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Quotation from Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

“To examine the causes of life, we must first have recourse to death”

Mary Shelley (spoken by Victor Frankenstein)

Frankenstein, Vol. I, Ch. III (1818) / Ch. 4 (1831) (1831 text)

Portrait of Mary Shelley

Victor explains how his pursuit of the principle of life led him into anatomy and the study of bodily decay.

Citation: "To examine the causes of life, we must first have recourse to death" — Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, Vol. I, Ch. III (1818) / Ch. 4 (1831) (1831 text). (id frankenstein-q3)

Portrait: Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, Richard Rothwell, Public domain.

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Quote card: To examine the causes of life, we must first have recourse to death