Knowledge can be the key to success and can lead people to happier life. However, there are some instances that you can not gain any more knowledge because of how it would change your whole life. The drive of wanting more and more knowledge is best portrayed through two well -known books. In Mary Shelley’s, Frankenstein, and in Daniel Keyes, Flowers for Algernon, both the creature and Charlie are ostracized by society because they are different from everyone else but this distinction gave way for distinct fallouts because of their quest for knowledge beyond their reach to achieve happiness.
Both characters were similar in how they were ‘resurrected’ in each of their books. Frankenstein performed an experiment through a process involving galvanism to produce the Creature, and
…show more content…
a group of researchers performed an operation on Charlie’s brain. Both events after the operation was strikingly similar, the people who performed the operation wanted to keep the act a secret and did not want anyone to know. In Flowers for Algernon, Keyes says, ‘This is too important to all of us to bring it out into the open prematurely.’(Progress Report of April 24). And in Frankenstein, Shelley says, ‘Did anyone indeed exist, except I, the creator, who would believe, unless his senses convinced him, in the existence of the living monument of presumption and rash ignorance which I had let loose upon the world?’(Chapter 7, Page 97). In both cases, the creators deny that they wanted nothing to do with it. Because of this, both the Creature and Charlie were frequently, or if not always ostracized because they couldn’t explain why they were different from everyone else. This led both characters back and because of this, they had no one to be with and had suicidal thoughts throughout each of the books. Both lived in societies where they had to rely on others in order to survive and live out every day of their lives, without interaction life became hard. Since both of them had no ‘real friends’, they both wandered lonely. The Creature told his stories through many chapters of how he would try to live like a family and watched how one family had members that relied on another. The Creature had enough of denial from everyone and requested Victor Frankenstein a companion for him. Through all of the Creature’s knowledge from his surroundings, he grew and grew and even told Frankenstein he would leave all of the society if he would receive a partner. Similarly, Charlie falls in love with his teacher, Ms. Kinnian and appreciates her beauty and both are often attracted to one another. In both instances, Victor declines the Creatures ambition of a wife and Ms. Kinnian holds off from a relationship with Charlie because she doesn't think he is ready yet. Both characters do not get what they wanted which would prove costly in each of the cases. To start with Charlie, before his operation he was mentally ill and was not very bright, after the procedure, he was smarter than even professors with PhDs. The operation gave him the drive to continue to gain more and more knowledge and just expanding his reach for every subject. Since he can read and memorize anything in an instant it was like he was a computer which really annoyed everyone around him. No wanted to be around him because they knew they would be embarrassed when talked to him. This really impacted Charlie because he was so alone, Keyes says, What has happened to me? Why am I so alone in the world?’(Progress Report, July 31st). Charlie, although was so bright and smart, had no one to talk to except for the next-door neighbor stripper he had over for a one-night stand. Charlie with all this knowledge began to write several reports for people and began to help the world. This knowledge was used well but not efficiently. This shows how knowledge can’t get you everything. When Charlie was mentally ill, although he was mad fun of by his co-workers, he was still ‘appreciated’ and ‘known’ by them. Back then Charlie was happy with life, now Charlie is stuck in a sea of knowledge that no one is or would ever want to get into. Charlie at the end would become mentally ill again and would go back to the mental warden where would start where he left off, thus showing us how in a span of a few months, things can change drastically and Charlie could no longer benefit the world with his knowledge, but couldn’t even support himself. Although the Creature also requested for a partner as well, and both Charlie and the Creature didn’t get what they wanted, the Creature took advantage of his strength to kill many throughout the book.
The Creature killed William by mistake, which indirectly killed Justine and he killed Henry because of anger and Elizabeth for revenge. All these deaths were caused by him being ostracized by society and the fallout was the murder of many. The Creature wanted a partner, but who knew if his desire would have increased, or if he would have gone on his promise to Victor. But saying all of this can show the reader how destructive and careless he was, but the Creature also had emotions, after killing Elizabeth, Shelley says, But it is true that I am a wretch. I have murdered the lovely and the helpless; I have strangled the innocent as they slept and grasped to death his throat who never injured me or any other living thing.’(Chapter 24, Page 269). Here Shelley shows how the Creature realizes what he did wrong and how he looked back upon it and it was all a mistake. The Creature after the fallout of mass murder goes into the land of the ice and goes to kill himself because his creator is no
more. In both Frankenstein and Flowers for Algernon, both books compare how knowledge is gained or had and is misused or used too much of. The Creature kills and learns that killing is wrong and learns how in life people are needed in order to survive. And Charlie learns that his pre-operation life was much better even though he was less smart, but was happier. Both characters, of course, had thoughts of suicide and sexual attractions for the opposite sex, where Charlie went as far as having a one-night stand with his neighbor. But to conclude, a balance of happiness and knowledge should be met in order for life to function properly, otherwise, there will be consequences for all to pay.
To compare the two novels by genre they are equivalent in that they both take a dive into the waters of science fiction, a very intriguing genre. Although they sit at the far end of each other as Frankenstein focuses on a dark, gothic scene of science fiction which is largely based off the time it was written in. Whereas Flowers for Algernon is more purely Science fiction and the genre of horror is not prevalent. Frankenstein takes place in Geneva, Switzerland where Victor talks about his childhood and how his parents had met. Throughout the story he finds himself travelling all around Europe from Bavaria all the way north to the Arctic where he persists to hunt down the monster and inevitably where his journey ends. However, the opposite is shown in Flowers for Algernon as the setting is set and remains in Chicago, New York where the story carries out. As for the characters, the most noticeable similarities would be Victor Frankenstein and Dr Strauss and Professor Nemur from Flowers for
Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, a very gory story, can also be seen a romantic piece within having characteristics, such as celebration of the individual, importance of imagination, strong emotions, and an awe of nature. Within the piece there is many references to how one comments on the accomplishments and achievements of another or themselves, also known as the celebration of an individual. An example of how Frankenstein uses the celebrations of individual is when Frankenstein, himself, talks about his achievements of how fast his experiments turned out. He talks about his success, by staying, “ As I applied so closely, it may be easily conceived that my progress was rapid ” (chapter four). By saying, “applied” it shows that he is saying
In the stories Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare, there are characters that have similarities, and also share some differences. In the book Frankenstein, the character I chose is the monster, and the character I chose from the book A Midsummer Night’s Dream is Oberon. I chose these individuals because they are both out for revenge, they both are cruel, but they also differ. Their differences are that Oberon has a wife, but the monster does not. The monster was created by Victor Frankenstein, but Oberon was born.
We as humans tend to have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. We look for knowledge about everybody and everything that surrounds us in our day-to-day life. Sadly though, we must accept that in the grand scheme of life we (as a society) tend to put pleasure above our quest for knowledge. The pursuit of knowledge tends to take time and energy, two things we call invaluable, and it also shows us things that might depress us. Contrastingly, ignorance takes no time and energy.
Our knowledge is a key to our success and happiness in our life to give us personal satisfaction. Knowledge is power but not always. Sometimes our self-awareness and growth as an individual gives us negative thoughts that make us want to go back to undo it. Everyone wants to unlearn a part in our life that brought us pain and problems. Good or bad experiences brought by true wisdom can be used for our self-acceptance, self-fulfillment and these experiences would make us stronger as we walk to the road of our so called “life”, but Douglas’s and my experience about knowledge confirmed his belief that “Knowledge is a curse”. Both of us felt frustrated and sad from learning knowledge.
Both characters from the novels Prometheus and Victor Frankenstein were similar because they were both intelligent. Victor loved science, he used to go on journeys to seek more information about life and death, because at home he had nobody to teach him.” My father was not scientific, and I was left to struggle with a child's blindness, added to a student's thirst for knowledge. Victor Frankenstein quotes on education. And he even studied abroad to gain more knowledge on his favorite subject.
Frankenstein and the monster are also similar in that they are isolated and outcasts of society. Frankenstein is
There was no one left to provide the creature with companionship and was forced to isolate himself from society once again. When the family moved out of their cottage, the creature decided to go on his own adventure and seek out his creator. Upon doing so, the creature encountered a young girl who was about to drown near a lake. When the creature successfully saved the little girl, an older man confronted the creature and shot him in the shoulder. Because of what happened, the creature explained to Frankenstein that his, “...daily vows rose for revenge-a deep deadly revenge, such as would alone compensate for the outrages and anguish [he] had endured.” (Shelley 61). With this burning rage, the creature decided to take his revenge out on his creator, Frankenstein. One by one, Frankenstein’s relatives and closest friends were murdered by the creature, but his father’s death, was the final push. Frankenstein believed that he was the cause for all the murders and that he had to destroy what he created. He told Walton that, “...as [he] awakened to reason, at the same time awakened to revenge.” (Shelley 88). The only way to stop future deaths, was to hunt down the creature and kill him. Fueled with hatred, Frankenstein traveled for months in hopes of finding the creature. However, in his final days, Frankenstein was no longer able to continue his search, and passed away due to malnutrition. Upon discovering what had happened, the creature came out from hiding, and decided to explain his side of the story to Walton. Now that Frankenstein was dead, the creature decided to wander off and slowly die, isolated from the
At the beginning of life, humans are exposed to the outside world with an open and blank mind. A newborn has no knowledge, no concerns or worries and it only seeks to fulfill its main necessities. Surrounded by the outside world one lives through many experiences where knowledge is accepted. Encountering other human beings reflects upon one's perception and brings about ones self decisions. Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, written in 1816, demonstrates through characters that an obsessive desire for more knowledge may ruin ones life.
At this point, the Creature understands that it will be forever forsaken by humanity and realises the wrong that has been done to it. It then decides to seek for his creator in order to get justice: “Unfeeling, heartless creator! you have endowed me with perceptions and passions, and then cast me abroad an object for the scorn and horror of mankind. But on you only had I any claim for pity and redress, and from you I determined to seek that justice which I vainly attempted to gain from any other being that wore the human form.” While seeking its master, the Creature encounters William, which he kills out of rage against Victor Frankenstein, and then decides to demand a companion to accompany him in its solitude.
There was no one left to provide the creature with companionship and was forced to isolate himself from society once again. When the family moved out of their cottage, the creature decided to go on his own adventure and seek out his creator. Upon doing so, the creature encountered a young girl who was about to drown near a lake. When the creature successfully saved the little girl, an older man confronted the creature and shot him in the shoulder. Because of what happened, the creature explained to Frankenstein that his, “...daily vows rose for revenge-a deep deadly revenge, such as would alone compensate for the outrages and anguish [he] had endured.” (Shelley 61). With this burning rage, the creature decided to take his revenge out on his creator, Frankenstein. One by one, Frankenstein’s relatives and closest friends were murdered by the creature, but his father’s death, was the final push. Frankenstein believed that he was the cause for all the murders and that he had to destroy what he created. He told Walton that, “...as [he] awakened to reason, at the same time awakened to revenge.” (Shelley 88). The only way to stop future deaths, was to hunt down the creature and kill him. Fueled with hatred, Frankenstein traveled for months in hopes of finding the creature. However, in his final days, Frankenstein was no longer
In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein and the monster that he creates are very similar. For example, Victor creates the monster to be like himself. Another similarity is that the anger of both Victor and the monster is brought about by society. One more parallel between Victor and the monster is that they both became recluses. These traits that Victor and the monster possess show that they are very similar.
Characters from different novels have similar personalities. As creators of another creature, God and Victor Frankenstein are very similar, in that they both lose part of their "family," and they let the war between them and their creations go on too long. Victor says, "I collected bones from charnel houses; and disturbed, with profane fingers, the tremendous secrets of the human frame." This shows that he creates the monster out of corpses, just as God creates Satan. Furthermore, Victor is disgusted with his own creation, "the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart."
The creature was suppose to be the perfect being but, “...the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart.”(Shelley, 70). The horrendous sight of the creature made Victor run and eventually just abandon and leave the creature to fend for himself. Now that the creature was left and is lonely he begins to experience emotions. The creature is like a child and does not know how to control his emotions. Once he feels the emotion of anger, it then builds to rage toward Victor. The creature is smart and realizes that if he isolates Victor from his friends and family he will become lonely and feel the way the creature felt when Victor abandoned him. The creature then devises a plan to get revenge on Victor by killing all of his friends and family. Once the creature succeeds Victor instantly regrets his actions and realizes that playing God was a terrible
This act of violence sets the events for the rest of the novel, but also shows the differences between humans and the monster. It shows how the monster’s reactions and ways of thinking are so different from those of ordinary humans. The monster acts rashly, solely on his first thoughts and feelings; “ ‘Urged by this impulse, I seized on the boy as he passed and drew him towards me’ “ (Shelley 282). A human would not be as quick to act, if they decided to act at all. This act of violence shows the monster’s desperation and irrationality. The violence used by the monster in William’s death scene is necessary to show the contrasts between the monster and