Electricity Discovery and Reanimation

Electricity Discovery and Reanimation

(1) Early 19th-century illustration of a galvanism experiment showing his electricity reanimating a corpse

 During the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, the discovery of electricity was very important. It helped shape how people thought about life as a whole. Some scientists began to work with the idea that electricity held the power to reanimate life, and that electricity itself was the reason for living things. This idea holds great importance to the story Frankenstein by Mary Shelly, which was published at the start of 1818. This scientific discovery directly relates to Frankenstein's main character, Victor Frankenstein, and his attempt to use electricity to create life from a nonliving creature.

Arguably, the most important discovery of this time was Galvanism. Galvanism was a theory developed by Luigi Galvani, which stated that electricity is the key to life. He noticed that electricity can cause dead frog muscles to twitch or activate, leading to this theory. (1) This marked the time when experiments on dead frogs became known, and they showed that despite being dead, a frog's tissue could still respond to electricity. This discovery resulted in thoughts about life and death, which fascinated many but also caused fear in some.

                                                                                                                                        

Early experiments on dead frogs showed how electricity could cause dead tissue to move. This inspired thoughts about reanimation. (2)

The fascination with electricity continued to grow, resulting in scientists experimenting with different types of electricity. They began trying to use artificial lightning to generate electricity, allowing them to control their use of it. (3) These experiments caused some people to begin believing that electricity has the ability to bring something dead back to life. This was a fascinating and important discovery, but it pushed some people to begin thinking about how far science should go. The ethical standpoints of this discovery began to be challenged by some. 

The importance this has on the understanding of Mary Shelly's Frankenstein

The historical context of this time period affects the interpretation of Frankenstein. Understanding the importance of electricity in science impacts the role it played in Victor. This allows us as readers to see how Frankenstein's work is backed by real science during that time period. This deepens the thoughts of how far humans will go for science and relates back to Victor's ambitious personality. This also shows the feeling of being "God-like." Relating the fear people had during this time of these discoveries of possible reanimation shows the feelings of importance Victor had as a scientist during the story.

In conclusion, the discovery of electricity and galvanism helped spark the ideas behind Frankenstein. The advancements in science helped people think about the limits of science. Being able to understand these important details allows readers to have a deeper insight into what Frankenstein was thinking. This deepens our feelings towards his obsessions and the limits science was pushed to during these times.

Works Cited

(1) Blakemore, Erin. “How Twitching Frog Legs Helped Inspire Frankenstein.” Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Dec. 2015, www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-twitching-frog-legs-helped-inspire-frankenstein-180957457/

(2) The Body Electric. Smithsonian Libraries and Archives, https://library.si.edu/exhibition/fantastic-worlds/body-electric

(3)  The Real Electric Frankenstein Experiments of the 1800s - Atlas Obscura, www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-real-electric-frankenstein-experiments-of-the-1800s. 

(4) IEEE Global History Network. Galvani and the Frankenstein Story. Engineering and Technology History Wiki, https://ethw.org/Galvani_and_the_Frankenstein_Story.