What Does Fire Symbolize In Frankenstein

The events in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley surrounding fire and ice are far from coincidental. From Walton's dream of reaching a country of “eternal light” (Shelley, 51) to the image of the creature drifting off into the darkness on an ice-raft, Frankenstein repetitively revolves around these two opposing elements. Separately, fire and ice symbolize several themes in this novel. To begin, fire symbolizes themes such as knowledge or destruction. For example, knowledge, like fire, can advance us in many ways, but can also harm us if used improperly or pursued too far, which Victor soon realizes. Alternatively, ice can be seen as a symbol of fate, isolation, or revenge. Ultimately Victor’s life becomes focused on the chase and pursuit between

him and the creature. His fate turns barren, frigid and cold as ice.

Paired together, fire and ice represent the many dualities found in the story. These dualities can be found in Victor Frankenstein’s contrasting moods as well as the inspiration and termination of his scientific drive. Finally, fire and ice unite in Walton’s suicidal dream of traveling to the north pole in search for a place where he believes “frost and snow are banished” (Shelley, 51). Above all, Shelley uses fire and ice to symbolize opposing aspects and expose the deeper meanings within Frankenstein.

A bonfire is often the centerpiece in the telling of the story, and similarly, many themes in Frankenstein surround fire as well. Fire brings many advantages to humans, but it can also cause our destruction. While it can bring warmth and illumination, it can also cause pain and death. The creature’s initial experience with fire is delightful, although once he comes too close, he quickly learns of its duality. “How strange,” he says, “that the same cause should produce such opposite effects!” (Shelley, 122). When looking at knowledge and innovation in Frankenstein, the same dualism is present. It was Viktor who tried to give knowledge to society, and although

he had good intentions, his idea of bringing the dead to life became an obsession, causing him to overlook the consequences of his actions. He pursued this idea too far and too quickly, resulting in death and destruction. Fire also links the separation between creator and creation, meaning that it is the only one of the four elements that man can produce himself. A similarity exists between Frankenstein and the story of Prometheus, a myth about a titan who creates the first man. Prometheus steals fire for man and as punishment for his infraction, the gods condemned him to be “tortured daily by an eagle that ate his ever-regenerating liver.” In a way, Viktor is like Prometheus; both interfered with nature, disrupted the separation between creator and creation, and ultimately suffered the consequences. Fire can also be seen as a symbol of destruction or punishment. After being rejected by the Delacey’s, the creature burns down their cottage for revenge. The description of the flames as they “licked” the cottage with “destroying tongues” (Shelley, 151), represented fire as a symbol of destruction. Fire resurfaces as a symbol of self-destruction during the creature’s last words when he informs us of his plans to “exult in the agony of the torturing flames” in order to escape his “burning miseries” (Shelley, 221).

On the opposite end of the spectrum, ice symbolizes coldness, frigidity and ridigity.

Ice represents the dangerous and unexplored territory where human life and life in general are threatened. It is coldness, lifeless and loveless. Ice in Frankenstein can be seen as a symbol of the outcome of Viktor’s life. The ending of Viktor’s life is as bleak, barren, frozen and cold as ice. By the end, only in his dreams could he “taste joy” (236). The chase and pursuit between Viktor and the monster is all that is left in his miserable life until he succumbs to the frigid and lonely artic. “Never will I omit my search,” he says, “until he or I perish.” (237). Ice can also be seen as a symbol of isolation. The extreme icy territory of the North Pole is where everyone in this story runs to and the farthest point to which you could possibly run. Robert, Viktor and the creature end up completely alone and completely isolated. Leaving and entering the story alone, the creature is the utmost example of an isolated character. Even satan, he says, had “fellow-devils to admire and encourage him; but I am solitary and detested” (chapter VII). From the moment he is created he is left to his own devices, and finally plans to die in the arctic where he will be “content to suffer alone” (255). Finally, he drifts off alone into the artic sea until he is nothing but a speck in the distance. More so than anything else, ice is a symbol of revenge. As the saying goes, “revenge is a dish best served

cold”. Driven by cold-blooded revenge, the creature will do whatever it takes to gain justice for his mistreatment. “You can blast my other passions,” he says, “but revenge remains- revenge, henceforth dearer than light or food! I may die; but first you, my tyrant and tormentor, shall curse the sun that gazes on your misery.” (192) Whatever heart the creature claims he was born with has now turned to ice, and whether or not it may cause his own death, he will stop at nothing in order to make Viktor feel the same way he does: tormented, empty and alone.

By and large, these opposing elements in Frankenstein represent the “romantic synthesis” (2) of fire and ice and the extreme contrasts found within the story. It seems as though the characters in the story are either in heaven or in hell. A good example of this is Viktor Frankenstein, who is either melancholic and sick or energetically determined and obsessive. There is no happy medium when it comes to this character. At one moment, Viktor is defeated and declaring that his “general state of feeling was interrupted by paroxysms of anguish and despair” (210). Later on, he is driven by an ambition that takes over him in his pursuit of the creature. "Again do I vow vengeance; again do I devote thee, miserable wretch, to torture and death. Never will I give up my search until he or I perish" (Shelly, p.195). The extremes of fire and ice coming together in the novel may also be seen as a symbolic representation of Viktor’s scientific drive. It all begins with a strike of lightening; “As I stood at the door, on a sudden I beheld a stream of fire issue from an old and beautiful oak… the oak disappeared, and nothing remained but a blasted stump” (page 22). This act of nature sparks the idea in Victor’s head and soon his experiment comes to life. While fire ignites victor’s passion for learning, ice, which negates fire, causes victor’s destruction and ends his drive for enlightenment. On the verge of death in the cold confines of the north pole, Viktor aches for rest and realizes that he will die before the creature. His scientific drive begins with a strike of lightening and ends surrounded by ice, unable to put a stop to the monster he created. Victor’s character conflicts with these two symbolic opposing elements until ice consumes the fire within him and the elements cease to coexist. One of the most meaningful representations in Frankenstein where fire and ice come together is Walton’s dream- the ultimate dream for a romantic. Walton’s dream is charged by a vision in his head of a place deep in the confines of the north pole where fire and ice meet, where “the sun is forever visible”, where “frost and snow are banished” and where one may waft into “land surpassing in wonders and in beauty” (55). Like any romantic, he is concerned with intensity, far away places, adventure and most of all, uncovering the mysteries of nature. Walton dreams of a place where fire and ice coexist, but his dream is of an incompatible state and is destined for disappointment. Nevertheless, Walton sees the north pole as something unknowable, unpredictable, unfathomable, yet something he must pursue.

Whether it is the spark of knowledge, the cold revenge of the creature, or Walton’s search for fire within the ice, these two opposing elements surround every detail in Frankenstein. For such an enduring novel that has held influence for centuries, it is only fitting that such powerful elements be used to uncover the deep meanings within it. Both separately and together, fire and ice can be intense, beautiful, strange, and terrifying all at the same time, which makes for a perfect combination in the eyes of a romantic like Shelley. These opposing elements capture the essence of the novel- a novel about light and darkness, revenge and sympathy, life and death and all these extremes combining to form one dream-like story where the warmth of a good dream meets the chill of a nightmare.