Frankenstein By Mary Shelley: Literary Analysis

For centuries, scientists have attempted to discover an extraordinary mystery: the creation of life. The perplexity itself is challenging enough to describe without designating it a miracle. Moreover, unlocking the secret to creating life would crack open a whole new realm of knowledge and possibilities. In fact, it is knowledge that is the primary engine for discovery. It is knowledge that scientists most vigorously crave and chase after. However, the search for knowledge may be an unquenchable thirst. In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley, through Victor Frankenstein, illustrates that the pursuit of knowledge can bring ruin. Indeed, all throughout history, advancements in every aspect of life have been made through the pursuit of knowledge. For
He lives with two loving parents, Alphonse and Caroline Frankenstein, and with his adopted sister, Elizabeth, who acts just like a best friend. Equally important in analyzing Victor’s life is his close friend he grew up with, Henry Clerval. At this time, Victor discovers his insatiable interest in the sciences and philosophy. In like manner, M. A. Goldberg expounds, “From the beginning Frankenstein is ‘deeply smitten with the thirst for knowledge.’ He too is tempted by the forbidden fruit, and his earliest sensations are ‘curiosity, earnest research to learn the hidden laws of nature’(30).” Consequently, at age 17, he decides to study in Geneva, Switzerland at the university in Ingolstadt. At this point, Victor has had a relatively happy and secure
As he is about to leave for Ingolstadt, he becomes overwrought with emotion for his mother. Conversely, her death fuels his passion for learning and gaining truth. Upon arriving at Ingolstadt, Victor claims, “Soon my mind was filled with one thought, one conception, one purpose. So much has been done, exclaimed the soul of Frankenstein—more, far more, will I achieve; treading in the steps already marked, I will pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation” (Shelley 49). Shelley reveals the beginning of Victor’s obsession to learn and gain knowledge. Victor becomes overwhelmingly enamored with his studies and begins to isolate