The story of how and why author Mary Shelley wrote the novel Frankenstein is a story in itself. Living as a young woman in 19th century England and experiencing much pain and loss was reflected strongly in her writing. Every aspect of this innovative and controversial text is a striking characterization of the cultural anxieties and values ​​of the time as well as exaggerated personifications of Shelley's own experiences. To make meaningful connections between the creature's character and the cultural norms of the time, one must delve into the historical context of the Industrial Revolution, the rise of the Romantic genre, and the role of science in society. The text itself serves as a cautionary tale warning readers of the dangers of misusing science and technology, depicts the fragmented social and economic hierarchy that has impacted the functioning of its society, and its kind of Romanticism highlights the subject of individuality. Shelley's Frankenstein confronts 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 Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay In order to delve deeper into Shelley's subconscious and conscious motivations for writing about the themes she wrote about, one must analyze the impact of culture as a whole on Shelley as an individual and author. Life in 19th-century England was defined by growing economic prosperity and a rigid class division. The Industrial Revolution shifted the economy and labor force from agriculture to manufacturing. Not only has it changed a multitude of industries, but it has also had a widespread effect on the functionality and culture of communities. Just as agricultural life was seen as a slower, more modest and collaborative life, living in a mechanized society was experiencing industrial growth. Mass production and surplus goods have altered consumption habits and the employment conditions of the average worker have changed dramatically. The factory environment lacked any support emphasizing individuality, a key theme of Frankenstein. Piecing together this cultural history provides context for how individualism was depicted throughout the novel in reaction to an earth-shattering change in the reality of Shelley and her community. As factory life became a fixture in Europe, Charles Darwin's scientific exploration of species strongly challenged religiously based Victorian values. . Religion and science struggled to coexist in this era and are not the only two aspects of existing culture that clash. Things that did not fit the values ​​of Victorian society did not disappear under oppression; instead, a number of countercultural movements have surfaced. One of these movements was expressed in the romantic literary genre. Just as industrial and industrial culture became the keystone of 19th-century Europe, individual expression became a primary value of the expanding Romantic genre. Likewise, the questioning of Darwin's discoveries and the advancement of natural science as a whole has made nature another strong aspect of the genre. Science was something new and contradictory, but it was not embraced in the same way as industrial production. Since science clashed with something as profoundly eminent as religion, it was seen, in some way, as disrupting an ordernatural. Especially in the case of Frankenstein, science was presented as wrongly enabling individuals to play God. Understanding both why the romance genre gained momentum and how science was perceived by society are necessary prefaces to understand before exploring the specifics of the text. The rise of the romantic genre itself is seen as a reaction from society that does not value individuality, emotion. , art and nature. As a famous romantic text, Frankenstein contains a myriad of examples of how individuality is deeply emotional and how, for some, it is rejected by society. Individuality not being a famous aspect of humanity, those who expressed it were often faced with humiliation and remorse. The rejection of individuality has its consequences and Shelley's personification of the creature illustrates the cultural point of view. The creature is described physically as monstrous early in the text, but only fully embodies monstrosity until it is rejected by Dr. Victor Frankenstein. The creature is denied individuality and companionship, leading to harmful consequences. Conceptually, individuality can be explored much more deeply, however, recognizing Shelley's perceived value of individuality is crucial to achieving a better understanding of overall cultural values. As an author heavily influenced by her environment, her reactions to social norms can be observed through her work. Shelley herself is a product of her environment and her times, and while the experiences she had were undoubtedly sad, they were not objectively unique. Learning from these experiences is essential to understanding how the reality of the culture affected her and, therefore, affected her writing. The concept of birth is depicted 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 science at the time. These experiences and societal values ​​that impacted 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. Romantic and Gothic literature offers insight into the paradoxes of nature, life, death, and beauty at points of cultural significance. An exploration of Frankenstein, and specifically how Shelley conveys the creature, reveals society's views 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. Doctor Victor Frankenstein is widely accused of "playing God" by many scholars and Shelley's personification of the creature shows that these actions have consequences. Science was feared and not accepted in most of society when it was done irresponsibly, as it was seen as mysterious and part of the unknown. This fear is demonstrated in Frankenstein as the creature spirals out of 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 an industrial revolution, innovation and creation were undoubtedly seen as valuable to society. The era increased theprosperity and production for society, however, the creature was not created to improve the quality of life of the masses. It was created out of the curiosity of an individual who was playing with something that is supposed to be solely controlled by God and nature: death. Society's industrial capabilities were evolving at an alarming rate and empowering the population. We see in the text that the more Dr. Frankenstein delved into exploring the taboo aspect of science, the more he faced repercussions: "I cannot describe to you the agony these thoughts inflicted on me ; I tried to dispel them, but the sorrow only increased with knowledge” (Shelley 141). The more the doctor learned and thought, the more pain he felt. His exploration of something he should not have interfered with is described as causing him pain. Shelley implies that by choosing to delve into this dangerous combination of science, life, and death, the result is negative inside and out. This illustrates much more than the scientific values ​​of the time. A 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 sorrow, then they will remain uninformed and ignorant. The way the creature is treated is also a representation of society and structure. He is automatically rejected due to his apparent monstrosity, much like the lower-class Europeans of the time. Dr. Frankenstein wants no association with the creature, which inevitably leads the monster to commit atrocities. At first glance, it appears that the creature is nothing more than an inhuman, angry aberration. However, it is only when it is denied what most humans need that it acts out in devastating ways. Like the lower class, the creature came into the world capable of loving and educating like everyone else. He only becomes a monster as a product of his environment and his community. It is not unreasonable for anyone or anything to crave the same company as the creature. There are many examples of the creature's humanity, beyond its independent learning to read and write. When he is treated as an equal or not attacked, he expresses empathy. He feels obligated to help a family he lives and learns from and even stops taking his food because he finds it causes a struggle. The creature's actions are objectively empathetic, however, Frankenstein's biased view of it is monstrous since he never treated the creature as an equal or with respect. This reflects the social values ​​of 19th century Europe, in that entire groups of people were automatically considered uneducated and classless simply because they were born into a lower socio-economic community. Things such as wealth and property were directly linked to the humanity of an individual or an entire class. The creature's reflection makes this clear: “…I possessed neither money, nor friends, nor any sort of property. I also had a hideously deformed and disgusting figure; I was not even of the same nature as man... was I then a monster, a stain on the earth, from whom all men fled and which all disowned? (Shelley 141). Shelley skillfully articulates the reflection of an individual rejected due to his lack of material objects. He teaches himself to read and write but he is always reduced to a monster without humanity. While society and Frankenstein see him as a monster, he sees himself as a..