M. Waldman is the kinder, gentler of Victor's professors.
Where Krempe is described as gruff and condescending, Waldman aims to guide Victor
towards modern chemistry by establishing the ancient authors as the foundation of study.
Victor remarks that Waldman "smiled" at the names of the ancient writers,
but "without the contempt" with which Krempe dismissed Victor's
interests. Waldman tells Victor:
These were men to whose indefatigable zeal
modern philosophers were indebted for most of the foundations of their knowledge. They
had left to us, as an easier task, to give new names and arrange in connected
classifications the facts which they in a great degree had been the instruments of
bringing to light. The labours of men of genius, however erroneously directed, scarcely
ever fail in ultimately turning to the solid advantage of
mankind.
This little speech
may have had a profound effect on Victor.
He often justifies his exploits in
creating his monster by touting the contributions he may make to science and life in
general. So, the idea that "erroneously directed" tasks may still influence the course
of knowledge seems to have impacted Victor's thinking.
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