The Pain of Knowledge in Frankenstein Essay

Frankenstein

''Ignorance is bliss, and knowledge is pain.'' This statements truth is argued in Frankenstein. Victor decides to bring a creature to life and that is something that god is supposedly only to be able to do. Victor soon realizes what he has done is a horrible mistake. He must then deal with the consequences unable to tell anyone what has happened and who really killed his friends and family. Victor ventured seemingly too far into science providing more pain then any gratification, because some mysteries are not meant to be understood by man. When Victor could have easily saw his native town as his world and made a better place for himself there.

Victor decides to go further into science after regular schooling but at the same time decides to follow and research ancient alchemy. He says "I have described myself as always having been imbued with a fervent longing to penetrate the secrets of nature. In spite of the intense labour and wonderful discoveries of modern philosophers, I always came from my studies discontented and unsatisfied. This proves that he still wants more knowledge of science and is always unsatisfied with the way things are. Which after adjustments of his own with regular science he is able to come up with a plan for creating a living creature. But he did not really know exactly what he was creating, and when he finally finishes his dreams vanish, and he was in horror and disgusted by what he had given life to. He abandons the creature leaving it to live its own life instead of ending its life there. The creature then learns to read, then when learning the language he says And what was I? Of my creation and creator I was absolutely ignorant, but I knew that I possessed no money, no friends, no kind of property. He realizes that he has very few words to describe himself with and has trouble with self-identity throughout the story.

Victor later finds that his youngest brother William Frankenstein is murdered followed by a string of other deaths of close friends and relatives of his. He discovers shortly after Williams death that it is the creature he created himself that is killing everyone. The monster had become a very knowledgeable creature. He said The nearer I approached to your habitation, the more deeply did I feel the spirit of revenge enkindled in my heart. All the anger that the monster had slowly gained from the knowledge of how he was created to his mate not being made had now turned into revenge.

As the creature says "Learn from me . . . 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." I think the creature made a good point instead of looking for more answers and knowledge outside your world a man would be much happier if he is content in where he is and pursues to make it a better environment. If Frankenstein had looked to his family and friends more, instead of his studies and work the outcome of his fate would have been quite different. Walton decides to take a different route as he says The die is cast; I have consented to return if we are not destroyed. Thus are my hopes blasted by cowardice and indecision; I come back ignorant and disappointed. It requires more philosophy than I possess to bear this injustice with patience. He realizes he would rather have his life then new knowledge and takes safety over dangers of exploration. Unlike what Victor had decided to do.

This book shows us what can happen to a person that gets too involved into one thing and what it can bring about. It shows what can happen to a man that holds greater attention to things that should not have more then his friends and family. In the end I think Victor realizes the truth, and thats why he decides to tell Walton the whole story. To try to stop him from making the same mistake he had done. All in all I think these are all great ways Frankenstein argues and agrees with knowledge is pain and ignorance is bliss.