The Passion For Science And Passion In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Victor Frankenstein finds himself exploring the world of science where “it was the secret of heaven and earth… the outward substance of things or the inner spirits of nature and the mysterious soul of man” that attracted him (Shelley 18). Victor thirst for knowledge comes from his study of chemistry with a zeal for the antiquated world of alchemy. It was the alchemy books that convinces him to go beyond what the normal human limits can do, that is, the answer to life. Through the books he thrives on learning about natural science and looked upon the alchemists works and “took their word for all that they averred, and became their disciple” (Shelley 25). His readings direct him toward the study of forbidden knowledge which ultimately set him up for failure as he became addicted to create life to the point where he robbed graveyards for limbs and committing many unholy acts to create his monster. His unchecked ambition proves to have devastating consequences as his irresponsibility causes the death of those he loves most and he himself falls under the ascendancy of his own

His father then explained it to him - electricity.  Victor's interest was again sparked, this time literally. Victor turned seventeen and went to attend the University of Ingolstadt in Germany, studying Natural Philosophy.  At Ingolstadt, Victor met with a professor who said, "The ancient teachers of this science promised impossibilities, and performed nothing.  The modern masters ... have acquired new and almost unlimited powers; they can command the thunders of heaven, mimic the earthquake, and even mock the invisible world with its own shadows."  This quote, which could indeed be interpreted as man "playing god", very much intrigued Victor.  He was fascinated - spending every waking moment in the presence of his professors and his science.  Victor read and absorbed as much information as he possibly could.The major turning point of the novel then begins; Victor endeavors to create a human being.  If he would have been unsuccessful, the novel would have ended, but the question of whether it was moral to even attempt to create life would have still remained.  Thus, the single most important and prominent theme in the novel begins - morality versus scientific discovery.

In Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein initially sets out on a rational quest “to examine the causes of life,” but his excessive ambition slowly turned into an irrational mission. Victor’s passion sent him into isolation, bordering on obsession, and “… dizzy with the immensity of the prospect …” (I.iii.3) of “…infusing life into an inanimate body” (I.iv.3). Victor’s quest for knowledge about the supernatural caused him to sacrifice, Victor sacrificed his health and family to further his scientific knowledge by experimenting on the dead. When he finally achieved his goal, “the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled [his] heart” (I.iv.3). The rational scientist, achieved his goal, but is immediately horrified by the final result.

Psychoanalytical criticism analyzes motivations, which are the compelling force behind life’s myriad of decisions. Mary Shelley inventively evaluates the incentives which are responsible for propelling the characters of Frankenstein into their fatal downfall; making Frankenstein a prime source for psychoanalytical study. Shelley’s novel follows the work of a promising chemist, Victor Frankenstein, who makes a remarkable discovery that has the potential to forever alter the scientific study and nature of human life. Ultimately, this science becomes liable for Victor’s tragic fate. Previous to Victor’s revolutionary breakthrough, he had begun a process of detaching himself from the rest of humankind; following the completion of his

“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” (Shelley 60). In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, she expresses her beliefs regarding the danger of pursuing happiness through the attainment of knowledge, because true happiness is found in the emotional connections established between people. The pursuit of knowledge is not necessarily an evil thing, but it can cause destruction when it is pursued beyond natural limits. Victor Frankenstein becomes a slave to his passion for learning in more than one way; first his life is controlled by

According to William Godwin, an English journalist and political philosopher, “No man knows the value of innocence and integrity but he who has lost them.” Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein deeply incorporates the profoundness of the human psyche and provides a look into the loss of innocence and grief psychology of Victor Frankenstein and his creation. These themes found in the story go along with Godwin’s assertion, portraying how valuable innocence and integrity are. Shelley illustrates the intricacy of human ambition and its destructive consequences, from Frankenstein’s naive childhood to his aspiring pursuit of knowledge. Victor’s journey is marked by his pride, eagerness, and the ruinous loss of all those close to him.

Victor at the beginning of the book seemed to be almost obsessed with learning more and making discoveries. Victor says, “As I applied so closely, it may be easily conceived that my progress was rapid. My ardor was indeed the astonishment of the students, and my proficiency that of the masters… Two years had passed in this manner, during which I paid no visit to Geneva, but was engaged, heart and soul, in the pursuit of some discoveries which I hoped to make” “(Shelley, 53). He even describes his fascination with the human frame, foreshadowing his later experiment to create the monster.

Victor Frankenstein’s fixation on the understanding of life, shows the negative psychological and physical effects of obsession as his mind becomes more centered around this passion. As a child Victor has explicitly said that “The world was to [him] a secret which [Victor] desired to divine. Curiosity, earnest research to learn the hidden laws of nature, gladness akin to rapture, as [the secrets] were unfolded to [him], are among the earliest

Victor Frankenstein, a complex character created by Mary Shelley, experienced a complete change in attitude and perspective on the scientific world as he knew it. Between the deaths of his close family and friends, to the constant fight for survival as his own creation stalked him, Victor was under straining circumstances that allowed for his evolution as a character. Pre monster, Victor had strong morals and close relationships with his family. His family was his priority. Victor’s dedication to science was always a constant nagging in the back of his mind, but it did not mean more to him than his family dead. During the formation of his creation, he began to block off his family, especially his fiancee, Elizabeth. His dedication to science was his only priority, above food and hygiene. He was driven by the creation of his monster. After creation, his family members were killed off, eliminating any type of relationship he had with them, he rejected all science and moral values.

Romanticism was a movement that swept over all of Europe; it affected all areas of life and society, not only just literatruture. At its base was a belief in the rights of man and this impetus led to two enormously important resolutions: the American Revolution and the French Resolution. Romanticism does not only mean romantic love, it is a literary term characterized by elements. Some elements of romanticism are growth of industrialization, mingling of races, frontier, experimentation, and optimism. One of the writers that include romanticism in their writings is Mary Wollstonecraft Shelly.

Victor Frankenstein was obsessed with knowledge, and thought knowledge was the key to unlocking nature and become a pioneer in science and challenging God. “I have described myself as always having been imbued with a fervent longing to penetrate the secrets of nature” (Shelley, Frankenstein, 21). Victor always had to push boundaries, and his passion drove him closer to science and immorality and farther from his family and friends. Once Victor sees his abomination animated, his potential come alive, he wishes for nothing more than if it had never happened. He moves on to a new obsession – fleeing his past. It consumes him and his health.

The idea of pursuing knowledge clouded Victor’s mind and when his creature is born he is shocked to discover that what he has created is far off his own expectations. Not only did the monster destroy his expectations of developing a creature that went beyond human knowledge, but it also affected his life, dignity, and fears. Victor himself admits to his own mistake when he says, “The different accidents of life are not so changeable as the feelings of human nature...but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless honor and disgust filled my heart ” (36). Victor Frankenstein realizes what his obsession with pursuing an extensive amount of knowledge has brought him. His destiny to achieve the impossible with no regard for anyone or anything but himself shows that he is blinded by knowledge when creating the monster and is incapable to foresee the outcome of his creation. Victor’s goal was meant to improve and help humanity, but instead it leads to

Critic Northrop Frye once commented that "Tragic heroes are so much the highest points in their human landscapes" (Frye 1). Few characters illustrate this characteristic of a tragic hero better than that of Victors Frankenstein, the protagonist of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. His story is one of a brilliant man whose revolutionary ideas brought suffering to himself, his family and friends, and his creation. Victor is an instrument as well as a victim to this suffering throughout his story.

In her novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley is trying to convey the message that science and technology can be dangerous in the wrong hands. She affirms this idea through the character of Victor, a cautionary tale, but dispels the idea that all pursuit of knowledge is bad through more traditionally romantic characters such as Henry Clerval. Shelley is complicit in her understanding that curiosity and experimentation are unbreakably tied to the human condition, and tries to warn the world of the evil that can come from this. However, the effects of the interpretation of this book can vary: it is an exemplary cautionary tale, and a much needed reminder of ethics in an increasingly technology-dependent world, but one could easily take these warnings too far and use her novel as a means to quell innovation or incite censorship. In a world of technology that would be unbelievable to Shelley, her work still remains relevant, notably in the field of genetic engineering. Frankenstein raises important questions about ethics, responsibility and censorship, and is applicable to modern technological issues such as genetic engineering.

In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, it is clearly seen that Victor Frankenstein is a visionary person. Throughout the course of the novel, he always seems to be searching for new knowledge or secrets, this is possibly why he is such a secretive person. Perhaps he feels that since he figured something out on his own, other people shouldn’t be allowed to use his personal findings to their advantage. For example, while creating the monster and after creating the monster he isolated himself and told nobody about this, he didn’t want anyone to know that he was creating life. Some people might argue that this makes Victor selfish because if you can find new ways to create life, who’s to say you cannot find out ways to prevent life from ending. This