They penetrate into the recesses of nature and show how she works in her hiding-places. They ascend into the heavens; they have discovered how the blood circulates, and the nature of the air we breathe. They have acquired new and almost unlimited powers; they can command the thunders of heaven, mimic the earthquake, and even mock the invisible world with its own shadows.
Chapter 3
Context
Professor Waldman lectures on the achievements of modern chemistry, defending contemporary science against the dismissive attitude Victor has formed. This passage is Waldman's closing statement praising what modern scientists have accomplished.
Analysis
Waldman's syntax mirrors the ambition it describes: the sentences build through parallel clauses—"They penetrate," "They ascend," "they have discovered," "They have acquired"—creating a rhythmic ascent that mimics scientific progress climbing toward godlike power. The final verb sequence—"command," "mimic," "mock"—escalates from control to imitation to scorn, with "mock the invisible world with its own shadows" suggesting science can manipulate reality itself. This crescendo of power seduces Victor completely.
Essay Tip
Use this to argue that Waldman's rhetoric, not just his ideas, seduces Victor—the building parallel structure and increasingly grandiose verbs perform the intoxicating ambition that will drive Victor to overstep ethical boundaries.