After reading Mary Shelly's, Frankenstein, and watching Alex Proyas film, I, Robot, I caught on to some similar themes and motifs. One theme that really jumps out is the question: "What happens when science and design come together, the abuse of technology occurs, and the outcome is not what was expected?"
Throughout both the film and the novel we see a series of ideas being made, emotions being uncovered and consequences being faced.
Are you ready for all of this to unfold in a matter of 10 minutes?
Okay, so maybe Will doesn't think we have enough time...but here you go!
1. Ideas
In the film, I, Robot, Alfred Lanning (a human) creates a series of robots named the NS-5's. Lanning creates one robot that is a misfit compared to the other NS-5 robots. Sonny dreams, thinks, has emotions and is able to make decisions unlike the other NS-5's. Alfred Lanning had the idea to create Sonny to arrange his own death. Lannings cause of death was presumed as a suicide, but is proved wrong in the end of the film when we discover that Sonny was the reason for all of this. Sonny's purpose was to uncover the secret that the Ns-5's, who are uncontrollable, were planning a horrible take-over of Chicago and other cities. Sonny was a misunderstood robot in the beginning by detectives and others and in the end is considered a blessing.
Now, in the novel, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, Victor Frankenstein (a human), had an idea. "A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me. I might in process of time (although I now found it impossible) renew life where death had apparently devoted the body to corruption." This was a quote from the novel, said by Victor. Victor was an excited science student who found the creation of life from inanimate object overbearingly interesting. He has a bright idea of creating a life and his 'so called' purpose for this was to better the human race (but we all know the real reasoning was so he can feel God-like and have that power and cheat death. After Victor stitches up various parts of human parts, he realizes how ugly this creature was. He then realizes that this creature can not be controlled. Soon enough, Victor faces consequences for his egoistic idea.
2. Emotion
Sonny, in I, Robot, turns out to be a vey emotional creation. As a robot, they are not supposed to have emotions or feelings of any kind. Even Sonny see's himself as his won person, "They look like me... but they are not... me." A robot is supposed to follow the Three Laws of Robotics:
"1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2. A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law."
Sonny, who isn't supposed to have emotion; dreams. He has a dream which he draws out to be a figure, who Sonny believes to be Spooner, standing near a broken bridge on a small hill before a large group of robots. The detective, Spooner, recognizes the place that Sonny had drawn and turns out to be the place where they find all of the bad robots, planning their attack.
The creature in Frankenstein is made out to be a horrible thing and considered a monster. Victor, his creator was so repulsed by his own creation that he abandoned it. Over years and year, this creature learned and discovered new things. The monster's knowledge grew. He learned things from a family in a village. The creature would hide outside of their cottage and watch them and watch their reactions and learn their emotions. He steals their food, until he realizes they are poor. When he realizes this he gets upset and feels sorry, so then finds food for them. He then finds books in the woods, where he learns to read. Once he comprehends what is happening in he book, he ties the story in to his own life and realizes what his creator has actually done and gets very upset.
The Monster - "I remembered Adam's supplication to his Creator. But where was mine? He had abandoned me, and in the bitterness of my heart I cursed him."
3. Consequence
The consequence for Lanning, the creator of Sonny, was death. Sure, Sonny's purpose was to kill his creator but it was still a consequence to creating the NS-5's. Lanning had no other way of warning Spooner, the detective, about the NS-5's so he asked Sonny to kill him.
Spooner - "VIKI didn't kill the old man (Lanning). Did she, Sonny?"
Sonny - "No. He said I had to promise. Promise to do one favor for him. He made me swear, before he'd tell me what it is he wanted me to do. He made me swear."
Spooner- "The he told you to kill him?"
Sonny - "He said it was what I was made for. His suicide was the only message he could send you."
The consequence of Victor Frankenstein, the creator of the Monster in Frankenstein, is death as well. Victor created the creature to "better mankind", supposedly. Victor messed with nature, and nature messed back. As the Monster travels through the forest and rough terrain, Victor follows him. Victor going on and on without eating or resting becomes weak and dies. While the monster did not physically kill his creator, the creation of him in general kill Victor. With Victor mourning over the death of all of his loved ones, he, himself, wanted to die. Once he was dead, the Monster found him and began expressing his regrets and that he as well wanted to die.
"His voice became fainter as he spoke, and at length, exhausted by his effort, he sank into silence. About half an hour afterwards he attempted again to speak but was unable; he pressed my hand feebly, and his eyes closed forever, while the irradiation of a gentle smile passed away from his lips." (Victor's death).
I hope you enjoyed the reading and picked up on the similarities and themes as I did!
The Frankestein Complex
-- The fear that machines via artificial intelligence might one day replace physicians.
-- A term that is coined for the fear of mechanical men.
-- A colloquial term for the fear of robots.
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