How does Mary Shelley represent Victor Frankenstein’s education in modern science? Contrast the scientific study of nature as it is represented in the novel with the Romantic “nature cure” that we’ve examined in the writings of Wollstonecraft and Wordsworth. You might also compare Victor’s education at University with the education that he receives in early life in Geneva.
English 220: Introduction to Writing about Literature
Nature and the Modern World
Mary Shelley presents education in modern science as a dangerous subject to ponder on but provides the world with answers to the unknown. This being enacted through Victor Frankenstein shows the ability to advance this study, but also the harmful component to the Scientific Revolution. Victor Frankenstein began his quest for knowledge due to the obscure lightning storm that initially sparked interest in science. Searching for a specific field of study, Victor experimented with Alchemy but felt bland with his abilities and, in turn, began to venture out. He was reluctant to accept this new science as these professors started bashing his knowledge, and pledged to “more, far more, will I achieve; treading in the steps already marked, I will … unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation.” This quote correlates with Mary Shelley’s understanding of science and its abilities to override previous conceptions. It also reveals the tragedies that can come about due to the power the science holds, and this area of study interfering with moral standards.
The study of nature in science and the “nature cure” within Wollstonecraft and Wordsworth contrast one another. As the nature presented in Wollstonecraft, it provides her with comfort and relief while also developing an atmosphere of tranquility. In addition to Wordsworth’s work, he also interprets nature as being essential to human development and plays a massive role in his happiness. Both authors advocate for natures healing effect on the person and its power to aid in comfort. This dramatically contrasts Victor Frankenstein as nature provides him with a way of manipulating human life and experimenting on subjects. Though this also grants him happiness, he has become obsessive with perfecting his craft, abusing nature’s gift. Science does incorporate elements of nature, but it can also lead to scary outcomes, as portrayed by Shelley. This is a significant difference between the interpretations as life can grant individuals with too much power.
“It also reveals the tragedies that can come about due to the power the science holds, and this area of study interfering with moral standards.”
This is a good observation, but how exactly does science interfere with moral standards? Can you find evidence of immoral practices of science within the book? What are they?
**for next class, be sure to purchase the copy of Frankenstein on the syllabus. The one you have is the 1831 edition, which is quite different. The quote you’ve cited “more, far more, will I achieve; treading in the steps already marked, I will … unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation” does not appear in the 1818 version .
Mary Shelley represents Victor’s education in modern science as something that is open-ended, something that can be manipulated to satisfy the need of new discovery. In chapter 3, Victor Frankenstein finds himself in Inglostadt, to attend a university, per his parents request. He encounters a professor by the name of M. Krempe who he grows contempt for, because he ridicules Victor about the amount of time he spends studying for things he considers a waste of time. He encounters yet another professor, M. Waldman who seems to have a big impact on him. Victor “had not been content with the results promised by the professors of natural science” and when Waldman spoke of the philosophers who take science to the next and said they, “have acquired new and almost unlimited powers; they can command the thunders of heaven, mimic the earthquake, and even mock the invisible world with its own shadows.” These words quite literally struck a chord in Victor and fueled his desire to acquire more of this “philosophical” knowledge and to experiment to create “a monster”.
This is different from representation of “nature cure” that we see in the writings of Wollstonecraft. Wollstonecraft paints nature as a “picturesque beauty”. She describes her environment as “silent and peaceful” and she feels happiness when she gazes at the wild flowers and the “most exquisite verdure”. She uses the nature to escape a dark past and has no desire to change what this natural part of nature offers. However in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, though Victor is surrounded by what he cannot deny is “a most beautiful season” and that showcase vines that “yield a more luxuriant vintage” he found that his eyes “were insensible to the charms of nature.” He could not fully appreciate what the world offered naturally so much that the “same feelings which made me (him) neglect the scenes around me (him) caused me (him) also to forget those friends…”
Excellent work Christiana! You make a lot of good points here. You are quite right that one effect of Victor’s passion for science is that it makes him insensible to the beauties of nature. You are also right that M. Waldman’s speech “strikes a chord” in Victor and fuels his desire to acquire more scientific knowledge. We will look at Waldman’s speech in class and try to think about what is so inspiring about it.
Mary Shelley represents Victor Frankenstein’s education in modern science as a quantum jump in his interest. In his early life in Geneva, he was fascinated with the works of alchemy as he discovered the principles of Agrippa and proceeded to further read the works of Paracelsus and Albertus Magnus due to his unfamiliarity with the “rational theory of chemistry which has resulted from modern science”(23). However, as an incident pertaining to a violent thunderstorm took place and he witnessed the nature of thunder and lightning, alchemy quickly became a mundane topic. Upon his father’s request, he decided to attend the course of natural philosophy in the University of Ingolstadt in Germany where his chemistry professor’s amiable character persuaded him to devote his time to natural philosophy and chemistry along with deeply exploring physiology and perform pragmatic experiments with a focus on more tangible aspects of the environment. Mary Shelley represented modern science as a slippery slope and emphasized the possible dangers that an unrestrained scientific experimentation could result in. Victor’s unbridled passion towards the restoration of a human being mimics him playing the role of God, however, with great power, comes great responsibility, and Victor failing to plan what’s to come after he had created the “creature” could possibly lead to a dire fate.
Furthermore, the scientific study of nature as it is represented in the novel with the Romantic “nature cure” in the writings of Wollstonecraft and Wordsworth contrasts with Shelley’s depiction of Frankenstein by both Wollstonecraft and Wordsworth use nature as a healer. They both obtain comfort and tranquility from nature and emphasize its importance in everyday human surroundings due to its preservation of sanity, peace and solace. However, Shelley emphasized the intrusion in the law of nature as Victor created the sublime “creature” and released him into society. Although nature acted as a restorative agent for Victor when he became significantly ill, his creation became a form of punishment as he violated the rules of nature. Shelley has managed to depict it as a form of inspiration along with posing it as a vengeful entity.
“Upon his father’s request, he decided to attend the course of natural philosophy in the University of Ingolstadt in Germany where his chemistry professor’s amiable character persuaded him to devote his time to natural philosophy and chemistry along with deeply exploring physiology”
Very nice specificity here!
“Although nature acted as a restorative agent for Victor when he became significantly ill, his creation became a form of punishment as he violated the rules of nature.”
You are quite right that the beauty of nature restores Victor. We will see more of this in our reading for next class. This other claim that you make about how Victor violates the rules of nature corresponds with a commonly held reading of the novel. How would you defend this claim in a paper? How exactly does Victor violate the “rules” of nature? What are those “rules”? We will discuss this analysis of the novel in class and try to get more specific in our understanding of the problems that accompany Victor’s scientific education.