Acquiring Knowledge In Shelly's Frankenstein

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The effect of acquiring knowledge is best summarized by Victor Frankenstein as “...how dangerous is the acquirement 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.” Knowledge, its acquirement, and application, is a major theme in Shelly’s Frankenstein. It is through gaining knowledge and applying it to one’s life that characters develop and move the plot. However, acting upon gained knowledge is shown to lead to detrimental and severe consequences for the characters. These consequences lead to the demise of those who gained the knowledge, and other secondary characters in the novel. In Shelly’s Frankenstein, acquiring knowledge and …show more content…

He would study pseudo-science subjects such as galvanism and alchemy as a teenager before focusing on chemistry at the University of Ingoldstadt: “It was the secrets of heaven and earth that I desired to learn; and whether it was the outward substance of things, or the inner spirit of nature and the mysterious soul of man that occupied me, still my inquiries were directed to the metaphysical, or, in its highest sense, the physical secrets of the world.” (23) The choice of words used in this quote are interesting, specifically “secrets”, because it lends a perspective into the lack of familiarity of the branches of science such as galvanism and alchemy. The use of the word “secret” implies that the contents of these pseudo-science subjects are abnormal and secluded by the present day field of science. The knowledge to be gained in these subjects are therefore taboo and off limits. However, Frankenstein is still inspired to raise the dead to life and continues on with his goal even though his goal is considered taboo: “A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me. No father could claim the gratitude of his child so completely as I should deserve theirs.” (38-39) Here, Frankenstein is shown to have a God Complex because he believes that he is infallible and a creator of life to a species. Furthermore, …show more content…

The creature is born innocent, ignorant, curious, and essentially good. It is through acquiring knowledge that the creature begins to understand its place in a human society: “Was I, then, a monster, a blot upon the earth, from which all men fled and whom all men disowned?” (101) It is after learning about the unit the unit of a family, having friends, having worth through property money, for example, that the creature realizes his place as an outlier in human society. He will forever be alienated ad persecuted because of his physical appearance which greatly differ from that of human beings, and he inescapable prejudice and bias humans will judge it with. Learning of this leads to the creature's hatred and a desire for revenge towards all humans which results in the destruction of property and the conscious murders of several humans. Furthermore, it is only through learning of the death of Frankenstein, its father, does the creature fully understand the full effect it had on Frankenstein: "That is also my victim! In his murder my crimes are consummated; the miserable series of my being is wound to its close! Oh Frankenstein! Generous and self-devoted being! What does it avail that I now as thee to pardon me? I, who irretrievably destroyed thee by destroying all thou lovedst. Alas! He is cold, he cannot answer me." (194) Unable to receive Frankenstein's grace and pardon for the sins committed against him,

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