Beautiful!…. Great God! Essay

What do chapters 2, 3,4,5,9 and 10 reveal about Mary Shelley’s attitude to knowledge? Mary Shelley is a gothic writer, who (through this novel ‘Frankenstein’) has been able to create a hybrid form of gothic literature, a gothic/horror genre which allows Shelley to convey a more realistic terror, one that resides within the psyche instead of a form outside , an example would be Ghosts. Her knowledge on different subjects allows her to create a realistic world in the novel, possibly even criticising her own husband Percy Shelley, who searched for knowledge and in doing so became egotistical and self obsessed like a true romantic just like Frankenstein and other romantic characters like him. Shelley was always surrounded by intelligent people, which were mainly her father and his inner circle that also included her husband. These people encouraged Shelley to educate herself and develop her own opinions. Shelley found the gothic genre a perfect place in which she could air her thoughts, such as a critical view of certain powers in her society and imply things about the industrial revolution through subtle remarks in the novel. The novel itself was a product of Shelley taking up a challenge to write a ghost story, which was her chance to give a dire warning to society (through the didactic tone throughout the novel) that, embraces experimenting and questing for the unknown which so much part of her culture but at the same time playing on the fears of the middles classes’ lack of knowledge as at the same time graves were being dug up and bodies used which made this tomb quite fearful to its readers and intriguing as Shelley brings many ethical issues on the subject of science. Throughout the novel Shelley has much to say on the concept of knowledge as she includes many remarks like when Shelley’s warning us, readers of the danger of knowledge when it is used to obtain power. â€Å"What had been the study and desire of the wisest man since the creation of the world was now within my grasp†. The use of the word ‘grasp’ an ‘creation’ suggests that Frankenstein wants to become mnipotent and play god. Remarks such as that show Shelley’s critical views on her society, on issues such as science, how a man can become obsessed with something dangerous to either themselves or others , probably both , this also could be seen as another reference to her own husbands obsession with knowledge and this warning is actually to him. Frankenstein experience in university is very important in the text as that is where he forms his strong friendship with Henry clerval, guided and ridiculed by his professors and the actual place where he created the creature. Frankenstein’s first experience of university were feelings of isolation and melancholy which worsened through the ridicule of his work by his first professor ‘Kriempe’ who tells him not to waste his time on the ‘trash’ that he has read up until now. This maybe Shelley suggesting that ignorance isn’t a bad thing because once Frankenstein starts delving into new areas which allows him to create the creature which causes so many problems. Shelley shows us this ‘ignorance is bliss, it is folly to be wise’ in the paragraph in which Frankenstein realises that the creature he has created is not beautiful as he intended but a monster in his eyes â€Å"I had selected his features as beautiful, Beautiful!†¦. Great God! † This quote is Frankenstein in hindsight looking at his creature and realising his folly. The use of the words â€Å"Great God! † show that his wisdom was of no use. Even though his professors didn’t really guide Frankenstein in the right way, Frankenstein still follows there wisdom to folly, in the creation of the monster.