Frankenstein Commentary

Sally Zhang

Mary Shelley uses simile to express the unlimited amount of sources, research and previously discovered knowledge and to represent the dangerous possibilities in an unexplored and mysterious world. In the book, Victor mentions a quote said by Sir Isaac Newton, “he felt like a child picking up shells beside the great and unexplored ocean of truth” (41).  This allusion to Isaac Newton is used to expand the theme that knowledge can be dangerous. The uses of the words: “child” means our human in the process of learning, “picking up shells” means to learn the new knowledge, and “unexplored ocean” means the knowledge that have not yet developed. In other words, Isaac Newton was making great discoveries and putting forth new ideas, he often felt what he was discovering was extremely small in comparison to the many other discoveries that can and will be found. Victor is using this simile to demonstrate the same feelings he has about the studies he is conducting himself. According to the passage, “a child picking up shells beside the great and unexplored ocean of truth,” it makes Victor to think about his own discoveries, he felt like there was still so much more to be found. What he was learning and studying was tiny in comparison to the many other things that are out there just waiting to be discovered. Like Newton, Victor feels like he is exploring new ideas to see what he discover, like a child picking up shells.  Shelley compares the endless number of opportunities to shells, as one can finds a variety along the shore. The word “ocean” is an unknown world full of thousand of different species of fish and beautiful coral reefs, but it is also full of sharks and dangerous animals, and one could drown anywhere in the ocean. The use of the word “unexplored ocean” is to describe the dangerous possibilities in the ocean, it also represents dangerous and mysterious with the unknown discoveries of the world. Like Newton, Victor yearns to unlock the secrets of nature and his desire of experiencing this feeling is growing immensely.