Biblical References And Allusions In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Biblical references can be found in many pieces of literature. Mary Shelley makes many references and allusions to the bible so as to explore themes and inject her viewpoint into her book, Frankenstein. In Frankenstein, Shelley explores the danger of knowledge by creating a story with strong ties to the bible to display a negative attitude towards the pursuit of knowledge. Shelley creates a parallel between the story of Adam and Eve and Frankenstein and through this comparison portrays knowledge as dangerous and harmful. Before Frankenstein created the creature his life was wonderful. When talking about his life before the creature, Frankenstein says, “No human being could have passed a happier childhood than myself” (39). When talking with Walton on the ship, Frankenstein says “ I have suffered great and unparalled misfortunes” (30). There is a stark contrast between Frankenstein’s early and later years. His early life he had a very happy childhood whereas later on, he suffered extreme misfortunes. Frankenstein’s attempt to make the creature is what caused his later years to be filled with misery. In fact, the creature that he creates eventually causes the death of his brother,

Frankenstein’s pursuit for knowledge causes his him to tirelessly work to create a living thing. But, this pursuit for knowledge is dangerous because man has his place in the world and should not try to go beyond it. By creating another living thing, he transcends the barriers of man and assumes a role similar to that of god. Frankenstein says that his work is “ Not befitting the human mind” (56). By creating another thing even though it is “not befitting the human mind”, Frankenstein is spurning his place in the universe. Even so, he decides to pursue his studies. As a result, his creation comes back to haunt him by murdering most of the people dear to