Given that Shelley and Atwood write their respective texts in times of sociopolitical tension,
it stands to reason that both authors explore the tragic consequences that occur when
powerful figures manipulate science for personal gain, ultimately highlighting the immense
danger of unchecked power. Whilst Shelley focuses on the ways that powerful figures
pervert scientific invention, Atwood focuses on the perverse control that powerful figures
exert over biology.
Firstly, both Shelley and Atwood explore the danger integral to the manipulation of science,
however Shelley explores how this occurs due to a lack of control whereas Atwood explores
how this occurs due to an excess of control. At the beginning of ‘Frankenstein’, Walton
expresses an interest in ‘celestial observations’ and ‘wonderous power’, claiming that ‘one
man’s life or death [are] but a small price to pay for the acquirement of knowledge’. Shelley
characterises Walton as a curious individual in pursuit of knowledge to emphasise his desire
for education and scientific knowledge, implicitly criticising the extremity of his thirst for
knowledge. This is reinforced by Victor’s condemnation in which he claims Walton will dash
the ‘intoxicating draught’, an emblem of the pursuit of knowledge, ‘from his lips’ after
hearing Victor’s tale, later advising that Walton must ‘avoid ambition’. Here, Shelley uses
Victor as a foil to Walton to highlight the dangerous consequences of reckless scientific
invention, simultaneously warning the audience whom Walton represents; Shelley uses
Walton’s extradiegetic/frame narrative to depict him as a symbol of the audience who
Shelley is directing this cautionary tale towards. Shelley presumes that the audience is, like
Walton, naive and eager to pursue knowledge and mirrors these ideas in Walton’s
extradiegetic narrative. Influenced by her Romantic values, Shelley potentially uses Victor’s
condemnation of the pursuit of knowledge to reflect her personal views on the rapid,
reckless rise of scientific development during the Enlightenment; she suggests that this lack
of control is inherently dangerous and enables powerful individuals to abuse and
manipulate science for their own gain, as Walton wishes to and as Victor regretfully has.
Unlike Shelley, Atwood explores how the danger integral to the manipulation of science
occurs due to excessive societal control. Throughout the novel, the Handmaids are reduced
to ‘two-legged wombs’ and ‘ambulatory chalices’ due to their ability to reproduce, being
controlled by the Gilead government as ‘national resource[s]’, suggesting they are only
valued for their biological abilities. Here, Shelley uses dehumanising imagery to emphasise
how the Handmaids’ biological functions are excessively controlled, being viewed as
nothing without their ability to reproduce – this is a prime example of excessive control
reigning over science for the gain of powerful individuals. This mistreatment extends to
medical practice, as seen when Offred visits the doctor who ‘deals with a torso only’, slides
a ‘cold’ ‘rubber-clad and jellied’ finger into her and fingers her breasts in ‘a search for
it stands to reason that both authors explore the tragic consequences that occur when
powerful figures manipulate science for personal gain, ultimately highlighting the immense
danger of unchecked power. Whilst Shelley focuses on the ways that powerful figures
pervert scientific invention, Atwood focuses on the perverse control that powerful figures
exert over biology.
Firstly, both Shelley and Atwood explore the danger integral to the manipulation of science,
however Shelley explores how this occurs due to a lack of control whereas Atwood explores
how this occurs due to an excess of control. At the beginning of ‘Frankenstein’, Walton
expresses an interest in ‘celestial observations’ and ‘wonderous power’, claiming that ‘one
man’s life or death [are] but a small price to pay for the acquirement of knowledge’. Shelley
characterises Walton as a curious individual in pursuit of knowledge to emphasise his desire
for education and scientific knowledge, implicitly criticising the extremity of his thirst for
knowledge. This is reinforced by Victor’s condemnation in which he claims Walton will dash
the ‘intoxicating draught’, an emblem of the pursuit of knowledge, ‘from his lips’ after
hearing Victor’s tale, later advising that Walton must ‘avoid ambition’. Here, Shelley uses
Victor as a foil to Walton to highlight the dangerous consequences of reckless scientific
invention, simultaneously warning the audience whom Walton represents; Shelley uses
Walton’s extradiegetic/frame narrative to depict him as a symbol of the audience who
Shelley is directing this cautionary tale towards. Shelley presumes that the audience is, like
Walton, naive and eager to pursue knowledge and mirrors these ideas in Walton’s
extradiegetic narrative. Influenced by her Romantic values, Shelley potentially uses Victor’s
condemnation of the pursuit of knowledge to reflect her personal views on the rapid,
reckless rise of scientific development during the Enlightenment; she suggests that this lack
of control is inherently dangerous and enables powerful individuals to abuse and
manipulate science for their own gain, as Walton wishes to and as Victor regretfully has.
Unlike Shelley, Atwood explores how the danger integral to the manipulation of science
occurs due to excessive societal control. Throughout the novel, the Handmaids are reduced
to ‘two-legged wombs’ and ‘ambulatory chalices’ due to their ability to reproduce, being
controlled by the Gilead government as ‘national resource[s]’, suggesting they are only
valued for their biological abilities. Here, Shelley uses dehumanising imagery to emphasise
how the Handmaids’ biological functions are excessively controlled, being viewed as
nothing without their ability to reproduce – this is a prime example of excessive control
reigning over science for the gain of powerful individuals. This mistreatment extends to
medical practice, as seen when Offred visits the doctor who ‘deals with a torso only’, slides
a ‘cold’ ‘rubber-clad and jellied’ finger into her and fingers her breasts in ‘a search for
