Frankenstein Letter 1 Analysis

Timeline Walton is about to go to the North Pole He is writing letters to his sister Organizes his trip by renting a ship, hiring a crew. We are not sure if he will return back home. We see this through the letters he is writing.

Themes To Consider In This Section LOST INNOCENCE His ambition comes from a loss of innocence. AS a child his ambitions were pure in nature. As an adult the motivation behind it changes to a more corrupt nature.

AMBITION Walton is a character who has a extreme sense of ambition. Unfortunately this ambition is not from something that is pure, it is from arrogance (an entitlement). He feels that he deserves to have a place and history This is a dangerous thing because he is willing to give up his life to achieve his ambitions.

Symbols In This Section LIGHT Represents enLIGHTenment in the novel. As the novel will progress Victor Frankenstein and Robert Walton fail to see the consequences of their quests for enLIGHTenment.

Characters-Robert Walton The beginning of the novel is set inside the letters that Robert is writing to his sister. In this letter we begin to see Walton’s character, we also see how long he has been planning this voyage to the North and the importance of this trip. This letter shows how committed his is to this (P.4 L. 21) We also see his relationship with his sister. (She is not developed in this letter

Importance There is a reason why this letter is the first. It paves the way to a better understanding of Robert Walton’s character. It also gives us a picture to the similarity he has with Victor Frankenstein, the main character. If this was not included we would not understand why Walton related so much to Victor’s character.

Vocabulary Forebodings (P2, L3) Fearful apprehension; a feeling that something bad will happen. Climes (P.2, L11) A region considered with reference to its climate Phenomena (P.3, L1) is any observable occurrence. Phenomena are often, but not always, understood as 'appearances' or 'experiences’.

Vocabulary Celestial Observations (P.3, L5-6) Is the act of observing the sky and stars while marking them on a map. Magnet (P3, L20) Substance that produces a field which pulls metals. (magnetic field) Agitation (P3,L22) The act of being irritated at a situation or instance. Fortnight(P5,L28)The space of fourteen nights and days; two weeks.

Quotes “A country of eternal light” P.3 L.3 Represents a universe that has been recently unveiled. This later runs through the novel and is a constant presence in the plot. (Relates to Symbol of Light)

Literary Terms Robert Walton- used as a device to show the setting and atmosphere before the events start to occur in the novel. Personalize the events instead of a third party trying to explain the beginning.

Source Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. New York: Bantam Classic, 1984.