In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, the paradoxical quality of the concept of "discovery" echoes that of Milton's Paradise Lost: the initial discovery is joyful and innocent, but ends in misery and corruption. The ambitions of both Walton and Frankenstein (to explore new lands and shed scientific light on the unknown, respectively) are shaped with the noblest intentions but with a fatal disregard for the sanctity of natural boundaries. While the idea of ​​discovery remains idealized, human fallibility completely corrupts any pursuit of that ideal. The corruption of discovery parallels the corruption inherent in every human life, as a child begins as a pure and flawless creature, full of wonder, but transforms into a self-centered, greedy, and overly ambitious adult. Only at the end of the novel does Walton recognize that he must abandon his ambition (the mapping of previously unexplored lands), out of concern for the precious lives of his crew. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The first two occurrences of the word “discovery” occur fairly early in the novel, in Walton's first letter to his sister. He compares his feelings during the expedition to the joy of a child (14). Walton reminds her of her uncle's vast library of "discovery" literature (tales of sailors and adventurers), all of which she devoured as a child. He writes of his disappointment when his father forbade him, on his deathbed, to "embark on a seafaring life" (14). Walton later tells Frankenstein that his crew is on a "voyage of discovery"; it is only at the mention of this word that Frankenstein agrees to board the ship (24). Once on board, Frankenstein tells his story. Frankenstein was also possessed by a youthful fixation: the desire to acquire scientific knowledge and create an indestructible man (40). He emphasizes that science is "a perpetual desire for discovery and wonder" and tells Walton that he has solved the most impenetrable of scientific mysteries: the principle of life (49). Although the "stages of discovery" were performed diligently, his "astonishment" soon gave way to "delight and ecstasy"; the "overwhelming" nature of its achievement erased all the dark steps that had led to its realization (51). The catastrophic effects of the "discovery" appear, in a slightly different form, at two other points in the novel. The creature's first victim is Frankenstein's brother, William; A young girl, a friend of the Frankenstein family, is wrongly accused of the murder. Ernest Frankenstein observes, "[For] us the discovery we have made [of the girl's guilt] completes our misery"" (76). The monster describes his reading of Ruins of Empires and cries over the section detailing the “discovery of the American hemisphere…and the unfortunate fate of its original inhabitants” (116) Walton’s idea of ​​discovery consists of pure adventure and the childish pursuit of glory “I will satiate my burning curiosity with the sight of a part of the world never visited before; my flattery induces me to begin this laborious journey with the joy a child feels when he embarks in a small boat on an expedition of discovery along his native river" (14). Walton's memory of the dying order of his father so that his son would not become a sailor reinforces the reader's sense of his childish naivety, as well as serving to foreshadow the disastrous end of his final voyage. It is necessary to tell Frankenstein that Walton's ship is on a "voyage" of discovery ": as Walton says, "Hearing this he seemed satisfied and agreed to come on board" (24). He can only associate with those who areequally eager to explore new horizons. The discovery, however, begins to acquire negative associations the moment Frankenstein begins his narrative. What one discovers may be useless or misleading, as Frankenstein's childhood reading of Agrippa makes clear: "A new light seemed to dawn in my mind, and, leaping for joy, I communicated my discovery to my father. My father looked on casually the title page of my book and said, 'Ah! Cornelius Agrippa! My dear Victor, waste no time with this; Shelley again connects the word “joy” with “discovery,” and once again contrasts the initial optimism of that discovery with its disappointing outcome. But Frankenstein's father does not provide the reason for his disdain (the fact that Agrippa's work has been disproved and is obsolete), and so the young scholar continues "to read with the utmost avidity" his desire for knowledge must be satiated (39), indeed, he nourishes grandiose dreams of the «discovery [that would be]; banish disease from the human frame and make man invulnerable to anything but violent death!" (39-40) Frankenstein and Walton's ambition is founded on flaws: naivety, fallacious reasoning, and a selfish desire for glory. These flaws they strip discovery of its façade of idealism, and reveal human weakness and underlying greed. Frankenstein's initial experiments lead him into a cycle of "scientific inquiry [in which] there is continual fodder for discovery and wonder." (49). his discovery of the principle of life. He admits that some divine "miracle could have produced it, yet the stages of discovery were distinct and probable" (51). stark contrast to the poverty of the moral ones. His ecstasy at his triumph serves to completely hide the systematic science that preceded it: "[A]ll the steps through which I had been progressively led [to discovery] were obliterated, and I only saw the result" (51). Shelley questions the necessity of such a triumph: as Clerval's father says before granting Clerval his "journey to discover the land of knowledge": "'I have ten thousand florins a year without Greek, I eat heartily without Greek.' " (59) .The result of Frankenstein's obsession with "Greek," or superfluous knowledge, is the discovery of his brother's corpse. The scientist is no longer interested in science for its practical purposes: he is inspired by the passion to free himself from human limitations and become a god. To achieve this worthless goal, he must undergo incessant solitary labor, abandon his marriage, and exile himself from human society. The creature demonstrates the purest uses of discovery; his discoveries, however, are those made by every person. He longs to join human society to learn language, the mystery of emotions, the glories and tragedies of history, and the nuances of family life. He begins as a prehistoric man or, more significantly, as a child discovering fire, food and shelter. In this way he ensures physical survival, but still desires emotional fulfillment. He refers to language as a “divine science,” and his vocabulary expands from simple names to a complex catalog drawn from Milton and Goethe. The creature's expulsion at the hands of the family shifts discovery from the active to the passive voice: the Creature no longer makes discoveries but, as it rages in the woods, is discovered by one brutal and terrified human after another. Shelley imbues his efforts to acclimate to humanity with real sympathy and pathos (indeed, the creature is the most sympathetic character in the novel). Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now..