Hannah Wieder
Mrs. Rosario
British Literature
2 February 2016
The phrase "Ignorance is bliss", holds many truths. Does the denial of knowledge in truth give humans a peace of mind? In the gothic novel, Frankenstein, Mary Shelley gives her own insight towards this question. Through the main characters, Victor Frankenstein and the creature Shelley expresses the effects of knowledge on the human soul.Frankenstein is forced to deal with the tragic consequences of trying to take control by playing a role of God in the creation of life and making judgements based on superficial qualities. For instance Victor’s pursuit of knowledge not only posed a threat to himself but to those around him. Victor finds himself studying in the field of science, even though he does so …show more content…
It wasn’t until he began to investigate the science of life that his own life began to take a turn for the worst. The more he learned, the further he plunged into a secluded and obsessive state, abandoning his family and absorbing himself in his work. Other forms of knowledge were detrimental to Victor as well. Every time there was a death, knowing the cause affected Victor’s health. For Victor, knowledge was not power, knowledge was a flaw. In addition the creature suffered from the increase of knowledge as well. In the beginning of his life he was kind and gentle. He longed for companionship and studied the actions of humans in order to get it. Although he appeared ugly and monstrous, violence and destruction were not among his given qualities. He learned that behavior from the way he was treated by humans. Had the creature not been beaten and rejected by mankind , he would not have been able to imitate the behavior by murdering Victor’s friends and family. In this sense, the creature’s knowledge was a negative
Mrs. Rosario
British Literature
2 February 2016
The phrase "Ignorance is bliss", holds many truths. Does the denial of knowledge in truth give humans a peace of mind? In the gothic novel, Frankenstein, Mary Shelley gives her own insight towards this question. Through the main characters, Victor Frankenstein and the creature Shelley expresses the effects of knowledge on the human soul.Frankenstein is forced to deal with the tragic consequences of trying to take control by playing a role of God in the creation of life and making judgements based on superficial qualities. For instance Victor’s pursuit of knowledge not only posed a threat to himself but to those around him. Victor finds himself studying in the field of science, even though he does so …show more content…
It wasn’t until he began to investigate the science of life that his own life began to take a turn for the worst. The more he learned, the further he plunged into a secluded and obsessive state, abandoning his family and absorbing himself in his work. Other forms of knowledge were detrimental to Victor as well. Every time there was a death, knowing the cause affected Victor’s health. For Victor, knowledge was not power, knowledge was a flaw. In addition the creature suffered from the increase of knowledge as well. In the beginning of his life he was kind and gentle. He longed for companionship and studied the actions of humans in order to get it. Although he appeared ugly and monstrous, violence and destruction were not among his given qualities. He learned that behavior from the way he was treated by humans. Had the creature not been beaten and rejected by mankind , he would not have been able to imitate the behavior by murdering Victor’s friends and family. In this sense, the creature’s knowledge was a negative