Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and the Industrial Revolution

â€Å"Oh! No mortal could support the horror of that countenance. A mummy again endued with animation could not be so hideous as that wretch† (Shelley 57). This statement is how Mary Shelley successfully portrayed the overall negative consensus of the industrialization of Europe in the 1800s in her novel Frankenstein. This story parallels the world’s transition from nature and emotion to reason and truth which was the primary cause for the industrial revolution. Though the revolution brought new technology and knowledge, people felt as though they were enslaved by this sudden change. This is clear through Shelley’s Dr. Frankenstein and the ‘wretched monster’ that would forever change the world. There is an equilibrium that can be struck†¦show more content†¦In relation to the novel, Dr. Frankenstein set his sights on creating life and nothing could stop him. He worked tirelessly to create the ultimate human. â€Å"The summer months passed w hile I was thus engaged, heart and soul, in one pursuit† (53). Frankenstein nearly killed himself due to his dedication for this creation. He neglected his family, his friends, career, and his own life. This discovery sucked every bit of emotion and caring out of him and only caused pain. What made everything worse was that this creation destroyed his entire life. Everyone he cared for was killed and spent much of his life in misery. Though the creation of life is astonishing, reason and truth cannot exist without emotion. No emotion essentially means that destruction of one’s entire being. The introduction of this new technology and knowledge did not simply effect those that created or possessed the knowledge. Instead, it caused problems and raised issues among the common people of Europe which lead to their subsequent disapproval of the overall revolutionary phase. When the industrial revolution began to emerge, most people typically worked for themselves on a subsist ence farm or as an apprentice. Their main goal was truly to take care of themselves and their families. When the change came around though, everything changed. Factories appeared and cheap labor was needed. Thus, workers began to flock towards cities in hopes of making it big at a factory. Sadly though,Show MoreRelatedRomanticism In Frankenstein Essay740 Words   |  3 PagesWithin Frankenstein Imagine a world without Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution,and Romanticism. Mary Shelley uses these topics in her novel to expose the effects that each of these had on society. Frankenstein is a novel that was published in the early 1800’s and tells a story about a man by the name of Victor Frankenstein. 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