Victor sees himself as a pioneer who will smash limits that ordinary people accept. Calling knowledge a “torrent of light” is a bold metaphor that makes discovery sound purifying and heroic. His excitement is real, but it carries a hint of grandiosity—he imagines the whole world in darkness until he enlightens it. The line shows how he frames science not just as study, but as destiny and moral rescue. That frame is powerful because it makes caution feel like cowardice and speed feel like virtue. Shelley invites us to admire the energy while noticing the missing word: responsibility. The quote foreshadows how a beautiful ideal can blind someone to the human cost of achieving it.