To understand the reference to fire, light, and Prometheus, these links can be useful reading. To read Frankenstein, you can get the book on-line here. To understand why the book's subtitle is so significant to the reading of the tale, read on.
Light and fire are often the easiest aspects of a story to interpret. We always talk about the fire in our bellies, and how learning something enlightens us. Here again, Mary Shelley uses Fire and Light as an allegory for innovation and progress - Fire warms you, and light shows you the way, but if you get too close to the fire, you get burnt, and if you go too close to the light, you get blinded.
Shelley establishes the symbol of light on the very first page of the book, when Walton tells his sister that he is going to a 'country of eternal light'. The theme continues with Frankenstein feeling his insight was 'a sudden light... so brilliant and wondrous.'. In Shelley's world, Frankenstein and Walton are Gods - Creators, and while light might be good for them, it isn't all that great for the man-representative, or the created - Frankenstein's monster. This can be seen when his first sensation is 'Light pressed upon [his] nerves'. Light continues to serve the monster badly, showing people just how hideous he was.
Fire on the other hand also plays an important role in the shaping of Frankenstein's story. It is fire from a lightning strike on a tree that inspires the science within Frankenstein, the thirst for knowledge, and it is the fire that burns all things good, when his creation burns down a cottage in revenge of rejection, truly, for the first time turning into a monster.
This allegory is also reminiscent of the titular Prometheus, the Titan who creates Man (or the first man) out of clay, and then, to ensure his creation's survival - steals fire (read: life or knowledge) from Zeus, king of the Gods. For his crime of burglary - he is punished by being tied to a rock, and having his liver eaten by birds every day. The liver of course, grew back at night to ensure the birds never went hungry. Legend says he was punished as such for years, before Heracles/Hercules freed him and earned him a pardon.
Unlike Prometheus, who went too far because he cared for his creations, Frankenstein completely abhors and abandons his own, and then suffered the consequences for what he believed was his failing in creation, but can be interpreted as his failing in care giving. Ironically, given the use of lightning to support his creation is also a call out to Ben Franklin, who is called the 'Prometheus of the Modern Times' for giving the world electricity.
Shelley establishes the symbol of light on the very first page of the book, when Walton tells his sister that he is going to a 'country of eternal light'. The theme continues with Frankenstein feeling his insight was 'a sudden light... so brilliant and wondrous.'. In Shelley's world, Frankenstein and Walton are Gods - Creators, and while light might be good for them, it isn't all that great for the man-representative, or the created - Frankenstein's monster. This can be seen when his first sensation is 'Light pressed upon [his] nerves'. Light continues to serve the monster badly, showing people just how hideous he was.
Fire on the other hand also plays an important role in the shaping of Frankenstein's story. It is fire from a lightning strike on a tree that inspires the science within Frankenstein, the thirst for knowledge, and it is the fire that burns all things good, when his creation burns down a cottage in revenge of rejection, truly, for the first time turning into a monster.
This allegory is also reminiscent of the titular Prometheus, the Titan who creates Man (or the first man) out of clay, and then, to ensure his creation's survival - steals fire (read: life or knowledge) from Zeus, king of the Gods. For his crime of burglary - he is punished by being tied to a rock, and having his liver eaten by birds every day. The liver of course, grew back at night to ensure the birds never went hungry. Legend says he was punished as such for years, before Heracles/Hercules freed him and earned him a pardon.
Unlike Prometheus, who went too far because he cared for his creations, Frankenstein completely abhors and abandons his own, and then suffered the consequences for what he believed was his failing in creation, but can be interpreted as his failing in care giving. Ironically, given the use of lightning to support his creation is also a call out to Ben Franklin, who is called the 'Prometheus of the Modern Times' for giving the world electricity.
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