Limits To The Pursuit Of Knowledge In Frankenstein

Victor obsession with his creation represents the dark side of ambition. By creating the monster, “darkness” follow him wherever he goes through the representation of deaths and daunting weather like lightning. After his release from prison, he saw around him “nothing but a dense and frightful darkness, penetrated by no light but the glimmer of two eyes that glared upon me” (Shelley 160). By trying to turn himself into a god through the creation of the monster, that is, the unnatural, Victor is deprived of joy and is tormented by fevers, anxiety, and stress because he had thrown nature into the state of imbalance. Rather than feeling a sense of accomplishment through his scientific achievement, he lives in fear and guilt knowing that he is the cause for the destruction of his

In the real world, the power of knowledge has a real affect on human nature as it gives them a sense of the world and its surroundings. Knowledge is facts, information, and skills acquired by a person through experience or education. They are known to create separation between people, the smartest usually coming atop. While the monster and Victor’s adventures are told, the power of knowledge in Shelley’s Frankenstein are a big influence into the advancements of their actions and plot of the story because it gives a new outlook for them.

The pursuit of knowledge is the main moral of Frankenstein. Victor tries to search beyond accepted human limits and find the secret of life. Robert Walton also attempts to surpass the previous human explorations by seeking to reach the North Pole. That ruthless pursuit of knowledge is dangerous. Thus, Victor’s creation brings the death of all his dear people, and Walton finds himself in danger surrounded in sheets of ice.

“Learn from me…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” (Shelley, 39).

This need of power led Victor to create what he believed would be a beautiful human being. But he failed to see that combining the most beautiful human features does not necessarily create a beautiful human being. He was inspired by scientists who ...acquired new and almost limitless powers... (Shelley, Frankenstein, P. 47). Victor sought this unlimited power to the extent of taking the role of God. He not only penetrated nature, but also he assumed power of reproduction in a maniacal desire to harness these modes of reproduction in order to become acknowledged, respected, and obeyed as a father. While bringing his creation into the world he was himself alienated from society, and isolated himself from the community. Isolation and parental neglect cause viciousness within man. Because of his upbringing, Victor had no sense of empathy, and therefore could not realize the potential harm he was creating towards himself and his creation. The sole purpose of his project was an attempt to gain power, but instead of power Victor realized that a morally irresponsible scientific development could release a monster that can destroy human civilization.

Driven by his mother’s own death, Victor looked to science for a way to combat death and illness for his own personal benefit and glory. By giving his creation life, he manages to attain the knowledge and status similar to that of God. The creation of this monster, like Prometheus’ stealing of fire, leads to Victor’s punishment. His life becomes one of loneliness and isolation, brought upon him by the creation of his creature and his attempt to be God. His carelessness and inability to fully understand the complications with his experiment contributed to his downfall and ultimately leads to a diversion in this comparison.

In the classic novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelly you can infer that obtaining too much knowledge can lead to very well and evil discoveries.

Mary Shelley also shows the consequences of the pursuit of knowledge by depicting a mad scientist that did not think of the significance of the penalties he would face. Victor Frankenstein creates a monster that leaves him alone in this world and ultimately leads to his death. He says himself, “‘Learn from me. . . 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’” (Shelley 64). Curiosity is an important factor in humans even today. One could be curious about every aspect in life like Victor was. Once again, Victor did not know his limits, and this led him to face the consequences. The question now could be, would it be better if we were brainwashed and did not have the ability to pursue knowledge? What if we believe every word the media says? If our pursuit of knowledge cuts off, then one would believe everything the media says. As Albert Einstein says, “The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but

In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the theme of the danger of knowledge is projected through Frankenstein’s ambition to create artificial life, the danger of Frankenstein’s scientific progress without any ethical or moral considerations, and Robert Walton’s desire to hear about Frankenstein’s experience. Frankenstein’s ambition, which drives his pursuit to create artificial life, is projected as part of the theme of danger of knowledge. From a young age, Frankenstein was intrigued by the laws of science and philosophical ideas. A particularly vivid experience, a tree that had been struck by lightning during a violent thunderstorm; this experience ignited Frankenstein’s curiosity even further. After witnessing the aftermath of the tree being struck by lightning, Foss 1.

In her book Frankenstein, Mary Shelley gives her own answer to the question What happens when a person goes too far and pushes past nature's limits? Her answer is simply not good. She considers the negative outcomes when someone does the unnatural by creating life to gain knowledge. In doing so causing nature to become unbalanced, which causes nature to fight back. One major theme is how dangerous and difficult the acquirement of knowledge is, which Mary Shelley shows through the sacrifices and choices Victor and Walton had to make in their quest for knowledge and the unsatisfying results Victor and the creature get after they gain the knowledge they wanted.

In the novel, Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein shows the cruel karma that joins in the achievement of attaining knowledge. With countless examples to support this statement, the opinion of this reader holds strong with the opinion of Mary Shelly, that the power of knowledge, though incredibly tempting to grasp hold of tightly, can be a dangerous achievement that can lead to more destruction than it can recover.

Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelley, explores the theme of the pursuit of knowledge and scientific discovery through the main characters; Victor Frankenstein, the Creature and Robert Walton. This pursuit of knowledge drives the plot of the novel, leading Victor to create the Creature in his attempt to break down the mortal barriers that surround him and unlock the secret of life. Robert Walton’s quest for discovery leads him to the North Pole, far beyond the reach of Humans at that time. Ultimately Victor’s thirst for knowledge and scientific discovery did him more harm than good with Victor’s hatred of his creation driving him to death. Frankenstein’s message to the modern is age is simply put as “humans should not meddle in the business of the gods”. Mary Shelley’s is using Frankenstein and the actions of the characters in the novel to warn us that although we have the technology to for example, create a human being, some things are better left to nature. In our quest for knowledge we can do ourselves more harm than good. Through her novel Shelley tells us that on our path of scientific discovery there are some trails better left unexplored.

The Blight and Knowledge of Prometheus Frankenstein By Mary Shelley stands as one of the greatest books from the Romantic Period. The novel presents and develops many different themes and ideas. It touches on everything from man's ability the challenge and become God, to a metaphor of a troubled birth and upbringing. One of the most developed themes is that of Knowledge. Victor and to an extent Walton and obsessed with it.

Victor started to distance himself from his colleagues, friends and family while he became more engaged in his research. He is so deeply involved with his research that he turns his home into a laboratory. The more Victor works on his research, the more selfish he becomes. He even confesses that “a new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me” (pg 48). His own words prove that there was no logical reason for Victor to create his monster besides the glory of creating life.

Some say that knowledge can be a blessing and a curse. Others say that intelligence can only be a curse. People argue that knowledge can help mankind, while it can also can make dangerous monsters that can harm others. However, in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Victor’s intelligence is mostly seen only as a curse because it unleashes a murderer, results in his sickness, and makes him want the knowledge to be kept a secret.