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The nature in frankenstein
Philosophy of frankenstein
Philosophy of frankenstein
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Recommended: The nature in frankenstein
The Tree of Knowledge in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley warns that with the advent of science,
natural philosophical questioning is not only futile, but dangerous.
In attempting to discover the mysteries of life, Frankenstein assumes
that he can act as God. He disrupts the natural order, and chaos
ensues.
Mary Shelley goes to great lengths to emphasize the beauty and order
of life when man engages in ìnaturalî pursuits. She idealizes
Frankenstein's home life: ìI feel exquisite pleasure in dwelling on
the recollections of childhood, before misfortune had tainted my mindî
(38). His family is orderly and wonderful. Clerval's ìpresence brought
back to my thoughts my father, Elizabeth, and all those scenes of home
so dear to my recollectionÖI felt suddenly, and for the first time
during many months, calm and serene joyî (58). Shelley also stresses
that man should feel at one with nature, not at odds with it: ìWhen
happy, inanimate nature had the power of bestowing on me the most
delightful sensationsî (68).
Certain occupations allow man to be at one with nature and his fellow
creatures. Shelley feels that science should be useful and beneficial
to mankind. Clerval, a clearly pure and benevolent character, studies
languages. He loves poetry. These disciplines allow man to help others
and glorify nature without questioning it. In childhood,
Frankenstein's studies contained ìbright visions of usefulnessî (38):
ìI betook myself to the mathematics, and the branches of study
appertaining to that science, as being built upon secure foundations,
and so worthy of considerationî (41).
But Frankenstein's interests soon turned away from mathematics; he
speaks of his change of mind as i...
... middle of paper ...
...gnorant art thou in thy pride of wisdom!
Cease; you know not what it is you sayî (194)!
Frankenstein has finally learned his lesson. Or has he? After his
excruciating pains and hardship, Frankenstein's dying words are: ìI
have myself been blasted in these hopes, yet another may succeedî
(210). Unless Frankenstein is referring to beneficial, pragmatic
scientific knowledge, then he has not yet acknowledged that man cannot
know the secrets of nature. Shelley means his final words to be a
warning to the reader. Man's growing ambition and intellect will
render him desperate to discover the deepest mysteries of lifeóit is a
difficult task to halt this ambition. But this ambition is greater
than man's intellect. He can never know all, though he aspires to
heaven. Until he realizes his limitations, the spread of science can
only lead to chaos and destruction.
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein explores the downfall of certain human characteristics, set to the backdrop of creation, destruction, and preservation. The subtitle denoted by Shelly herself supports this idea, by relating the fact that the title can be viewed as either Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus. One scholar, Marilyn Butler, also maintains this by noting, "It can be a late version of the Faust Myth"(302). Shelly uses the story of the main character, Victor Frankenstein, to produce the concept of a dooming human characteristic of which Frankenstein states, "I have . . . been blasted in these hopes"(Shelley, 152). The reader finds, as a result of his thirst for knowledge and infatuation with science, Victor creates a living being by whom he has "suffered great and unparalleled misfortunes"(Shelley, 17). Eventually, Victor realizes this self-destructive trait, but he is not able to save himself stating, "I have lost everything, and cannot begin life anew"(Shelley, 16). Although everything in his life that is dear has been lost, Victor is able to convince one in his same position--Robert Walton--to not "lead [his crew] unwillingly to danger"(Shelley, 151). While addressing the concept of characteristic and self-discovery, it is possible to realize that the monster also possesses the characteristics held by both Victor and Walton; except in his learning, the monster is driven to continue to cause destruction. Most important about the thirst for knowledge is that, as a form of human characteristic or downfall, it leads to large, critical pieces of self-discovery. In obtaining these critical pieces, Frankenstein finds satisfaction in j...
In conclusion, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein shows readers how irresponsibility and the excessive need for knowledge can cause suffering among others as well as oneself. Victor never intends to cause such harm; however, he is not cautious and observant with his actions, which ultimately leads to his classification as a tragic hero. The desire to learn is most definitely a wonderful trait to have, as long as one’s knowledge doesn’t reach the extent that Victor Frankenstein’s unfortunately does.
Victor Frankenstein, blinded by pride, remained unaware of how his experiment would affect not only him, but the world around him as he formed his new discovery. His secret to creating life only caused more life to be lost. Because of Victor’s reckless behavior, he caused the depressed and lonely world around his own creation, one who, in the end, Victor did not want to take responsibility for making, no matter how remarkable. The Creation, a being of unfortunate circumstance, exemplifies how knowledge has dangerous and everlasting effects if not used safely or for good intentions. Unfortunately, The Creation leaves his own damage behind as well, again showing how knowledge is harmful, by killing Elizabeth, Victor’s wife, Henry Clerval, his dearest friend, and other members a part of Victor’s family and friends. This demonstrates how knowledge, if not used wisely, can lead to death and suffering. The power of knowledge, in Mary Shelley’s writing, is a gift bestowed on those who can handle the power responsibly, as opposed to using it for selfish boasting. In contrast, she uses these two characters to show the importance of being knowledgeable in both science and responsibility and the unforgivable mutilation that comes if you fail to overcome
The beginning of Frankenstein’s dream started as a young man, Victor 's interests lie in science, chemistry, and of the balance and contrasts of life and
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.
Analysis of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Analyzing a book can be a killer. Especially when it contains tons of subtle little messages and hints that are not picked up unless one really dissects the material. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is a prime example.
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, was the daughter of the radical feminist, Mary Wollstonecraft, and the political philosopher, William Godwin, and the wife of the Romantic poet, Percy Bysshe Shelley. Through these familial affiliations, she was also acquainted with Lord Byron, Samuel T. Coleridge, and other literary figures such as Charles and Mary Lamb. Surrounded by such influential literary and political figures of the Romantic Age, it is not surprising that as an adolescent, at the age of 19, she wrote Frankenstein. Though critically a failure, (British Critic,1818 and Monthly Review, 1818) the novel has never been out of print and has been translated into numerous languages. What is surprising, however, is the enormous body of knowledge contained in the novel. The novel contains references to the fields of literature, poetry, science, education, politics, history, and mythology. How did such a young girl, living a life considered morally objectionable to society and harassed by family and financial burdens, acquire such a vast amount of knowledge in all fields of study that encompassed the important issues of her day? Through examination of biographical information and Mary Shelley's journal entries, we will be able to answer this question. Following, I also plan to highlight Mary Shelley's knowledge of literature with primary emphasis on the works studied by the monster in relation to his origins as well as Mary Shelley's.
Knowledge of Religion and Frankenstein "It is better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer (Blackstone). " This quote explains how a proper court case is viewed, but what if there was a confession? In Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein, that’s exactly what happens to Justine: some planted evidence and then a false confession. In her book, it forces us to complete the role of God in a struggle for justice. Mary Shelly’s
Victor Frankenstein often esteemed himself a scientist of nature in contrast to those of his time who were alchemists. As such he followed the very same path which elementary school kids follow today; observation, hypothesis, experimentation, and conclusion. The first step he took in creating his monster was observation. Victor Frankenstein observe...
Victor Frankenstein finds himself exploring the world of science against his fathers wishes but he has an impulse to go forward in his education through university. During this time any form of science was little in knowledge especially the chemistry which was Victors area if study. Victor pursues to go farther than the normal human limits of society. “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 the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow” (Chapter 4). He soon finds the answer he was looking for, the answer of life. He becomes obsessed with creating a human being. With his knowledge he believes it should be a perfe...
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.
knowledge is found at the heart of the novel, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Mary Shelley constructs her novel in a form of tripartite that consists of three speakers Victor, Victor’s Creature, and Robert Walton. The pursuit of knowledge is conveyed by the alluring antagonist Victor in his endeavor to go beyond human adeptness and discover the elixir of life. The pursuit of knowledge is shown through another character, Frankenstein’s Creature whose pursuit of knowledge prompts him to become aware of himself. Robert Walton through the pursuit of knowledge learns that his own strive for success leads him to learning that his selfish pursuits are effecting the people around him. The pursuit of knowledge is proved to be dangerous to all three speakers Victor, Victor’s Creature, and Robert Walton and all three prove to the reader how destructive knowledge can be.
The Age of Enlightenment emphasized reason over tradition in order to challenge religious views and to advance knowledge of scientific thinking. Reason is what differentiates humans from animals by allowing them to think about circumstances rationally rather than strictly by instinct. Jean-Jacques Rousseau embodies the enlightenment ideals of introducing reason into everyday lives in his book A Discourse on Inequality by saying that early humans’ creation and use of language shows how reason is used in a way to challenge ideas to imagine better solutions. This way of showing that early humans used reason is both extended from and challenged in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. This text also uses language as a way to utilize reason but does so in a way that shows the use of reason in a positive and negative light, supporting and contradicting the theory shown by Rousseau and that of the Age of Enlightenment.
Frankenstein has been interested in natural science since childhood and has described himself to “always have been imbued with a fervent longing to penetrate the secrets of nature”(Shelley 25), which foreshadows his future aspiration to create life, and
This act fueled his interest in the destructive force of nature. Nature proved to be powerful and this act changed the course of Frankenstein’s life forever. Frankenstein would take this powerful event and try to recreate it in an unnatural scientific way that would haunt his life as a consequence. Even earlier in his life Frankenstein showed interest in science as a way to understand nature. After reading the scientific works of Agrippa, Paracelsus and Albertus Magnus the young Frankenstein comes to the realization that he has “a fervent longing to penetrate the secrets of nature” (41, Shelley). Frankenstein showed great interest towards the secret of life stating that “It was the secrets of heaven and earth that I desired to learn…or the inner spirit of nature and the mysterious soul of man that occupied