Frankenstein's Downfall Essay

Hoping to discover the elixir of life, Frankenstein becomes unhealthily obsessed with the scientific pursuit of forbidden knowledge, which inevitably leads to his downfall. Allured by the mysteries of the world from a young age, Frankenstein becomes engrossed in the studies of alchemy and the occult. Although Frankenstein’s father advises his son against the studies, telling his son “Do not waste your time upon this; it is sad trash,” Frankenstein disregards the advice and continues his research (Shelley 28). Eventually developing a method of reanimating dead flesh, Frankenstein grows dangerously obsessed with his goal of creating a living, humanoid creature. As Frankenstein’s obsession grows, Frankenstein neglects to take proper care of himself,

After Frankenstein creates the monster, the scientist is horrified by his creation and becomes dangerously ill for several months. Even though Frankenstein had lived an ideal life surrounded by friends and family, he abandoned it to pursue proscribed science that man was not meant to discover. To gain revenge on Frankenstein, the monstrosity eventually kills all of the scientist’s loved ones, leaving Frankenstein completely alone and miserable. If Frankenstein had listened to his father, casting aside his studies of alchemy and disregarding his curiosity, he would have remained with his family and loved ones and lived in blissful ignorance; however, Frankenstein chose to abuse science and play God, for which he was harshly punished and ruins his life. In an attempt to assuage himself, Frankenstein finds solace in

After the deaths of William and Justine, the distraught Frankenstein begins traveling the valley of his hometown. As Frankenstein explores the valley, he finds that the scenes of nature “elevated [him] from all littleness of feeling, and although they did not remove [his] grief, they subdued and tranquilized it” (Shelley 92). In his melancholy, Frankenstein discovers that nature has a therapeutic effect and helps greatly in relieving his depression. Similarly, when Frankenstein’s monster experiences the spring season for the first time, he is filled with a childlike exuberance. While before the monster was sorrowful, he now exclaims “Happy, happy earth!” and embraces the “enchanting appearance of nature” that causes his future to be “gilded by bright rays of hope and anticipations of joy” (114). When the monster is feeling saddened by his isolation, he is instantly rejuvenated by the shift in seasons. In both the situations of Frankenstein and his creation, nature plays a crucial role in aiding their lives, acting as a diversion from the negativity of life; however, had Frankenstein displayed a level of compassion towards his creation, the monster would not have been afflicted with loneliness in the first