The Role Of Knowledge In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
Knowledge has the ability to promote the evolution of society, but if it prevails in uncovering the irreparable despair of one’s existence, or devours the entirety of ones purpose and ambition, it becomes the fruit of the poison tree. In Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s prolific novel Frankenstein, both Victor Frankenstein and his creature suffer severely from the knowledge plaguing them. Victor possessively seeks the knowledge necessary to bring his creature to life, blocking out all consciousness of negative implications, all the while his creature anguishes over the knowledge of his monstrosity of a reality. Knowledge in their case, is poison, disallowing them to live life freely, and revealing the potential danger when pursuit or discovery of it is all encompassing and corrupting.
Victor’s initial search for knowledge is depicted as innocent and commendable, and it not until his thirst morphs into obsession, that knowledge and discovery create a cocktail that curse the rest of his living days. As Victor becomes more drawn into his work, he admits, “I …show more content…
The way in which they contrast is that the monster did not always seek such awareness. The creature describes the first time he caught a glimpse of himself when he divulged he was, “…terrified, When I viewed myself in a transparent pool!... I became fully convinced that I was in reality the monster that I am, I was filled with the bitterest sensations of despondence and mortification”(Shelley 85). His growing insight into his condition slowly pushes him from sorrow to rage, and as a result explodes, “I, like the archfiend, bore as hell within me; and, finding myself unsympathized with, wish to tear up trees, spread havoc and destruction around me, and then to have sat down and enjoyed the ruin”(Shelley 104). Unlike like Victor, society rips away his innocence, forces understanding upon him, and pushes him into fits of violence and demands for
Victor’s initial search for knowledge is depicted as innocent and commendable, and it not until his thirst morphs into obsession, that knowledge and discovery create a cocktail that curse the rest of his living days. As Victor becomes more drawn into his work, he admits, “I …show more content…
The way in which they contrast is that the monster did not always seek such awareness. The creature describes the first time he caught a glimpse of himself when he divulged he was, “…terrified, When I viewed myself in a transparent pool!... I became fully convinced that I was in reality the monster that I am, I was filled with the bitterest sensations of despondence and mortification”(Shelley 85). His growing insight into his condition slowly pushes him from sorrow to rage, and as a result explodes, “I, like the archfiend, bore as hell within me; and, finding myself unsympathized with, wish to tear up trees, spread havoc and destruction around me, and then to have sat down and enjoyed the ruin”(Shelley 104). Unlike like Victor, society rips away his innocence, forces understanding upon him, and pushes him into fits of violence and demands for