...The idea that knowledge is a dangerous and powerful tool is a motif that occurs more than once throughout Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. I will argue that knowledge is the major cause of suffering throughout this novel and it is what eventually drives one character to death, and another to the realization of what could possibly happen to him if continues as he is. The quest for knowledge is present throughout the entire novel and is implemented by multiple characters, with each presenting the same result. Starting with Victor Frankenstein, it becomes known that he strives to gain as much knowledge as he can, but eventually this expedition lands him in situations that are dangerous and unwanted. Victor’s main focus is science and despite his father’s wishes, he attends University and pursues his dreams. At the time when Victor attended college, there was little known about the field of science, especially chemistry. As Victor continues on in his endeavors, his thirst for knowledge (to learn?) continues to grow,...
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...Frankenstein by Mary Shelley taught readers the dangers of having too much knowledge and getting out of hand with Science. In Frankenstein you get a look behind not just one, but three characters who strive for knowledge. Each character has their own story, but the theme and lesson taught is the same that if you go looking for trouble you're going to find it. Their strive for knowledge ends up bringing them to dark and and dangerous places, one even ends up losing everything dear to him and eventually he ends up dead as well. Luckily for some in this story they learn from another's mistakes and take into caution what can happen if they let things get out of hand. Victor wanted to do nothing more than learn and expand his knowledge even if it...
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...Frankenstein Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelley, is a literary work considered by many to be a monstrous horror story. The book contains many different themes. However, three of the themes most prevalent throughout the novel include dangerous knowledge, monstrosity, and secrecy. One of the themes in the novel, Frankenstein is dangerous knowledge. Dangerous knowledge is trying to reach beyond human capabilities. Frankenstein wanted to gain all the knowledge he could in science. His yearning for the knowledge of all science drove Victor Frankenstein to gain knowledge to a point where it was beyond the limits of human capability. Captain Robert Walton a ship captain wanted to pursue knowledge of an unknown world beyond to find the North Pole. This could cause harm to himself and everyone around him. Victors story of how he had created something he wished he had never created. Grabbing the attention of the ship captain, he rethought his idea and plan to pursue dangerous knowledge. Another one of the major themes in the novel, Frankenstein would be monstrosity. Monstrosity is a chaotic event or being that occurs. Victor Frankenstein...
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...Many themes shown in the book “Frankenstein” are good representations of life lessons. One theme is, “the quest for knowledge can lead to a dangerous path to follow.” Victor uses his genus ability and his thirst for knowledge to create a monster that ultimately uses his power to destroy Victor’s life. The monster requests another creature’s creation of his kind, and when Victor refuses, the monster seeks vengeance on his creator. During this hunt for revenge that the monster partakes in, many deaths occur and Victor begins to realize he made a huge mistake. In chapter 5, Victor creates a monster because he is intrigued by the capability and knowledge of his learning abilities. Victor portrays a canny personality and one of the only desires...
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...In Chapter 24 of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Victor Frankenstein decides to leave Geneva and its painful memories after his entire family is destroyed. After searching for the monster for months, Victor eventually runs into Robert Walton and tells him his story. At this point of the novel, Walton regains control of the narrative and continues to send letters to his sister, Margaret. He begins to tell his sister that he asked Frankenstein how to create a monster and bring it to life. To that, Victor replied “are you mad, my friend . . . or whither does your senseless curiosity lead you? Would you also create for yourself and the world a demoniacal enemy? Peace, peace! Learn my miseries, and do not seek to increase your own.” Victor’s outburst raises the question of whether or not knowledge is dangerous. Knowledge is in fact dangerous when it is either broad, or far beyond our need in life. “Such words, you may imagine, strongly excited my curiosity; but...
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...The dangers of the pursuit of knowledge is a main theme in the novel Frankenstein. This theme is most evident in the main character Victor Frankenstein. He suffers because of his pursuit of knowledge and his creation ultimately destroys his life. As the novel progresses the creature begins to change as he gains knowledge. The creature at the start is innocent and means no harm. As he gains knowledge, however, he begins to learn that he does not fit in and becomes angry. We will take a closer look at how knowledge hurts these characters throughout the novel. The knowledge that Victor is pursuing and the knowledge the creature is pursuing have fundamental differences. Victor is working to try to figure out how to cheat death. This knowledge pushes the limit of what is accepted by society. This project is an unknown realm of science and the possible consequences of success are a mystery. Victor becomes so involved with the idea, however, that he fails to consider possible consequences. Creating a menace to society had not crossed his mind. His creature is at a different intellectual level. The creature does not understand the language of humans or how human society is structured. He observes and studies human behaviors and interactions. He learns the language and more about how humans work. He is surprised about what he learns and is angered by it. The creature is not accepted in human society, and his knowledge of this changes his personality into an angry outcast seeking revenge...
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...Knowledge can be a creator and a destroyer, and in the novel Frankenstein it plays both roles. In Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein and the monster he creates share the same deep thirst for knowledge; knowledge that they believe will bring them satisfaction. However as each man learns more about human nature, and in turn themselves, the more disillusioned they become. Victor Frankenstein creates a life with knowledge, however the life he has created has unforeseen consequences. Victor finds himself wishing he never knew how to create life in the first place. The creature Victor creates has a similar experience with knowledge and the experiences that come with it. The monster is alone from inception, leading him to teach himself everything that...
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...Draft 3 I believe curiosity and knowledge are liberating and positive forces, but it’s the user’s intent with these that can cause harm and endanger people. The universe is the limit and many topics can be explored without causing harm. If harm is caused it’s the person’s or persons’ responsibility to fix it as mistakes do happen. If they do not, then they should be punished, such in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein when he fled after creating a monster that killed people (Sayre, 2015). Sayre (2015), says Frankenstein was punished for acquiring knowledge, however this doesn’t make sense to me. Obtaining knowledge should not be punished, as someone may not act on it, simply knowing is not dangerous nor a punishable offence. Each person is responsible...
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...Knowledge is not the mere personal gain of insight, but the sharing of such. In the novel "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelly, the movement of Victor from place to place demonstrates the positive and negative gain of knowledge. Knowledge can be transferred from everyday people in everyday situations. Victor’s family vacation to Belrive was the first instance of Victor longing for and retrieval of knowledge. He was young and impressionable and "it seemed [that] nothing would or could ever be known" (pg 22). As most people who begin the pursuit of knowledge, Victor did not know where to begin. But with the movement from place to place people are able to gain knowledge from the people around them. From other people and other cultures who have learned differently "new and astonishing" (pg 22) things are able to be learned. From other cultures "miraculous change[s] of inclination and will" (pg 23) ensue and knowledge is transferred....
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...the story of Frankenstein, readers must realize the importance of the connection it has to the story Paradise Lost, this is because the forbidden knowledge shared throughout these pieces may foreshadow things to come and help readers gain a deeper understanding of Frankenstein. In the letters, Walton is talking about some of the things Victor has told him, such as the very important advice he advises Walton to listen too, he says “You seek for knowledge and wisdom, as I once did; and I ardently hope that the gratification of your wishes may not be a serpent to sting you, as mine has been.” (Shelley pg. 15). At the beginning of chapter two, Victor is describing his childhood and what he was like as a young boy, he says “It was...
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...Victor Frankenstein views himself as a reasonable man of science who acts only through his desire to advance humankind’s knowledge and abilities. He works long hours, ignoring his bodily desires and his need for companionship to devote himself to his project completely. Once his creature comes to life, the creature especially disgusts him because he is such an irrational creature. He views him as less than human and thinks he is incapable of complex thought, only murderous rage. Even after the creature tells him his life story and reveals itself as a fundamentally reasonable creature with legitimate wants, Victor does not respect or understand his creature. In fact, Victor has his perception of himself and his creature reversed from reality....
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...Khizer Awan AP LIT Frankenstein Literary Analysis I Must Know More Frankenstein written by Mary Shelley is a romantic era novel based on the theme of knowledge. The word “knowledge” reoccurred many times throughout Frankenstein and forced the reader to understand the definition of it. According to Webster’s Dictionary, knowledge is defined as “Knowledge: n. Understanding gained by actual experience; range of information; clear perception of truth; something learned and kept in the mind.” The word knowledge is very simple, but has different meanings to all of us. Knowledge is the tool we use in making proper judgement. Knowledge is an extremely powerful thing and it must be used wisely and properly. Carelessly using knowledge can cause terrible consequences. The novel, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, is a novel that has many comparisons of powers in life. It pertains to many themes in society today. Frankenstein contrasts science, technology, life and death, and most importantly knowledge and ignorance. It shows the consequences of knowledge in both negative and positive ways. In Frankenstein, three characters searched for one thing - knowledge. Unfortunately the results of their search differed from what they had anticipated. Walton, blinded by ambition, believed that search for knowledge on the route to the North Pole would bring fame to his name, but he quickly learned that he ended up only with the danger to the lives of his crew. Frankenstein, driven by passion...
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...Elvis Dizdarevic Interpretation of Lit 11/17/2011 Frankenstein: The Pursuit of Dangerous Knowledge By: Elvis Dizdarevic Aristotle once said, “All men by nature desire knowledge” and I tend to agree with him. Every human being strives to be more knowledgeable. It is something we all want. In society, it puts people above one another and gives a certain power to the ones who are intelligent. It is revered to be only a good thing to have and to seek but in some situations pursuing more knowledge is, in fact, dangerous. In Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, two main characters have this obsessive pursuit of knowledge; Robert Walton and Victor Frankenstein. Walton, an Englishman, is on a quest to be the first to reach the North Pole. His story is the frame for Frankenstein and the monster’s stories. He is a determined man who wants to possess a knowledge that no one else has. Walton desires to explore uncharted lands and to discover new particulars unbeknownst to the average man. Victor Frankenstein parallels Walton in his obsessive pursuit of knowledge. Most would say Frankenstein is even more obsessive. Frankenstein is a man who is purely driven to learn more. While attending the University of Ingolstadt, Frankenstein learns all that his professors have to teach him. After mastering the sciences he becomes fascinated with life and its creation. So much that he neglects his family and stays in his apartment for months at a time to research. He believes that there is...
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...person who puts out their flame will be left with nothing to drive them, and a person who feeds too much into their flame will become overtaken by the fire. In both the novel, “Frankenstein”, and the play, “Macbeth”, the title characters find themselves in the latter situation, eventually becoming too engulfed in their own fire to extinguish the blaze. In both books, Frankenstein and Macbeth feed too much into their ambition, leading them to pursue things with deadly consequences. While both books feature characters whose ultimate downfall is a result of their ambition,...
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...so Alike In Marry Shelly’s novel Frankenstein she develops two different characters, Victor Frankenstein and the Creature also know as Dr. Frankenstein’s creation. Even though these two characters are not related nor do they look alike in any way, they have very distinct characteristics that make them so similar. Looking at just the surface it’s hard to see how it would be even possible to call them alike. However, after digging a little deeper it becomes easier to draw distinct parallels between the two characters. As these similarities connect them in a few ways the Creature begins to seem less like the actual monster. They are similar because of; their desire to learn, a love for nature, and a longing for revenge against their enemies; all these begin to blur the lines on who the actual Monster is, as Dr. Frankenstein begins to seem more evil. From the very start, both Dr. Frankenstein and his creation had a similar desire to learn. When Dr. Frankenstein was a young child he had an abnormal desire to learn. Surely, what ultimately led to his downfall. Beginning as just a child he was obsessed with reading books on alchemy, astrology, and pseudo-sciences. He came across a volume of Cornelius Agrippa’s books, which is what completely shaped his thinking of the world around him and his love for natural philosophy. This thirst for knowledge inspired him to go to a university to study science. During his studies he gained a lot of knowledge from his mentors and as an adult he...
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