Thursday, March 26, 2015

What is the significance of the following quote from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein?"Natural philosophy is the genius that has regulated my fate; I...

Great question! In the book Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Victor shares his experiences as a young boy.


In the beginning of the story, Victor relates that he had a happy childhood, but that “Natural philosophy” changed his fate. Victor explains that as a child, he was quite happy until he encountered the forbidden science of Cornelius Agrippa (as shown in the quote).


Victor continues by blaming his father for not stopping his admiration for this science. Victor reveals that his father only declares:



“Ah! Cornelius Agrippa! My dear Victor, do not waste your time upon this; it is sad trash.”



Thus, Victor believes that his father should have explained why the science was a waste of time. Subsequently, Victor reveals that his father could have demonstrated the wonders of modern science.


Regardless, Victor continues to explore the theories related to Cornelius Agrippa. Consequently, Victor eventually makes the creature, leading to a long list of unfortunate experiences for Victor (such as the deaths of loved ones).

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Thomas Jefferson's election in 1800 is sometimes called the Revolution of 1800. Why could it be described in this way?

Thomas Jefferson’s election in 1800 can be called the “Revolution of 1800” because it was the first time in America’s short history that pow...