Chemistry Reference
In-Depth Information
CHAPTER 1
THE ALCHEMIST IN FICTION: THE MASTER NARRATIVE
Roslynn Haynes
School of English, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, NSW Australia;
R.Haynes@unsw.edu.au
In Western culture, as expressed in fiction and film, the master narra-
tive concerning science and the pursuit of knowledge perpetuates the
archetype of the alchemist/scientist as sinister, dangerous, and possibly
mad. Like all myths this story may appear simplistic but its recurrence
suggests that it embodies complex ideas and suppressed desires and
fears that each generation must work through. This chapter explores
some of the most influential examples of such characterization, links
them to contemporary correlatives of the basic promises of alchemy
and suggests reasons for the continuing power of such images.
1. Introduction
The most widely known creation myth of modern times is not that of
Genesis
or Darwin but
Frankenstein
. Why does Mary Shelley's novel,
first published in 1818, still provide the most universally invoked imag-
ery for science in the twenty-first century? Western culture relies on and
reveres science far beyond any known precedent; yet, paradoxically, the
master narrative of scientific knowledge in both literature and film
focuses on an evil and dangerous maniac, obsessive, secretive, ruthless,
and arrogant, drawing on many of the qualities popularly associated with
medieval alchemy. This chapter explores the reasons for this disjunction
between the regard and monetary reward heaped on science and tech-
nology in the 'real world' and the judgment these disciplines receive in
the world of film and fiction.
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