Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus

In Greek mythology, Prometheus is a Titan. He was a champion of human-kind known for his intelligence and stealing fire from Zeus to give to the mortals, making him more powerful than the Gods. In the myth, Zeus punishes Prometheus for his crime by having him bound to a rock while a great eagle eats his liver every day for eternity. His myth has played a pivotal role in the early history of mankind. I believe that Mary Shelly's Frankenstein is very closely related to this story. Shelley's novel is even subtitled "The Modern Prometheus". This is a reference to the novel's themes of the over-reaching of modern man into dangerous areas of knowledge. Dr. Victor Frankenstein attempts to play God and create life in a time where the idea was deemed impossible. However, he succeeds in his experiment. The Monster he creates is larger and more powerful than man, thus making the Doctor believe that he is more powerful than God. However, he is punished for his actions when his creation betrays him and wreaks havoc on society. So not only is Frankenstein a modern interpretation of the Titan’s desire for immortality amongst his peers, but it also paraphrases the consequences he endures.

Frankenstein Talk

Allison McConnell makes an excellent example of how technology in our society closely relates to Mary Shelly's Frankenstein. "If Victor Frankenstein represents software designers and genetics scientists, and his creature represents our computer networks and bioengineering experiments, then we are not scared enough." My generation is constantly being called different things. We are the cell phone, video games, and iPod generation. As soon as a new technology comes into the mainstream, our generation is the first to accept it and utilize it as part of our daily lives. We are a generation defined by our technology because we live in a society where our technology defines us, much like Frankenstein's obsession with life and reincarnation. Also much like Frankenstein, we are quick to turn our backs on technology. We obsess about a certain element thinking that it will solve all of our problems and once we obtain it, we find that our hypothesis was mistaken. We then grow tired of it, neglect it, and look for the next big thing that catches our attention. Our attention span is drastically declining and we now crave immediate stimulation and response. A lot of this craving comes from Simulacra and Simulation. Baudrillard’s first theory on Simulacra states that contemporary media are responsible for blurring the line between goods that are needed and goods for which a need is created by commercial images. An example of this would be seeing the golden arches from the highway. We see the arches and although we might not need to go to MacDonald’s, our mind sees the logo and puts us in the comfortable mindset that we were once in while eating MacDonald’s food, thus sending us straight to the drive-thru window. Ultimately, I believe that advances in technology are a great thing but out society needs to slow down or else we will be too consumed and will not have anything to look forward to as a culture.