The Frankenstein Part 2

Chapter Two

I was a diligent student. I became very interested in the human body.

'Where does life come from?' I asked myself. To study life you must also

study death. I began to work with dead bodies. I studied the progress of their

decay. I examined the change from life to death and from death to life.

Then one day I suddenly understood. I was surprised that nobody had

discovered the secret before. I had succeeded where other men had failed.

I am not mad. I swear it is true. After days and nights of work, I

discovered how life was created. I, myself was able to create life.

I can see by your eager expression, my friend, that you want me to tell you

the secret. I will not tell you, and soon you will understand why not. Listen

to my story, and learn from my example. Knowledge is dangerous. An

ambitious man is not a happy man.

My first task was to create a body. I worked day and night. I grew thin and

pale, but I continued to work. The moon watched me through the window as

I uncovered the secrets of Nature. What horrible work it was! I explored

dead bodies and tortured living animals, but my work did not seem horrible

to me then. I thought that I had conquered death. I would be the creator of a

new race of happy and excellent creatures!

All summer I worked on my filthy creation in a lonely attic room. I did

not see the sunshine, the flowers, or the green leaves. I did not write to my

family or think about them. I thought only of my work.

Any ambition that makes you forget the people you love and the simple

pleasures of ordinary life is bad. The leaves fell from the trees, and still I

worked. I became anxious and nervous. I avoided other people. I hid myself

like a criminal. My creation was nearly done. Soon it would be finished, and

then, I promised myself, I would rest and recover my health.