Human Nature Essay, Research Paper

Shawn Gullberg

Dr. Katz

4-01-01

Human Nature

Man is constantly attempting to be better, faster, stronger, and smarter. This has been occurring for many years and has become human nature to strive forward and advance. It is uncommon for an individual to be reasonable and make the decision to stay within his limits. However, no matter how hard one tries to suppress his ambitions, the feeling of exceeding one s limits still occurs often. In the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, the argument of staying within one s limits arises. Through examining characters such as Frankenstein one can conclude that it is human nature to exceed limits and boundaries that have been set.

Frankenstein exceeds his boundaries and does not succeed, but he still feels that people should chase their goals because it is possible to succeed. When Frankenstein creates the monster he is exceeding his limits. He wants to do something new and create a new race of beings that will view him as a god. This is normal human nature that people want total power and control, and people want to feel like they are needed. Frankenstein chases his creation all over and before he dies he tries to involve Walten into his obsession by asking him to chase down the monster. Frankenstein seems to learn a lesson when he is writing to Walten, because he states, Seek happiness in tranquility and avoid ambition, even if it be only the apparently innocent one of distinguishing yourself in science and discoveries. Frankenstein is trying to tell Walten to stay within his limits and not to be ambitious but he also says something that shows that ambition cannot be overpowered and suppressed because it is human nature to be ambitious. Frankenstein also says, I have myself been blasted in these hopes, yet another may succeed. This shows him saying that one should avoid ambition, but he is also saying that if you are going to be ambitious, do not hold back, to go for it because you might succeed. This is the message of the novel; one should not exceed his limits and should suppress ambition, however, if one decides to follow ambitions he might succeed. The novel does not totally attack ambition, but simply suggests man act with caution when following ambitions.