Texts in Time Texts embody paradigms corresponding to their social, economic and historical contexts.

The capacity of thematic concepts to transcend time is manifest within Mary Shelleys 19th century gothic novel Frankenstein (1818) and Ridley Scotts science fiction film Blade Runner (1992) as both pose similar existentialist discourses regarding the fate of humanity. As a Romanticist, Shelley condemns humanitys intrusive assumption as creator. Similarly, Scott responds to Shelley warning by also spurning mans ruthless ambition. However, the films 20th century context of capitalist greed and mass industrialisation shifts the criticism onto the pursuit of commercial dominance. Both texts employ techniques such as allusions and characterisation to depict similar dystopian visions ensuing from mans dereliction of nature. Composed during the Industrial Revolution and radical scientific experimentation, Shelley typifies the Romantic Movement as she forebodes her enlightened society of playing God. Her warning permeates through the character of Victor, whose self-aggrandising diction many excellent natures would owe their being to me represents a society engrossed with reanimation. Shelley moreover questions the morality her microcosms pursuit of omnipotence through Victors retrospection lost all soul or sensation but for this one pursuit, as the juxtaposition of all and one emphasises Victors cavernous obsession to conquer death; akin to scientists of her time such as Erasmus Darwin. Moreover, recurring mythical allusions to Prometheus, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge further portray Victor as an Aristotelian Tragic Hero; a noble character whose hamartia of blind ambition foreshadows his own downfall and dehumanisation, swallowed up every habit of my nature. In addition, Victors impulsive denunciation of his grotesque creation, leads to the Monsters metaphysical rebellion vowed eternal hated and vengeance to all mankind. Here, Shelley elicits a historical allusion to the French Revolution as she demonstrates how mans unbridled assumption of power discerns the inevitability of his ruin. Despite their temporal and contextual disparities, Scott also incorporates Gothic elements of horror but procures a man-made cataclysm that is a product of his own desire to achieve commercial dominance. Unlike Shelleys moralistic forebode, the lurid flames in the opening mis-en-scene highlights a dystopic world that has already come to a heinous fruition. Here, Scott draws a literary allusion to Blakes The Marriage of Heaven and Hell on Earth to denote how mans excessive authority, built with stones of (his) Law accrues in totalitarian-like society; where this is symbolised through the omniscient eye motif that is, moreover, an allusion to George Orwells 1984. Further, revising Victors usurpation of Gods prerogative, Scott conveys Tyrells capitalist fixation through his mantra commerce is our goal. The composer reinforces this through multiple low angle shot of Tyrells monolithic corporation, highlighting its commanding ascendancy over its impoverished urban surroundings. By doing so, Scott denounces the arrogance of corporate giants and their heedless exploitation of the proletariats class. Furthermore, Scotts reflection of a society enveloped within Cold-war paranoia of a potential nuclear disaster is depicted through Tyrells violent death at the hands of his own

creation. Here, Tyrells ominous scream as Roy ruptures his myopia-riddled eyes, a metaphor of his blind ambition, creates a noirish ambience of utmost horror as responders construe how mans hubristic desire to achieve omnipotence results in his inevitable destruction. However, unlike Shelleys critique of heedless scientific pursuit, Scotts perspective has shifted to that of mans capitalist voracity and is a reflection upon the 20th centurys rapid expansion of multinational corporations. Reflecting upon Romanticism as a reaction against the Industrial Revolutions grave neglect of the environment, Shelley advocates natures capacity to provide spiritual renewal regardless of humanitys flaws. Initially, the composer conveys the consequences of Victors profound ambition, as she prefigures his exclusion from the natural world; shown in his emaciated appearance in the imagery of so thin and pale. However, despite Victors vast preoccupation in science, his eventual return to the sublime natural world in Chamounix is able to evoke his spiritual renewal as Shelley depicts this in the pathetic fallacy of the flowers of spring bloomed into the hedges. Here, Shelley draws a literary allusion to Wordsworths Tintern Abbey where the responsible adult also recognises that nature will always welcome mans return to sober pleasure. This spiritual invigoration is further mirrored through Monsters affable encounter with spring weather, which similarly restored (him) to some degree of tranquillity; therefore demonstrating the indivisible temperament of nature to humanity and its indelible capacity for spiritual enlightenment. In stark contrast to Shelleys discourse, Scotts manifestation of a bleak industrialised macrocosm is his suspicion that technological progression has already discerned mans divergence from nature. In the films opening sequence, Scott portrays his dystopian society through film-noir style of perpetual darkness, where the superficial worlds only source of illumination is from the synthetic glow of neon lights. Moreover, the composers representation of a world usurped by technological expansion is symbolised through the absence of authentic fauna and their incongruent substitution with artificial owls and snakes. Responders further construe through Rachels high-modal dialogue, as she indubitably validates an owls artificiality Of course it is, that Scott denigrates the Reagan Government of his time for its political inaction towards environmental concerns. However, in light of Shelleys embrace of sublime nature, Scott also conveys how the presence of nature can facilitate the hope of spiritual renewal; proposing its entire restoration. The composer denotes this through his transient but vivid depiction of Deckards fleeting unicorn dream. Here, Scotts implementation of melodramatic ambient music and vibrant dandelion hues procures an invigorating atmosphere, as he advocates the importance of the natural world as a source of the sublime. Contrary to Shelley, however, Scotts depiction of nature within a subliminal dream is metaphorical of his belief that rapid technological innovation has already superseded the position of nature. Therefore the films 20th century context encompassing vast ecological degradation evokes his admonition that rapid technological progression may already have precluded a possible return to nature.