Frankenstein Research Paper

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Recommended: Ethical dilemmas in Frankenstein

Simon Liu English 9 Brown PD 8 May 4, 2014 Frankenstein Dangerous Knowledge Near the end of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, the creature stands by Frankenstein’s dead body and curses himself: “Polluted by crimes and torn by the bitterest remorse, where can I find rest but in death?” Although he murders the younger brother, best friend, and wife of his creator, the creature remains a sympathetic character, as his demise was caused by his rejection from society. In comparison to his creator, Victor is not much different. Victor and the creature are both very innocent when they first appear in the novel, slowly developing into their prime and dangerous selves. Like the “control” of a scientific experiment, it is important to establish the situation of Victor and the creature before their development and change. In his childhood, Victor’s “temper was sometimes violent, and [his] passions vehement” (23) for an eager desire to learn. He grew up with Elizabeth, where “harmony was the soul of [their] companionship” (22) and showed no sign of his violent temper towards her. He is very innocent here, before his corruption by knowledge and revenge. In the creature’s childhood, or the first section of his life, he harbors no malicious thoughts. When the creature realized that in consuming parts of the cottagers’ store of food he was causing the cottagers to starve, he “abstained and satisfied [him]self with berries, nuts, and roots which [he] gathered from a neighbouring wood” (92). He also tried to assist the cottagers by “[bringing] home firing sufficient for the consumption of several days” (92), bringing out his innately good nature. Victor and the creature develop in many similar ways. The first is the desire for knowledge throughout thei... ... middle of paper ... ... their actions” (91) after what had happened when he tried to associate with the previous villagers. However, even they “dashed [him] to the ground and struck [him] violently with a stick” (115). The creature, unlike Victor, doesn’t have a choice of isolation. His hideous outward appearance is what causes humans to alienate him from them. Victor and the creature are very similar yet vastly different. They share a beginning and an end, an introduction and a conclusion. They are both brought to ruin by the same factor: the thirst for knowledge. These two characters are brought to their downfall by knowledge: Victor by penetrating too deep in to the mysteries of nature and the creature by learning to cause pain and death upon others. Victor and the creature engage in gathering knowledge, each for their own purpose, but the outcome is the same. Knowledge is dangerous.

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