Context in Frankenstein and Blade Runner Essay

The context of the term of writing is an built-in part of a texts composition and ideas. This notion is evident in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein (1818) and Ridley Scotts 1982 science fiction film, Blade Runner. They both address ideas contemporary at the era, however argon both interconnected through a common questioning of what may happen if humans go about to play god. As a romanticist, Shelley condemns Frankensteins intrusive attempt to play the creator. Scott spurns mans unpitying ambition through a dystopian environment created through ruthless quest for profit by commercially dominant, greedy corporations. Both texts employ techniques such as allusion and characterisation to depict similar dystopian visions ensuing from mans dereliction of nature.Composed during the Industrial Revolution at a time of increased scientific experimentation, Shelley warns and forebodes her enlightened society of the consequences which come about from playing god. She uses Victor Frankenstein as h er platform, whose self-exalting occupancy many excellent natures would owe their being to me represents a society engrossed with reanimation. Recurring mythical allusions to Prometheus, how heavy is the acquirement of knowledge portray Victor as a tragic hero a overlord character whose fatal flaw of blind ambition ultimately results in his own downfall and dehumanization, swallowed up every habit of my nature. In addition, Victors impulsive rejection of his grotesque creation, leads to the Monsters rebellion (vowed eternal hated and vengeance to all mankind).Despite the mismatch in time and context, Scott also in integrateds similar elements of horror, but procures a man-made cataclysm that is a product of his own want to achieve commercial dominance. Unlike Shelleys moralistic warning, the flames in the opening scene highlight a dystopian world that has already reached an undesirable outcome. Revising Victors undermining of Gods prerogative, Scott conveys Tyrells capitalist fix ation through his mantra commerce is our goal. The composer reinforces this through multiple low angle calamus of Tyrells monolithic corporation, highlighting its command over its depressing urban surroundings. By doing so, Scott denounces the arrogance of corporate giants and their reckless disregard for the proletarians.Furthermore, Scotts consideration of a society engulfed within Cold-war paranoia of a potential atomic disaster is depicted through Tyrells violent death at the hands of his own creation, Batty. Here, Tyrells scream as Roy ruptures his myopia-riddled eyes, a metaphor of his blind ambition, creates an ambience of utmost horror as responders catch how mans hubristic desire to achieve utmost power results in his destruction. However, unlike Shelleys followup of heedless scientific pursuit, Scotts perspective has shifted to that of mans capitalist voracity and is a reflection upon the 20th centurys rapid expansion of multinational corporations.In comparison to Sh elleys discourse, Scotts manifestation of a plain, industrialised world is his suspicion that technological progression has already discerned mans divergence from nature. In the films opening sequence, Scott portrays his dystopian society through film-noir style of changeless darkness, where the superficial worlds only source of illumination is from the glow of man-made neon lights. Moreover, the composers representation of a world ravaged by technological expansion is symbolised through the absence of true fauna and their substitution with artificial fauna.However, in light of Shelleys embrace of sublime nature, Scott also conveys how the movement of nature can facilitate the hope of spiritual renewal proposing its entire restoration. The composer denotes this through his transient but vivid depiction of Deckards fleeting unicorn dream. Contrary to Shelley, however, Scotts depiction of nature within a subliminal dream is metaphorical of his belief that rapid technological innova tion has already superseded the position of nature. so the films 20th century context encompassing fears ecological degradation evokes his admonition that rapid technological progression may already have made impossible a possible fall to nature.