Technology alone can, indeed, be frightening.

Especially when it is such a new and

startling invention that appears to happen overnight. But the true question is this: What was Mary

Shelley's view on Technology and how was it incorporated into her novel, Frankenstein? The

answer is not a simple one, nor is it clear cut and laid out in front of us. It requires a little bit of

abstract thinking, some research, and of course a brain with which to think and carry out these

processes. Simple, no? All in all, Mary Shelley seemed to be timid of technology at first, but

upon getting used to it, it was not so evil a thing after all. Even if, with the creation of technology

came the destruction of several other things. But before I go too in-depth into that, allow me to

explain my reasoning of the aforementioned.

The Industrial Revolution, the British one mind you, wasn't the introduction of

technology like cell phones, iPods, and xBox360's. No, it was of simpler technology. The Steam

Engine, Cotton Mill, and pretty much just things that made every day life much simpler, to defy

the tedious, day long tasks. Not to mention multiple times as much of product was produced in

the same amount. The Creature, in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, would and could very easily

have been her outlet for the whole idea of the technology that spawned from the Industrial

Revolution. Think of it this way, Victor Frankenstein, the Creature's creator, could be seen as the

'Middle and Upper Class' that wanted to get rich and do it much quicker than they were. Victor

created the Creation as a way to prove he could do it, and to satisfy his own knowledge to know

he was better, per say. The Creature, while being created, was seen as a beautiful thing but as

soon as he came alive, Victor saw him as horrifying, almost like he had made a horrid mistake.

Some people had that reaction to the technology of the Industrial Revolution. They, the people,
were so used to doing things the old fashioned way that they were skeptical about a machine

being able to take their place.

Frankenstein carries many other references though, as abstract as they may seem. The

fact that during the Industrial Revolution, more colleges and universities were built shows that

the population had more time to better themselves through education. This can be mirrored in

both Victor Frankenstein and Henry Clerval. It can be seen in Victor because he goes onto

school to better himself, to be the best he can. Granted, after he creates the Creation his search

for knowledge nearly ceases, for he is too obsessed with finding a way to stop the creature.

Henry, however, seems to have a near insatiable lust for knowledge, which constantly shows

throughout the his time in the book. He is cheerful about his search in to increase his intellect, as

opposed to Victor's melancholy 'ho-hum' attitude once the Creature is born. The contrast between

their willingness to further themselves, even after a few hiccups, can be used as an example in

the differences of the classes as well. Even though there were machines to take the jobs, there

still had to be people in the factories to watch over the machines and help them along. Since the

machines could work without end, workers didn't take breaks, making their shifts seem twice as

long and exceedingly tiring. Since they were always at it and cooped in a factory, they could not

pursue what they wished, their skills, if they had any for a different trade than the job they were

in, were wasted. They didn't have time to pursue a career through a university merely due to their

busy lifestyles. Victor would represent the working class. Afraid of the technology that was

made, his Creation in the case proved in the book, and because he had to devote his life to the

Creature and trying to either restrain it or kill it, he had no opportunity to help himself, whereas

Henry, who had not a care in the world compared to Victor, was free to chase after anything he

wanted in a university.
 Another aspect, if we take a turn back to look at Victor as the working class, would be

health issues. The working class, literally, got the short straw in this case. With such cramped

spaces in working factories, machines took up a lot of space after all, and constantly having to

work instead of taking breaks, health took a rapid decline. The introduction of machines meant

more people moved into cities instead of the small villages and towns they used to live in, or

even the countryside. The cities became cramped as did living quarters. And if one person gets

sick, disease spreads like wildfire. This can be tied into Frankenstein and it shows very clearly

with Victor. As he pursued his Creation, he became more stressed, sleepless, and felt run down

and desolate. He was constantly questioning himself, and towards the end, when he is retelling

the story to Robert Walton, it makes a lot of reference to his health. Almost as if Victor is just

deteriorating away, but refuses to give up until the Creation is either stopped or he is dead,

whichever may come first. Workers in the Industrial Revolution sometimes died on the job, if

not got maimed, especially young children and women that were forced to work in the factories.

Women's hair could get caught in the machine if they weren't careful, ripped from their very

scalp, or even their skirts could get caught in the machinery. Not as drastic no, but if it rips in the

middle of winter, that's rather cold. The women would be more prone to falling ill. Children,

whose small hands were perfect when dealing with the fragile parts to put the spun thread on

bobbins, could risk losing fingers, hands or a whole arm perhaps when trying to reach in and

replace bobbins in a still moving machine.

Child Labor is another issue that the book, somewhat ironically, touches upon. William

Frankenstein, Victor's youngest brother, could be the symbolic figure for Child Labor. If the

Creation is seen as Technology, then it shows how dangerous it was for children to be around

said technology due to the fact the Creation ends up strangling William to hurt Victor for
abandoning him. But, if you back up and take it from a different aspect, William taunted the

Creation, berated him for being ugly and a monster and that could've tipped the Creation to

strangle him in a fit of uncontrollable rage. If that's the view you take on it, children have always

been cocky. It's a known fact. But they are also notorious for being naive. Children in the

Industrial Revolution era could've thought they knew better, not taken the machinery in the

factories seriously. On the flipside it could have tied into that naive innocence and they just

didn't care or know better. A child wouldn't see the danger of the machines until it was too late,

similarly to how William didn't see the danger of insulting the Creation until it was too late.

All in all, the views of the Industrial Revolution are everywhere in Mary Shelley's

Frankenstein, but it comes down to which view you take and how you perceive it. Still, the fact

very easily could be that she saw it as something to fear until it became as natural in the

population of that era's lifestyle. After all, didn't the Creation turn out to be rather intelligent, not

to mention his intentions were as harmless as just wanting to fit in? Mirror that into today's

world. Technology is everywhere you look, and it's as integrated into our life as breathing is,

some ever see it as just as much of a necessity.

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