Symbolism Of Light And Darkness In Frankenstein

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Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein follows a man who has an ongoing inner-conflict of coexisting with nature. Shelly's use of setting represents Victor's development as he descends into madness. During the initial stage, Shelly uses light and darkness to signify Victor’s emotional state. When Victor was young and spent time with Elizabeth, he recalled the “sunshine of her smiles” (45). this is symbolic because it uses sunshine as a metaphor for the happiness that he endured when he spent time with her. During his time building the creature, “the moon gazed on his midnight labour”(55), emphasizing a sense of darkness during his sinister creations. Victor studied the change of life to death, and makes a significant scientific discover. It is described as a midst of darkness to a sudden light” (53). This reveals his progression from a stage of the unknowing to to him experiencing a glimmer of success in his experiments.…show more content…
Soon after Victor learns about William’s death, “a storm approached rapidly...the heavens were clouded...but the violence increased quickly.”(77) This creates a sense of tension for Victor and reveals his emotional state as tormented because he knew what really had happened. After Victor confronts the creature “I remained motionless. The thunder ceased.” (78) This signifies that Shelley uses the thunderstorm as a representation of the emotional turmoil that Victor feels when he is with the monster. Victors torment leads him to a state of isolation where “the sound of joy was torture to him” (93) and his “only consolation was deep solitude” (94). This represents Victor’s inability to confine to someone during a crisis and how it has taken an emotional toll on

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