Lacey Finley 28 October 15 Wendy Weber Frankenstein Essay AP Literature and Composition Frankenstein Essay There are many symbols throughout the book Frankenstein written by Mary Shelley, but one that was reoccurring though out the book was the symbol of light and fire. Light and fire represent more than just a source of light or heat, in Frankenstein light represents knowledge and fire represents a gift. Even though it might not have seemed so Victor gave the community a gift, he gave the gift of the creature even though it might not have seemed like a gift. The creature encounters many trails due to the fact he is not what society sees as normal. Light: “to make bright with or as if with light” the natural world is a place of darkness, dark secrets and dark people. Light represents knowledge and …show more content…
The creature experiences the “fire” in a different way than most, he finds that the fire can be warming but if he gets to close he could be burned. "The cup of life was poisoned forever, and although the sun shone upon [him], as upon the happy and gay of heart, [he] saw around [him] nothing but a dense and frightful darkness, penetrated by no light but the glimmer of two eyes that glared upon [him]" The first experience the creature has with fire he discovers there is multiple purposes of a flame although it creates light and beauty in dark places but also can be extremely harmful and dangerous if it gets touched. (166) The Symbol of fire also has a connection to the Greek god Prometheus who had inadvertently given humanity the gift of the knowledge of fire, but was severely punished for it after the fact. In the book it seemed as if Victor in a sense was attempting to become a Prometheus, although he was punished his gift to humanity remained in secret. In Victors’ case what remained a secret was his gift of the secret of