“ It was the secrets of heaven and earth that I desired to learn; and whether it was the outward substance of things or the inner spirit of nature and the mysterious soul of man that occupied me, still my inquiries were directed to the metaphysical, or, in it highest sense, the physical secrets of the world (Shelly 22-23).” In the novel Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, Victor Frankenstein tells the story of how his ambitions for science lead him to create life in a way he would soon regret. His creation of the monster was grotesque and even he did not accept him. This abandonment caused him to feel isolated and alone and he took it out on his creator by destroying everyone dear to him. Through this passage, Shelly uses symbolism of nature to show how the pursuit of knowledge can be destructive. …show more content…
As he stumbled upon a fire he swiped his hand through the flames only to burn himself, thinking it would have a different reaction, “How strange, I thought, that the same cause should produce such opposite effects!” While light was warm and delightful, fire was dangerous and destructive. Light was a symbol of the curiosity of knowledge. For example, the monster’s reaction to the fire was similar to Victor’s experience with alchemy. It was something that Victor enjoyed learning about but at the same time it caused him to ignore the ones he loved and in the end, he lost them