Compare the ways in which the writers of your texts portray the impact of science on social order

‘Frankenstein’ explores how science impacts the lives of individuals, while ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ approaches how science affects society through the lives of a few individuals. Shelley writes about how the monster is alienated from society due to his scientific origins, while Atwood deals with the categorisation of people into societal roles they cannot escape from based on their biology, and how this rigid structure causes social stagnation and isolation.             In ‘Handmaid’s Tale’, people are sorted based on their gender and reproductive capabilities, and once put into a caste, they cannot change. It affects their entire lives, and even their purpose in living, such as the Marthas, who are only permitted to be servants and cannot marry or form relationships, or handmaids, who are referred to as “walking wombs”. This nickname in particular illustrates how the population becomes desensitised to personality and feeling; the handmaids are no longer viewed as humans, but instead a mere tool to bolster the falling population, with women being indoctrinated to believe that fertility is their sole goal in life, and those who refuse are marked as “unwomen”, unfit for a place in society. ‘Frankenstein’ mirrors the treatment of those considered at odds with society through the creature's experiences. His existence disrupts the normal social balance, due to his demands to be part of a family, something which is impossible as his scientific origins exclude him from normal social processes. The creature himself is shown to be made aware of this fact, as initially he refers to people as his “fellow-creatures”, suggesting that he belongs among them. However, as the novel progresses, he calls them “humans” instead, highlighting that he views himself as something ‘unhuman’ and not part of society.