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Misuse Of Knowledge In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

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Mary Shelley’s novel “Frankenstein” centers around the idea of whether knowledge which “clings to the mind, like lichen on the rock’ is necessarily a valuable entity. Shelley conveys her thoughts through the use of binary opposites and juxtaposition. Shelley’s focal point in questioning knowledge is through the use of various passages in the novel showing the contrast of passion and emotion when using knowledge compared to when using reason. It is this binary opposition that allows Shelley to warn against the misuse of knowledge shown by Frankenstein when he creates the Creature and the Creature when using sophism to persuade Frankenstein to create him a mate. Shelley does not only focus on people misusing knowledge and illustrates Walton’s decision to end his journey through …show more content…

Shelley portrays the Creature’s pleading to Frankenstein’s emotion as a misuse of knowledge due to the fact that knowledge is being used incorrectly if it is for personal gain. Shelley illustrates the Creature appealing to Frankenstein’s passion by talking of his want and need for a mate and a family. Frankenstein later realizes how he was “once moved by the sophisms” of the Creature. Shelley is conveying the idea that it is the Creature’s passion for a mate which has caused him to misuse his knowledge of Frankenstein’s emotion to get what he wants. Shelley is against questioning the idea of passion and how too much can cause many problems. She sets the tone of this passage full of hatred from the Creature early which leads him to deceive Frankenstein resulting in the misuse of knowledge due to unchecked passion come to the forefront. The Creature’s scheme of appealing to Frankenstein’s emotions to manipulate him is again Shelley cautioning the idea about the misuse of knowledge through the use of binary

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