He says: “If the study to which you apply yourself tends to weaken your affections and destroy your taste for those simple pleasures in which no alloy can mix, then this study is certainly illegal, that is, does not benefit the human mind” (Shelley 34). At first, Victor has the philosophy that if studying weakens your "affections", then it is "certainly illegal". This ironic philosophy serves to demonstrate that Victor Frankenstein knew the consequences of acquiring knowledge in secret. Although Frankenstein's staff is the glue to bind his selfish sin, he pays little attention to the knowledge he possesses about the consequences of his enterprise. This ironic foreshadowing depicts the consequences of his weakening relationships and depreciated social health. Ultimately, a universal theme found primarily in Frankenstein is the quest for knowledge. The quest for knowledge is not in itself demeaning, but the way in which Victor Frankenstein pursues it and the motivation for glory that drives him are demeaning. Thus, we see that if knowledge is sought for the wrong reasons and by the wrong methods, it is demeaning to our social and mental relationships..