Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and the Dangers of Medical Science

Sammanfattning: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein has frequently been interpreted as a cautionary tale of the dangers of medical science and its ambitions. However, by comparing the different narratives in the novel the essay will show that the intention of the novel is quite different. The essay will show that while Frankenstein himself comes to believe that science is the culprit, the narratives by Walton and the creature qualify that view, showing rather that the problem is not science as such but Frankenstein’s abandonment of his creation. The essay begins with a brief introduction to the historical background of the novel, followed by an analysis of the three distinct narratives given by Walton, Frankenstein and the creature, and conclude with a discussion of the findings when comparing their narratives.