Robert Walton
Robert Walton
• Seafarer of the Arctic. His letters open and
close the novel.
•In his letters he tells his stories all addressed to
his sister Margaret Saville who resides in
England.
Robert Walton
• Walton is in a way the narrator of the story. It
is his letters, which we read and learn about
Frankenstein and The creature.
•Walton is a wealthy Englishman with a passion
for sea exploration. In the Novel he is captaining
an exploration to the North Pole because he has
a desire to fulfill some great purpose.
• In the novel Walton acts also a parallel to Victor. They are
both very intelligent explorers searching for some piece of
un-possessed knowledge. Both characters feel lonely,
leading them to write letters, Walton to Margaret, and
Frankenstein to Elizabeth. Walton and Frankenstein work
towards their goal of knowledge with great enthusiasm and
zeal. One quote that demonstrates the parallel between
Walton and Frankenstein is, “What may not be expected in a
country of eternal light?” this quote comes from Walton’s
first letter to Margaret. The “eternal light” for Walton is to
reach the North Pole, while for Frankenstein, it is the search
for the secret of life.
•Walton is also a foil for Frankenstein at the end of the novel
when he decides to turn back home and abandon his voyage to
the North Pole. We as readers are not sure if he is not
courageous to risk his life and the lives’ of his crew for his goal,
or if he is just not as obsessed as Frankenstein was in his search
for eternal life.
Margaret
Saville
Margaret Saville
• Recipient of the letters of Robert Walton
• Letters include accounts of Walton’s
encounters with victor Frankenstein
Margaret Saville
• Margaret is the sister of Robert Walton and
lives in England like her brother.
• Robert writes letters to her explaining his
emotions and thoughts while at sea.
• Margaret must be an intelligent woman
because Walton expresses his feelings to her
rather than his uneducated sailors, who he
feels too sophisticated for.
Victor
Frankenstein
Victor Frankenstein
• Victor Frankenstein is the main character in the novel
and lives a complex life. He is obsessed with the fields
of science, and with this obsession he acts on his
curiosity with the creation of a monster made of
human parts. Soon after creating the monster, he
realizes the evil that he has done and abandons his
creation. He had hoped that the monster would
dissolve out of his life, but the monster is determined
to bring misery to Victor, and as a consequence, Victor
spends the rest of his life trying to destroy his
creation. The novel reveals that Victor transforms from
a young and innocent boy into a vindictive and
vengeful man.
Victor’s Flaws
1. He is unaware of the threats against his loved
ones
2. He doesn’t provide or take responsibility for
the monster from the beginning
3. He went back on his promise to the monster
to give him a mate
4. He tries to redeem the deaths by killing the
monster rather than repenting from his original
mistake.
• In the end, Victor still possesses the drive for
the unknown despite his failures. He
reprimands the sailors for wanting to go back
home empty-handed. He tells them to be
"men," who fight and conquer all obstacles. It
is clear that he still had the desire for the
unknown although it was proven that one
should take precaution before risking
something that could backfire.
"Learn from me . . . how dangerous is the
acquirement of knowledge, and how much
happier that man is who believes his native town
to be the world, than he who aspires to become
greater than his nature will allow."
Here, Shelley seems to post an argument that
ignorance is bliss. This is also present when the
monster comes to life and he explains, "The beauty of
the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust
filled my heart."
“So much has been done, exclaimed the soul of
Frankenstein—more, far more, will I achieve; treading
in the steps already marked, I will pioneer a new way,
explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world
the deepest mysteries of creation.”
Victor says this as he relates to Walton how his chemistry
professor ignited his thirst of undiscovered knowledge
of life. His reference to himself in the third person
shows that he has lost a sense of reality and is purely
driven by passion. The sternness in his tone shows the
determination he still possesses despite his setbacks.
This quote shows the similarity between Frankenstein
and Walton because they are both men trying to
“pioneer a new way,” to discover new ways of life.
Elizabeth
Lavenza
Elizabeth Lavenza
• Cousin to Victor by means of adoption
• She was a orphan child being sought after by a
peasant family when Victor’s mother,
Caroline, adopted her
• When Caroline passed away it was Elizabeth who
took care of Victor during the hard times of his
mother’s passing
• One thing that remains constant in her life was
her beauty and goodness
• Elizabeth and Victor were to get married but
due to one of Victor’s flaws- the monster
strangles her as punishment for Victor not
fulfilling his promise
• In the beginning of the novel Victor see’s
Elizabeth as a gift solely for him. He see’s her
as a ‘present’ his mother got for him.
• This idea was brought about by his mother
telling him that she had a present for her
sweet son that was just for him.
•In theory this the reason for the two’s relationship
occurring. Despite the attraction they had for each
other, had he not felt that she was solely his, the
relationship may not have turned out the same way
that it did.