Frankenstein
The desire to learn and the fervent quest for knowledge is consistently present throughout the novel. It is demonstrated by the three narrators Robert Walton, the Monster, and Victor Frankenstein. Through their actions, Shelley suggests that education is a personal search. Walton, a seafarer listening to Frankenstein's tragic tale, mentions that although his "education was neglected," he "was passionately fond of reading" (Shelley, 8) and knowledge. This passion led him to search for a nautical pass through the Arctic, despite the perils and endangered welfare of his crew. It is here he discovers Victor Frankenstein, a scientist half-mad with tragedy, rage, and a thirst for revenge. From his tale, we learn of Frankenstein's search for the secrets of creation. Although his quest was meant to help mankind, as it would "banish disease from the human frame, and render man invulnerable to any but a violent death" (Shelley, 22), it leads to the destruction of Frankenstein's world, as his work literally kills his friends and family. Obviously, Shelley believed that the mystery of creation is knowledge that should not be sought out, as it would lead to destruction. Frankenstein's work is also so intense and addictive that he is forced to make it personal, secluding himself from friends and family. In the critical essay Possessing Nature: the Female in Frankenstein, Anne K. Mellor discusses Frankenstein's separation of work and family. Consistently his "intellectual activity is segregated from emotional activity. Victor Frankenstein cannot do scientific research and think lovingly of Elizabeth and his family at the same time" (Mellor, 275). However, once Frankenstein has finally completed his experiment, he realizes the ramifications of his work, and abandons the Monster out of fear, leaving the Monster in his own search for his origins and a meaning in his life.
The Monster's education is derived from his observations of the DeLacey family as well as...
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