How Ignorance is Bliss in Frankenstein Paul Zuo Knowledge often brings destruction.

Having no knowledge regarding a situation can be a benefit. Today, science and technology make it possible to advance in medicine and architecture, but there is a line that needs to be drawn. The acquisition of knowledge inevitably will lead to growth in technology, but that isnt necessarily a positive development. Modern technology takes a large toll on the environment, and distances humans from nature. Just because technology can be developed doesnt mean that it should. Cloning serves as a modern example of how ignorance is bliss. While most sheep live up to twelve years of age, Dolly, the cloned sheep, only lived six years. Side effects of cloning are still not completely clear, and scientists are now suggesting that it may not be worthwhile to find out. In Mary Shelleys Frankenstein, the fates of Victor and the creature illustrate how knowledge can lead to the destruction of mankind. Victors pursuit of knowledge not only posed a threat to himself but also those around him. Victor finds himself studying in the field of science, even though he does so against his fathers wishes. He goes to an university to study science, particularly chemistry, which at the time was not a well-discovered. Even though Victors ambitions are rejected by Krempe, Victor continues to search for his ambitions for the answer to life on his own and disregards the reality that he is going beyond normal human limits. While Victor recognizes the ambition and glory of creating the creature, he does not consider the consequences of the dangers the creature might present to humanity. He tells Walton that man should never allow passion to disturb tranquility. (34) Eventually, Victors desire to gain insight on how to produce life disturbed his peace of mind. He would go for days without rest trying to accomplish this goal; he wasnt calm and his obsession made him crazed. When Justine was wrongfully accused of Williams death, Victor says that they were hapless victims to my unhallowed arts. (60) Victor begins to realize that it was his thirst of knowledge that led to the deaths of his close ones. As the creator of the creature that murdered Justine and William, Victor feels accountable for the tragedies that have occurred. He knows that had he not given life to the creature, none of the unfortunate events would have occurred. Victor sought out to obtain more knowledge and as a result, tragedies ensued.

The creatures fate also showed how the dangers of knowledge can lead to destruction. The creature is introduced in his narrative as a character of depth and sensitivity. At the time of Victors abandonment, the creature was just like a human infant, innocent and gentle. Through his encounters with humanity, the creature is met with disgust and horror. His knowledge of this infuriating treatment makes him feel that he is an outcast, even though he means no harm. He becomes increasingly aware of the fact that he is inevitably deprived of love and friendship. Although the creature has a deep longing to have companionship and join the other humans, he is at first ignorant of the ways of humans and has to learn everything from observation. He is still a youthful observer at first, with the innocence and curiosity of an infant. Even with his desire to learn human language and understand the culture of the surrounding cottagers, the creature learns from experience that human society will never accept him because he is so different, despite how good of a person he is inside. Furthermore, when the creature reads the Ruins of Empires, he begins to understand human society more. He weeps over the violence that humans commit towards each other and the obsession with obtaining wealth. It is this knowledge that makes him turn away in disgust, since he wonders what place he can have among people like this. Thus, the creature becomes a monster and an outcast. The creatures disgust at these revelations shows his youthful innocence inside. Nonetheless, Victor and the creature are more paralleled in this sense. They are both made outcasts by what they know and they both desire passionately for their former innocence. After Victor discovers the satchel of books, he begins to contemplate his own goodness. The struggle between good and evil in Paradise Lost is representative of the struggle each person experiences within. Victor connects with this struggle and he starts to contemplate whether he will behave as a human or a monster. Despite the creatures innocence deep down, he is hated by human society and so he can only reciprocate that hatred back to mankind. Being driven with the curiosity to gain more knowledge can get out of control, leading to destruction. I agree with Shelleys argument that ignorance is bliss. Children, for example, are ignorant. They understand very little of physics or technology, and they know a minimal amount of mathematics. Most children dont know of world hunger, the poverty that exists in most nations, or the environmental damage that is done to the

planet. For most of childhood, they are ignorant, yet they are happy. A child can only know of his or her immediate surroundings. Therefore, the ignorance of childhood is bliss.