Light Symbols In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

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In the book Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, you are given three points of views when you get to look through Victor Frankenstein, the Creature, and Robert Walton’s eyes. Frankenstein and the Creature, both driven by each other’s rage and obsession are on a quest to inflict pain on the other. The Creature having experienced pain and abandonment from the moment of his creation goes out to pursue Frankenstein wishing to give the same pain to his “[his] arch-enemy” and creator (125). Later being led by the Creature, Frankenstein goes on his own quest to stop the “” he created and that ruined his life. In the end, both just wanted to. Although playing the bystander in this conflict, Walton also has a quest of his own. With the desire for personal …show more content…
Light represents the enlightenment, occurring during the time Shelley was writing this book, knowledge, and discovery. Light is depicted in Walton’s first letter to his his sister, Mrs. Saville, where he states “What may not be expected in a country of eternal light? I may discover the wondrous power which attracts the needle…”(). The country of eternal light symbolizes the new profound knowledge Walton expects to learn on his journey. Fire in another form represents knowledge, but can also symbolize the disadvantages that come with knowledge. In Walton’s first letter to his sister he puts knowledge in a positive light speaking of how magnificent it is. The negative effects of this light is shown when the Creature explains, “In my joy I thrust my hand into the live embers, but quickly drew it out again with a cry of pain”(). With a negative encounter with fire the Creature later learns that fire can be pleasant as well when he states, “When night came again I found, with pleasure, that the fire gave light as well as heat and that the discovery of this element was useful to me in my food”(). With his newfound information the Creature shows that knowledge is a double-edged sword that should be used wisely. Another example of this would be how Frankenstein set out to benefit humankind by dismissing death and bringing life to the deceased; but in the end he only brought death upon …show more content…
Although Victor Frankenstein, the Creature, and Robert Walton are three different characters they have similar characteristics. Like Frankenstein, Walton too wishes to delve into science and play god. The three of these characters also share the fact that they are lonely souls. From childhood Frankenstein has always been anti-social and chose his studies over those around him. The Creature, abandoned at birth, was created only to live a desolate life full of want and rage. Walton feeling the same emotion of loneliness explains to his sister, “I desire the company of a man who could sympathise with me; whose eyes would reply to mine”(). Without having a grasp on how these men think, one will never understand their actions. To put simply, if one does not put their feet in the characters shoes they will never be able to fully see what the character

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