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The Quest For Glory In Mary Shelly's Frankenstein

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Glory is the focus of the first part of Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein. Glory is an impersonal relationship where one is held above as superior to many. In the characters Robert Walton and Victor Frankenstein we see a perfect example of this pursuit for glory. Both men are compelled to seek glory, out of an inner passion which at its heart is illogical. The quest for glory is a potentially fatal flaw in Walton and was the downfall of Frankenstein. Their desire to discover or create and be great among men makes them reckless and dangerous to those around them.
Robert Walton seeks glory and knowledge from his expedition to the North Pole. He is fascinated by what he might learn there, but seems to be driven more by the thirst for recognition and …show more content…

Victor borders Megalomania. This can clearly be seen when he explains his ambitions, “A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me.” The theme of learning reflects the ideology of knowledge for good or evil purposes. This quote also shows insight into Victor's state of mind, how he had built up his own ego thinking that he would be revered by the creature he creates.
Victor is changing into a different person. His work is taking over his health, even though he knows, "a human being in perfection ought always to preserve a calm and peaceful mind and never to allow passion or a transitory desire to disturb his tranquillity. I do not think that the pursuit of knowledge is an exception to this rule." But his work is taking over his life, and he knows it. He says, "every night I was oppressed by a slow fever, and I became nervous to a most painful degree; the fall of a leaf startled me, and I shunned my fellow creatures as if I had been guilty of a crime." The last line in particular, "guilty of a crime," seems important. Victor knows his work on the monster is morally repugnant and that if any person knew of his work, the outside world would be repulsed by the nature of his

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