Frankenstein - Mary Shelly

            Through reading the first part of Mary Shelly's Frankenstein, the consequences of unknown knowledge are a theme that stands out. The introduction of Victor Frankenstein's childhood and his parent's background sets a basis for who victor Frankenstein and his family are. It allows the readers to understand Frankenstein's value of his family and his sister, as well as his dream for gathering infinite knowledge. Shelly hints at Frankenstein's exploration of experience and complicated topics to bring misfortune to him repeatedly. At the beginning of his interaction with the sick man, the man mentions that his investigation and curiosity are part of why he is ill and wishes Frankenstein does not become like him, however ironically, he does. 

Frankenstein's love for learning was bound to expand beyond what he was taught in school. As humans, we tend to explore the unexplored; as Frankenstein mentioned, discovering new information shaped aspects of our current life. That through this exploration is what developed our world, therefore motivating and convincing Frankenstein to pursue his study of creating a living creature. However, using imagery to describe the creation and Frankenstein's response to that creature outlined this discovery's natural effect. The best description of this exchange that Shelly utilizes is "catastrophe" and "wretch" (Shelly 35). Though Frankenstein says these to describe the creature, it also indirectly describing his reaction to this creature. The happiness he initially felt that then turned into fear, then anger and hatred imply that Frankenstein was ignorant of the truth of his creations. Therefore the "Wretch" and "catastrophe" are the best representation of that exploration. Additionally, as Frankenstein often mentions, his father understood the effects of exploring this field, hence his unwillingness to teach him about those things. 

Frankenstein’s consequence was directly connected to his inability to understand his father's warnings and hunger for knowledge. His automatic assumption that the creature killed his brother because he understood what he created should not have been made. Instead, he believed this initially, therefore regretting his decision deflected his regret on the creature and, in turn, is responsible for any bad thing that occurs as a result.