Morality Without God

    The source of morality in the human race has been an argument between religious scholars for decades. This has much to do with the source of religion in culture and the psychology behind why humans are drawn to believe in a higher power- or some being greater than ourselves. The book that seems to be as far away from a religious guide as possible is the horror story, Frankenstein. Mary Shelley penned the book at the age of eighteen, skillfully combining horror and suspense with biblical allusions that cause a reader to question their own belief systems, and what it means to be a human being. The incorporation of religion and the topic of God in this literary masterpiece, a story about the creation of a monster, is surprising because the author was actually a devout atheist. Nevertheless, Shelley uses biblical allusions to claim that morality does not come from God- this is only one interpretation. She asserts that morality comes from self-realization, not proclamation from a God. The creature in the story learns from observation, but I will argue that those he observed (Felix and DeLacey) had to have learned morals from somewhere as well. The question regarding morality that is more important to ask is the morality of Frankenstein acting as a creator and then forsaking his creation. Part of my literary critique will draw from this concept concentrating on the responsibility of the creator figure.

(http://www.articlemyriad.com/analysis-frankenstein-mary-shelley/)