Frankenstein and Robert Walton - 975 Words

Dangerous Knowledge—An Analytical Essay on â€Å"Frankenstein† The pursuit of discovery and knowledge are thrilling aspects of human achievement, but can also be very dangerous if not handled correctly. In Mary Shelley’s â€Å"Frankenstein,† Shelley portrays these two aspects of accomplishment as dangerous, destructive, and even fateful. Shelley begins her novel with an ambitious seafarer named Robert Walton. Walton is determined to reach the North Pole, where he may â€Å"tread a land never before imprinted by the foot of man† (6). During his journey, he writes constantly to his sister, Margaret Saville. Unfortunately, due to the laws of nature, sheets of impassable ice enclosing on their ship soon interrupt Walton’s mission. Trapped, Walton meets†¦show more content†¦Frankenstein fulfilled his destiny and made his creation despite his suffering and misfortunes. However, his influence on Walton is paradoxical. One moment, Frankenstein exhorts Walton’s almost-mutinous men to not stray from their path c ourageously, regardless of danger. The next, he serves as an abject example of the dangers of heedless scientific ambition. Walton serves as a foil to Victor, either not obsessive enough to risk almost-certain death or not courageous enough to allow his passion to drive him. Walton ultimately draws back from his treacherous mission and returns to England, having learned from Victor’s example how destructive the thirst for knowledge can be. Finally, Robert Walton and the creature are portrayed with parallels that regard their ambition for discovery and knowledge—eventually leading to destruction. Both feel that they do not fit into society, and therefore feel that they have to change something in order to fit in. In the opening letters, Walton doubts himself in finding a real friend, even among â€Å"merchants and seamen† (9). Therefore, he makes an effort to be accepted. Walton voluntarily endures â€Å"cold, famine, thirst, and want of sleep† (7) while devoting his nights to the â€Å"study of mathematics, the theory of medicine, and†¦physical science† (7). Although Walton is appointed a high position in his ship by the captain, he is still in longing for a true friend. Likewise, the creature isShow MoreRelatedThe Fire-Stealer: A Study of Robert Walton in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein725 Words   |  3 PagesMary Shelleys Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus is a tale of humanitys obses sion with creation and science, and continues to draw readers with the novels many interpretations and heavy emphasis on the classic myth of Prometheus. In most interpretations and readings of Frankenstein, people often attribute Victor Frankenstein to be the â€Å"Modern Prometheus† in the story, as a creator of life. However, there is another â€Å"Prometheus† to be found in Shelleys novel: Robert Walton; This is the majorRead MoreHow Is the Opening of Frankenstein an Effective Introduction to the Novel?1280 Words   |  6 PagesHow is the Opening of Frankenstein an Effective Introduction? For any author, the opening of a novel is probably one of the hardest things to write. They have to think about the audience, the language and how the introduction relates to the rest of the novel. They need to catch the readers’ attention and make them want to read on. It is vital they do this otherwise the reader may loose interest and not proceed to read the novel. In Frankenstein, Mary Shelly has an interesting yet curious andRead MoreAt First Reading Mary Shelley’S Novel Frankenstein Appears1709 Words   |  7 PagesAt first reading Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein appears to be part of the gothic or horror genre, but further examination of this novel reveals many concepts and perspectives that are related to other genres of English literature. Along with possessing various conceptual ideas this novel brilliantly highlights the characteristics of men, which many authors have credited Mary Shelley’s understanding of the opposite gender as exceptio nal. Throughout this novel there can be identified three maleRead More Walton’s Letters in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein Essays827 Words   |  4 PagesWalton’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. Walton’s letters act like a framing deviceRead MoreFrankenstein Novel Analysis Essay1664 Words   |  7 PagesMyrjun Angeles Ms. Ammendolia EWC4UI 10/13/17 Frankenstein Novel Analysis Frankenstein is partly an epistolary novel. In what way do the letters at the beginning of the text help frame the story that follows? The series of letters at the beginning of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley are from Robert Walton, and were sent to his sister, Margaret Saville. In each letter, Walton tells his sister of updates while he’s on one of many sea trips and to coincide with that, readers of the novel get a glimpseRead MoreMary Shelley s Use Of Point Of View1467 Words   |  6 PagesMary Shelley uses point of view in Frankenstein to naturally develop her reader’s opinions and feelings in regards to her characters. Shelley forms her own Chinese Box structure along with a frame narrative stirred together to give the nature of stories within stories in a completely unique way (Narrative Technique in Frankenstein). When Shelley’s readers interpret Frankenstein, they tend to have mixed feelings when viewing the Creature and Victor Frankenstein. They have to decide who has evil attributes;Read MoreFrankenstein by Mary Shelley1223 Words   |  5 Pagesmultiple narrators telling a story? In Mar y Shelley’s gothic novel, Frankenstein, three main narrators tell the story about the creation of a monster and the events that follow. The job of narrator shifts between Robert Walton, Victor Frankenstein, and the monster that Victor creates. As each narrator shares his own recollection of the events that occurred, new facts are introduced to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Although Frankenstein uses multiple narrators to tell the story, it is important toRead MoreUnreliable Narrator1567 Words   |  7 Pagesbecause they do not understand what they are narrating (Robert Walton) or those who are simply lying to the readers to suit their needs or justify their faults (Victor Frankenstein). In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley used unreliable narrators to tell the story, to make the readers question the truth told by different narrators and created a huge room of imagination to them. There are two narrator in Frankenstein were considered as unreliable, Robert Walton, an Arctic seafarer whose narrated his part with theRead MoreThe Creature And Protagonist Of The Story Of Mary Shelley s Frankenstein1262 Words   |  6 Pages†¢ Victor Frankenstein: creator of the creature and protagonist of the story †¢ Henry Clerval: Frankenstein s best friend who is murdered by the creature †¢ Elizabeth Lavenza: lived with Frankenstein family; married Victor †¢ Robert Walton: explorer who met Frankenstein on the Arctic ice †¢ Margaret Saville: recipient of a series of letters from her brother, Robert Walton †¢ Justine Moritz: wrongly executed for the murder of young William Frankenstein †¢ Felix De Lacey: unknowingly taught the creatureRead MoreEssay on Frankensteins Foil Characters: Walton and the Creature795 Words   |  4 PagesRobert Walton and the Creature both contribute much to Victor Frankensteins character. They are both strong foil characters in the novel. A foil character is a minor character whose situation or actions parallel those of a major character, and by contrast clarifies certain elements of the major character. Because Walton plays a role that both parallels and contrasts to Victors in many ways, it appears that Robert Walton is the more effective foil for Victor Frankenstein. Waltons letters to