As the novel is considered to be the first real science fiction in the world, a great number of scholars pay attention to the abuse of science and technology。 They aims at presenting the warning significance embodied in the novel by describing the tragic fate of characters。 For example, Zhu Yanyan explores the protagonist Victor’s life based on the theory of the alienation of science and technology, warning that indulging in scientific and technological ambition may bring unexpected disasters to mankind。 Yang Chunxiao (2008) claims that the novel criticizes the negative influence of the industrial civilization and the science-centralism。
Recent years, with the increasingly serious ecological crisis, more and more studies are made by adopting the theory of ecocriticism。 Some of them try to awake people’s ecological ethical awareness through the analysis of the distorted relationships between Victor and the society。 For example, Xu Pengyun (2010) makes a detailed inspection on the profound ecological ethic thoughts in Frankenstein in his A Study of Frankenstein in Perspective of Ecological Ethic。 Others criticize Victor’s reckless ambition against nature。 Sheng Dan (2007) regards the overreacher scientist Victor Frankenstein as a fallen Adam who violates the natural law。 The more recent researches all follow the same pattern, which analyze the tragedy of Victor from three aspects, namely, Natural Ecology, Social Ecology and Spiritual Ecology。 Sun Yefeng (2010) interprets Frankenstein by analyzing Mary’s viewpoints of Natural Ecology, exploring Mary’s concern for Social Ecology and demonstrating Mary’s reflection on Spiritual Ecology。 But they seldom give due attention to the vivid descriptions of nature in the novel。 They just focus on man’s control of nature, but neglect nature’s subjectivity。 In fact, under Mary’s pen, nature is presented as a comforting being with independent voice, providing consolation and admonition for human beings。