88 pages 2 hours read

Mary Shelley

Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1818

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Important Quotes

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“What may not be expected in a country of eternal light?”


(Letter 1, Page 1)

In his first letter to his sister Margaret, Robert Walton writes that he plans to “discover a passage near the pole” that will “benefit […] all mankind” (2). His drive to visit the North Pole is inspired not only by a lifelong love of knowledge but also by desire for glory. In Frankenstein, light and fire represent knowledge. Walton’s eagerness to go to a land where “the sun is forever visible” (1) illustrates his desire for seemingly unreachable knowledge. That the light is “eternal” is significant—the novel will show that uninhibited ambition and limitless knowledge are dangerous to humankind.

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“The saintly soul of Elizabeth shone like a shrine-dedicated lamp in our peaceful home. Her sympathy was ours; her smile, her soft voice, the sweet glance of her celestial eyes, were ever there to bless and animate us.”


(Chapter 2, Page 23)

Frankenstein describes his idyllic childhood. Among his fondest memories is growing up with Henry Clerval and Elizabeth, each of whom are constantly described as ideal. Clerval is a man of “noble spirit” (24) whose form is “divinely wrought” and “beaming with beauty” (142). Elizabeth is angelic, having hair of “the brightest living gold” that appears as “a crown of distinction on her head” (20).

The significance of this passage is twofold. First, it is how Shelley establishes the perfection of Frankenstein’s life, thus making his future losses feel more tragic. Second, it illustrates women’s passivity in the novel.

Related Titles

By Mary Shelley