How Did Victor Frankenstein Pour A Torrent Light Into Our Dark World

In Mary Shelley’s gothic novel Frankenstein, the scientist, Victor Frankenstein discusses his passion for bringing to life his own creation. After Elizabeth becomes ill, and his mother passes away, Frankenstein becomes determined to find a way to bring the dead to life, and alter the cycles of life. He becomes intrigued and inspired by natural philosophy, especially the ideas of chemistry and alchemy through his studies at the University of Ingolstadt. Victor’s fascination in creating such an experiment sparked my interest after further reading about Frankenstein’s procedure for making his creature and what happens after it comes to life. I questioned his actions compared to his words and decided to look into the time period in which Frankenstein was written to further explain and possibly justify Victor’s behavior with his …show more content…
In a world with atheism and digging up the respectfully dead for unwanted research, one could say that it was rather “dark”. And considering that electricity was not as prominent during this era and how the lightbulb was not yet invented, the world was also physically “dark” in a sense. Yet through Victor’s use of electricity and bringing dead things back to life, he did, in a way, bring some light into the world. In addition to physical light, it can also be a metaphor for knowledge. Victor quotes: “I ardently desire knowledge” (Shelley pg. 70). He then fervently studied that latest science and took action. Whether his work ended up actually being good or not, the experiment and trial of creating a new being in itself gave a better understanding of the capabilities of mankind and how far they can reach until they have hit their limit. Frankenstein’s experiment and its aftermath became an excellent example of what not to do, but provides readers with a newfound understanding and appreciation for