Frankenstein ~ theme ~ education/knowledge

"They did not appear rich, but they were contented and happy; their feelings were serene and peaceful, while mine became every day more tumultuous. Increase in knowledge only discovered to me more clearly what a wretched outcast I was. I cherished hope, it is true; but it vanished when I beheld my person reflected in water, or my shadow in the moonshine, even as that frail image and that inconstant shade" (page 93).

This passage displays how gaining knowledge only makes the creature feel like more of an outcast. He watches the De Lacey family for almost a year in order to learn their language and culture. He reasons that by learning their language he will be able to approach them and ease their fear. However, as he watches the family to learn how they interact with one another, he also learns the emotions that go along with humanity. He learns of sadness, happiness, and love. He watches how the family all cares for one another and accepts everyone; they take in those that stop by their house for dinner and feed them. Unfortunately, this knowledge and realization that he is different from them only makes him feel more alone in the world. There is no one like him, and no one is even willing to look at him without fear. He has never known love or happiness to be shown toward him, and he learns that he will never be able to. This knowledge emphasizes his feelings of solitude and alienation which drive him into becoming an angry and revengeful fiend.