Asymbol in literature is a word, image, object, event, or person that has greater meaning than its literal definition. authors use symbols to convey ideas in a subtle way. one symbol used in the novel frankenstein is fire. when the creature first encounters fire, he says,“'how strange, 'i thought, 'that the same cause should produce such opposite effects! '” what does fire represent throughout the novel?

If you look at the subtitle for the novel, you'll get a hint to what the fire means. The subtitle is "The Modern Prometheus." In Greek mythology, Prometheus is who brings fire from the Gods on Olympus to the humans on the Earth. This fire represented the knowledge that was necessary to survive as up to this point the humans were struggling. Like this fire, the fire in Frankenstein represents the knowledge that Victor strives to gain as he works towards creating his monster and the knowledge the monster strives for as he progresses after his initial abandonment.