Frankenstein: Mary Shelleys Educational Opinion

Like many other great tragedies of the enlightenment era, the novel Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, deals very much with the desires and ambitions of the human psyche. Throughout Shelley's life she was influenced by ambition and in turn she, herself, had an ambitious nature. In fact, Shelley actually wrote Frankenstein while competing in an extreme storytelling contest against her husband, Percy Shelley, and close friend, Lord Byron. At the same time however, she was conflicted by her crave to become a "Bohemian Romantic" (Poovey) which was the opposite of the European expectation to become a "Proper Lady" (Poovey). Because of this conflict of interest and her want to be more Romantic than Rationalist, the main characters of Frankenstein all express Shelley's bitterness towards ambition and Rationality. Through out the novel, these characters determinedly attempt to gain knowledge and acceptance but, however, they do not succeed and instead become increasingly obsessive and mentally ravaged by their ambitions. Because of Mary Shelley's predominant Romantic views, the combination of ambition and the quest for knowledge plays a large role as the fatal flaw of Victor Frankenstein, the creature, and Robert Walton in her novel Frankenstein.

Victor Frankenstein, the most in depth character of the novel, illustrates the clearest example of the destruction brought on by obsessive ambitions and the education required to achieve them. Victor's curiosity begins early in his childhood after he discovers the studies of Cornelius Agrippa and Albertus Magnus. These studies eventually led to Victor's enrollment in the University of Ingolstadt, the foundation of his ultimate demise. As the influence of Victor's teachers such as M. Waldman increases, his experimentation and education intensifies soon consequently causing him to ignore his emotions and neglect the people close to him. "...The same feelings which made me neglect the scenes around me caused me also to forget those friends who were so many miles absent..." (33) Victor narrates, proving his solitude. This seclusion plays a large role in Victor's mental destruction through out the story. Because he is constantly alone, Victor is not impacted by any other thoughts than his own which become increasingly psychotic the longer he is isolated. These thoughts eventually lead him to the creation of the monster, which he dedicates to science and his intellect. While making his creation, Victor's mounting ambition overpowers the reality of his experiment and he is therefore horrified when it is completed. The creature becomes alive and Victor is immediately repulsed: "I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream had vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart" (34). He has spent two years obsessing over this "invention", using his education to form it, and now he is unable to come to terms with what his ambition has achieved--the subsequent ruin of his life. His principal Rationalist ideals and lack of Romantic feelings in turn cause Victor to abandon his conception and leave him to his self. The monster, also affected by the gain of knowledge, turns to revenge against Victor by killing the majority of his loved ones and ultimately, leaves him with no hope or will to live on. In the end, Victor recognizes his fatal mistake and advises to Walton:

Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow. (31)

This guidance warns Walton not to acquire too much knowledge, and describes man without knowledge as being happy. Shelley uses this statement to help strengthen her ideals of emotion over intellect by exemplifying the common man as being happier than Frankenstein, a man of culture and education, which simultaneously proves her inclination to become a Romantic writer instead of a proper, cultured, European lady.

Victor Frankenstein's experiment, the creature, most undoubtedly demonstrates the corruption and destruction brought on by a gradual gain of knowledge. The creature begins his life completely blank knowing basically nothing except for his instincts. He longs to be accepted but is constantly put down by the humans he encounters. While observing the De Lacey family, he learns of human interactions and is tormented by the insight he gains-- "I cannot describe to you the agony that these reflections inflicted upon me; I tried to dispel them, but sorrow only increased with knowledge" (81), he relates to Victor. This knowledge, although different and more universal compared to Victor's scientific education, still initiates a sense of pain within the creature, which contrasts to his original positive disposition towards others and towards life in general. He goes on comment about how knowledge "...clings to the mind..." (81) and also, due to his seclusion (much like Victor) he is always alone with this "clinging knowledge", which leads him to desire