Education is a large concept discussed within Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein; or the Modern Prometheus. However, education within the novel is not discussed in a contemporary sense, insead using it to convey the concepts of irregular education, scientific discovery, and the importance of learning about one self. Throughout Frankenstein education is discussed in a variety of sense mainly in the forms of differing self learning and the use of self-learning to propel yourself forward. Self-learning is prevalent within the majority of the novel from the prefaces explorative and naval readings of Robert Walton, the learning of the Frankenstein family and the varying degrees of impact education has on the children especially Victor Frankenstein,
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Mary Shelley describes a character who is lacking formal education of any kind never attending a school or university, yet still is well versed in both nautical and explorative knowledge and skills required for his trade in future and his dream as a child. Walton’s own view of self-education is that of disdain and a drive for a higher education. Within the second letter Walton writes in a woeful matter in regards to his education wishing he had learned the classical arts taught within schools during the time periods, even going as far to claim that he’s “twenty eight, and am in reality more illiterate than many school-boys of fifteen.”(Shelley 58). Walton who feels that his education is inferior to the majority is still sensible and rational enough to realize the reality of his adventure to the north pole, and it being used as a search for a companion of a higher education in which Walton can use for guidance and education. Overall the knowledgeable assistance that Walton seeks can be easily interpreted as a model of education commonly used throughout the time period the novel was written, in which the majority of individuals were uneducated yet sought out more information and knowledge about the world around them through resources such as local scholars,
Mary Shelley describes a character who is lacking formal education of any kind never attending a school or university, yet still is well versed in both nautical and explorative knowledge and skills required for his trade in future and his dream as a child. Walton’s own view of self-education is that of disdain and a drive for a higher education. Within the second letter Walton writes in a woeful matter in regards to his education wishing he had learned the classical arts taught within schools during the time periods, even going as far to claim that he’s “twenty eight, and am in reality more illiterate than many school-boys of fifteen.”(Shelley 58). Walton who feels that his education is inferior to the majority is still sensible and rational enough to realize the reality of his adventure to the north pole, and it being used as a search for a companion of a higher education in which Walton can use for guidance and education. Overall the knowledgeable assistance that Walton seeks can be easily interpreted as a model of education commonly used throughout the time period the novel was written, in which the majority of individuals were uneducated yet sought out more information and knowledge about the world around them through resources such as local scholars,