Articles

The concept of the soul has always been one of the deepest subjects in religion, philosophy, and literature. In a spiritual sense, the soul is considered the true essence of a human being. A person’s actions shape the moral condition of the soul. A righteous soul remains close to God through faith, goodness, and obedience, while an evil soul becomes distant from God because of sin and wrongdoing. According to Islamic belief, righteous souls are rewarded in Paradise, whereas evil souls face punishment in Hell. Thus, the soul is not merely the source of life but also the center of morality and accountability. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein presents a different perspective on the mystery of life. Victor Frankenstein does not practice magic or supernatural rituals. Instead, he becomes obsessed with scientific knowledge and attempts to create life through experimentation. Shelley was inspired by the scientific discussions of her time, particularly the experiments of galvanism, in which electricity caused the muscles of dead animals to move. These experiments led many people to wonder whether electricity might have a deeper connection with life itself. In the novel, Victor collects parts from different human corpses and successfully brings his creature to life. However, Mary Shelley deliberately does not explain the exact scientific process. She leaves the mystery unanswered, allowing readers to imagine how the experiment succeeded. The novel focuses less on the technical method and more on the moral consequences of Victor’s ambition. From a religious point of view, one may interpret Victor’s experiment as an attempt to cross the limits of human power. This interpretation suggests that life is ultimately a gift from God, and no scientific achievement can fully explain or replace the spiritual reality of the soul. In this reading, the creature can be viewed as a symbol of humanity’s dangerous ambition when moral responsibility is ignored. This is an interpretation rather than a statement made by Mary Shelley herself. Therefore, Frankenstein is not only a Gothic novel but also a philosophical exploration of science, morality, and responsibility. It encourages readers to think about the difference between physical life and the spiritual soul. While science may discover new possibilities, the mystery of the soul remains beyond human understanding. The novel reminds us that knowledge without wisdom can lead to tragic consequences, making Frankenstein one of the most influential works in English literature.