The Destructive Desire for Knowledge: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

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By definition, knowledge is the fact or condition of knowing something with familiarity gained through experience or association (Merriam-Webster.com). In the novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley considers knowledge as a “dangerous” factor. The danger of it is proved throughout the actions of the characters Robert Walton, Victor Frankenstein, and the creature. The characters all embody the theme of knowledge in different ways. Shelley supports her opinion about knowledge by using references from the Bible and Paradise Lost. She uses these references to show the relationship between God’s Adam and Frankenstein’s creature, and how nothing turns out as great as God’s creation. Mary Shelley’s goal is to teach a lesson on how destructive the desire for knowledge really is.
Robert Walton, an Artic explorer, demonstrates the idea of knowledge as “dangerous” through his letters to his sister. He shows determination while on his quest, but it is glory that he seeks the most. Walton states, “I shall satiate my ardent curiosity with the sight of a part of the world never before visited, and may tread a land never before imprinted by the foot of man”(8). The statement implies that Walton seeks “dangerous” knowledge; the type of knowledge that only God possesses. Although he wants glory, he refuses to do whatever it takes to get it. Walton expresses that by saying, “I am going to unexplored regions, to “the land of mist and snow”; but I shall kill no albatross, therefore do not be alarmed for my safety” (15). Although Walton seeks glory or forbidden knowledge, he is aware that it comes with consequences that he is not willing to face. He has no interest in betraying people or upsetting nature to get to the level of greatness that he wants. Upon...

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...Frankenstein and the creature. The situations that each character experience are lessons about how seeking prohibited intelligence comes with extreme consequences. Frankenstein is a Gothic novel which means it involves the supernatural; however, because it contains religious qualities it is more appealing to the common people’s idea of knowledge. Mary Shelley achieves her goal of informing the audience that man should not seek or possess the level of knowledge that God acquires. One should learn from the situations present in the novel because life comes with an enormous amount of knowledge; going after the unknown is an act of rebellion against God.

Works Cited

Knowledge." Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2014. .
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 2004

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