Angela Rodriguez Period 3 11/9/11 Destruction of Man-Kind Literatures purpose is to create questions that can be made and interpreted

differently amongst the readers. In the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelly, the question it leaves the reader is, What are the dangers of knowledge? Shelly answers this question by showing how knowledge can lead to the destruction of mankind. She interprets this answer by showing it through the unfavorable actions that Victor Frankenstein and his creation do to themselves and others. Knowledge can be so overwhelming that it can cause you to stress. In the novel, Frankenstein begins to get so worked up on studying that he begins to destroy himself. He starts to worry so much that his, cheek had grown pale with study" (32).Victor has been putting all this time into getting ready and creating his monster, that he becomes ill. He has studied way too much and has so much knowledge in his brain that he can no longer be calm and happy. He is hurting himself physically and mentally that he is no longer healthy. As Victor continues with his creation process, he stresses himself way too much that he says the study, weakens your affection, and destroys your taste for those simple pleasures (34). The new knowledge that Victor is learning and practicing makes him do things to himself that no other human would want to inflict upon themselves. He does things like isolates himself from his family that he adores so much. He no longer wants to return to his family in Geneva because he wants to finish his creation. He also looses his daily pleasures like admiring nature and letting that calm him down. He is now isolating himself from all society which makes him appear as if he has gone mad. While finishing up he is located at a, cell at the top of the house and separated from all other

apartments. (31). He no longer wants to mingle with other people because the gaining of new knowledge has made him loose feeling. These actions that Victor is forcing upon himself are defective in that he would never have wanted those things done to him before all of the knowledge learned. With gaining knew knowledge, formation of horrible ideas come to mind. When the cottagers begin to read stories of murder and war, the creature overhears it. Upon hearing these things, the creature says, but when I heard of vice and bloodshed, my wonder ceased (84). The creature was no longer curious about violence because he now knew what it was and why laws had to be made against it. The creature is learning about murder and evil while listening to the cottagers. With this new knowledge, he is now open to the idea of killing someone and that is how he himself becomes a murderer. On the other hand, Victor has different ideas when reading books. When describing how his monster idea started, he talks about the books he had read a billion times. He said the books, became the torrent which, in its course, has swept away all my hopes and joys (20). As Victor begins reading the books from Agrippa it helps him to know how to understand God scientifically. This is the beginning of his curiosity in creating the monster. This atrocious idea and act is what creates the destruction of all the family members and friends that Victor had left. The monster kills William, Clervel, Elizabeth and makes Justine get executed, and with all these deaths makes Victors father also die of the agony. At the end of the story Victor himself dies because he has become too old and has worried so much in finding the murderous creature. When discovering something that is negative, it could really be destructive to the mind. When the creature looked into a water pool, he was surprised at his reflection

because he did not know that he looked so hideous. He kept checking to make sure that it was truly him, and when he was convinced, he was, filled with bittersweet sensation of despondence (80). The monster had not fully understood why so many people ran away from him. When he finally saw himself in the pool, he became confused and depressed because he didnt understand why the cottagers were so beautiful yet he was made into an ugly monster. He is mad because his feelings are now going to be overlooked by his looks. He is destroying himself inside and with that anger he will do many wicked things. Another unfortunate discovery the creature makes is when finding letters from Victor. The creature now has the ability to read and when reading these letters he says, Accursed creator! Why did you form a monster so hideous that even you turned from me in disgust (93). As the creature reads these letters about how his creation occurred and how Victor was disgusted by him, the creature is filled with remorse. The creature had learned in a book he read that even though no one may love you, you will always have your creator which is God. The creature thought that that applied to him as well and that his creator loved him. He now learned that his creator, which was supposed to love him, hated him. With this knowledge he gets sorrowful and does evil things in revenge. The creature begins to want to ruin Victors life. He kills his brother because he wants Victor to feel pain like he is feeling. He does not want Victor to be happy so when the creature finds out that he is going to get married he goes and kills his new wife. Knowing that Victor was going to be happy with a wife, he plans to make him all alone like the creature had always been. These new discoveries that the creature makes, makes him do things that hurt Victor and in the end hurt the creatures conscience.

In this novel Frankenstein there is a lot of different ways that Shelly answers the question of the dangers of knowledge. The characters Victor and the creature do many things that hurt themselves and others. They do those things because knowledge stressed them or gave them new ideas. With this put on their shoulders they do things that are demented. Too much knowledge should not be allowed for it can destroy all mad kind in many ways.