Marcoluis Garcia Period 3 11-9-12 Knowledge: A Passion Or An Obsession? Literature is the question minus the answer (Barthes).

In the novel Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, both the protagonist and the antagonist seek for knowledge. Their need for knowledge eventually leads to their decline. Then the reader is left to wonder why their electrifying need for knowledge causes detachment. The fruit of knowledge can cause emotional detachment. In the case of Victor Frankenstein, he seeks out the philosophical theory of preserving life. He chooses to peruse the answer to this idea, but while doing so, he pushes away his family and friends. Two years passed in this manner, during which I paid no visit to Geneva, but was engaged, heart and soul, in the pursuit of some discoveries (Shelley 29). Victor has gone far from home and is entirely dedicated to his work. He would rather stick to studies than have a relationship with those around him. This clearly shows the fact that his ambition for discovery has made him drift away from his home town, Geneva, along with his friends and family. Victor wants to accomplish his goals and complete his project, but in doing so, he has begun to go mad. What used to be a simple hobby and passion of his has turned into an obsession. You have been illyou are forbidden to writeto hold a pen (40). Victor has driven himself into a state of mind where he is oblivious to his surroundings. His desperate need to finish the project of life has gotten to a point where he chooses to ignore the outside world; simply so he can focus on only his activities. His actions have even sparked curiosity in the mind of his beloved Elizabeth. Apparently Victor has been so caught up on his own well being that he has lost all communication with his family. His family is now worried and Victor does not seem to care. Even once he accomplished giving life to an inanimate object, he built a barrier between him and his creation.

Victor had finally achieved what he wanted, to give life to his creation; however, once done, he chooses to push the creature away. After working for so long, Victor was finally able to present life. Then suddenly, he is disgusted by his very creation. breathless horror and disgust filled my heart. Unable to endure the aspect of the creature I had created, I rushed out of the roomendeavoring to seek a few moments of forgetfulness (35). Victor was obsessed with granting life. He drifted away from his family and left himself all alone. The only thing that he got out of it was the disgust that he felt for his creation. Instead of celebrating for his achievement, he instead chooses to flee from the very thing he created and puts a barrier between him and the creation. Yet you, my creator, detest and spurn me, thy creature, to whom thou art bound by ties only dissoluble by the annihilation of one of us (68). It is evident that Victor has basically ignored his creation. Even the creature himself has felt the abandonment of his creator. The creature feels the hatred and contempt that Victor has for him. Victor is supposed to have a strong bond with the creature, but instead chooses to leave the creature on his own. This portrays Victor as not caring much for the creature, and has detached himself from the creature. Due to the fact that Victor has detached himself from the creature, the creature has detached himself from society. Frankensteins creation, or the monster, desperately wants to fit into society. However, he is having a hard time trying to do so. He does attempt to learn the way of society, I made a discovery of still greater moment. I found that these people possessed a method of communication (78). The creature quickly realizes that there is a language that society possess, a language he has yet to learn. He learns that it is the primary way that they communicate. The creature is suddenly intrigued by the new concept and desperately wants to learn it. He wants to learn it not because it is beneficial for him, but so he can seem presentable for society. He then learns something new, This reading had puzzled meI discovered that he

uttered many of the same sounds when he read as when he talkedand I ardently longed to comprehend these alsofor Ieagerly longed to discover myself to the cottagersI had first become master of their language (79-80). He realized that it wasnt just simple spoken word, but it is also in the form of writing. He thus wants to learn and begin using it. This is a problem because he has no one to teach it to him. He has to learn this new concept on his own. He chooses to do so because he wants to be accepted in society. However, in order to do so, he chooses to detach himself from the rest of the world to do so. This is why his need for knowledge leaves him to be ostracized. In the novel, both the protagonist and the antagonist choose to ostracize themselves because they seek knowledge. It shows that their inner most desires have caused them to detach themselves from the rest of world. The passion for knowledge that one seeks could make that person wiser. However, that passion could later become an obsession. That obsession later makes them oblivious to the outside world causing them to isolate themselves. It is good to pursue ones dreams and aspirations, but one must be conscience of what they are doing. They must know that they have to learn to relax with their goals before it becomes an obsession and lead to their very own destruction. They must also be able to distinguish when the knowledge they seek is a passion or an obsession.