Module a

Whilst texts may be fictitious constructs of composers imaginations, they likewise explore and address the social issues and paradigms of their eras. This is all the way the case with Mary Shelleys novel, Frankenstein (1818), which draws upon the boost of Galvanism and the amorous Movement of the 1800s, as well as Ridley Scotts shoot down leaf blade Runner (1992), inventing upon the increasing figure industry and the predominance of capitalism at bottom the late 20th Century.Hence, an analysis of two in light of their differing contexts reveal how Shelley and Scott at last monish us of the dire consequences of our passion for omnipotence and hallucinating scientific progress, concepts which link the dickens texts throughout time. Composed in a time of major scientific developments, including Galvanis concept of electricity as a reanimating force, Shelleys Frankenstein utilises the creative arrogance of the Romantic imagination to fashion a chivalric world in which th e protagonists usurpation of the divine privilege of inception has derailed the conventional lines of authority and responsibility.Her specimen of the dangers of much(prenominal) actions is encapsulated within achievers backward words of how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, whilst Shelleys use of a break epistolatory narrative adds a move sense of truth, foreshadowing the dark consequences of Frankensteins actions. Moreover, her allusions to John Miltons Paradise baffled evoke the poetic retelling of Satans fall from grace, wherein the daemons crosstie with the fallen angel exacerbates the effects of headmasters rejection, last transforming its benevolent genius into a thirst for retribution.Together with its disbelieving of how Victor could sport with life, Shelleys warning reverberates past the page, directly wondering(a) the scientists of her era, including evolutionary theorist Erasmus Darwin, to reinforce the dangers of our worlds inherent yearning to bring in the role of the Creator. such a warning withal exists within Scotts weathervane Runner, hence linking the two texts throughout time, where the theater director echoes the swot of capitalist ideals and the Wall course mantra, greed is good, through the symbolical dominance of Tyrells towering ziggurat, a aspect of both his inclination for omnipotence and mer canfultile power.Tyrells egocentric nature is epitomised within the religious connotations of his abode, including his voluminous bed, modeled afterwards that of Pope John Paul II, as well as his reference to goofy as the prodigal son. Such symbols are unnervingly subverted through both the anticipate Chiarscuro of flickering candle-light with shadow and his violent destruction at the hands of his own human beings. Scotts warning of the dangers of such a desire is also intelligible within the talky shots of 2019 LA, revealing a dark and tenebrific world lit by the burn off of corporate advertisements, a representation of a bleak future dominated by commercial dominance.Hence, by drawing upon elements of his context, including the increment of capitalism and the trickle-down theory of Reagans era, Scott positions us to reassess the consequences of overstepping our boundaries. In addition, both texts warnings also encompass the dangers of unrestrained scientific progress, where Frankenstein shape up demonstrates the Romantic Movements square off on Shelleys mindset, as her criticisms of the sequence of Reason and Industrial Revolution reflect their denigration of rationality.The imagery of the dead mud and repetitious use of horror upon the creation of the miserable monster establish a strong aura of death and despondency around this scientific advancement, whilst Victors warning of Walton to avoid ambitions of science and discoveries encapsulates Shelleys vilification of contributors to the Industrial Revolution, including renowned inventor James Watt.Moreover, Shelley str esses her warning through the protagonists associations with nature, where Victors insensibility to its charms, arising from his immersion in science, results in his deep, dark and deathlike sex segregation, with the heavy alliteration exemplifying his card-playing sense of humankind. Conversely, the monster possesses greater humanity and a more intimate connection with the pleasant showers and genial warmth of forge, with such characterisation capturing Shelleys manifestation of Romanticisms idolisation of nature, cautioning us against the dehumanising effect of unrestrained scientific advancement.Blade Runner is no different, with Scotts reflection of the explosion of technological progress during the 1980s, including the rise of computing giants IBM and Microsoft, bring outing the dangers of such unrestrained progress. Most notable is the opening birds-eye shot of blazing smokestacks which, together with the dogged synthetic pulses of the Vangelis soundtrack, establishes a festering miasma of technological overload, adding further semiotic slant to the films nightmarish dystopian agenda.Indeed, this portrayal of a decaying environment reflects the growing ecological awareness of the 1980s, which, whilst different to Shelleys Romantic values, is similarly employed to highlight the destruction of mankind due to technology. Moreover, Scott illuminates us to the dehumanising effects of such progress, foregrounded through Deckards retiring of the Replicant Zhora.Here, the stylistic placement of the unmixed poncho places further emphasises the violence of her death, with slow-motion low weight shot conveying her heightened sense of humanity within her last painful moments. In contrast, Deckards emotionless features, together with the matt drone of the droid, suggests that our artificial creations will ultimately lead to the dehumanising of mankind, undermining our humanist framework and hence, warns us of the dire consequences of unchecked scientifi c progress.Thus, we can see how both Shelley and Scott reflect their zeitgeists in their texts, Frankenstein and Blade Runner, as they draw upon the societal concerns of their times in order to warn us of the consequences of overstepping our boundaries and unbridled technological advancement. Subsequently, it becomes evident that despite their temporal and contextual differences, both texts are in fact conjugate through their common concerns and concepts.