Victor Frankenstein's Overambition Of Knowledge

To visualize being happy often accompanies the need to learn as knowledge often parallels the idea of success. That is the enlightenment mindset of the young, overambitious scientist, Victor Frankenstein where the belief in happiness lies within the ability to succeed in understanding the universe through intense study, however upon completion, only brings the opposite realization when an interest of study turns to an obsession that negatively impacted his life. Compared to today, science is still the supposed answer to create a happier, healthier life however many find themselves in a similar position of Victor where happiness has yet to be achieved even with great knowledge; trying to understand why does science/technology continue

Resulting in his mother’s death, the extensive pain he felt from losing a loved one motivated the pursuit of knowledge he would spend his time as a student studying, theoryzing if the pain of death could be prevented, would life be more happy? The idea Victor formed his study from is the concept where science is a means to understand the world and the nature of the universe provides the answer to improving life through applying fixed sciences to unknown changes in life, believing knowledge will bring him happiness. His ambition of study led him to pursue an education, describing his passion to be, “I confess that neither the structure of languages, nor the code of governments possessed attractions for me…It was the secrets of heaven and earth that I desired to learn.” (Shelley pg 33). With his intrigue in natural philosophy, Victor sets out to achieve scientific discoveries through his ability to animate the dead. This interest quickly drove Victor to an obsessive state causing him to isolate himself with his work for months, effectively removing the true source of happiness from his life, his family, which he would only come to realize when his study is complete and creation alive. Upon seeing the Creature, the supposed achievement in science and reason for being happy, his enthusiasm for knowledge turned loathsome for what he had

Alone, the Creature begins to educate himself of humanity and rather become immersed in joy, the Creature only recognizes the feeling of loathing and isolation its creator prompted, resulting in seeing the world and use of knowledge differently than as a tool that offers success or happiness. However, the Creature now uses his acquired knowledge of language to compare his understanding of the world with Victor’s, establishing the different ways knowledge is obtained and used, allowing for a new perspective in life through