The novel Frankenstein written by Mary Shelly tells a story about a scientist and his creation of a monster in which nature and the natural world play an important role. In the book, the natural world serves as the enlightment to the main characters, the reflection of the circumstance of the characters, and the sanctuary for the characters by using fire imagery, gentle natural imagery and other symbols for nature. The natural world enlightens both Victor and the monster to explore knowledge. For victor, the enlightenment originates from his witness of a violent thunderstorm. When he is standing at the door, he “beholds a stream of fire issue from an old and beautiful oak” and so as soon as “the dazzling light vanishes and nothing remains but a blasted stump”(26). Victor is spellbound by the power of the thunder and starts to generate interest about the science of electricity. One of the nature’s most stunning displays gives victor the motivation for the study of science and the acquisition of knowledge, while fire as one of the nature’s gifts teaches the monster not only the way to survive but also the relationship between causes and effects. When the monster is oppressed by coldness in the forest, he finds a fire and is “overcome with delight at the warmth he experiences from the embers”(85). However, as he “thrusts (his) hand into the live embers” he feels the pain and “draws it out again”(86). The monster feels warmth and pain from the ember, since then he knows that the same cause may have two opposite effects. the discovery of fire is the beginning of his path to knowledge. Just as burning flame turns wood to ashes, the fire turns the curiosity of the monster to knowledge. Fire and thunders, as part of the nature, light up the roads to knowledge for Victor and the monster. The natural world also acts as the reflection of the characters’ mood and circumstance. The withered imagery of nature in this novel heralds the falls of a character. Victor finds that “the leaves of that year has withered before (his) work draws near to a close” while his “ enthusiasm is checked by (his) anxiety”(40). Here, the wilted leaves symbolically means the fade of victor’s passion about the creation of the monster. In other words, there is a mirroring between the fade of the natural world and the fade of victor. On the other hand, gentle natural imagery reflects a character’s joy or innocence. When the new-born monster is wandering in the forest, he is amazed by the “gentle light”(85), he is pleased by “the sound proceeded from the throats of the little winged animals”(85). The gentle and cheerful beauty of nature mirrors the monster’s joy of exploring nature. The characters’ status and conditions rise and fall along with the prosperity and decline of nature. The novel depicts nature as the characters’ spiritual sanctuary that allows them to escape from the cruel reality. After the creation of the monster when Victor is shivering in despair and fear, a nature tour helps him escape from his spiritual suffering. Victor is inconsolable about the creation of the monster, but when he sees “the flowers of spring bloomed in hedges while those of summer are already in bud”(54), he immediately goes into the wild and forgets about his miserableness as he admits that “the inanimate nature has the power of bestowing on (him) the most delightful sensations”(54). The natural world fills Victor with ecstasy and becomes his sanctuary. Similarly, victor also turns to nature when he is in sorrow of Justine’s death. He goes for a boat trip while “the very winds whispered in soothing accents and maternal Nature bade (him) weep no more”(77). Victor isolates himself from reality, from his remorse, and from his pain under the protections of nature. Like Victor, the monster regards nature as his shield as well. After he fails to communicate with De Lacey, he decides to “hid (himself) in some thick underwood” and “determines to devote the ensuing hours to reflection on (his) situation”(117). The “underwood” here as a symbol of nature provides the monster with a shelter and some protection. In other words, the underwood isolates the monster from violence and his miserableness of not being accepted. The natural world accepts Victor and the monster and cures their grief in spite of their mistakes and unattractive appearance, which builds a contrast with the callousness of human beings. Overall, the role of nature is the enlightenment, the reflection and the sanctuary for the main characters. Unlike human beings, nature accepts and protects every creature.