You Don’t Know What You Have Until Its Gone

Gary Stevenson

English 2450-01

“You Don’t Know What You Have Until Its Gone”

Happiness? it’s something alright. Sometimes here, other times nowhere to be found. In the Novel Frankenstein written by Mary Shelly, we see the author develop the theme of happiness, and the problems that come to those who pursue it. The story of Frankenstein is a drama of people fighting for what they believe is happiness, and the author uses Frankenstein and the Monster as a way of showing that Obsession doesn't necessarily lead to happiness. In addition to this, the author implies that happiness is best found through relationships with other people. The best example of this is Frankenstein's obsession with knowledge. Although he masters knowledge in science and creates his monster, the happiness from these events is short-lived. Before he realizes his family and friends is his true happiness, he had lost them all. In a direct contrast, the monster spent his life seeking companionship, and because he was rejected by everyone he could not be happy. Together Frankenstein and his Monster both try navigating happiness, learning what it is to each of them.

Victor Frankenstein simply grew up affluent. His family was well-off, and he had everything a child that day in age wanted. As Victor reminisces over his childhood, he recalls that “no human being could have passed a happier childhood than [himself] (Shelly 25)”. However, that wasn’t enough for him. He describes that nothing was enough, “It was the secrets of heaven and earth that [he] desired to know” (Shelly 25). Although Victor was already happy in life, his thirst for knowledge overshadowed this, he thought that his true happiness would come from more knowledge, which set the stage for the rest of his life. Victor’s obsession also moved him to reject the happiness he had found in his soon to be wife Elizabeth, who was his perfect companion. He himself admitted “Harmony was the soul of [their] companionship” (Shelly 24).  Although they shared this bond, Victor wanted knowledge, and his father sending him away to school enabled him to distance himself from them while he concreated on his obsessions.

While away at school, Frankenstein masters science, concentrating mostly on chemistry. However, his mastery of chemistry comes at a cost of his personal relationships. He explains that he went for “two years…in this manner, during which [he] paid no visit to Geneva” (Shelly 38). Once Frankenstein satisfies his obsession for knowledge, he forgets about his family. Family is what brought him true happiness; however, he chases knowledge believing there are other things to make him happy. For a moment he is, but soon he develops another obsession, creating life.  Looking to apply his knowledge, he devotes his attention to giving life to lifeless matter and “the summer months passed while [he] was thus engaged, heart and soul, in one pursuit” (Shelly 41). Time after time Frankenstein chases after another obsession and pours his life into it. The story here takes a turn as this obsession takes him on a ride and turns bad.

Once Frankenstein learns to animate things, he creates a being from graveyard parts. After successfully animating his monster the outcome isn’t the happiness he thought.  He was mortified. Reflecting on his creation, he cries that the “beauty of the dream vanished, and breathed horror and disgust filled [his] heart” (Shelly 46). Frankenstein’s expectation of happiness failed to deliver actual happiness, and he runs from the sight of his own obsession. After continually running away from his creation, Frankenstein’s is reunited with his best friend Henry, and “felt suddenly, and for the first time during many months, calm and serene joy” (Shelly 48). Henry reminds Frankenstein of home, and that his true happiness comes from his relationship with those around him, not his obsessions. Although he has this realization, it may be too late. Before he returns to Geneva, he learns that his little brother has been murdered, and his beloved Justine is the culprit. Of course, Frankenstein can’t believe Justine is guilty, and on the way to Geneva he sees his creation again, realizing that “He was the Murderer!” (Shelly 64). Now that Frankenstein has realized what has made him happy all this time, his obsession is now coming back to take it from him. The decay of his relationships doesn’t stop there though. Soon Justine is tried and sentenced to death, another cherished person lost to his obsession, the Monster. These scenes are somewhat of a turning point for Frankenstein. He starts to break down and put his relationships over his obsessions and realizes what a mess he has made.