Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Frankenstein are distinguishing works related to science and indeed, they have several things in common in terms of how the authors used science (Shelley; Stevenson). Creating pure evil from a monster made by a decomposing body, apparently, two scientists did not know how science would turn into a “horrifying” experience. This essay examines the works of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Frankenstein in providing messages about science and integrity, claiming that science is used as a tool for violence.
To begin with, the majority of the scientists that launched research did not see the studies completed as the comparison between the two scientists suggested. Dr. Jekyll, for example, finds Frankenstein’s numerous scientific experiments and observations fascinating despite his abandonment. Notably, both scientists’ initial reactions to creation are quite clear and obviously different. Another message that Frankenstein’s abandoning of a scientific experiment sends is that the domains of science and integrity have distinct demarcations and bounds. For example, Frankenstein says, “My dreams were therefore undisturbed by reality; and I entered with the greatest diligence into the search of the philosopher’s stone and the elixir of life.” (Shelley, 65). A “supernatural creature can only comprehend certain intrinsic concerns,” and competing with such powers will be terrifying in and of itself. After giving life to the “monster” Frankenstein made, a horrible creature, the phrase is valid.
There are selfish motivations regarding the scientific experience in both works. By the manner he exhibits his adoration and wonder of his new scientific discovery, Henry Jekyll, unlike Frankenstein, is motivated by a sense of power and overpowering depravity. He isn’t completely honest about his desire to make a human being to disprove other biblical claims. The way the two scientists approach their research reveals a lot about their personalities.
While both Jekyll and Hyde are enthused about their scientific research, Frankenstein decides to abandon his project, calling it a bad idea. In Jekyll and Hyde, it says, ““Utterson, I swear to God,” cried the doctor, “I swear to God I will never set eyes on him again. I bind my honor to you that I am done with him in this world. It is all at an end.”, showing the acknowledgment of his actions (Stevenson, 123). The other two scientists (Jekyll and Hyde) are shown as self-centered and egotistical, but Frankenstein is regarded as a man of integrity who is true to his ideals and objectives. Frankenstein is also more sorry for starting the experiment.
What is clear is the doctors’ lack of accountability for their carelessness resulted in innocent people’s deaths. Both Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll exhibit this lack of integrity by not telling the truth about the scope of their experiments and by obliterating the majority of the evidence of their respective scientific achievements. Some of the scientific experiments carried out by both Dr. Jekyll and Frankenstein are characterized by illogic and sheer evil. In the end, both scientists had to acknowledge that, despite their scientific knowledge and self-importance, they could not overcome some of life’s strange and incomprehensible conditions, such as creation.
The experiments help understand the scientific ideas and arguments prevalent in the nineteenth century. Frankenstein is forced to abandon his scientific studies on creation after realizing that he is breaking some laws of the cosmos and experimenting with the unknown. This lack of integrity is exemplified by the fact that both scientists overlook human nature in favor of conducting destructive and forceful experiments that rule their consciences. The thought of creating a superior creature engulfs their brains, and they act without thinking about the consequences of their actions.
Every scientific investigation is, in essence, governed by extensive rules of ethics that are predicated on specific levels of integrity which was not followed in both works. All research scientists must follow these ethical guidelines as a condition of employment. Most of the ethical rules and integrity that govern scientific study are broken by Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll. Any breach of such integrity will have an impact on the results of the tests and the very spirit of research. When the two scientists fake evidence in order to get the desired result, their integrity is shattered. Instead of focusing on real and viable scientific discoveries, both Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll solely attempt to gratify personal desires and ego. The two scientists went beyond the ethical limitations of human scientific investigations in their missions to regulate human behavior and discover the secret of creation and life.
The effects are terrible, as evidenced by the two academics’ “questionable study,” revealing the horrifying nature of the science used. The two scientists, Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll, seriously jeopardized the integrity of the scientific study. Human experimentation is a violation of integrity and scientific norms, notwithstanding the fact that Dr. Jekyll utilized himself as a subject in the experiment. The utilization of human cadavers by Frankenstein is also regarded as a complete breach of scientific integrity. Most of Frankenstein’s and Dr. Jekyll’s scientific experiments were conducted in secret, with willful disregard for the potential damage to society. This scientific research, in and of itself, should serve as an illustration of what happens when science’s integrity is questioned.
To conclude, the topics of science and integrity in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Frankenstein are shown from a side of “horrifying” as both led to a terrible experience. There was a violation of ethics in science and it demonstrates what will happen if science is practiced by people who do not follow the code of conduct and ethics. As such, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Frankenstein illustrate how science can be a great tool for violence.
Works Cited
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. Penguin Classics, 2012.
Stevenson, Robert Louis. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Penguin Classics, 2012.