Chapter 4, Frankenstein audiobook

Chapter 4 of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, read by Anna Butterworth

Episode Transcript

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Chapter four. From this day,natural philosophy and particularly chemistry, in the
most comprehensive sense of the term,became nearly my sole occupation. I read
with ardor those works so full ofgenius and discrimination which modern inquirers have written
on these subjects. I attended thelectures and cultivated the acquaintance of the men

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of science of the University, andI found even in M. Kremp a
great deal of sound sense and realinformation combined, it is true, with
a repulsive physiognomy and manners, butnot on that account the less valuable.
In M. Waldman, I founda true friend. His gentleness was never

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tinged by dogmatism, and his instructionswere given with an air of frankness and
good nature that banished every idea ofpedantry. In a thousand ways, he
smoothed for me the path of knowledgeand made the most abstruse inquiries clear and
facile. To my apprehension, myapplication was at first fluctuating and uncertain.

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It gained strength as I proceeded,and soon became so ardent and eager that
the stars often disappeared in the lightof mourning whilst I was yet engaged in
my laboratory. As I applied soclosely, it may be easily conceived that
my progress was rapid. My ardorwas indeed the astonishment of the students,

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and my proficiency that of the master'sprofessor. Kremp often asked me, with
a sly smile, how Cornelius Agrippawent on, whilst m Waldman expressed the
most heartfelt exultation in my progress.Two years passed in this manner, during
which I paid no visit to Geneva, but was engaged heart and soul in

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the pursuit of some discoveries which Ihoped to make. None but those who
have experienced them can conceive of theenticements of science. In other studies,
you go as far as others havegone before you, and there is nothing
more to know. But in ascientific pursuit there is continual food for discovery

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and wonder. A mind of moderatecapacity which closely pursues one study most infallibly
arrive at great proficiency in that study. And I, who continually sought the
attainment of one object of pursuit andwas solely wrapped up in this, improved
so rapidly that at the end oftwo years I made some discoveries in the

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improvement of some chemical instruments, whichprocured me great esteem and admiration at the
university. When I had arrived atthis point and had become so well acquainted
with the theory and practice of naturalphilosophy as depended on the lessons of any
of the professors at Ingolstadt, myresidence there being no longer conducive to my

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improvement, I thought of returning tomy friends and my native town. When
an incident happened that protracted my stay. One of the phenomena which had pecurely
attracted my attention was the structure ofthe human frame, and indeed any animal
endured with life. Whence, Ioften asked myself, did the principle of

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life proceed? It was a boldquestion, and one which has ever been
considered as a mystery. Yet withhow many things are we upon the brink
of becoming acquainted? If cowardice orcarelessness did not restrain our inquiries. I
resolved these circumstances in my mind anddetermined thenceforth to apply myself more particularly to

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those branches of natural philosophy which relateto physiology. Unless I had been animated
by an almost supernatural enthusiasm. Myapplication to this study would have been irksome
and almost intolerable. To examine thecauses of life, we must first have
recourse to death. I became acquaintedwith the science of anatomy, but this

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was not sufficient. I must alsoobserve the natural decay and corruption of the
human body. In my education,my father had taken the greatest precautions that
my mind should be impressed with nosupernatural horrors. I do not ever remember
to have trembled at a tale ofsuperstition, or to have feared the apparition

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of a spirit. Darkness had noeffect upon my fancy, and a churchyard
was to me merely the receptacle ofbodies deprived of life, which, from
being the seat of beauty and strength, had become food for the worm.
Now I was led to examine thecause and progress of this decay, and
forced to spend days and nights invaults and charnel houses. My attention was

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fixed upon every object, the mostinsupportable to the delicacy of the human feelings.
I saw how the fine form ofman degraded and wasted. I beheld
the corruption of death succeed in theblooming cheek of life. I saw how
the worm inherited the wonders of theeye and brain. I paused examining and

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analyzing all the minutiae of causation,as exemplified in the change from life to
death and death to life, untilfrom the midst of this darkness a sunlight
broke in upon me, a lightso brilliant and wondrous, yet so simple,
that while I became dizzy with theimmensity of the prospect which it illustrated,

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I was surprised that, among somany men of genius who had directed
their inquiries towards the same science,that I alone should be reserved to discover
so astonishing a secret. Remember,I am not recording the vision of a
madman. The sun does not morecertainly shine in the heaven than that which

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I now affirm is true. Somemiracle might have produced it, Yet the
stages of the discovery were distinct andprobable. After days and nights of incredible
labor and fatigue, I succeeded indiscovering the cause of generation and life.
Nay more, I became myself capableof bestowing animation upon lifeless matter. The

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astonishment which I had at first experiencedon this discovery, soon gave place to
delight and rapture. After so muchtime spent in painful labor, to arrive
at once at the summit of mydesires was the most gratifying consummation of my
toils. But this discovery was sogreat and overwhelming that all the steps by

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which I had been progressively led toit were obliterated, and I beheld only
the result. What had been thestudy and desire of the wisest men since
the creation of the world was nowwithin my grasp. Not that, like
a magic scene, it all openedupon me at once. The information I
had obtained was of a nature ratherto direct my endeavors as soon as I

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should point them towards the object ofmy search, than to exhibit that object
already accomplished. I was like theArabian who had been buried with the dead
and found a passage to life,aided only by one glimmering and seemingly ineffectual
light. I see by your eagernessand the wonder and hope which your eyes

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express, my friend, that youexpect to be informed of the secret with
which I am acquainted, that cannotbe listen patiently until the end of my
story, and you will easily perceivewhy I am reserved upon that subject.
I will not lead you on unguardedand ardent, as I been was,
to your destruction and infalliable misery.Learn from me, if not by my

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precepts, at least by my example. How dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge?
And how how much happier that manis who believes his native town to
be the world than he who aspiresto become greater than his nature will allow.
When I found so astonishing a powerplaced within my hands, I hesitated

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a long time concerning the manner inwhich I should employ it. Although I
possessed the capacity of bestowing animation,yet to prepare a frame for the reception
of it, with all its intricaciesof fibers, muscles, and veins,
still remained a work of inconceivable difficultyand labor. I doubted at first whether

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I should attempt the creation of abeing like myself or one of simpler organization.
But my imagination was too much exaltedby my first success to permit me
to doubt of my ability to givelife to an animal as complex and wonderful
as man. The materials at presentwithin my command hardly appeared adequate to so

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arduous in undertaking. But I doubtednot that I should ultimately succeed. I
prepared myself for a multitude of reverses. My operations might be incessantly baffled,
and at last my work be imperfect. Yet when I considered the improvement which
every day takes place in science andmechanics, I was encouraged to hope my

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present attempts would not least lay thefoundations of future success. Nor could I
consider the magnitude and complexity of myplan as any argument of its impracticability.
It was with these feelings that Ibegan the creation of a human being.
As the minuteness of the parts formeda great hindrance to my speed, I

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resolved, contrary to my first intention, to make the being of a gigantic
stature, that is to say,about eight feet in height and proportionately large.
After having formed this determination, andhaving spent some months in successfully collecting
and arranging my materials, I began. No one can conceive the variety of

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feelings which bore me onwards like ahurricane in the first enthusiasm of success,
life and death appear to me idealbounds which I should first break through and
pour a torrent of light into ourdark world. A new species would bless
me as its creator and source.Many happy and excellent natures would owe their

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being to me. No father couldclaim the gratitude of his child so completely
as I should deserve theirs. Pursuingthese reflections, I thought that I could
bestow animation upon lifeless matter. Imight, in process of time, although
I now found it impossible renew lifewhere death had apparently devoted the body to

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corruption. These thoughts supported my spiritswhile I pursued my undertaking with unremitting ardor
my cheek had grown pale with study, and my person had become emaciated with
confinement. Sometimes on the very brinkof certainty I failed. Yet still I

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clung to the hope which the nextday or the next hour might realize one
secret, which I alone possessed,was the hope to which I had dedicated
myself. And the moon gazed onmy midnight labors, while with unrelaxed and
breathless eagerness, I pursued nature toher hiding places. Who shall conceive the

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horrors of my secret? Toil asI dabbled among the unshallowed damps of the
grave, or tortured the living animalto animate the lifeless clay. My limbs
now tremble and my eyes swim withthe remembrance. But then a resistless,
an almost frantic impulse urged me forward. I seemed to have lost all soul

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or sensation, but for this onepursuit. It was, indeed, but
a passing trance that only made mefeel with renewed acuteness. So soon as
the unnatural stimulus ceasing to operate,I had returned to my old habits.
I collected bones from charnel houses anddisturbed with profane fingers the tremendous secrets of

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the human frame. In a solitarychamber, or rather cell, at the
top of the house, and separatedfrom all the other apartments by a gallery
and staircase, I kept my workshopof filthy creation. My eyeballs were starting
from their sockets in attending to thedetails of my employment. The dissecting room

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and the slaughter house furnished many ofmy materials, and often did my human
nature turn with loathing from my occupation. Whilst still urged on by an eagerness,
which perpetually increased. I brought mywork near to a conclusion. The
summer months passed while I was thusengaged heart and soul in one pursuit.

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It was a most beautiful season.Never did the fields bestow a more plentiful
harvest, or the vines yield amore luxuriant vintage. But my eyes were
insensible to the charms of nature,and the same feelings which made me neglect
the scenes around me, caused mealso to forget those friends who were so
many miles absent, and whom Ihad not seen for so long a time.

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I knew my silence disquieted them,and I well remembered the words of
my father. I know that whileyou are pleased with yourself, you will
think of us with affection, andwe shall hear regularly from you. You
must pardon me if I regard anyinterruption in your correspondence as a proof that
your other duties are equally neglected.I knew well therefore what would be my

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father's feelings. But I could nottear my thoughts from my employment. Loathsome
in itself, but which had takenan irresistible hold of my imagination. I
wished, as it were, toprocrastinate all that related to my feelings of
affection until the great object which swallowedup every habit of my nature, should

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be completed. I then thought thatmy father would be unjust if he ascribed
my neglect to vice or faultiness onmy part. But I am now convinced
that he was justified in conceiving thatI should not be altogether free from blame.
A human being in perfection ought alwaysto preserve a calm and peaceful mind,

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and never to allow passion or atransitory desire to disturb his tranquility.
I do not think that the pursuitof knowledge is an exception to this rule.
If the study to which you applyyourself has a tendency to weaken your
affections and to destroy your taste forthose simple pleasures in which no alloy can

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possibly mix, then that study iscertainly unlawful, that is to say,
not befitting the human mind. Ifthis rule were always observed, if no
man allowed any pursuit whatsoever to interferewith the tranquility of his domestic affections,
Greece had not been enslaved, Caesarwould have spared his country America would have

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been discovered more gradually, and theempires of Mexico and Peru had not been
destroyed. But I forget that Iam moralizing in the most interesting part of
my tale, and your looks remindme to proceed. My father made no
reproach in his letters, and onlytook notice of my silence by inquiring into

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my occupations. More particularly than before. Winter, Spring and summer passed away
during my labors, but I didnot watch the blossom or the expanding leaves,
sights which before all always yielded mesupreme delight. So deeply was I
engrossed in my occupation. The leavesof that year had withered before my work

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drew near to a close, andnow every day showed me more plainly how
well I had succeeded. But myenthusiasm was checked by my anxiety, and
I appeared rather like one doomed byslavery to toil in the mines or any
other unwholesome trade, than an artistoccupied by his favorite employment. Every night

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I was oppressed by a slow fever, and I became nervous to a most
painful degree. The fall of aleaf startled me, and I shunned my
fellow creatures, as if I hadbeen guilty of a crime. Sometimes I
grew alarmed at the wreck. Iperceived that I had become the energy of
my purpose alone sustained me. Mylabors would soon end, and I believed

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that exercise and amusement would then driveaway incipient disease. And I promised myself
both of these when my creation shouldbe completed.