Essential #9

Robert Walton and Victor Frankenstein were similar in the sense that they were both family oriented. At the beginning of the novel Frankenstein, author Mary Shelley introduces the audience to Walton by providing personal letters that he sent to his sister, Margaret Saville. Through these letters it is evident the form of relationship shared between the siblings. Walton confides in his sister enough to share his stories and experiences while on his journey to the North Pole. Not only is their strong relationship evident through the content of these letters, but also by the way he would sign them: “Your affectionate brother, R. Walton” (Shelley 3). Similar to Walton, the importance of family in Frankenstein’s life is also apparent through the description of how his parents met and fell in love. Frankenstein describes his adoptive sister (cousin) so passionately that family is clearly of importance to him: “[Frankenstein] looked upon Elizabeth as mine – mine to protect, love, and cherish” (18). Walton and Frankenstein are not entirely similar; they differ in their educational upbringings. Walton was self-educated and demonstrated a love for reading: “my education was neglected, yet I was passionately fond of reading” (2) while Frankenstein received a more formal education. Frankenstein attended the university of Ingolstadt and was most interested in “the secrets of heaven and earth” (19).