xi) because of this, the Idea of dangerous knowledge and nature as power over Victor Frankenstein, along with the responsibilities of creation are all powerful topics in the book. In the book Shelley goes to great lengths of emphasize the beauty of nature and the natural world. Occupations that allow man to work with and in conjuncture with nature, benefits mankind, this is shown with the character of Victor's friend Clerval, who is a benevolent man that studies languages, loves poetry, and these studies allow him to help others and appreciate nature but not question it like Victor Frankenstein does. Victor delves into the mysteries of nature "One of the phenomena which had peculiarly attracted my attention was the structure of the human frame, and, indeed any animal endued with lifeTo examine the causes of life, we must first have recourse to death. (p.37) So Victor begins to go to churchyards and slaughterhouses to get bodies and study them hoping to unlock to mystery of creation. Frankenstein succeeds in discovering the secrets of life and death, and becomes able to bestow "animation upon lifeless matter" (p.38) During this time in Frankenstein's life, Shelley portrays his life as gruesome and grotesque very unnatural especially compared to his own childhood. He cuts off contact with his family, and no longer appreciates the glory of nature. He confines himself to his room, "My cheek had grown pale with study, and my person had become emaciated with confinement" (p.40). He continues to describe his activities " Who shall conceive the horrors of my secret toil as I dabbled among the unhallowed damps of the grave or tortured the living animal to animate the lifeless clay?" (p.40) With these description, Shelley tells the reader that Frankenstein treads on the forbidden, he does discover nature's secrets, but is disturbed by them. Only when he completes his creation does he finally realizes the horror of what he has done "Now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my hear" (p.
