Question
Some interpretations of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein suggest that the story is an allegory that serves as a warning that it is dangerous for man to try and assume the power of creating life.
Which excerpt from the text most effectively develops this allegory?
Responses
“…I was oppressed by a slow fever, and I became nervous to a most painful degree; the fall of a leaf startled me, and I shunned my fellow creatures as if I had been guilty of a crime.”
“…I was oppressed by a slow fever, and I became nervous to a most painful degree; the fall of a leaf startled me, and I shunned my fellow creatures as if I had been guilty of a crime.”
“…the information I had obtained was of a nature rather to direct my endeavours so soon as I should point them towards the object of my search than to exhibit that object already accomplished.”
“…the information I had obtained was of a nature rather to direct my endeavours so soon as I should point them towards the object of my search than to exhibit that object already accomplished.”
“Sometimes, on the very brink of certainty, I failed; yet still I clung to the hope which the next day or the next hour might realize.”
“Sometimes, on the very brink of certainty, I failed; yet still I clung to the hope which the next day or the next hour might realize.”
“A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me.”
Which excerpt from the text most effectively develops this allegory?
Responses
“…I was oppressed by a slow fever, and I became nervous to a most painful degree; the fall of a leaf startled me, and I shunned my fellow creatures as if I had been guilty of a crime.”
“…I was oppressed by a slow fever, and I became nervous to a most painful degree; the fall of a leaf startled me, and I shunned my fellow creatures as if I had been guilty of a crime.”
“…the information I had obtained was of a nature rather to direct my endeavours so soon as I should point them towards the object of my search than to exhibit that object already accomplished.”
“…the information I had obtained was of a nature rather to direct my endeavours so soon as I should point them towards the object of my search than to exhibit that object already accomplished.”
“Sometimes, on the very brink of certainty, I failed; yet still I clung to the hope which the next day or the next hour might realize.”
“Sometimes, on the very brink of certainty, I failed; yet still I clung to the hope which the next day or the next hour might realize.”
“A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me.”
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The excerpt that most effectively develops the allegory of the dangers of man trying to assume the power of creating life is:
“A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me.”
This statement encapsulates the hubris of Victor Frankenstein, who believes he can create life and control it, which ultimately leads to his downfall and serves as a warning against the dangers of unchecked ambition and the quest for god-like power.
“A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me.”
This statement encapsulates the hubris of Victor Frankenstein, who believes he can create life and control it, which ultimately leads to his downfall and serves as a warning against the dangers of unchecked ambition and the quest for god-like power.