James Truslow Adam once said, “There are obviously two educations. One should teach us how to make a living and the other how to live.” These two types of education are evident in the novels we read in this class.

For example, the self education Bach had taught him how to make a living. Bach studied whatever his heart desired, from software engineering, systems thinking, philosophy, and to history. He also taught himself computer programming. He studied day and night on the fields he enjoyed. Due to this self education and hard work, Bach got a job as a manager in research and development at Apple. He made a living with his self education.

The education the creature in Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, received is an example of an education that teaches one how to live. The monster taught himself how to obtain food such as berries and nuts. The creature also learned how to make a fire, how to keep warm, and how to adjust to light. The monster taught himself how to read, write, and understand the human language by observing his neighbors.  He learned how to relate certain words to certain feels and by doing this he learned about emotions. Whenever his neighbors felt happy or sad, he felt the same way.

As for me, I want both educations. I hope the education I’m getting in school will help me make a living. I really hope all my life of schooling won’t go to a waste. As for the education that helps one live, I believe I already am receiving this through my experiences in life.