Mary O’Connor 5/8/24 English 8 The Importance of Social Connection and Nature in Frankenstein In her first novel, Frankenstein, Mary Shelley highlights the importance of guidance and connection when in pursuit of knowledge through her portrayal of the self-educations of various characters. She also emphasizes the importance of connection with nature in keeping one’s perspective balanced. Walton reading only his uncle’s books about voyages, Frankenstein reading old books on natural philosophy, and the creature learning about the world through fiction all show how Mary Shelley warns against self-education without guidance because it can be ineffective or become obsessive. Frankenstein’s obsessive project and its consequences show how Mary Shelley …show more content…
If you replace your peacefulness with mad hunger for something, you neglect yourself. Pursuing knowledge and discovery, especially without someone to help keep you in check, can cause obsessive behavior and neglect of balance in one’s life. When you are unable to keep this balance, you lose your perspective and even your moral compass. An example of this is Frankenstein not taking his own advice, letting “Winter, spring, summer [pass] away during [his] labors; but. not [watching] the blossoms or the expanding leaves” (44). He had become so consumed with the idea of making a creature that would love him as its creator that he did not take any breaks to be in awe of something else, causing him to lose his perspective. Once he finishes making the creature and comes out of this trance, he realizes that he “had desired it with ardour that far exceeded moderation” and once he finishes the project, “the beauty of the dream vanished” (45). This is the exact thing he is advised against and even advises himself against, but his obsession grew so much he could not realize the harm it would cause until too late. This obsession causes him to forget his moral perspective and not think of the true repercussions of bringing something into existence that was unknown and could think for itself. The possibilities of it harming others, its ability to make bad decisions, and its emotions were never taken into consideration, but if he had someone to bring him out of his trance and bring him into reality every so often, he could have really thought through the project and been much more responsible with what he created. In addition to helping keep perspective, a teacher of some kind can help someone set off on the journey of