Frankenstein and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - Essay Example

Frankenstein and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde The early 1800s in Britain, the industrial revolution was taking hold. There were increases in technology and society became more progressive. As a reaction formation of the industrial revolution, romanticists wrote novels that were meant to talk about the dangers of science and technological development. In particular, Mary Shelly and Robert Stevenson, had novels that centered on specifically the malevolent results of what science and technological processes could not only have on a character, but also on society (Givner, 2000). The creature from Frankenstein was created using through Dr. Frankenstein’s use of galvanism, a new form of electrical research. One of the main points of using galvanism in the novel was because scientists were able to make the legs of dead frogs twitch by running an electrical current through the neurons. In the novel, Dr. Frankenstein creates the creature by using galvanism and dead body parts that were dug up from graves. Due to Dr. Frankenstein’s carelessness with the creature, the creature runs free where it is rejected by humanity (Shelley). Therefore, it tried to take revenge on its creator because of this rejection, representing the evil that technology and science had created. In The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the good Dr. Jekyll was a well-repudiated scientist who was experimenting with the consciousness. He created a formula that brought out the dark aspect of his human side. As the story progressed, he began to loose more and more control over the primal inner human inside of him. This created the dual personality of Dr. Jekyll and the personality that referred itself as Mr. Hyde. The experimental formula became Dr. Jekyll’s only defense against Mr. Hyde. When Mr. Hyde was released, he wreaked havoc on the city through disruption and murder. Ultimately in the end, the personality of Dr. Jekyll was taken over by his dark personality, Mr. Hyde. In addition, this showed however the noble intentions of science are, that tampering with science can have unforeseen negative consequences (Stevenson). Even though both novels represent the dangers of science, the methodologies by which the central problems are created are inherently different. In Frankenstein, initially the creature is actually scared and frightened of humans. It avoided all contact with them and instead observed human behavior. When he tried to interact with humans, he was met with hostility (Shelley). As a result, his hatred and malevolent behavior of humans, his innately evil qualities were the result of his fear created by humans. In The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Mr. Hyde was already innately evil because he was a representation of the inner primal nature that all humans had. Therefore, he acted on impulses that would be considered unnatural and improper in Victorian society (Stevenson). Even though the two characters were the result of scientific experimentation, the method by which the monstrous characteristics were developed was different. The romanticist view of science continued to follow a negative connotation. In these two books, the authors conveyed the point that there are some cases in which scientific research and technological progress can go too far to the point where the creations may not be able to be controlled. As a result, science should move with caution. References Givner, J. (2000). The Revolutionary Turn. Gothic Studies, 2(3), 274. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Shelley, M. (n.d.). Frankenstein. Retrieved from http://www.literature.org/authors/shelley-mary/frankenstein/ Stevenson, R. (n.d.). The strange case of dr.jekyll and mr. hyde. Retrieved from http://etext.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/SteJekl.html The Advent of Cheating and Technology With an increase in the amount of technology being used in the classrooms, the use of resources is being easier to access by students. In addition, the life of a student has become more increasingly hectic. The global economy is in a state of decline, therefore there is an even more increasing stress being put on the job market. The emphasis on good grades in order to have a successful career later in life has become commonplace in society. Therefore, the stress of failure is what drives students to cheat and the accessibility of the Internet allows students an unlimited amount of resources in order to cheat. Cheating occurs at almost every level of education, therefore this makes it a learned trait. Everyone admits that cheating is wrong, however most people can attest to have cheating at least once, if not multiple times throughout their academic career. Starting in high school, students have limited resources however which to cheat perfects the skill of cheating perfected in preparation for college. Once in college, many students get lost in a sea of other students by which the professor knows the student as a number. Most students’ rationale is that they can cheat and slip by unnoticed, especially in the hectic life of a college student. Competition is a major driving force behind the stress associated with cheating. There is not only the competition of jobs in the future, but also in the classroom. Depending on the professor, sometimes students are graded on a curve meaning that the grade in the course is dependent on other student’s grades. As a result, someone who is cheating can ensure a higher grade in the course. Other students regard this as a trait that is seen in real life related to social Darwinism. The concept of social Darwinism is that only the strongest will survive and students are aware of all the shortcuts that people take in life in order to put their agendas in front of everyone else. Therefore, the act of cheating is the result of observational learning of students on society in which they are participating in an imitation effect (Shipley, 2009). The Internet has also provided a plethora of opportunities for students to gain information in which to cheat during class. The Internet allows articles such as notes and tests to be distributed across the world giving students access to confidential materials. In addition, plagiarism has become more commonplace due to the vast amount of books, articles, etc. that are available for download. Companies also are making a profit off students teaching. Websites have been developed specifically for a student’s cheating needs. They can buy written essays off an Internet site or they can have other people write their essays for them, if they are willing to pay the price (Lathrop, & Foss, 2000). Psychologically and socially, there are a wide variety of reasons that both educators and psychologists can come up with in order to address the motivation behind why students cheat. One fact is certain is that the internet and access to many resources makes student’s more likely to cheat, offering temptation in response to the fear of failure. References Lathrop, A, & Foss, K. (2000). Student cheating and plagiarism in the internet era: a wake-up call. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited. SHIPLEY, L. J. (2009). Academic and Professional Dishonesty: Student Views of Cheating in the Classroom and On the Job. Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, 64(1), 39-53. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Read More