Letters in the sea. Frankenstein, between life and death

In the early 19th century, the role of man, specifically the European man, was being redefined in a number of ways. Science would offer power and possibility and this main theme is developed by Mary Shelley in Frankenstein and it is reflected in Walton`s character and his characteristics.

   
   Robert Walton is an ambituous explorer who meets Victor Frankenstein in the Arctic. Victor tells his story to Walton and he decided to write the narrative in a series of letters to his sister, Margaret Saville, who is in England. He implies in his letters that he wants to know and learn more about the world, he needs to prove that he can do something of worth to share with others.

       Walton was driven by the desire for discovery; the outside world calls him in search of recognition, fame and knowledge. We know Walton in a journey to the North Pole in order to find a passage from the Pacific to the Atlantic. Walton seeks greatness, he wants to be remembered, he has a dream, we all have…

 Margaret´s brother wishes to make a geographical and scientific discovery, he wants respect and praise in a decade that changes the world. Scientific developments were increasingly being made and were redefining during 1800s due to industrial developments, for instance, the typewriter, an early refrigerator, Morse Code, Cameras and bicycles, telephone, electricity, stethoscope, the first blood transfusion was made in 1818, the x-rays, etc. All the discoveries mentioned were made during the 80s.

     Throughout the letters we can affirm the importance of being connected with someone because Walton expresses that he feels lonely, with no friends: “I desire the company of a man who could sympathize with me, whose eyes would reply to mine”. This is a characteristic of the human being; we need to live in contact with others. By reading this letters, you are able to understand Walton´s ideas and objectives in life surrounded by a scientific era that pushes him into ambition and selfishness. The letters introduce him as a reflection of individualism, emotionalism and imagination.

    Mary Shelly shows that Walton writes his letters from cold desolate and isolated land, this is the feeling of loneliness.  The letters, at the start of the novel, help engage the reader`s interest and this kind of writing is used as a narrative framework to the story and let us understand where the story is set and prepare us for what is come.