How dangerous is acquiring knowledge? Frankenstein by Mary Shelly Although Mary Shelly had no formal education having grown up motherless in the early 19th century, she wrote one of the greatest novels however in 1819, Frankenstein. The novel has been the basis for many theatrical films along with many classroom discussions in English. Within the novel Shelly shares the stories of two men from very different worlds. The reader is introduced to Robert Walton, the main narrator of the story, through letters written to his sister. Walton is searching for the North Pole when his ship and crew members get stuck between sheets of ice. It is here that the reader is introduced to Victor Frankenstein who is lost and frozen in the Northern Arctic. Victor begins to tell his story of how he ended up nearly dead in the freezing weather. His story includes one of the main themes of the novel, which is that the pursuit of knowledge can lead to a dangerous outcome. The reader may think that this is a topic reserved for Victor, but it turns out that both men may be involved in a dangerous adventure. Knowledge is "the fact or condition of knowing something with familiarity acquired through experience or association" (Merriam-Webster dictionary). Walton's desire for knowledge is presented to the reader in the fourth letter written to his sister: "A man's life or death is a small price to pay for the acquisition of the knowledge I sought for the dominion I should acquire and pass on on elemental enemies". of our race." (Shelly, 27 years old). The reader may note that Walton believes the trip to the North Pole is the top priority, more important than the safety of the crew members. "These are my flatteries, and I am s...... middle of paper ...... that knowledge can be dangerous or even deadly, "Learn from me, if not from my precepts, at least from my quantum how dangerous the acquisition of knowledge is, and how much happier is that man who believes that his city is the world”. (Shelly 51). Works Cited Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft and Maurice Hindle. Frankenstein: or the modern Prometheus. New York: Penguin, 1992. Print "Knowledge." Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2010.Merriam-Webster Online. 21 March 2010"The concepts of knowledge and happiness in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein - Essays - Ghiphci548." Free term papers, research papers, custom essays and book reports OPPapers.com. Network. March 26. 2010. .