Letters 1 & 2
English Lit: Edexcel A Level Frankenstein, topic 5.1.1
Letter 1
Captain Robert Walton writes to his sister, Margaret Saville in England, from St. Petersburg, detailing his feelings about his upcoming expedition to the North Pole and his confidence in its success.
Ambition
- Walton is highly ambitious.
- He desires to discover previously untapped regions and passages, or the "secret of the magnet".
- He believes his endeavours will help "all mankind".
- Walton describes the hardships of his preparation and sees this as proof that he deserves to succeed.
Quotation - Walton's confidence
- "You cannot contest the inestimable benefit which I shall confer on all mankind to the last generation by discovering a passage near the pole."
Parallels with Victor
- Shelley uses Walton's ambition and desire to be a pioneer to introduce the debate about the healthiness of human desire to cross boundaries.
- Shelley draws a parallel between Walton and Victor Frankenstein's ambition, even before Victor is introduced into the narrative.
Letter 2
This letter is written from Archangel in Russia, displaying the continuation of Walton’s journey.
Walton's achievements
- He has just managed to hire a crew and find a ship for his arduous journey.
Loneliness
- Walton thinks he has hired fine men but feels a real sense of loneliness.
- He admits he is "self-educated" (like Mary Shelley) and wants a companion with whom he can share stories, victories and communicate his worries.
- "I am too ardent in execution and too impatient in difficulties."
- This shows how short-sighted he is in terms of his search for knowledge.
Test yourself on Letters 1 & 2
Who or what does Walton believe his endeavours will help in Letter 1?
What does Walton say of his education in his second letter?