The story of how and why author Mary Shelley wrote the novel Frankenstein is a story in itself. Life as a young woman in 19th century England, who experienced a considerable amount of pain and loss, was strongly reflected in her writing. Every aspect of the groundbreaking and controversial text is a striking characterization of the era's cultural anxieties and values, as well as exaggerated personifications of Shelley's personal experiences. To make meaningful connections between the creature's character and the cultural standards of the time, you need to immerse yourself in the historical context of the Industrial Revolution, the rise of the romance genre, and the role of science in society. The text itself serves as a cautionary tale that warns readers of the dangers of misusing science and technology, represents the fragmented social and economic hierarchy that has affected the functionality of its society, and its brand of romance brings out the theme of individuality . Shelley's Frankenstein addresses cultural movements, stigmas, and values ​​with his commentary through science fiction. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay To delve deeper into Shelley's subconscious and conscious motivations for writing about the topics he wrote about, it is necessary to analyze the impact of the larger culture on Shelley as an individual and an author. Life in England in the 19th century was characterized by strengthening economic prosperity and rigid class divisions. The Industrial Revolution shifted the economy and workforce from agriculture to manufacturing. This has not only changed a multitude of industries, but has had a widespread effect on the functionality and culture of communities. Just as agricultural life was seen as slower paced, modest and collaborative, living in a mechanized industrial boom society. Mass production and excess goods have changed consumer habits, and the requirements for hiring the average worker have changed dramatically. The factory environment lacked any support to emphasize individuality, which is a key theme of Frankenstein. Bringing together this cultural history provides context for how individualism was represented in the novel as a reaction to a jarring change in the reality of Shelley and her community. As factory life became a staple in Europe, Charles Darwin's scientific exploration of species greatly challenged religiously based Victorian values. . Religion and science struggled to coexist in this era, and they were not the only two aspects of existing culture to clash. Things that were not in line with the values ​​of Victorian society did not vanish under oppression, rather numerous counterculture movements emerged. One of these movements was expressed in the romantic literary genre. Just as industrial and factory culture became a keystone of 19th-century Europe, individual expression became a primary value of the nascent Romantic genre. Similarly, the challenge posed by Darwin's discoveries and the advancement of the natural sciences as a whole meant that nature became another strong aspect of the genre. Science was something new and contradictory, but it was not embraced in the same way as industrial production. Because science clashed with something as profoundly important as religion, it was seen as somewhat of a disturbance of the natural order. Especially in the case of Frankenstein, science has been depicted to unfairly allow individuals to play God. Understanding both the reasons why the romance genrehas gained momentum and how science has been perceived by society are necessary prefaces to understand before exploring the specifics of the text. The rise of the romance genre itself is seen as a reaction from society that does not value individuality and emotions. , art and nature. As a famous romantic text, Frankenstein contains myriad examples of how deeply emotional individuality is and how for some it is rejected by society. Since individuality was not a celebrated aspect of humanity, those who expressed it often struggled with humiliation and remorse. The rejection of individuality has its consequences, and Shelley's personification of the creature exemplifies the cultural point of view. The creature is physically described as monstrous early in the text, but does not fully embody monstrosity until it is rejected by Doctor Victor Frankenstein. The creature is denied individuality and companionship, both of which produce harmful consequences. Conceptually, individuality can be explored much further, however, it is crucial to recognize Shelley's perceived value of individuality to achieve a greater understanding of overall cultural values. As an author significantly influenced by her surroundings, her reactions to social standards can be observed through her work. Shelley herself is a product of her environment and her times, and while the experiences she went through were undoubtedly sad, they were not objectively unique. Knowing those experiences is crucial to understanding how the reality of the culture influenced her and, in turn, influenced her writing. The concept of birth is portrayed as a complicated paradox in Frankenstein for good reason. After all, Shelley's miscarriage was not only an emotionally devastating tragedy, but she nearly bled to death. Medicine was nowhere near as advanced as it is today and this is another effect of the cultural position on the science of the time. These social experiences and values ​​that influenced his life led his depiction of birth in the text to be both creative and destructive. The focus of the book and the genre as a whole suggests that modernity lacks purity and simplicity. Both Romantic and Gothic literature offer insights into the paradoxes of nature, life, death, and beauty at points of cultural significance. An exploration of Frankenstein, and in particular the way Shelley describes the creature, reveals society's view on science and medicine in 19th-century England. The characterization of the creature as something profoundly ugly personifies and represents the way society fears science. Dr. Victor Frankenstein is widely accused of "playing God" by many scholars, and Shelley's personification of the creature shows that there are consequences for those actions. Science was feared and not accepted in most of society when it was conducted irresponsibly because it was considered mysterious and part of the unknown. This fear is demonstrated in Frankenstein as the creature loses control and commits multiple murders, while also serving as a living manifestation of fear and the unknown. While the world was in the midst of the industrial revolution, innovation and creation were undoubtedly considered valuable to society. The era was increasing prosperity and production for society, however, the creature was not created to improve the quality of life for the masses. It was created by the curiosity of an individual playing with something that should only be controlled by God and nature: death. The company's industrial capabilities were evolving at an alarming rateand they were giving the population more and more power. In the text we see that the more Dr. Frankenstein immersed himself in exploring the taboo aspect of science, the more he faced the repercussions: “I cannot describe to you the agony which these reflections have inflicted on me; I tried to dispel them, but the pain only increased with knowledge” (Shelley 141). The more the doctor learned and reflected, the more pain he felt. His exploration of something he should not have interfered with is said to cause him pain. Shelley is implying that by choosing to delve into this dangerous combination of science, life and death the outcome is internally and externally negative. This exemplifies much more than just the scientific values ​​of the time. The rigid class structure only works if those at the bottom are uneducated and unorganized. If the lower class is convinced that education will always bring pain, then they will remain uninformed and ignorant. Even the way the creature is treated is a representation of society and structure. He is automatically rejected due to his apparent monstrosity, similar to lower-class Europeans of the time. Doctor Frankenstein wants no association with the creature which inevitably leads the monster to commit atrocities. On the surface, it appears that the creature is just an inhuman, angry aberration, however, it is only when it is denied what most humans need that it acts in devastating ways. As the lower class, the creature came into the world capable of love and education just like everyone else. He becomes a monster only as a product of his environment and community. It is not unreasonable for someone or something to desire the same companionship as the creature. There are several examples of the creature's humanity beyond him teaching himself to read and write. When he is treated equally or is not attacked, he expresses empathy. He feels obligated to help a family he is staying with and learning from and even stops taking their food because he can observe that it is causing a fight. The creature's actions are objectively empathetic, however, Frankenstein's distorted view towards him is monstrous as he has never treated the creature as an equal or with respect. This reflects the social values ​​of 19th century Europe, as entire groups of people were automatically deduced as uneducated and classless just because they were born into a lower socioeconomic community. Things like wealth and property were directly related to the humanity of an individual or an entire class. The creature's reflection clarifies this: “...I did not possess money, nor friends, nor any type of property. Furthermore, I had a horribly deformed and repulsive figure; I didn't even have the same nature as man... was I therefore a monster, a stain on the earth, from which all men fled and which all men denied?” (Shelley 141). Shelley skillfully articulates the reflection of an individual who is rejected due to his lack of material elements. He teaches himself to read and write but is still reduced to a monster devoid of humanity. Because society and Frankenstein see him as a monster, he sees himself as a monster and begins to act like one. His uniqueness alienates him. Shelley's exploration of Romanticism and Gothic literature also reveals that he had an opposite value to his era and culture: individualism. His representation of individuality in the creature is personified in the fact that he is alone, has no faith in a human society, and is a product of science. Science at the time was a strong parallel to individuality because it essentially represents the development of a new and unique way of perceiving the world. The scientific research of.