Victor Frankenstein is a scientist that, after becoming obsessed with discovering the secret to life, abandons his moral code and tries to play God by attempting to create life where there is none. The following points are the essential points that you can follow to avoid the effects of dangerous knowledge: Knowledge is classified as dangerous if it negatively affects a persons life, property, or environment. Victor rejects his creation, which causes the monster to murder some of Victor's loved ones. Frankensteins father points out the link between self-hatred and alienation: I know that while you are pleased with yourself, you will think of us with affection, and we shall hear regularly from you. As long as a person feels they have self-worth, theyll maintain contact with others. Terri Beth holds a PhD in English language and literature from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. "By my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge and how much happier the man is who believes his native town is the world, than he who aspires to become greater his nature will allow. ", Many people set idealistic goals in order to better themselves, often the results can prove disastrous, even deadly. They are known to create separation between people, the smartest usually coming atop. While the monster and Victors adventures are told, the power of knowledge in Shelleys Frankenstein are a big influence into the advancements of their actions and plot of the story because it gives a new outlook for them. Throughout the novel, readers hear quotes from and about the monster. | Information considered dangerous doesn't have to be as in your face as techniques for making explosives, weapons and drugs. Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan! This paper makes the case for transferring this discourse to machine . Through the use of consequences, Shelleys Frankenstein shows that the relentless and obsessive pursuit of knowledge can lead to dangerous and disastrous situations. Why is Walton trying to reach the North Pole? While Victor suffers the consequences of his quest for knowledge, his monster does too. So that you can avoid or anticipate this danger before it occurs. 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 (Shelley 64). Together with its questioning of how Victor could sport with life, Shelleys warning reverberates past the page, directly questioning the scientists of her era, including evolutionary theorist Erasmus Darwin, to reinforce the dangers of our humanitys inherent yearning to play the role of the, The character in Frankenstein: or the Modern Prometheus that is most harmed by knowledge is the main protagonist Victor Frankenstein. The creature searches for companionship but is met with similar reactions as he ventures into the world. Victor would not bear to look at the monster, and he abandons the creature immediately. The most obvious example of this is through the monster. Superficial knowledge is little or partial knowledge about a subject. How many times have we heard about Toyota or other companies that have withdrawn a particular model of their car from the market, Because they discover some serious errors in the product!!! " Cheap. In the real world, the power of knowledge has a real affect on human nature as it gives them a sense of the world and its surroundings. Everyone says that knowledge is power, but we never thought that knowledge might be dangerous and not safe to deal with it. Why does Frankenstein run away from his Monster? Many of the characters in the story are forced into isolation because of their circumstances or choices. This feeling is something that both Victor and his monster experience. The creature has a negative relationship with knowledge because the things he learns make him hate his existence. Curiosity is an important factor in humans even today. Instead, society rejects him. Moreover, her allusions to John Miltons Paradise Lost evoke the poetic retelling of Satans fall from grace, wherein the daemons association with the fallen angel exacerbates the effects of Victors rejection, ultimately transforming its benevolent nature into a thirst for retribution. Victor is alienated throughout the story as well. He also acted very selfishly, and kept many lies from his friends and family. This pursuit proves to be very dangerous and harmful, as his creation murders all of his loved ones, and results in Frankenstein 's losing of all of his happiness. of Dangerous Knowledge In the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, the effects of dangerous knowledge are shown through the main characters. How did he create this monster? Both Victor and Walton are constantly searching for new knowledge. The acquisition of actual knowledge is not impossible, but it needs to pass through specific steps and methods. Encountering other human beings reflects upon one's perception and brings about ones self decisions. The novel blatantly displays how taking things too far and meddling with matters that are beyond human capacity is something that should never be done., Mary Shelleys novel, Frankenstein, deals with two very distinct individuals: the young-but-foolish Victor Frankenstein and his creation, the Monster. Victor abandoned his creature and refused to communicate with him in any way. Afterward, the monster goes on a path of destruction. Another example of danger is the dyes and colors used in juices and food items. Essay Sample. The monster is aggravated by how others treat him, so he turns to murder and destruction. When Technology and Power are used for self-beneficiary reasons, the process in which man tries to move forward with their pursuit of knowledge becomes complex, ending in the corruption of the self. Once the monster realizes that he is not like everyone else around him, gaining knowledge of his appearance, he begins to destroy others as revenge. In the book, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, a man named Victor Frankenstein has this powerful theory of creating a dark experiment using the wrong kind of knowledge. The danger lies in this kind of knowledge when people or specialists do not realize the amount and depth of knowledge about a topic. An error occurred trying to load this video. For example: Let's say a clever five or six year-old kid figures out how to take his parents' car keys and start the car, and the kid is bright enough to know if he moves that little stick to point to "R" the car can back out of the garage and into the street. By the novel's end, Victor admits that his pursuit of knowledge has had negative ramifications; he knows his creation has done more harm than good. Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work. Likewise, Robert Walton attempts to surpass previous human explorations by endeavoring to reach the North Pole. Victor's creation of unnatural life and his reckless pursuit of knowledge eventually resulted in the death of everyone dear to him. These scientific discoveries are a result of mans thirst for and dedication to acquiring knowledge, information, and power. But what is knowledge and when does it cross the line into being. 4 | Summary & Analysis, Allusions in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley | Literary Device & Examples, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley: Ch. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein focuses on the life of one man, Victor Frankenstein, who tries to further the current knowledge of alchemy and science by creating life from death. I feel like its a lifeline. The degree of seriousness of this knowledge increases if the knowledge is related to human life, property, or the environment. modern day audience; in what ways does Shelley explore. The critically acclaimed novel written by Mary Shelley and published in 1818, delves into a multitude of universal themes throughout the text. Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. With air cargo growth predicted at 4.9% every year over the next 5 years the number of dangerous goods shipments will rise significantly. The story is told through letters written by Robert Walton, a ship captain. This idea, that is Shelleys views of the time, reflected through the novel, is further illustrated through the fact that when the creature is created he is affected inside by the outside grievances such as the death of Justine but his thoughts are forever altered from the inside. The knowledge user has a moral responsibility to provide and use this knowledge in the helpful field and the correct manner. The thirst for forbidden knowledge beyond what man can essentially handle, causes a tragic life. Victor is the main focus of the novel for the beginning chapters, while the rest of the work focuses more on the development and actions of the Monster. Shelley makes the theme of searching for knowledge in spite of ones well being, abundantly clear from the beginning. Usually, this type of dangerous knowledge occurs when companies produce and put goods early to the market without adequate testing of their products. 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.'' Finally, many critics have described the novel itself as monstrous, a stitched-together combination of different voices, texts, and tenses (see Texts). While these feelings are evident in both characters actions throughout the majority of the novel, it was during the Monsters statements to Captain Robert Walton towards the end of the story that drives home the fact that the Monsters actions were products of his repeated rejections when he attempted to be accepted by society and as such are not indicative of his inherent nature. The fact that everyone knew how to start a fire but could not stop it, proves that it should have been left with the immortals. Purchasing Oh what a strange nature is knowledge!'' He spends his years locked away in a room, working on his project. What are the types of dangerous knowledge? It can re-frame your knowledge incorrectly, or shift the importance of something you are currently learning (or about to) from one side of the picture to another, and not necessarily in a good way. In a conference paper dedicated to the topic, statistician Christine Anderson-Cook offers a variety of additional examples, from "confounding" and "random" to . By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy. Every night I was oppressed by a slow fever, and I became nervous to a most painful degree; the fall of a leave startled me, and I shunned my fellow creatures as though I was guilty of a crime. This conveys the danger involved with gaining knowledge by the fact that although the Creature is not yet living, Frankenstein is already faced with the consequences that lead him to feel as though he was guilty of a crime.
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