How Successfully Do Walton's Letters Introduce the Central Themes and Concerns of the Novel "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley?

In the book, Robert Walton’s pride and confidence is seen in how he views himself, the expectations he has of his journey, and the sacrifices he is willing to make. Walton believes he is superior to all on his ship and claims he will not find a friend onboard. He calls his crew “uneducated”

His quest for glory and making a name for himself leads his crew into danger by getting their ship stuck in ice up in the Arctic Circle. Before he had his encounter with Victor he writes to his sister saying, “You cannot contest the inestimable benefit which I shall confer on all mankind to the last generation, by discovering a passage near the pole to those countries…” (6) He states that she can’t contest the benefit that he’ll leave on mankind, although it’s obvious his intentions are of fame and glory. His feeling of deserving praise and glory are similar to the religions that state that God deserves praise for all He does. Walton’s intentions of wanting praise and glory negate the praise he “deserves” for exploring the North

Walton, the narrator of the first ten chapters narrates in a very unique way: writing letters. Walton talks about the “expression of wildness, and even madness,” and bases his side of the story off of it.

The feeling of loneliness and longing for a friendship links Walton, Frankenstein and the Creature together. Walton writes in one letter, "I desire the company of a man who could sympathize with me, whose eyes would reply to mine . . .I bitterly feel the want of a friend."` Frankenstein hears the same desperate plea for friendship from the Creature when he says "everywhere I see bliss, from which I alone am irrevocably excluded. I was benevolent and good; misery made me a fiend. Make me happy , and I shall again be virtuous." Unfortunately, Frankenstein never offers the same friendship to the creature as he does to Walton. However, Frankenstein did get a taste of the lonely friendless misery felt by Walton and the creature when he was sent to prison for the murder of Clerval.

Walton’s Letters in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein ‘Frankenstein’ is a gothic, science fiction novel written by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. It was written in Switzerland in 1816 and London in 1816-1817. The novel begins with a series of letters from the explorer Robert Walton to his sister, Margaret Saville. The entirety of ‘Frankenstein’ is contained within Robert Walton’s letters, which record the narratives of both Frankenstein and the monster.

Thus, Walton chose to suffer, rather than head back home. Because these characters had choices, the reader's sympathy for them decreases.

Pg. 62). The letters with in the preface tell the story of Walton and his sister, and reveals that both he and his sister both put themselves in harm’s way simply to be the first to gain knowledge. The novel shows that sometimes the actions you take do not necessarily give you the outcomes that you want. This is shown in chapter four when Dr. Frankenstein was first conducing his experiment and becomes extremely obsessed with the lust to create life. Dr. Frankenstein ultimately removes all of his personal relationships and isolates himself from people who care about him. “For this I had deprived myself of rest and health. I had desired it with an ardor that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart.”(Chapter 5, pg. 42) It is clear that Dr. Frankenstein dislikes the monster he just created and notices that he does not make something that is beautiful but more on something that’s is monstrous. Increasingly, Shelly makes a point by giving the reader a sort of “warning” on the aspect of wanting knowledge too much She makes the effort by making Dr. Frankenstein a example for the magnitude of gaining dangerous knowledge. “A flash of lightning illuminated the object and

These chapters focus mainly on Victor Frankenstein's back-story as he was growing up. He describes his cousin Elizabeth, who he later becomes married to, and about how they came about finding her. Later we are introduced to Victors best friend, Henry Clerval. We also learn that Frankenstein became fascinated with the sciences by the 16th century author Cornelius Agrippa. This along with many of the other philosophers of that time inspired him to become a scientist. Later he also witnesses the power of electricity when a bolt of lightning strikes a tree nearby where he is staying. At the start of chapter three we learn that Victor is in the process of leaving for college when Elizabeth gets sick. In an effort

Through letters between Walton, a man who aspires to explore the sea, and his sister, a story is told within a larger story.

Walton 's letters play an important role for the reader may find many foreshadowed themes. As the novel progresses, the reader will realize how Walton and Victor Frankenstein share similar views on their life 's roles. Both men are driven by an excessive ambition, as they desire to accomplish great things for the

The entire story is told through the letters of Robert Walton to his sister, Margaret Saville. Walton’s letters start and end the novel, which sets up the framework for Frankenstein. Walton shares a few similarities with the characters of Victor and the monster. For instance, much like Victor’s character, Walton has an inquisitive nature and he loves to explore. In his first letter he writes, “I shall satiate my ardent curiosity with the sight of a part of the world never before visited” (Shelley 16). While Victor has a deep interest in new sciences, Walton has an interest in exploring new places. This curiosity drives both men to take their interests to the limits. Walton’s character also shares some similarities with the

In the Rime of the Ancient Mariner, it has similarities to Frankenstein with structure. In Frankenstein, through careful reading, it is shown how The Rime of the Ancient Mariner has influenced Mary Shelley’s novel. The structure of both the novel and the poem are situated similarly. As well as the end of the novel is similar to the poem. The structure of Frankenstein is laid out to follow The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Also the poem has significance to each character in the novel, Walton his love for exploration and voyaging. For Victor it is his ambitions and wisdom. For the Creature, it is his wisdom as well and telling of his tale. The poem gives the reader a better understanding of the creature and allows the reader to see where the

More than once in every man’s life he has yearned for something that is out of his reach. Whether it be fashionable clothes, an elaborate home, a newer car, or a more desirable career, some things are unattainable. George Milton, one of the main characters

In letters 1-4 from Robert Walton, who is a 28 year old sea captain and he is going on a journey to the North Pole Region.He is writing to his sister, Margaret Saville. In the first letter, robert is telling his sister about his preparation of departure and his desire to accomplish “some great purpose”.(Shelley 2 ) He discovers a passage to the pacific, revealing the source of the Earth’s magnetism. In his second letter, he talks to his sister about how lonely he feels and how he lacks of having friends. He shows his love for “the marvelous, a belief in the marvelous.”.(Shelley 3 ). In the third letter, Walton tells his sister that his ship has sailed and that he is confident that he will achieve his purpose. Finally, in his fourth letter

Mary Shelley discusses the themes of birth and creation, appearance and the necessity of companionship, love and acceptance in her novel Frankenstein. The themes that are explored in Frankenstein are relevant to today’s modern world. Shelley challenges readers by endorsing and confronting attitudes and values in her text through the events, circumstances and outcomes that take place in the novel, thus causing the reader to reflect upon their own lives and in turn the society around them.