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The Acquirement Of Knowledge In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

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One of the central themes of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is that the “acquirement of knowledge” is something that is not only detrimental to human society, but also destructive to our very humanity. It is a theme that is hard to understand considering that the pursuit of knowledge is both noble and essential to our progressing as a human race, but it is one worth investigating as there is some element of truth in the statement. The idea that knowledge can be destructive is an old one. From the Garden of Eden to the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, humans have demonstrated our ability to use the knowledge we have gained for self-serving reasons. As a result, many people are distrustful of knowledge and groups, such as the “flat earth society” spring up from time to time as a reaction to our race becoming too smart too fast.
Flat earthers believe that fast progression in knowledge before we have the ability to use that knowledge effectively is where the problem lies. For example, a young child is rightfully sheltered from violence because if they are inundated with violent acts too soon--that is before they have the …show more content…

Strides made in technological and biological fields have been used in warfare to devastating effect. Drones now make it possible to kill at will, while chemical and biological weapons make that killing not only more efficient, but also more terrifying. These modern warfare techniques would not be possible without an advancement of knowledge. However, one is faced with the “chicken and the egg” argument when faced with these facts. Many times such advances only happen because of warfare. As a result, many medical breakthroughs that have happened during the last centuries would not have happened if it were not for World War II or the conflict in Vietnam. Medical breakthroughs that have been used during times of peace as

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Frankenstein Lit Analysis Rough Draft Since the beginning of time, Man has always pursued knowledge, but this pursuit is always kept within certain boundaries, especially while searching for the truths behind the creation and origin of life. As this quest for knowledge continues, men can become consumed with the perilous thoughts and ponderings required to attain this wisdom. In her novel, Frankenstein, Mary Shelley explains how the pursuit of forbidden knowledge can become dangerous through symbolism, allusion, and foreshadowing proving each effectively to the reader. Employing symbolism as her first technique, Shelley uses this in the way many other enlightenment authors do. The strongest use of symbolism is prevalent while Victor is contemplating

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Geena Edgar John Mitchell GEW 101 9 October 2014 Ignorance Is Bliss Over the last couple of decades scientists, engineers, and intellectuals have made advances in science and technology that have benefited our society. These countless discoveries are a result of the human desire to attain power through knowledge. In the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelly the theme of knowledge is at the center of the novel.

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Knowledge can be Blessings and Curse A teenage girl Mary Shelly wrote Frankenstein in the 18th century. A Gothic novel Frankenstein deals with two genres, Gothicism and science fiction. Victor, one of Mary Shelly’s characters represents man’s pursuit of knowledge which ultimately leads towards the path of destruction while another character Robert Walton implemented his knowledge wisely to get benefits for the society. Mary is indicating to the society that mankind has to pay full attention to science and scientific innovations in order to avoid the catastrophic events due to misuse of knowledge.

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There is no such thing as true objectivity; life is all a matter of perspective. One’s subjective view will always differ from another’s. That is why having multiple perspectives allows for more information to be brought across, because neither one truly has the full story, but together, a full story can be pieced together. This and other reasons are why perspective shifting in books is so important. The shifting perspectives in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein are there to create three-dimensional characters, close loose plot threads, and expand upon existing suspense.

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Dangerous Minds- Rough Draft Knowledge has the capability to be used for both good and evil. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, there is a consistent message throughout the novel showing the dangerous and destructive power that knowledge can have. Two key characters, Victor Frankenstein and his monster, are shaped through their obsessions with knowledge and the power and responsibility that it brings. Ultimately, Victor’s downfall is a result of his uncontrollable thirst for knowledge, and is brought about through the monster which is the embodiment of his obsession. Victor is a brilliant scientist who figures out a way to create life from death using galvanism, or electricity.

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The ambition for knowledge is a dangerous thing, especially if that knowledge is kept a secret. The novel Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, follows Walton who, while searching for new land, helps Victor Frankenstein and listens to his story. Victor Frankenstein is a wise character, but his passion for knowledge, his ambition, and his decision to keep his past a secret drives him and others around him to a short life. Frankenstein’s passion for knowledge drives him to isolate himself and make those around him worry. Frankenstein has a lonely life due to his pursuit of knowledge.

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The search of knowledge can help take away the doubt, but it can affect the ones around you. Victor doubts and knowledge cause the death of his wife, best friend, and his brother. Victor should have known that bringing something back to life would had consequences. His relentless search of knowledge did brought him suffering because he involved his family and didn't thought about the consequences. Victor’s passion about learning new things brought him to the creation of an ugly monster.

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In Mary Shelley's novel "Frankenstein" each of the three main characters "possesses a self-governing, passionate intellectual curiosity, which, rather than any formal system of education, is responsible for the formation of their characters." (Englert) Robert Walton's education was mostly from his uncle Thomas's library. He was in pursuit to advance his personal development and factual knowledge, this was his self-guided education. Walton was extremely interested in the sea-faring life, he traveled for his own educational inquiry. "I often worked harder than the common sailors during the day, and devoted my nights to the study of mathematics, the theory of medicine, and those branches of physical science from which a naval adventure might derive

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The idea of knowledge in the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley interprets knowledge as an evil pursuit. The knowlege is misused, due to Victor, the monster, and the interference with nature. Theses reasons are different perspectives that lead to tragedies. The novel Frankenstein identifies Victor's desire to gain knowledge as misusing it.

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Mary Shelley’s novel “Frankenstein” centers around the idea of whether knowledge which “clings to the mind, like lichen on the rock’ is necessarily a valuable entity. Shelley conveys her thoughts through the use of binary opposites and juxtaposition. Shelley’s focal point in questioning knowledge is through the use of various passages in the novel showing the contrast of passion and emotion when using knowledge compared to when using reason. It is this binary opposition that allows Shelley to warn against the misuse of knowledge shown by Frankenstein when he creates the Creature and the Creature when using sophism to persuade Frankenstein to create him a mate. Shelley does not only focus on people misusing knowledge and illustrates Walton’s decision to end his journey through

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Frankenstein: From Benevolent to Feind “I was benevolent and good; misery made me a fiend.” (Shelley 69) Said by Frankenstein’s monster, this quote truly defines him: initially an affectionate, love-seeking creature, he transformed into an enraged killer, angry at humanity for the undeservedly poor way he was treated. Victor Frankenstein is an unique, complex individual who encounters a similar change of nature for similar reasons. The quote—though spoken by the monster—encapsulates the evolution of Victor Frankenstein’s personality; misery—a product of isolation and loneliness—aroused a deterioration of temperament from an initially benevolent Frankenstein.

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It is often said that the more you learn, the more you realize you don’t know. Even Aristotle said, “The more you know, the more you know you don 't know.”. This can often lead to a yearning for more knowledge and sometimes, can be somebody’s downfall. In this case, it was Victor Frankenstein’s downfall. His love for science and his ever-growing quest to learn about the human body ultimately destroyed him, his family, his wife to be, and his best friend.

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ENG-3U0 November 20 2015 Frankenstein: The Pursuit of Knowledge Throughout the course of their individual journeys, Victor Frankenstein’s extreme passion for gaining knowledge about creating life, Robert Walton’s curiosity to discover land beyond the North Pole and the monster’s eagerness to obtain knowledge about humans was the principal cause of each of their suffering. As such, In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the pursuit of knowledge is a dangerous path which leads to suffering. Victor Frankenstein develops a keen interest in discovering knowledge about living beings which ultimately results in his personal suffering as well as others suffering. To begin with, Victor embarks on an assignment through combining body parts and following various

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In Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein (1818), Shelley shows her audience that while acquiring knowledge leads to survival for the Creature and power for Victor Frankenstein, the path to obtain this knowledge leads to the destruction of one’s self. Education and knowledge have major negative effects on both of the characters’ attitude, perception, and decisions. The life experiences of each character is dependent on the amount of knowledge that the character possesses. Knowledge gives Victor Frankenstein a superiority complex, and it changes the Creature’s perspective of the world and the people in it. The Creature, like a baby, is brought into the world with no prior knowledge of how society behaves.

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The Dangers of Knowledge Frankenstein, a novel written by Mary Shelley, is notoriously accredited for its development and implication of multiple themes. Set in the 1700’s, Frankenstein is a gothic fiction telling of isolation, knowledge, and nature. The biggest of these being knowledge and inevitably its consequences. With knowledge comes question; What poses the most danger? The knowledge itself, or the journey to gain information?

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