Frankenstein as an Allegory

• • Despite not being responsible for the Alien's existence, the crew help to facilitate its birth by letting Kane back onto the ship and not quarantining him.
• • The drive for scientific advancement is physically programmed into Ash, whose goal is to return the Alien to Earth.
  • And so, Ash (and by extension the crew) become a sort of Frankenstein by bringing a monster to life that they have no control over.
• • This narrative parallels with Mary Shelley's 1818 novel 'Frankenstein'.
  • In Shelley's novel, a scientist (Victor Frankenstein) creates a creature which inflicts harm on others and turns against him, and that he inevitably has no control over.
• • The crew act as a sort of Frankenstein, scientists who unknowingly bring in a violent monster that inflicts harm, and who have no control over its actions.
• • You could view the story of 'Alien' as an allegory- the film comes after other works that explore themes of monstrous creations turning against their creators.