“ To examine the causes of life, we must first have recourse to death. ”
Mary Shelley, Frankenstein (1818). copy citation
| Author | Mary Shelley |
|---|---|
| Source | Frankenstein |
| Topic | death life understanding |
| Date | 1818 |
| Language | English |
| Reference | |
| Note | |
| Weblink | http://www.gutenberg.org/files/84/84-h/84-h.htm |
Context
“I revolved these circumstances in my mind and determined thenceforth to apply myself more particularly to those branches of natural philosophy which relate to physiology. Unless I had been animated by an almost supernatural enthusiasm, my application to this study would have been irksome and almost intolerable. To examine the causes of life, we must first have recourse to death. I became acquainted with the science of anatomy, but this was not sufficient; I must also observe 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 no supernatural horrors.”
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Meaning and analysis
