In a dimly lit cellar, colorful chemicals bubble in test tubes, illegible notes cover the walls—lightning flashes through the darkness, rumbling thunder disturbs the silence—and another experiment is completed.
Equipped with test tubes, a lab coat, glasses, and optionally disheveled hair, the "mad scientists" change the world—at least in fiction, where the stereotype of the eccentric, otherworldly genius is a popular character type. This fascination was already utilized by Mary Shelley, who created with Doctor Frankenstein perhaps the most famous example of this kind. More modern works have taken inspiration from the writer. The "mad scientist" can also be found in the form of Doctor Emmett Lathrop Brown (aka Doc Brown) in the film Back to the Future. A similar appearance is seen in Richard Daniel Sanchez (Rick Sanchez) from the animated series Rick and Morty, as well as Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz from the children's series Phineas and Ferb. Hange Zoe from Attack on Titan, who, despite the glasses, deviates from the blueprint inspired by Einstein's eccentric look, stands out as a female candidate.
But before Albert Einstein became the definitive inspiration for the modern depiction of the "crazy genius," such characters were hardly recognizable by their outward appearance. It is these older and therefore inherently literary examples that I would like to discuss here—namely, as already mentioned, Victor Frankenstein from Shelley's eponymous work, as well as Dr. Henry Jekyll from Robert L. Stevenson's story The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Frankenstein – The birth of the mad scientist
The name Frankenstein and the story from 1818 are known to everyone thanks to countless television and pop culture references. Yet, since it is mainly the reanimated monster that lingers in people's memories, the name is often mistakenly attributed to the creature rather than, as originally intended by Shelley, to the scientist. Additionally, the subtitle The Modern Prometheus has been lost over the years.
Prometheus is a figure from Greek mythology, whose name literally translates to "the forethinker." He created humans and taught them how to build houses and brew herbal potions, making him a symbol of knowledge, progress, and intelligence. Prometheus sought to give humans an advantage over Zeus through a trick. Enraged, the king of the gods forbade humans from using fire. In defiance, Prometheus stole a piece of ember from the heavens and brought fire to humanity. As punishment, Zeus chained the "forethinker" and commanded an eagle to tear apart his liver day after day. Prometheus, therefore, serves as an example of crossing boundaries in the pursuit of progress, followed by the consequences that such transgressions bring.
.jpg)
From this, Mary Shelley creates the central motif of her story—Frankenstein also crosses the boundaries of nature by bringing life to a dead being, and he, too, faces consequences for his actions. It’s a form of poetic justice, or karma.
Reading the story in the 21st century, one notices that Frankenstein could have spared himself much suffering if he had been a bit more compassionate. Shortly after he succeeds in bringing his creature to life, his initial euphoria quickly turns into fear. He immediately banishes the "monster" from his life, shirking his responsibility, which does not make him particularly sympathetic. The creature, of which he is theoretically the "father," is cognitively akin to a child—it learns to speak and fend for itself over time.
Children are known to be morally "pure," meaning that the creature, at the time of its reanimation, would have had a blank moral slate. In principle, there was no inherent reason for Frankenstein to reject his creation—at least from a modern perspective. However, back then, outward appearance was considered a reflection of inner character. If someone was "ugly" or deformed, they were thought to have morally corrupt tendencies as well. So, while Frankenstein is a pioneer of his time in the realm of natural science, his emotional maturity is lacking, leading to the misfortune he eventually faces in the story. The creature grows embittered by the rejection it experiences due to its appearance. The "moral philosophy" of the early 19th century, viewed through a contemporary lens, becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, driven by superficiality and prejudice.
The rise of the natural sciences posed a significant challenge to the Church, as empirical investigations threatened the authority of religious institutions. To counter this, satirical texts and caricatures were spread, aiming to undermine professional scientific research.
However, these "scientific investigations" were far from what we would consider modern methodologies. Charles Darwin's theory of evolution only emerged in 1871, yet even before that, experiments of a questionable nature were conducted. For instance, scientists attempted to revive frogs using electrical impulses, similar to the process described in Frankenstein. Edgar Allan Poe (find my post about this fella here) also later wrote several short stories about reviving the dead through magnetism ("The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar") or electricity ("Some Words with a Mummy").
Viewed in the context of the time, such stories appear much more plausible than they might seem today, which helps to explain why Mary Shelley chose this theme when she made a bet with her husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and their friend Lord Byron, to see who could write the most chilling tale. Incidentally, a castle named Frankenstein does indeed exist in Hesse, Germany, and it is said to have once housed a mad scientist—at least according to Wilhelm Grimm, one of the famous Brothers Grimm, who mentioned it in 1813 to Mary Shelley's stepmother, who apparently passed the story on to her daughter. Charles Darwin’s grandfather, Erasmus Darwin, also served as an inspiration for Victor Frankenstein.
With so many intersections between reality and fiction, it is no surprise that Shelley won the contest.
The foundation for this development—and thus the modern stereotype of the "mad scientist"—can be traced back to the Renaissance, a time when the Church's fears were stoked by great thinkers like Kepler, Copernicus, and Galileo. An early example of this type in literature was the character "Dottore" (Italian for "doctor") from the Italian Commedia dell’arte, popular in the 16th to 18th centuries. This form of improvisational theater featured a more or less fixed set of character types, including il Dottore.
Looking even further back in history, Diogenes of Sinope (you can find my contribution about him here) serves as an ancient example of the "absent-minded scholar."
Jekyll & Hyde – the psychological aspect of it all
Dr. Henry Jekyll, appearing in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, written in 1886, comes across as a more sympathetic character. The story revolves around the physical separation of the "good" and "evil" sides of a person, which Jekyll achieves through the use of a mysterious potion that transforms him into Edward Hyde.
The dilemma that drives Jekyll to seek an "alternate self" reflects a conflict of the time: Victorian society placed a high value on status and reputation—any minor slip could mean ruin, as seen in the case of Oscar Wilde (you can find all about the downfall of this eccentric writer here). This did not mean that people were necessarily pious or abstained from pleasures—rather, as long as indiscretions remained hidden and a good public image was maintained, even the gravest vices could be indulged in freely. Through the character of Hyde, Stevenson is thus also critiquing societal norms.
Jekyll, representing the "good side," acts morally "right" by only experimenting on himself, thereby initially endangering no one else—unlike Frankenstein. It is only the "evil side," Mr. Hyde, that poses a threat. Stevenson also used the physical appearance of his characters to underscore their moral states. Henry Jekyll, an older yet well-looking, tidy, and decently dressed man, stands in stark contrast to his "alter ego," Hyde, who is described in the book as follows:
"By God, the man seems to have nothing human about him! Something of a cave-dweller, I would say. [...] Henry Jekyll, if ever a face had been drawn by Satan, it is that of your new friend!"
Already at this point, Mr. Utterson, the main character, wonders whether this appearance might be “the reflection of a wicked character.”
Yet, although Jekyll largely takes responsibility, he tries to shift the blame for Hyde's atrocities. Hyde, however, increasingly gains the upper hand, and ultimately, Jekyll too is punished for crossing the boundaries “pede claudo,” meaning “slowly but surely”—just as Utterson had suspected at the end of the third chapter.
In the psychological aspect, Stevenson also addresses the themes of addiction and repression. Jekyll has been suppressing his dark desires since his youth, as revealed in his memoirs at the end of the novella. This leads to an increasing urge to indulge in sin, culminating in a science-based obsession to separate his inherent duality. It’s important to note that, theoretically, Hyde is also Jekyll. The doctor himself tries to deny this fact in order to free his conscience. However, over time, Jekyll increasingly seeks to escape from himself and transform into Hyde, blurring the boundaries between the two. While Jekyll notices this, he has long become dependent on relieving his horrific thoughts through Hyde's actions. Edward Hyde, initially described as weak because Jekyll never allowed this side of himself to manifest and thus literally "strengthen," ultimately threatens to gain the upper hand, which Jekyll can only prevent through suicide.
Like Frankenstein, this novella belongs to the Gothic novels. However, in addition to that, Stevenson’s narrative combines the genre with a (psychological) detective story, as the reader uncovers Dr. Jekyll's secret alongside Mr. Utterson. In line with this, Stevenson incorporates two amusing wordplays into his text. One of them is Utterson's declaration in his search for Edward Hyde:
If he be Mr. Hyde, I shall be Mr. Seek.
This is an allusion to the English term for the game of hide-and-seek, "Hide and Seek." Unfortunately, the German translation, "Wenn Mr. Hyde sich verstecken will, [...] so werde ich ihn eben suchen!" diminishes the linguistic elegance.
Another "Hide and Seek" allusion can also be found in the name Jekyll itself. Contrary to the usual pronunciation "Dschä-kill," the actual pronunciation is "Dschi-küll," with the former representing British English and the latter Scottish English. Although the story takes place in London, Stevenson was born in Edinburgh and is thus a native Scot. The Scottish phonetics rhyme with "seek all," meaning "search everything," which allows Stevenson to cleverly utilize the naming of his characters. After all, Jekyll also transcends the "all" general boundaries in his "search."
That Jekyll at least partially takes responsibility for his actions—he attempts, for instance, to compensate for the damage caused by Hyde—could be explained by the rising trend of self-determination at the end of the 19th century. With the church's loss of divinely ordained legitimacy, people needed a new spiritual orientation around which to structure their lives, often finding it in their own desires and needs.
The negative connotation of the "mad scientist/genius," fostered by the church, persists to this day. Natural sciences are often viewed as "cold" or "immoral," as they are associated with the logical, rational left hemisphere of the brain, in contrast to the emotional, intuitive right hemisphere.
According to the disharmony hypothesis, a person with exceptional abilities in one area must have a deficiency in another area to achieve "balance"—thus, a scientific genius must inherently lack emotional competence.
Although this has long been disproven by studies, the stereotype persists and can also be found in fiction. "Mad scientists" typically work alone or with a loyal sidekick and often look down on their colleagues. Additionally, a certain obsession is a prerequisite for transforming a "normal" scientist with a research drive into a "mad" scientist.
Furthermore, the natural sciences were long associated with a dubious reputation due to the "Body Snatchers" of the 19th century, who stole corpses from graves (hence the term, translated as "body snatchers") and sold them for medical purposes, such as dissections in anatomical schools. At that time, cadavers were scarce but essential for student education. The gruesome experiments conducted by many "scientists" during World War II also highlighted the threats posed by immoral research.
Thus, we find that researchers have had a rather poor reputation since then.
The problem here is that this character type can be compared to certain mental illnesses. For instance, Henry Jekyll's condition roughly resembles the symptoms of Dissociative Identity Disorder or Borderline Personality Disorder in terms of the depicted duality.
Less extreme examples would include autism or ADHD, which align with stereotypes regarding supposed diminished social skills and heightened attention to selected topics, similar to the aforementioned obsession.
This is problematic insofar as illnesses may go unrecognized or the proper handling of them becomes more difficult, as media influences blur boundaries or create certain expectations. This can lead to negative interactions between mental illness and stereotypes.
Considering the current trend of anti-heroes and moral gray areas, combined with the growing understanding of the human psyche and the willingness to openly discuss the aforementioned conditions, this issue should hopefully soon belong to the past.
留言