| Robert Walton | Who is writing Letter 1? |
| Mrs. Savillehis sister | To whom is he writing? What is their relationship? |
| St. Petersburg, Russiahiring a crew for his shipsail to the North Pole and discover magnetism | Where is Robert Walton when he writes Letter 1? Why is he there? What are his plans? |
| He is committed to discovery and adventureHe wishes he had a friend with the same sensibilitiesHe is self-taught | What does Robert Walton tell us about himself? |
| Walton is out to sea, sailing north The quotation establishes the Romantic idea of the power of emotion over reason | Where is Walton now? What do you think of Walton’s question “What can stop the determined heart and resolved will of man”? |
| One month has lapsedThe accident is the ship is trapped in ice and fog | How much time has elapsed between Letter 3 and Letter 4? What “strange accident” has happened to the sailors? |
| The man says he is “seek[ing] one who fled from me” (11) and he asks which direction the ship is sailingHe is near death, weak and emaciated | Why does the man picked up by the ship say he is there? What shape is he in? |
| The man remains silent and this creates a sense of mystery around himWalton finds the man eloquent, educated and refined | What sort of person does he seem to be? How does Walton respond to this man? |
| Walton begins writing the biography of Victor the very next dayVictor has slowly regained his healthVictor tells Walton that the quest for knowledge and his project will ultimately lead to his miseryWalton is intrigued and wants to hear Victor’s story. | How much time has elapsed when Walton begins writing again? What has happened in the meantime? How does the man respond to Walton’s project? How is Walton responding to the man? |
Frankenstein letters 1-4
February 18, 2020