieve, which is exactly what happened to Victor.
ReplyDeleteVictor definitely lost sight of his goals. One crucial detail Shelley mentions is that Victor had ambitions of not only bridging life and death but fame. Victor wanted to be responsible for creating life, claiming they would “owe their being to me.” This was definitely the wrong mentality for Victor’s noble ambition. When we take a step back to see why Victor did what he did, he did so at the expense of his own pride, family, and an innocent creature. This idea of untamed ambition is widely seen in celebrities. It is difficult to pinpoint the nature and ambition of fame, whether it is for oneself or the fame and fortune. Like Victor, drawing this line becomes difficult when we forget our initial goals. Victor was not born wrong or had false goals, but it is when we become so self oriented, we lose sight of who we are and have become.
DeleteMary Shelley’ Gothic novel “Frankenstein”, Victor, the protagonist, goes far beyond his ambition to find a way to create an unnatural way to create life. Throughout the beginning of the novel, Victor began to change his way of thinking, he reads of scientist who believe in the “elixir of life.” Victor began to build an obsession with his creation, his motivation is to the find the answer to death because he was unable to save his mother. Frankenstein's ambition to create life causes him to face severe consequences. Half of his time consumed was on the building of the monster which drifted him away from him family and he paid little attention to his health condition. As a result, as what he describes as an ugly species, his monster has come to life. In only an amount of time Victor neglects his creation and as the days go by the monster begins to murder many of Victor’s loved ones such as William, Carlone, Henry Clerval, and his loved one, Elizabeth.
ReplyDeleteHis own ambition was the leading factor of his own death. There’s a point in life where your ambition dervies you away from focusing on what is important. Today’s society is made up of everyone wanting to go up against each other. Everyone wants to leave their mark, in many cases ambition is the main reason of negativity making the consequences ruthless. Your own ambition leads to arrogance. Too much ambition can assure you to have a downfall and losing your once build empire. Perhaps, ambition is seen as an end goal of achieving it, but along the way too much of it makes you lose a sense of focus and morality causing you to be left in isolation. Regardless of what type of ambition you have: money or a type of experiment, the motif of your support is loss, and you end up digging your own grave in desperation.
I am agree with your idea about ambition. Victor grows obsession to find the answer to death because he was unable to save his mother life and his ambition is to create another life which means he can save others lost one. Yet, his creation is the one who destroyed all his loved one like Elizabeth, Henry and William. According to that, I believe ambition has a lot of negativity because it leads to one downfall and causes too much consequences and having too much ambition can "kill" you. It is good to have ambition in life because it is a "strong weapon" to use but also can destroy you.
DeleteI agree with you..Sometimes we want to do anything possible to try to save other's people's life. In this case victor created his second creation to find an answer to death. He wasn't able to save his mother so he decided to create it this but unfortunately it didn't work. Victors creation ended up destroying the people who he loved the most. He destroyed Elizabeth, Henry, and William. So i believe that ambition does have a negative side to it because all that can lead to a downfall the way it did with victor. Having to much ambition can have many consequences and can make you do things that later in life you can regret. But it also has a positive side to it. By having ambition it can sometimes lead you to good things but most of the time it leads you to the bad stuff.Ambition is one of the reasons that can stop you from achieving many things. we all have all types of ambition , we have ambition for money or creating new things or experimenting new ideas.
DeleteMary Shelley’s renowned novel “ Frankenstein” is about a man ,Victor Frankenstein, who creates a monster which ends up being turned away by society, including its own creator. In a way, Victor becomes a parent because he created life itself, except the life he created is a horrific creature with non humane features. In my opinion, parents are suppose to teach and nurture their children so that the child can survive in the real world. The parent should help the child get through the many stages of life until the child can be prepared to be on their own. Unlike a parent should do, Victor leaves his creation to fend on its own because it doesn’t look like a ‘normal’ human should. Victor states “ Unable to endure the aspect of the being I had created, I rushed out of the room…”(pg 70), so this shows how he wanted nothing to do with his creation. I don’t believe that people should undergo psychological evaluations before becoming parents because no one really knows how to be one. Even if people seem to be ready to be a parent they really don’t know how to be one until the baby comes into their life.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement and opinion about parenting towards when theyre going to have children they shouldn’t go under evaluation because it’s true humans don’t really know how to be one and even though they’re the kindest parents there’s always some flaws to it. I agree parents aren’t always or can’t be the prefect parents for children
DeleteI agree/disagree with your opinion that parents should always teach and nurture their children so that they can survive the real world. Because most of the time parents always try to do their best to help their children but most of the time the children don't want the help and decide to do what ever they want not realizing that they are not mature enough and can make decision that aren't to good for themselves. Parents can only do so much and it depends if the children wants to change or not. I believe that parents should only help their children out to a certain point and let them figure it all on their own because anything can happen and parents won't always be around. No one is eternal and is always better to do everything on your own than to depend of the help of others. No one is born to be ready to be a parent but we all have an idea of what it really is and the consequences it can bring to you.
Delete“You give a kid fish, you fed him for the day. You teach the kid how to fish, you fed him for a lifetime.” I strongly agree of the idea of having the parents teach their kids to survive the real world because there will be a time where the child continues on their life without their parents and that is where the true test begins. To see if the parents have taught their kids well and live without them. However, that was not the case in the novel, Frankenstein. Victor abandon the monster. He basically left him to fend for himself without the help of his “father”. That’s what the monster did; he went out to discover the beauty and meaning of life. Along the way, he hunted down those Victor loved. Victor could’ve saved those he loved if just showed love and affection towards his monster, but he let his pride and thoughts in the way. Parents need show love to their child or suffer a backlash in the future for themselves or for the child. Prepare them to be ready to live on without them when the time comes.
DeleteIn the story, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley It involves the theme parenthood. What role does a parent have for children? Based on the gothic novel, parents play the part of taking care of the children and to create their child’s life. Victor Frankenstein’s parents play the role of giving him the best life. Also, controlling who he marries by picking Elizabeth. I believe parents role in a child’s life is teaching them ways to get through life, rights and wrongs, and to prepare them for the future of independence. Frankenstein did the opposite abandoning his creation causing the negative effect of the monsters ability to comprehend life. I believe that parents should teach their children to grow and live independently. As for checking parents to see if they are ready for children I believe that’s impossible. There’s no perfect parent nor perfect way to raise a child. If absolutely unfix as in problems of their own such as: health or psychologically unfit. Then, the parent can be evaluated for children. The main reason is if they can’t watch themselves they can’t watch a child. Other than that there shouldn’t be rules to what determines a perfect parent because it doesn’t exist.
ReplyDeleteI strongly agree with what you're saying. A parent's role is to love and nurture their child. For obvious reasons such as it is their kid and they are fully responsible. Before becoming a parent it is important to consider your advantages and disadvantages and be ready to take onto the next step, being prepared is the main concern. The reality is that sometimes it comes unexpected, such as teen parenting. However, there are resources to prevent pregnancy many don't consider it when the time comes thinking their life will not change if taking that extra step in a relationship. When that comes in mind, your whole life changes and you are to take full charge. Victor was not mentally stable but decided to create life in relation to his mother's death. Yes, if Victor cannot watch himself then he take interest in the monster. But not always is a parent ready or takes time to notice the effect a child can have in your life.
DeleteIn Mary Shelley’s gothic novel Frankenstein, the main character, Victor Frankenstein, creates a monster like creature by using body parts from different human corpses. Victor’s creation begins to develop human like characteristics such as emotions and knowledge which reveal that he is being despised because of his physical appearance. The question of whether or not scientist should tamper with the elixir of life remains relevant in a society that continues to advance in the science and medical field. Even though this type of scientific experimentation may benefit the humankind, it can also cause many moral questions to rise. For example, if a human is cloned for the sole purpose of contributing to scientific research, then will the clone have any rights if he or she begin to develop human like characteristics? Will they be accepted in society or will they be alienated like the monster from Frankenstein? The Monster considered himself to be a “Blot upon the earth, from which all men fled, and whom all men disowned” so who is to say that a clone won’t feel the same way? Scientific experiments similar to this will cause many lawsuits to be filled, from which the prosecutor will most likely lose. For instance, if a person gives a university consent to use their cells, for cloning purposes, then they will no longer get to have a say in what occurs the second those cells exit their body. Resources derived from scientific experiments like these will most likely not be available to everyone thus bringing upon more problems of social inequality and injustice. With that being said, scientist should not tamper with the elixir of life.
ReplyDeleteI strongly agree with your ideas on how scientists should not tamper with the elixir of life. I appreciated how you included questions that made the reader open up their mindset to a bigger prospective on this particular topic. I liked how you used the examples of cells because that it very true, your permission is one thing, but with that permission, scientists can do so much more things that weren't mentioned to be done. Great job on including a summary at the beginning for it gives us context on what you're talking about.
DeleteAna, I strongly agree with your viewpoints on this topic. As my personal post had many of the same arguments as well. I especially enjoy how you went in depth with the example of human cloning. I definitely agree with how you stated the example of how the monster found himself to feel like a "blot upon the earth" and how that might relate to a real life clone itself. The alienation that will occur from tampering with life itself, between what truly is nature and what is man made, is unbelievable. I mean think about it like this, if you had someone who was an exact replica of you wouldn't you be rather wierded out? Along with you, no one would treat that second Ana the same because of one simple fact: She is not existential in nature and will not be accepted by our society as such. She to a certain degree wouldn't even be human as we are. Overall, great post! Bravo!
DeleteThe idea of defying nature is displayed within the novel “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley. One of the main scenes is when Victor Frankenstein creates life from scratch and it really is a feat for science but then he abandons the monster and the story takes a turn for the worst. This brings up ever more relevant question of should scientists tamper with the “elixir of life”? Arising in today’s world is a lot of scientific advancements such as holograms, robotic body parts, and plenty of other things to ultimately allow longer life spans of humans, but just because we can do something doesn’t mean we should. Looking at all the flaws humans naturally have, we are selfish and destructive, and we shouldn’t ever have the right to dabble in the life changing scientific experimentation even if it is for the benefit of mankind. If we were allowed that power, we’d be playing god and all of our lives, morals, and problems would be altered negatively forever, we wouldn’t even be human anymore.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I do agree that "we wouldn't even be human anymore", in the sense that if we do create all of these advancements we'd be defying natural lifespan, I disagree with you on humans not having the right to improve and advance scientific experimentation for further curing properties. Like I previously stated, we are defying natural lifespan, but for the better of humanity. Ambition is something that naturally drives human beings. It's impossible to not seek improvement. Also, if pain can be reduced through medical/scientific advancement, why not do it? I can understand your side from a religious side, but then that would be completely disregarding science, and that is where I don't agree. If one is able to improve and climb steps, why not do it? And although sometimes there are consequences, like you mentioned with humans being "selfish" and "destructive", it impossible to not seek advancement.
DeleteIn Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein, demonstrates the theme of ambitious when Victor wants to bring back the death but unfortunately leads to too many terrible consequences. Having ambition in life is a great characteristic but sometimes it can be dangerous because the cost is too risky. Victor's ambition comes from the death of his mother and his passionate of science. He was so interesting in science that makes him ill several times and isolated himself from his family and friends for a while. Moreover, the death of his mother gives him more motivation to achieve his goal. Therefore, he creates a new life known as the monster which leads to others death. A person might have to sacrifice their loved one, health, and eventually their entire life. In my opinion, I believe that it is sometimes dangerous to be ambitious because it costs a lot of your life. For example, celebrities are facing a lot of scandals in order to have a "clean" famous one. They have to carefully do everything in their life like there is always cameras around that watching them every moment. Being watch is a price they have to pay to have their perfect images in society. To conclude, ambition is an important characteristic in life, but you need to be careful with it.
ReplyDeleteTo begin with, the way you explained your points and arguments is very appropriate and professional. Also, the way you had interpreted the novel is similar to how I would have said it. Therefore, I agree with you when you state that, “having ambition in life is a great characteristic but sometimes it can be dangerous” because having a desire to do or achieve something will either lead to success or your downfall depending on how you handle the situation around yourself. In this case, Mary Shelley depicts the theme of ambition by “Victor wanting to bring back the dead, but unfortunately leads to too many terrible consequences.” The connection you mentioned with the celebrities is very accurate, since everyone in the world is watching their every move and they need to be cautious or else they will have a “price they need to pay.”
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ReplyDeleteAmbition. A strong desire to do or achieve something. Mary Shelley’s gothic novel Frankenstein, discusses the idea that being ambitious is a good quality, however, it can be dangerous as it can be a selfish thing too. Victor, a passionate curious scientist, wants nothing more than to imitate God. He creates a “monster” with fresh corpses, determined to figure out how to cheat death. The following months consists of his main focus on his research. He neglects everything, excluding his ardent passion for science. For months, Victor worked hard in finding a way to imitate life, that he didn’t care about anyone, or anything really, until after he finishes his research. Adjacent to the creation of the monster, the two years Victor cared little for, caught up to him. He became ghastly sick and fearful of his own invention. By only focusing on his ambition, he missed out on various events his family went through such as the welcoming of Justine, killing of William, the fact that he doesn’t know their well being, etc. We tend to become selfish whenever we are given a choice between pursuing our ambition or something else, often times we are selfish for our own benefit. And that’s the dangers of being too ambitious.
ReplyDeleteI strongly agree with the points made about the dangers toward striving towards a negative ambition. I believe with the evidence you have provided about the dangers of ambition like by leaving everyone who are there and love you when you are isolated from everyone for a long time and no response to anyone until that goal is set annthats dangerous yes because they can believe your dead or they might think the worst. So yea I agree with your point of view
DeleteIn Mary Shelley's gothic novel Frankenstein, she shows how ambition can get you to regret many things or how it can lead you to make things that can harm others. Victor frankenstein uses all his potentials to create a monster. Through victors creation the author reveals to us how ambitious victor really is. Ambition can be a good thing but can also have its negative side to it. Mary Shelly discusses ambition through all her characters, but she mostly refers to Victor Frankenstein. Victor's ambition to creating his life is likely the same as to Walton's inclination to reach the north pole. Walton and Victor have many things in common. Ambition can be characteristic but can also be very dangerous. Being ambition can make you make many mistakes which you can regret later in life. Being ambitious cause complete failure which lead to a downfall. By victor creating his monster It lead him to a downfall. Victor didn't care about anything else but his creation. He focused himself to much on his creation, than on the people who he could've hurt. He didn't care about anyone but himself and his monster. His ambition was one of the reasons that destroyed him. In my opinion i think that having ambition can sometimes lead you to success but it can also lead you to many bad things. Ambition can make you hurt the people who you love, and it can make you make decision that can later in life you will regret. When someone is ambitious they don't think what they do or say at the moment. Making the wrong decisions it's the dangerous of being to ambitious.
ReplyDeleteIn Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, she expresses ambitious throughout the novel and mainly through the display of the protagonist, Victor Frankenstein. In the beginning of the story many of Victor’s traits come into play but through the character of Robert Walton, introduced to us in the novel. Robert’s and Victor’s ambition to create life and to reach the north pole are close to parallel in Frankenstein. They both had the same urge of pursing their goal and never stopping till they do. Ambition can come along way in life, it can be someone strong side of their character but as well as their downfall. Victor’s ambition is what lead to his let down. He was too focused on achieving his personal goal, that he ignored all the consequences. Having ambition is not wrong, but having unchecked ambition is dangerous. Which leads me to believe having ambition is both good and bad. Ambition can also lead to people’s own stubbornness which can and will hurt them in the long run, and not only yourself but made lead to hurting the people that you love the most. So of course having ambition comes a long way but only so far in life.
ReplyDeleteI strongly agree with the statement of ambition being both good and bad due to the urge that the monster had about adapting in with human society, and the perseverance Victor Frankenstein had when creating life. Ambition can drive a person in reaching their goals but can also keep a person going even when they are negatively affecting others around them and themselves. They are so into trying to reach their goal and it blinds them from how it is affecting their relationship with their love ones which then leads to isolation. In my opinion ambition can affect you more negatively in the long run just like you said. The example of the monster trying to fit in with society, then being neglected, and then rebelling leading to killing people, convinces me to believe that maybe having ambition can be more dangerous.
DeleteIn Mary Shelley's Gothic novel Frankenstein, Victor has a passion and a booming curiosity for science involving life, death, and electricity. His ambition was led into the wrong direction however for his passion ended up being his demise. Having an ambition wasn't the problem though it was the way he executed it. It drove him into the wrong path where it hurt his loved ones and made him fear and regret many things in life. Striving for a goal is very difficult when you have a certain scenario in mind. Especially since you must put in equal amounts of sacrifice into it to get what you want, but victor didn't put in as much as he could of and by doing so lost instead of gain.One solution was that he came clean to his love ones and ask for help or even simply accepting the monster for what it was, but with the high expectations he had that wasn't an opinion. In turn having an ambition itself isn't a bad thing it can drive you in life, but you must always remember that it will not be perfect from the start and understand that you need to accept your mistakes and turn them into something good and its okay to ask for help.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement that, “ Ambition wasn’t the problem though it was the way he executed it.” He was very determined to find a way to bring life to the lifeless which led him to do whatever it takes to get there. This included endangering his loved ones which was never his intention. He was to focus on his mission and goal that he blocked out his other responsibilities. Ambition isn’t a bad thing, although in Victor’s case it was since he disregarded everything else. Something you should add next is the examples of sacrifice he did on the research on the corpses.
DeleteIn Mary Shalley's gothic novel titled Frankenstien shows things that a person in life may face in life such as being a parent. In reality being a parent maybe one of them and you will have to nurture it and protect it. A parent doesnt always mean to giving meaterialistic thing but more as loving support. You made this creation with love so love is a big part of it. Victor creates a creation that is viewed as a monster to other people and the "monster" wasnt accepted to the socity. As a parent there isnt things that a required to be one. But the question of being evaluated to be one is a topic that will have split decisions with. But in my perspective is that they should be mentaly stable and dont have addictions that could lead to things to an ustable future. For example Victor just created the "Monster" as an experiment but didnt lead things through. Also Victor as a creator didnt help or lead the "monster" to a better decison wouldnt lead him to kill internecinet people and would have a diffrent outcome for people. If Victor was evaluated i feel like the monster wouldnt be created.
ReplyDeleteIn a sense, I agree with what you are saying. There are no certain restrictions when becoming a parent, it's a choice you can either prevent or you are not ready for. On the other hand, Victor should of been aware of what his creation could of led up to him. Victor could of been more cautious and took responsibility for the monster and its actions. It makes no sense for the Frankenstein to simply create the monster and have no further interest in it because of its appearance. To be a parent means to care and provide the necessities and nurture your "creation" deserves. Victor was no expert and went beyond God's law of making a human being come to life. So yes, if Victor would of "evaluated" or viewed this in a long term the outcome could of been different. Also, he could of realized he was not mentally or physically stable to take authority over the monster and prevented himself from creating the monster.
DeleteIn Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, the main protagonist, Victor, tampers with the idea of immortality, and in doing so, creates “The Monster.” This ends up haunting him due to him neglecting the monster, which ends up killing those around Victor. Although today’s scientific advances are not close to bringing back the dead, let alone multiple body parts sewn together, these advancements have helped humanity grow resistant to what may harm us. Though concerning bringing back the dead, this is a bad idea to begin with. For starters, they would turn out to be like the monster, an outcast, casted out from society and shunned by all those that even looks at him. Death is inevitable, it’s a force of nature, a balance that is meant to be kept. I believe that this is represented in the novel by the monster killing those around Victor not only to send a message to him, but also as a reminder of the atrocity that he has committed. In short, no, scientists should not tamper with the idea of eternal life, however, for the benefits of humanity, scientific experimentation will most certainly be beneficial to the human race
ReplyDeleteI agree with your ideas. Death shouldn’t be tampered with due to the natural cycle of life. It’s the balance that is created through out the world with every living creature. In the novel, the creature kills off most of Frankenstein’s family which may foreshadow the destruction and danger towards the human race because of such a large scientific experimentation like this. Victor’s ideology of immortality was just a part of representing his ego. He believed he had that higher power to create life over again. And this is what led to his downfall.
DeleteI am strongly agree with your ideas. You shouldn't tamper with the idea of immortality. In my opinion, the idea of immortality is totally unrealistic. We see that in fairy tale and science fiction movie a lot but you should never take it so serious. In the novel, Victor overused the advantages of being a scientist and his ambition to bring back the death known as the monster which leads to the death of his loved one instead of himself. He believed that bring back the death could cure others who lost their loved ones but unfortunately it causes more death. And it leads to his downfall.
DeleteIn Mary Shelley’s gothic novel, Frankenstein, Victor the main protagonist, is seen to portray certain qualities that lead the reader to believe that he is ambitious. Unlike any other character, Shelley decides to connect ambition to Victor in order to illustrate how being a “go getter” can vastly impact your future. Ambition is defined as “having or showing a strong desire and determination to succeed” . Many times we view ambition as being in the range of a positive connotation, however sometimes this so called “ambition” can also lead you to make decisions that will have a greater cost in the long run. The reader really explores Victor’s character when he is creating the monster. Many things were tried and many things failed, however the determination was always present. Victor's desire to create the monster burned bright in him, because it was he believed was good at the moment. After the monster is created the reader then sees the consequences that come with being so determined. Being ambitious can certainly be a good quality to have because of the effort that was inputted, and the rewarding feeling at the end. However, it may be wrong to be ambitious when dealing with certain factors that not only negatively shifts one life, but many. A person might have to sacrifice time, social life, and many other variables that come into play when achieving a goal. But as long as you have your eyes focused on what you want, sacrifices shouldn't be an excuse for achieving something.
ReplyDeleteI agree when you stated that ambition can benefit a person but also can affect a person in the long run. I also liked how you added the meaning of what it means to have ambition which you also connected to how it’s shown in the story. Many people understand that ambition is good to have to succeed but they sometimes forget the consequences that can come with it. Like the example that you gave of when Victor first created the monster. Victor was so caught up and determined to make the monster that he did not even think about the consequences that may come with it.
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DeleteTo start off, I really like your response to question number one. I really liked the fact that you included a brief summary of the novel. You not only gave examples of why Victor can be considered an ambition character but you also showed the effects that an excessive amount of ambition can have on a person. I agree on your statement that ambition can be a positive and a negative thing. In order for a person to reach their goals, they must put a lot of work and effort into the thing that they are prioritizing and understand that they will have to make many sacrifices. Pursuing one’s goals can have its risks, but it is ultimately up to the person to ensure that the outcome is a blessing instead of a curse.
Damaris, I agree with you that sacrifice should not be an excuse in preventing achievement! It is also true that ambition often requires sacrifice. However, I do not believe that is necessarily a bad thing. Ambition allows for growth and advancement, both things we would not have without that determination and dedication. The fact that ambition requires sacrifice only makes it more meaningful. Having to give something up to gain something else makes it heartfelt and something to be proud of. Even though Victor did not feel this way about his creation, despite his sacrifices, it was truly a scientific achievement that no one else was able to accomplish. Despite this, you did a great job at relating ambition to Frankenstein.
DeleteMary Shelley’s literary novel, “Frankenstein,” elucidates to the audience an exceedingly significant life lesson. On the surface, one can say that Shelley has intended to portray that one should not make predispositions about an individual based on their appearance. However, the author reveals a much more profound message to the reader: one should not judge another individual based on their appearance because it can emotionally scar them, causing them to react in an irrational manner. Shelley demonstrates this through the monster’s rage-driven and irate actions, such as the murder of Victor’s brother and Elizabeth. After the Monster discovered that Victor’s neglect towards him was due in part to his horrific appearance, the monster is offended and feels belittled. Soon, Victor’s lack of interest in the Monster’s well-being caused him to develop an ardent desire to cause Victor the same pain that Victor had inflicted upon him. In order to achieve his goal, the monster stripped Victor away of what brought him joy, his loved ones. All in all, the novel mimics the structure of a didactic literary piece because it teaches the readers that one should not make assumptions about another because it may cause that individual to feel infinitesimal and to act out irrationally as a result. Today, this lesson remains relevant. Often times, those who experience emotional abuse due to bullying turn towards violence and seek revenge to alleviate themselves of the constant pain they undergo. An example of this may be the mass shooting that occurred at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The school shooter, Nikolas Cruz, was said to be a victim of bullying. Due to the emotional scarring that bullying caused him, he acted out on emotions and ruined the lives of many innocent individuals. In this life, he was the ‘monster’ driven by rage.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your perspective on the novel. As if Shelley wrote a book of Beauty and the Beast, except allowed no beauty to be skin deep. Treating a person superficially can scar them, cause them to act on their emotion, usually portrayed in violence. Such as the monster did once realizing he ways hated for his looks. I also like how you connected such lesson from the book to the real world. School shooters are often times those who have gone through so much pain for being judged externally.
DeleteYour connection between bullying and the novel is actually true, yet I never saw it in your perspective. I agree that the monster was in fact abused, in a way, both mentally and physically, by not just Victor, but most of the humans he crossed paths with. Also, by providing a recent event and the factual evidence along with it, makes your statement stronger. Although your strong proposition on what Shelley’s overall message is, I think you should elaborate more on your claim. I got confused as to what you meant a person could react, since not all individuals act the same way towards getting bullied. Overall, I believe you got your point straight across and I agree with you for the most part.
DeleteIn my opinion, being ambitious is not necessarily wrong, although it could become dangerous when taken too far. Ambition plays a significant role in driving people’s actions, which is good in terms of reaching success. Despite this, sometimes people may be driven too far by ambition, where they then begin to make fatal mistakes or lose sense of themselves, much like Victor in Mary Shelley’s gothic novel Frankenstein. When trying to achieve a goal, a person may have to sacrifice a lot, ranging from anything such as their free time to the important people in their life. Even though this is completely true, without ambition there would be few discoveries in the world, including everyday needs such as electricity or your favorite novel. Ambition allows change and progression, so although it may become dangerous at more extreme levels, the benefits far outweigh the risks of danger. It allows humanity to evolve and adapt, rather than having it helplessly wait for extinction, as many other species have done in the past. Human curiosity and ambition is not wrong, despite how dangerous it could become. Loss in general is common, and loss that is associated with ambition does make ambition itself dangerous; loss is inevitable.
ReplyDeleteYour interpretation on human curiosity relating to ambition is quite eye-opening, since it’s quite mundane for humans to be curious. I completely agree that without an ambition, we would not be an advanced society as we are today. Towards the end of your statement, when you connected loss to ambition, I got confused. Did you mean that losing something, or rather, someone is what makes the intention of an ambition toxic? Despite your strong arguments, however, I disagree with your position that the benefit outweighs the dangers because it will not always be beneficial to lose something (or someone) important, just for a breakthrough. If you had to choose between something valuable you own or a progress of a work you’ve been trying to attain, yet risky, what would be your choice?
DeleteI am in complete agreement with your point. The argument you made in your response in which you said that ambition is vital in human progression is exceedingly potent. I, too, believe that ambition is what drives human advancement because without the establishment of goals and a willingness and devotion to achieve them, how else would we be using these very laptops at this very moment? In your concluding statement, you mentioned that ambition is, essentially, not wrong because if it does lead to loss, loss is inevitable anyways, but then said that a loss as a result of ambition makes ambition statement. I feel that saying this somewhat weakened the point you were initially making.
DeleteMary Shelley's Gothic novel Frankenstein eludes to the idea that playing God, or toying with the "elixir of life" will ultimately become a reservoir of destruction, rather than the intended creation. Victor Frankenstein believed he could create life and believed he could find a loophole to the seemingly inevitable death, but in the end, it manifested as something much worse, his own downfall. Today many scientist consider how to extend life, and like Victor, without considering the possible consequences. Stem cell research has been a possible source to curing diseases such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer, but the main argument against this is how ethical it seems to be. With any research, scientist must realize it is beyond the end product, but the ethics of the process. This should include affect the way we look at life and how we define our lives. Playing God, makes humans believe they are not subject to the laws of nature, though we should think of how medicine has definitely improved life. There becomes a grey breaking point, how far is too far? As a society we have not defined that as seen by constant advances in medicine, but unlike Victor who was so blindsighted, when we THINK we have gone too far, should be the time we stop and reassess how far we have come.
ReplyDeleteYou bring up many intriguing points on the topic of playing God and tampering with the “elixir of life”, especially in your discussion about the definition of what the “grey breaking point” is for doing such. From a scientific standpoint, I truly believe in your statement that we, as a society, have not really defined the “grey breaking point” in our scientific advancements purely due to the fact that there is no real need to; if we can do better, why not? However, from a moral standpoint, the “grey breaking point” does exist for everything that we do, and it is up to personal reflection and avoiding being blindsighted in our actions in order to avoid making the same exact mistake that Victor Frankenstein is guilty of throughout the novel.
DeleteThe “elixir of life”, as one can observe, continues to elude even the best scientists in their tireless studies and experimentations. However, has anyone ever stopped to think as to why the elixir of life is as elusive as it is? Although scientific experimentation is always welcome as contribution to humanity’s perpetual quest for knowledge, this is not to say that actually catching the “elixir of life” would yield or even guarantee a balanced advantage-disadvantage ratio. Take, for example, the scientific experimentations of Victor Frankenstein in Mary Shelley’s Gothic novel Frankenstein; or, A Modern Prometheus; Victor’s thirst for knowledge in the novel leads him to isolate himself from the world and his family in order to create his monster for the sake of scientific discovery. Victor’s pride in his work blinded him from the morbidness and unforeseen negative consequences of his actions, and when he had decided to abandon his creation upon coming to this realization too late, resulted in the monster being responsible for the death of all his loved ones, further playing a role in his physical and mental degradation throughout the novel. The tragedy of Victor Frankenstein and his actions is a prime example of the previously mentioned unknown “advantage-disadvantage ratio”. Scientists have always been on the frontlines to venture headfirst into the unknown, such as making biological scientific breakthroughs in the medical field to treat illnesses and cure diseases. However, directly tampering with the “elixir of life” like cloning and genetic enhancement through DNA manipulation may seem to exhibit nothing but benefits now, but may ultimately result in unforeseen and unfavorable circumstances in the same manner as Victor Frankenstein.
ReplyDeleteYou mention a lot of interesting points, particularly a the end of your comment. What are these "unfavorable circumstances"? As scientist continue to search for knowledge, it is remembering the ethics of science, how what we do will affect others? In modern science, it is easy to forget that science is at the risk of failure and failure will be a depletion of resources, habitat lost, contamination, all seemingly distant consequences that has one question the ethics of science. But why do we still practice it? We perhaps tamper with life because we believe it will balance out, like in your advantage-disadvantage ratio. We believe that improving the quality of life, even by a little bit will be worth it in the end. Perhaps at the time Victor knew the risk of his experiment, but truly believed that the evading death was worth the it.
DeleteDaryl, I think you made a strong connection between the “elixir of life” and Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein”! I agree that science is at the risk of failure; with the dedication that is required in creating something, the consequences are bound to be harsh and extreme. Everything has a price. Despite this, I disagree with your point about Victor being aware of the risks, yet willing to take them anyway. Victor was horrified when the monster awoke, and if it was an expected result, he probably would have been disappointed or indifferent, not frightened and ashamed. Victor seemed shocked that his creation was not at all like expected.
DeleteBeing ambitious is extremely dangerous depending on what you are striving to be. To be ambitious you'll have to sacrifice many thing like time, energy, dignity, and money. For example, the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley demonstrates an ambitious scientist whos great ambition was to find out immortality. He sacrificed his time with his family, and sacrificed himself to achieve the unthinkable. His ambition would lead to his demise. Like many who star in Hollywood films some resort to sexual acts to get the parts that they want. you sacrifice your dignity by exposing yourself to the world. People who decide to run their own business risk losing all their money and homes to achieve their ambitions. Ambition is all about risk and sacrifice, and some will go so far just to achieve it.
ReplyDeleteYou make some valuable points about ambition how we do make sacrifices in order to reach a certain a goal we are after. However, I will have to disagree with you that ambition is solely “All about risk and sacrifice.” There is so much more to ambition than just risk and sacrifice it includes a vision of where you plan on heading and who will be there with you in the future. Although you are right when some celebrities are willing to go the extra measure in order to raise their fame. They were determined to succeed which drives people to keep moving forward.
DeleteBeing ambitious does not only rely on what you have stated but much more that goes into it. Ambition can be categorized as one definition or meaning when it varies in many aspects. I agree with you in the part that you say it takes dedication because it does and it takes time and effort, but not all of it. This is where time manegment comes in. Everything comes with a risk, but that’s what you are willing to do to achieve the “American dream”. Yet you have to remember that sometimes ambition can be your downfall.
DeleteMary Shelley's Gothic novel Frankenstein can be seen as a didactic piece of literature, one that aims to teach a lesson. For the reason being, Shelley illustrates many themes throughout Frankenstein, such as vengeance, lost innocence, isolation, and many more. Along with these themes, they are quite relevant to today. The lessons are taught by the actions of the characters in the Gothic novel. For example, throughout the story, the creature desperately pleas for a companion just like him because everyone in our society seek to make connections and relationships with others. Since, the creature had a frightening appearance and lack to understand others, he had to live a life of solitude. Through this, the lesson learned was the importance of having communication and relationships with others because if they didn't, it would be considered a horrible life that they had to go through all by themselves. Therefore, this depicts a desire for companionship. Adding on from the novel, no matter how wrong and unfair the situation is, seeking vengeance will lead to negative consequences and many regrets later on. Lastly, an important lesson is to never make opinions about others based on their physical appearance and to show compassion, along with acceptance to everyone. Because in the creatures point of view, he didn't get to tell his story to the, since they made multiple assumptions about him.
ReplyDeleteThe themes that you have chosen can definitely be seen in our society. A point that got my attention was when you mentioned how the monster was seeking a companion similar to him. You are correct when you say that people also seek connections and relationships with one another because many people today have trouble finding these connections and it leads them to illnesses such as depression. Moreover, another theme that you presented was appearance. I would like to say that this something that people use to build relationships and it is not right. How you worded the lesson about appearance is exactly how I would have said it. My belief in relationships rely on who the person is and how they are towards others. People should be able to tell their own story like you mentioned.
DeleteI really admire and like your point of views on how it can affect us and how it does affect us in today’s day in our society. We so often fall into our social life and the stereotypes we want to potray that we don’t actually build a realationship in reality. Technology has to be a big role in it because we hide so much behind the screen so we won’t actually have to feel anything. Your vengace point can be seen as a solid argument but not as solid as it should be because some people do find comfort in what they have done it just depends on who they are in all reality. -Ruby Jardon
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