Without the pursuit of knowledge Mary Shelley’s novel, “Frankenstein”, wouldn’t have been written. THe novel dives into the main character, Victor, who is in the pursuit of knowledge. However, what if I told you the pursuit of knowledge is a dangerous quest. Mary Shelley uses the characterization of Victor and the conflicts that he encounters to convey that the pursuit of knowledge is a dangerous quest. Mary Shelley uses the characterization of Victor and the conflicts that he encounters to convey that the pursuit of knowledge is a dangerous quest shown by his consequences, ambition, and curiosity. In the novel, Victor faces the consequences of the pursuit of knowledge. This shows when Victor created the monster that would later kill his wife. As evidenced, “... the deadly languor and coldness of the limbs told me that what I now held in my arms had ceased to be Elizabeth whom I had loved and cherished”(213). This quote conveys …show more content…
He wanted to know everything about the science that was around him. As expressed, “Curiosity, earnest research to learn the hidden laws of nature, gladness akin to rapture, as they were unfolded to me, are among the earliest sensations I can remember” (35). This quote conveys my theme because it shows the roots of why Victor was on the pursuit of knowledge in the first place. Usually, when people have a “Why”, they think they have a purpose in life. However, the curiosity of Victor got the best of him. Later on in the novel, Victor comes to a realization of his curiosity becoming part of the problem. According to Victor, “It was to be decided whether the result of my curiosity and lawless device would cause the death of two of my fellow beings” (85). This quote conveys my theme because it shows Victor’s curiosity of knowledge being the reason his family members died. Although curiosity is a part of human nature, it can reveal a dangerous path that can lead to
This is subtly shown when Victor agrees that discovery is not good by saying “Learn from me, if not my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world that he who aspires to become greater than nature will allow.” This quote compresses the theme of discovery isn’t good for the world, as the quote emphasizes that to obtain knowledge can be perilous and cautions against the pursuit of knowledge to the audience, Victor’s loss of his love ones highlights the loss that he experienced when creating the monster. Ultimately, the quote serves as a reminder that discovery is
Frankenstein: A Passionate Revenge Cycle “The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science”(Einstein). This quote by esteemed physicist Albert Einstein describes the relationship between the unknown and known and how a mystery is used to find answers. In the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelly, protagonist Victor sought after the concept of life as it was a mystery which led him towards a dangerous path of scientific discovery.
On the night before their wedding, Victor reveals to Elizabeth that he has “one secret, …, a dreadful one; when revealed to [her] it will chill [her] frame with horror” (Shelley 160). If Victor would have just put aside his vanity for one moment and been honest with Elizabeth, or any of his loved ones, the tragedies they’ve endured could have been avoided. Because he was so worried about his life being in danger, he was not able to care for his loved ones around him. The night before their wedding, Victor and Elizabeth were staying the night in a hotel, however, they were not able to truly enjoy themselves because of how anxious Victor was awaiting the monster to come and find him. Suddenly, Victor heard a noise out on the balcony and went to investigate.
With his intrigue in natural philosophy, Victor sets out to achieve scientific discoveries through his ability to animate the dead. This interest quickly drove Victor to an obsessive state causing him to isolate himself with his work for months, effectively removing the true source of happiness from his life, his family, which he would only come to realize when his study is complete and creation alive. Upon seeing the Creature, the supposed achievement in science and reason for being happy, his enthusiasm for knowledge turned loathsome for what he had
Victor Frankenstein, in Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, pleads, “Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge.” Victor’s obsession with obtaining knowledge is the antithesis of his and his family's downfall. In Frankenstein, Victor brings life to a creature with electricity that descends his life into madness, illness, and death. The story is told through the lens of Walton writing letters to his sister on a journey through the Arctic. Although the pursuit of knowledge is valuable to the mind’s development, in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein knowledge evolves into psychological distress and physical suffering.
The first example of Victor’s curiosity beyond
The idea of Victor falling ill due to his success, or lack thereof regarding his scientific creation, shows how consumed he is by his convictions. Victor is not justified in this idea that withholding information for self preservation is for the greater good. Horrifying truths, though they may be hard to rationalize, are necessary for justice in human processes. In ethics, there is a rule called the golden rule which is do not do to others as you would not want done to you; however, the want for self-preservation is a natural human tendency, but is not
When most people think of knowledge, they visualize intelligence and understanding, but Victor Frankenstein, from the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, often associated knowledge with danger and destruction. Throughout the novel, Victor linked his knowledge to the result of his tragic fate. V. Frankenstein’s ruthless fate is not as much tied to his relentless search for knowledge as it is his ongoing ambition. Creating life and gaining power led to Victor’s demise because he wanted to be like a god. His constant fascination steered him to create an eight-foot, human-like creature.
Victor’s intellect sets him apart from the rest of his peers. Sciences and the secrets of the universe interested Victor as a child, while Elizabeth and Henry were more interested in worldly knowledge, “ It was the secrets of Heaven and Earth that I desired to learn…”(Shelley 23). Victor, even as a child, does not want what normal
This is important as learning gives him that purpose he needs which is a blessing. Victor warns the listener about the acquisition of this information, “Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquisition of knowledge, and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow. (Shelley 41). Victor realizes there are limits to what people can do, and it is in our best interests to stay within them. This is important because he is starting to feel guilty, and instead of feeling powerful, he is now feeling distressed.
An example that can identify Victor as being the true villain in the story is Victor's lack of thought and deposition when he sees the creature he had created. He states that he is “Unable to endure the aspect of the being I had created, I rushed out of the room and continued a long time traversing my bedchamber, unable to compose my mind to sleep”(Shelley 59). This quote exemplifies how Victor immediately despises the creature based on its looks and abandons it rather than taking the creature under his wing to give it guidance and care. It also demonstrates the ambition of creating new life for scientific achievement, without considering the consequences. Another example that we see victor lack a sense of guidance and responsibility is his talk with the creature he states that he “consents” to the monster's request and will “deliver into your hands a female who will accompany you”(Shelley 159).
After the monster killed his wife, Elizabeth, Victor is filled with outrage, and all he can see is extreme hatred for the monster. Victor detaches from his life and forms a craving to get revenge on his creation. This craving is incredibly similar to the monster’s craving for Victor in the beginning of the novel. The rest of Victor’s life was dedicated to hunting down the monster. The monster leads Victor on by leaving hints and clues that last for months.
Utilizing the novel’s protagonist as a symbol of the Age of Enlightenment, Shelley employs Victor Frankenstein as an example of the egotistical interests exhibited by Enlightenment thinkers. Reiterating, Victor Frankenstein is the main protagonist in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, with an obsessive interest in scientific development. However, discouraged by his father, Alphonse Frankenstein, Victor was driven by his eager desire to learn from a young age. As a result, he directed toward the literary work of respected philosophers to soothe his thirst for knowledge. Consequently, a new delusion formed, “Wealth was an inferior object, but what glory would attend the discovery if I could banish disease from the human frame and render man invulnerable to any but a violent death (26)!”
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is a novel about the dangerous pursuit of knowledge, as it explores the consequences of unchecked ambition and the implications of playing God, through the characters of Victor Frankenstein, the creature, and Robert Walton, ultimately emphasizing the idea that the desire for glory can lead to catastrophic consequences. Frankenstein's inexorable craving for knowledge proves to be a risky endeavor as seen through his obsession with reanimating life. When Frankenstein speaks to Walton concering his research and results of those experiences, he says, “Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be
Victor's relentless pursuit of knowledge and his aspiration to conquer the secrets of life propels him into a destructive spiral. As his ambitions consume him, his mental state progressively deteriorates, leading to profound consequences. "In a fit of enthusiastic madness, I created a rational creature and was bound towards him, to assure, as far as was in my power, his happiness and well-being" (Shelley, 56). Victor's admission of his "enthusiastic madness" underscores the toll his ambitions have taken on his mental well-being. The weight of his creation becomes an unbearable burden that torments his psyche.