There seems to be a higher level of
agency afforded to the characters in Frankenstein regarding their own
education. Whereas, in the Vindication of the Right’s of Women and in
Northanger Abbey there was a lot of focus on the mother as an educator, the importance
of experience, and the importance of a formal education. Thos texts,
particularly Wollstonecraft’s, talk a lot about whose duty it is to do the
educating, which often points to some “other” whether that is the mother,
teachers, etc. Contrastingy, Shelley’s Frankenstein places an emphasis on the
desire to learn and the power of the autodidact. Both Walton and Frankenstein take the
initiative to study books to such an extent that they are both able to learn
and practice their respective trades (fisherman and scientist) mainly through
self education, although Frankenstein does attend college and receives more
direction.
First Walton is introduced and he
explains that although his education (his formal education) was neglected, he
was “passionately fond of reading.” Walton studies about voyages day and night
and is able to learn a trade through his self-discipline. Walton is fascinating
because he does not limit himself only to books that will help him become a
fisherman/voyager. He also remarks on his time spent reading poetry and how he himself
tried out the practice. He speaks on this topic with a sort of reverence, going
so far as to call his attempt at writing “a Paradise of my own creation.” Here
I wonder how much of Shelley and her reverence for her fellow friends in her
literary circle is coming out. Later in the book there are allusions to more
poets and even a piece of Coleridge within the text. By contrasting Walton’s
study of nautical literature and his study of poetry, Shelley explores multiple
purposes of education, even if it is an informal one. On the one hand, Walton
uses his readings as a utility, to learn a trade. On the other hand, he reads
poetry and experiences it as a creative outlet and art form, something that
give him great pleasure.
Frankenstein too tells about the
passions which led him to conduct his own study of various subjects. At 13, he
found a book which, at first, he thought might be boring. Upon reading it, he
gained an enthusiasm for natural philosophy and so was spurred to read
extensively on the subject. Again, Shelley shows how the desire to learn and
the self-discipline to study alone can lead to a rich self-education. However,
with Frankenstein, she also shows how one’s passions for knowledge might be
greatly influenced by others, particularly professors. Frankenstein is
disillusioned from the study of natural philosophy and for a while he leaves it
to study mathematics instead. When he goes to Ingolstadt, Krempe turns him off
from natural philosophy while Waldman inspires him to take up its study with
his greatest fervor yet, stating “From this day natural philosophy,
particularly chemistry, in the most comprehensive sense of the term, became
nearly my sole occupation.” The combination of Frankenstein’s passion for
knowledge and Waldman’s support push him to a point in which his life is
consumed by the pursuit of his subject.
Notably,
while the power of self-education is emphasized, there is still a level of privilege
that must presuppose any autodidacticism. Both Walton and Frankenstein must
both be literate before their desire to gain more knowledge can actually be
utilized. Shelley exposes the role of individual agency in pursuing education,
however, this would be unattainable if one could not read or did not have
access to books.
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