“Frankenstein’s Corruption” There is some knowledge that is not “befitting the human mind” (Shelley 84). In Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein's pursuit of such knowledge corrupts his tranquility. His obsessive quest for the source of life leads to the loss of simple pleasures in life such as sleep, appreciation of nature, and mental and physical health. These disruptions of his tranquility lead to Frankenstein's downfall and death. Tranquility is the ideal state for “a human being in perfection” (Shelley 84). Corruption, therefore, can be detected by lack of tranquility. A tranquil person is described as someone who maintains “a calm and peaceful mind” and will “never to allow passion or a transitory desire to disturb
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The summer months pass while Frankenstein is “engaged heart and soul, in one pursuit,” the pursuit being that of the source of life (Shelley 83). He describes a beautiful harvest season but his “eyes were insensible to the charms of nature” (Shelley 83). The rest of the seasons pass, but Victor does not “watch the blossom or the expanding leaves—sights which before always yielded [him] supreme delight” because he was “so deeply engrossed in [his] occupation” (Shelley 84). In this way, Frankenstein’s quest to discover the source of life results in his inability to appreciate nature, and further marks the destruction of his tranquility. The absence of Frankenstein’s obsessive pursuit allows him to regain the appreciation of nature. After taking a break from his studies during an illness, Frankenstein becomes “capable of observing outward objects with any kind of pleasure” (Shelley 94). He finally notices “that the fallen leaves had disappeared and that the young buds were shooting forth from the trees that shaded [his] window” (Shelley 94). Appreciating nature is beneficial for Frankenstein as he feels “sentiments of joy and affection revive in [his] bosom; [his] gloom disappear[s]” and soon he is “as cheerful as before [he] was attacked by the fatal passion” (Shelley 94). Frankenstein is only able to notice nature and appreciate its beauty when he is not conducting his unnatural study. Therefore, his search for the knowledge of the creation of life destroys Frankenstein’s tranquility by removing his appreciation of
The summer months pass while Frankenstein is “engaged heart and soul, in one pursuit,” the pursuit being that of the source of life (Shelley 83). He describes a beautiful harvest season but his “eyes were insensible to the charms of nature” (Shelley 83). The rest of the seasons pass, but Victor does not “watch the blossom or the expanding leaves—sights which before always yielded [him] supreme delight” because he was “so deeply engrossed in [his] occupation” (Shelley 84). In this way, Frankenstein’s quest to discover the source of life results in his inability to appreciate nature, and further marks the destruction of his tranquility. The absence of Frankenstein’s obsessive pursuit allows him to regain the appreciation of nature. After taking a break from his studies during an illness, Frankenstein becomes “capable of observing outward objects with any kind of pleasure” (Shelley 94). He finally notices “that the fallen leaves had disappeared and that the young buds were shooting forth from the trees that shaded [his] window” (Shelley 94). Appreciating nature is beneficial for Frankenstein as he feels “sentiments of joy and affection revive in [his] bosom; [his] gloom disappear[s]” and soon he is “as cheerful as before [he] was attacked by the fatal passion” (Shelley 94). Frankenstein is only able to notice nature and appreciate its beauty when he is not conducting his unnatural study. Therefore, his search for the knowledge of the creation of life destroys Frankenstein’s tranquility by removing his appreciation of