Journal of the Plague Year and Frankenstein

The Plague and Frankenstein The quest for cognition is eternal and al or so never-ending. slew devote their sees to studying and advancing their friendship, solo their advancement is always held in check by society and the the great unwashed who studied before them. several(prenominal) novels contrive been written which explore the effect knowledge and its limitations can fix on society. This paper for tucker out focus on Defoes ledger of the Plague Year, and bloody shame Shelleys Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus.Even though these two novels were written intimately 100 geezerhood apart, they still embody many aspects as to why knowledge has limitations. While Defoes journal centers on how to prevent and cure the plague, with a heavy emphasis on religion, Shelleys Frankenstein has teeny-weeny to no religious affiliation, and focuses on how science and knowledge can potentially lead to evil and misfortune. The plague was a trying and devastating disease which impact Europe multiple cartridge clips end-to-end history each time executeing every person who came see with the disease.People are fortunate enough today to have a cure for this disease, nevertheless during the 1700s, there was no cure and very little knowledge about proper medical practices. Defoe mentions how signs were posted doneout capital of the United Kingdom, claiming of the great unwashed who knew of a cure or treatment for the plague, however round of these treatments lively their bodies for the plague, instead of preserving them against it. 1 Thieves and pick-pockets robbed and cheated poor people out of their money with scams, sometimes even poisoning their victims with tonics or physicks that could include such(prenominal) poisons as mercury in them. These scammers were all throughout the urban center, appealing to the desires and abundance of the poor. There was no regulation of such business practices and advertisements made ridiculous claims of free divine se rvice, all to deceive the poor once they got there, forcing them to pay for what may (or may not) help them. These practices were quite cruel and unjust, but people were so scared for their lives that they were unforced to do anything which would allow them to live. Not every person in the city fell victim to these scams.Many people once they heard intelligence service that the plague had reached London decided to flee and head to some distant off town where they might be able to avoid hereditary the disease. This plight from the city was not only a rational ratiocination, but a religious one as rise up. Much debate amid people in London was sparked about the religious justification for staying in the city, and trusting in God to protect them where they were, or to leave London and trust God with their safety and health. 3 For the main mention in this novel, H. F. struggles with this decision be arouse he can leave London and live with his relatives, and risk losing all of his possessions, but he lastly decides to stay, viewing his decision as remaining faithful to God. Upon informing his associate of this decision, he checks that the person, who he was going to entrust with his property during his leave, became ill with the plague, only enforcing H. F. s feelings that he made the correct decision to stay in Gods faith. 4 Once the plague hit London with full force, the city was forced to find a new way in which to revert this disease.Instead of airing to the filth with which people lived in, and regarding that it could be carried by animals such as rats, the town determined that each house was to be inspected by doctors, and if the plague should be found within a sign of the zodiac, the inhabitants would be locked at heart the house, only to come out if they died or the disease had passed. Each home which the plague was found in had a red cross particoloured on the door, marking it for all to see, and a Watchman was assigned to collect sure no body went in or out of the house, and to run errands for the family if gather up be. This cruel idea caused many families to parish in their own homes, while others attempt to escape by either sneaking out or contend/threatening the watchmen. In the book Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus, by Mary Shelley, the underlying theme is how knowledge and power can lead to mishap and destruction. In the book, Victor Frankenstein goes off to college and becomes obsessed with several different types of ism and science. He becomes absorbed in the secret of life and he ultimately tries to recreate it. He is successful and brings life to a fiend so hideous that even he cannot bear to be around. Frankenstein tries to desert the monster which he created, but he is never fully able to, as the monster follows and spies on Frankenstein and kills part of his family. Frankenstein is appalled that his creation could have begun to cause such horror and pain to people around him, but is mad that if he tells anyone about the monster which he has created, thence he himself bequeath look like a madman. The monster himself is eager for affection from humans, but everywhere he goes, he is shunned and forced away from the town out-of-pocket to people being in fear of him.The monster spends much time watching the actions of a family of peasants, where from his hiding steer he is able to learn how to speak French as well as read. After some time he ultimately decides that they are a very tender-hearted family and that he should reveal himself to them, upon doing this, they are disgusted and chase him away. The monster vows to get revenge on Frankenstein and first begins by killing his little brother whom he stumbles across in the forest in Geneva. He then plants the childs necklace on a friend of Victors, to enlighten her appear as the murderer.She is tried for the crime and hung for it. The monster realizes that his only luck for happiness lies within Frankenstein creating h im a female companion. He persuades Frankenstein to create him a female saying that he will leave mankind alone forever and go live in some distant trim back if he has a companion to go with him. 7 As Frankenstein has begun croak on his second monster in Scotland, he is reminded of how crazy he became when creating his first monster, and upon catching a glimpse of his monster watching him through the window, Frankenstein freaks out, and destroys the second body which he is creating.The monster upon seeing this is enraged and promises to kill the rest of Frankensteins friends and family. This promise holds true, for Frankenstein loses his best friend that night, his wife on his wedding night, and his father. Rather than heed to the monsters wishes and create a wife for him, Frankenstein was overcome with the guilt of the deaths of his monsters first two victims. He worries that in creating another, he will be creating a duo of evil that will wreak havoc upon the human race.For it w as his fault in the first place which let his imagination get a hold of himself and he cute to create life for himself. This intense lust for knowledge which Frankenstein has ultimately leads to his demise. He becomes mad in his quest and ends up destroying everyone dear to him as well as himself in the end. Both The Journal of the Plague Year and Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus have heavy themes about knowledge. Defoes Journal specifically focuses on how disease was treated and what the methods were to try to cure it.The Journal in any case has a heavy religious force in it as well. The people in the story as well as the main characters, look towards Bible versus and quotes for guidance in their decision making. This is not the same as in Frankenstein where the main character becomes god-like himself with his creation of life. This major difference is most likely due to the fact that the novels were written about 100 years apart from each other and peoples views how religio n affected their daily lives had greatly changed.There is very little mentioned in Frankenstein about religion at all. In each novel, there is excess knowledge than what people have the capacity for therefore in The Journal, London makes the acetous decision to lock people in their own homes in sound out to prevent the spread of the plague while in Frankenstein, his ever intractable quest for knowledge winds up killing him and those dearest to him. The novels are some a warning as to what effect knowledge can have on society and suggest, that as Socrates said, the only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.