Morality and Responsibility - Moral Development in Mary...

Moral Development in Shelleys Frankenstein Mary Shelleys Frankenstein is a commentary on the natural disposition of man. By personifying her vision of a natural everyman character in the form of Victor Frankensteins creation, The Creature, Shelley explores the natural state as well as the moral development of man, and develops conclusions regarding both. But before Shelley could create her commentary on mans natural dispositions, she was in need of a character to represent her natural everyman. The character she needed had to possess the same qualities as that of a man in his most natural state. The most common character to represent man in his most natural state is that of a newborn. A newborn is, of course, a new human†¦show more content†¦This viewpoint has merit since, as Shelleys preface alludes to, the process of writing the novel was initiated in response to a pact made amongst friends to write a tale of the strange and supernatural. Frankenstein was not necessarily meant to be a philosophical novel. However, although this is a good viewpoint to bring up, one can see that the consequences are irrelevant; the same themes are still prevalent throughout Shelleys work, regardless of the means in which they were created. Shelley could have easily made Victor provide his creation with a fluent knowledge of the arts, histories, and sciences, giving his creature a superior intellect. But, this was not the case; Victors creation had no memories or previous recollections of anything whatsoever, making him a candidate for an everyman. Shelley realized this, and exploited the idea to the fullest. And since it can now be seen that Shelley almost certainly intended Victor Frankensteins creation to be her representation of the natural everyman, the implications of this can be discussed along with Shelleys thoughts on the matter. So, each action by Victors creature can be taken as an act that Shelleys vision of a natural man would take, and the focus ofShow MoreRelatedMorality In Mary Shelleys Frankenstein958 Words   |  4 PagesMorality, or the lack of it, has become one of the most commented issues about Frankenstein. This novel has been used as an approach to reflect on the ethics involved in most controversial scientific domains, such as genetic engineering or DNA research. This essay will analyse the controversy of moral standards in Mary Shelley’s novel, focusing on the moment in which Frankenstein contemplates the idea of the creation of a whole new species. I will confront the protagonist’s apparent lack of moralityRead More Fear of Pregnancy in Mary Shell eys Frankenstein Essay2075 Words   |  9 PagesFear of Pregnancy in Frankenstein   Ã‚   Frankenstein can be read as a tale of what happens when a man tries to create a child without a woman. It can, however, also be read as an account of a womans anxieties and insecurities about her own creative and reproductive capabilities. The story of Frankenstein is the first articulation of a womans experience of pregnancy and related fears. Mary Shelley, in the development and education of the monster, discusses child development and education and howRead MoreAnalysis Of Mary Shelley s Frankenstein Or The Modern Prometheus 1710 Words   |  7 PagesFrankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley, is one of the most iconic tales of 19th century literature. Grandly displaying a mastery of psychological depth within the characters, the author portrays a flawed society inherent within their scientific progression. As such, the enriching tale draws many criticisms from the society in which Shelley lived in, some of which encompasses appearances, feminism, and clas s restrictions. Retold through multiple mediums, the story is generally seenRead MoreFrankenstein by Mary Shelley Essay3112 Words   |  13 PagesFrankenstein by Mary Shelley FRANKENSTEIN ‘Frankenstein is full of ideas and warnings which are relevant to a modern audience.’ -Discuss the enduring appeal of the novel. Introduction: Despite being over a century old, Mary Shelleys Frankenstein has continued to hold public interest for nearly two hundred years. The novel was published 1818 and is one of the most acclaimed gothic stories in the history of literature. It has remained a firmRead MoreBetween â€Å"Eternal Light† and â€Å"Darkness and Distance† as Main Symbols in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus2020 Words   |  9 PagesBETWEEN â€Å"ETERNAL LIGHT† AND â€Å"DARKNESS AND DISTANCE† AS MAIN SYMBOLS IN MARY SHELLEY’S FRANKENSTEIN, OR THE MODERN PROMETHEUS by Nikolay Valeriev Nikolov Captain Walton is sailing to the â€Å"region of beauty and delight,† which is how he imagines the North Pole. He endeavours to â€Å"those undiscovered solitudes† and exclaims: â€Å"What may not be expected in a country of eternal light?† He is trying something uncommon for ordinary people on the one hand, and something possibleRead MoreUnderstanding the Frankenstein Monster3331 Words   |  14 PagesThe Frankenstein monster created by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley is one of the most wondrous characters in literature. Furthermore, the psychology behind Victor Frankenstein and the monster that he had created has been an issue that has been debated by psychologists for several years. Moreover, it has been claimed that the Frankenstein monster gives the reader a glimpse into the consciousness of Victor himself. This being said, many individuals have tried to understand the reasons for the monstersRead MoreThe Depths Of Humanity By Mary Shelley2235 Words   |à ‚  9 Pagescell research, in vitro fertilization and the Human Genome Project, just to name a few. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Mary E. Pearson’s The Adoration of Jenna Fox, old and new scientific techniques are used to depict the creation of life; for example, Victor Frankenstein’s obsession with science and creating his â€Å"monster† and Matthew and Claire Fox taking on the acts of recreating Jenna. Although Frankenstein and The Adoration of Jenna Fox seem somewhat different in their plot, setting and characters

Analysis of the Poem Barbie Doll Written by Marge Piercy...

Short Composition Analysis of the poem ‘Barbie Doll written by Marge Piercy (1973). This girlchild was born as usual And presented dolls that did pee-pee And miniature GE stoves and irons And wee lipsticks the color of cherry candy. Then in the magic of puberty, a classmate said: You have a great big nose and fat legs. She was healthy, tested intelligent, Possessed strong arms and back, Abundant sexual drive and manual dexterity. She went to and fro apologizing. Everyone saw a fat nose on thick legs. She was advised to play coy, Exhorted to come on hearty, Exercise, diet, smile and wheedle. Her good nature wore out Like a fan belt. So she cut off her nose and her legs And offered them up. In the casket displayed on satin she lay†¦show more content†¦The others have a great power over her as she is under commandment was advised; exhorted and she is dictated to: play coy; come on hearty; exercise; diet; smile; wheedle. The comas even insist on the accumulation of the things-to-do. She has to change her character, to be hypocrite. She is maltreated both verbally and physically. In fact, verses 15 and 16 echoes with verse 9. Her strong back may be hit by a belt and her good nature insists on her weakness, on her lack of self-confidence. She is slowly losing herself in the poisoned flow of commands submerging her, like a boat ready to be engulfed by the sea. Nonetheless, the verse 17 introduces a new turning-point because of its opening adverb so. In fact, the active form of the verb she cut off shows the brutality of her wakening. We slide for the very first time from a passive behaviour (previous verses) to an active one. She is revolting against her bullies, sh e is taking her life in hand or at least her deathÂ…. Is it positive? Not at all as she decided to give up life instead of fighting against these prejudices. This decisive step is one of great strength as she even offered them up her nose and legs. She is the one who did what everybody wanted to inflict to her but never dared. This morbid and ironic image highlights her distress and her anger against them. However strong this image is, it is again a passive behaviour as she decided to pass away and to offer the objects of reject

The Advantages of Division of Labor free essay sample

1st, It gives increased dexterity. All common observation testifies how rapid and accurate our motions become, when confined to a single operation. The juggler is not more remarkable for the nice use of his muscles, than is an accomplished mechanic at his bench. The powers of his body are in perfect discipline. They have learned their parts, and obey instantaneously and harmoniously. The more simple the movement assigned, the greater will be the efficiency of performance. 2d, It allows the workman a better knowledge of his business. This is to the mental powers what the first is to the bodily. It gives intellectual dexterity. The man has a mastery of his special operation. He knows more about it than if he had two things to think of and care for. He becomes shrewd in every motion. He adapts his labor to the material; he discriminates between the qualities of that material. He meets the little difficulties of his work with more skill and less waste. These two advantages of the division of labor are shown in the different wages which skilled mechanics obtain as compared with unskilled, able seamen with landsmen. d, It saves time, in passing from one work to another. In the making of a chair after the primitive fashion we have supposed, a great deal of time will be spent in passing from one part of it to another, from the place of one operation to that of another. And, even where we suppose a laborer to be engaged in two operations only, there is still a loss inflicted, just as often as he has occasion to leave one for another. It is not a loss alone of the time physically necessary in effecting the transition, but each operation will leave something to harass the mind in the other. During the first part, the attention will be distracted by what has just been left. During the last part, the attention will run on, anticipating what is to come. The shadow is cast both ways upon the mind. 4th, It facilitates the invention of tools and machines. If a treasure of gold or iron or oil is hid under the ground, the discoverer is more apt, other things being equal, to be the man who owns the land, and resides and works on it, than a casual visitor. So, if there is a possibility of adapting foreign forces to the production of values, the inventor will, on the same condition, more probably be the workman than any one else ; he is constantly engaged upon the operation ; he desires, of course, to simplify it, since it is a law of mind to do as little work as possible for a certain result; he knows the wants of the subject; he knows all the capabilities of his material; he thinks about it all the time, and can try an experiment without changing his place. Therefore, by the logic of Nature, he invents. And, in fact, few of the great aids to industry have been discovered by disinterested science. They came from the laboring brain of the mechanic. Where the work was almost too delicate for human eyes, a thousand iron fingers go around to do it, never losing their nimbleness, nor ever getting weary; where the work was too great for human strength, monster arms swing the hammer, or toss the load in air. The history of American manufactures expounds the phrase, Necessity is the mother of invention. Even the slaves of the South have been directed to important mechanical discoveries, in the way we have described. One simple operation, constantly employing the attention, must, in time, lose all its secrets. 5th, It secures the better adaptation of physical and mental abilities. No consideration is more vital than this. The work which man finds to do, the efforts he has to make for satisfactions, however high his wants may rise, will be of the most various character, and require the most diverse powers. There are operations which demand great strength ; others, rapid motion; others, good judgment; others, a mechanical eye; others, fidelity and trust; others, high intelligence and education. Such qualities, even those purely physical, are not found equally in all; nay, by the compensations of Nature, they are generally, though not necessarily, found apart. Therefore, unless work were divided according to the several qualities required, a deficiency in one would neutralize all the others, and exclude the workman from employment, or compel him to work at great disadvantage. The extensive applications of this principle will occur to every mind. Each man finds the sphere of his highest usefulness as he is endowed by Nature. Those who are gifted with education and ingenuity devote all their time and energy to duties appropriate to such powers. They thus confer on others the advantage of their own gifts, and are themselves spared from drudgery and uncongenial labor. The poorest in qualifications, also, find a place in which they can produce within the great partnership of society. Women are enabled to undertake business of the most delicate and important character, to which their strength is sufficient; while children of all ages take parts that would otherwise occupy men. The power saved or gained, by such an adaptation of talents to special branches of industry, is incalculable. Without it, a great part of the human race would be helpless paupers, and the remainder would earn a scanty and miserable livelihood. Man working by himself is a poacher on the domain of Nature; men, in industrial society, found empires, build cities, and establish commerce. And not merely do all find in a proper division of labor their full occupation and fair reward, but the work of each is just as truly productive as that of any other. The boy who watches crows does as much at that business as the bravest and greatest of earth. He takes the place of some one who goes away to do a larger work. In anthropology, this is only a boy; in political economy, he is a man. He and the other make together two men. 6th, It increases the power of capital in production, tends to concentrate manufactures in large establishments, and reduce profits. Supposing all men equally capable of carrying on independent business, which is not the case, — if we compare seven men each with a capital of $1,000 and one man with a capital of $7,000, we shall find the economical advantage greatly in favor of the latter. The former must do business on a small scale, and purchase materials in small quantities. The latter can buy at wholesale prices, can afford to go often to market, and to keep himself well informed, and will sell as well as buy to great advantage.