Frankenstein and Education

I was intrigued by the ideas discussed in class regarding education in Frankenstein so I've decided to explore the concept further. I was most interested in the idea that knowledge is dangerous or in some cases pointless. When Victor first mentions his plans, or rather his parents' plans, for his further education, he describes the events surrounding his departure as ominous. "My departure was therefore fixed at an early date; but before the day resolved upon could arrive, the first misfortune of my life occurred- an omen..." (Shelley, pg. 24). Victor isn't even out the door and unfortunate events begin to dismantle his life. This event, while not directly influenced by education seems to set in motion a string of events that lead to the disastrous effects of Victor's time at Ingolstadt. When he arrives at the university, he avoids any type of social life and goes so far as to "take leave of all my friends (Shelley, pg. 25)." throwing himself into his studies. This could be viewed as Shelley saying that education alienates people and forces them to seek refuge with books rather than people; that too much education can lead to a life of isolation. This alone is not dangerous however. The isolation, coupled with an incomplete understanding and mixing of many different sciences is what truly leads to Victor's demise. He combines the fields of philosophy and physics into a bastardized version of both that he doesn't truly understand which leads him, in turn, to create a monster he cannot understand. If Victor had stopped his education after primary school, he could have had some semblance of a social life, he would not have created the monster, and his brother would still be alive. His relationship with his father could have been better as well if he hadn't spent so much time studying philosophers his father didn't accept.

Shelley also seems to think that knowledge is somewhat meaningless, especially without context. The monster learns at an incredibly fast rate and grows to be an eloquent being. He reads classic literature and observes/copies how a human family interacts with one another but when he uses what he has picked up, it is without real meaning. He may be book smart but he has no idea how to apply what he's read to real life. He has no socialization and cannot interact at a human level. He imitates life without really living. He may know the word love but does he truly understand its meaning? I don't think so. I think the monster watches what the world perceives as normal and copies it to the best of his abilities without actually understanding what he's doing or why he's doing it. Does he want a female companion because he has a desire to feel love and procreate or does he want a female companion because he has observed a "normal" man with a female? The fact that Victor refuses to listen to the monster despite his eloquence is also disheartening. He knows how to talk pretty but his outward appearance drives people away from him so he never gets a chance to converse with them, rendering his knowledge useless. It's as if Shelley is saying there is no reason to gain knowledge if no one will ever allow you to share it with them.