The era of gothic novels ushered in a time of revolt from science and a push away from scientific thought. Frankenstein, itself, offers one long ode to how ambition and the thirst for knowledge can have devastating consequences for the person who craves them. The creature and Victor Frankenstein both serve as warning signs for Walton on his journey for scientific discovery. Much of Frankenstein centers around characters searching for knowledge and understanding of the world. Each of the three storylines shows the fall of a character after he begins to understand the world. Opening the story with Robert Walton and his journey to discover the science of magnetics in the North Pole, Walton writes, “I preferred glory to every enticement that
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From a young age, Frankenstein educated himself, getting lost amid the books housed in his father’s library. Issues arose among his father and, later in life, his professors due to the contents of many of the books Frankenstein selected. Frankenstein spent time reading up on countless books authored by alchemists from centuries ago. The teachings of these men were rather unpopular; however, Frankenstein took them to be truthful. Early in his recollection to Walton, Frankenstein reflects, “Wealth was an inferior object, but what glory would attend the discovery if I could banish disease from the human frame and render man invulnerable or any but a violet death” (39). A direct parallel is drawn here to what Walton believes in the beginning of the book. Frankenstein wants to be remembered for what he may find in the future and wants the world to rejoice in these discoveries. Once Frankenstein grows older, he begins to specify plans for his scientific discovery and research. Frankenstein believes, “A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me. No father could claim the gratitude of his child so completely as I should deserve their” (54). In the early phases of his research, Frankenstein wants to create the creature because he believes that it could …show more content…
Although Frankenstein only sees the creature for a few seconds before abandoning him, Frankenstein decides that the creature must be evil because in this time period outer beauty equals inner beauty, and the creature most definitely has no outer beauty. Victor opens his story about the creature by saying, “Hear me; let me reveal my tale, and you will dash the cups from your lips! … But I – I have lost everything and cannot begin life anew” (25). Victor starts to sense that creature is probably evil which the reader gains a sense of as Victor asserts, “destiny was too potent, and her immutable laws had decrees my utter and terrible destruction” (41) and “why did I not die? More miserable than man ever was before, why did I not sink into forgetfulness and rest?” (192). The first quote foreshadows what will happen with the creature in the future and the second quote shows how he feels after everything the monster has done. Frankenstein offers a unique perspective to Walton with a dramatic cause and effect
From a young age, Frankenstein educated himself, getting lost amid the books housed in his father’s library. Issues arose among his father and, later in life, his professors due to the contents of many of the books Frankenstein selected. Frankenstein spent time reading up on countless books authored by alchemists from centuries ago. The teachings of these men were rather unpopular; however, Frankenstein took them to be truthful. Early in his recollection to Walton, Frankenstein reflects, “Wealth was an inferior object, but what glory would attend the discovery if I could banish disease from the human frame and render man invulnerable or any but a violet death” (39). A direct parallel is drawn here to what Walton believes in the beginning of the book. Frankenstein wants to be remembered for what he may find in the future and wants the world to rejoice in these discoveries. Once Frankenstein grows older, he begins to specify plans for his scientific discovery and research. Frankenstein believes, “A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me. No father could claim the gratitude of his child so completely as I should deserve their” (54). In the early phases of his research, Frankenstein wants to create the creature because he believes that it could …show more content…
Although Frankenstein only sees the creature for a few seconds before abandoning him, Frankenstein decides that the creature must be evil because in this time period outer beauty equals inner beauty, and the creature most definitely has no outer beauty. Victor opens his story about the creature by saying, “Hear me; let me reveal my tale, and you will dash the cups from your lips! … But I – I have lost everything and cannot begin life anew” (25). Victor starts to sense that creature is probably evil which the reader gains a sense of as Victor asserts, “destiny was too potent, and her immutable laws had decrees my utter and terrible destruction” (41) and “why did I not die? More miserable than man ever was before, why did I not sink into forgetfulness and rest?” (192). The first quote foreshadows what will happen with the creature in the future and the second quote shows how he feels after everything the monster has done. Frankenstein offers a unique perspective to Walton with a dramatic cause and effect