How does Mary Shelley present Robert Walton in 'Frankenstein'?

FORM

Mary Shelley presents Robert Walton is destructive through the use of the concentric ring narrative. Walton's narrative encapsulates Victor's and thus the monster's. This suggests that the relationships are inescapable and interactive between all of them. However, Walton is holding together all parts of the story which suggests his great responsibility and perhaps wayward nature. The concentric rings means there may have been a different direction of the novel which creates an ominous effect and perhaps a collapse in the story. The layered narrative is an element of the Gothic genre which means the story is more credible and darker. Typically, in a Gothic novel, there would be a hero which may be Robert Walton who bears the brunt of the story and may be a representation of what Frankenstein used to be before his terrible confrontation with the monster, appearing as a younger, 'innocent' doppelganger of the  hero. However, the concentric rings could suggest a sense of self-destruction as his actions come back around. This is synonymous to the Ancient Mariner of 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner' where he shoots an Albatross (unnecessary cruelty) which curses the ship. Robert Walton puts his crew in "grave danger" as they are surrounded by ice which may suggests he is experiencing the consequences of his actions. The audience may feel as though they have a lack of control as Walton paves the way to his own collapse which is foreshadowing through 'a Rime in the Ancient Mariner' and the concentric rings thus exemplifying his pending collapse.

STRUCTURE

Moreover, Shelley presents Robert Walton as a doppelganger of Victor Frankenstein through focuses.

Both men focus on their ambition and risk ambition over lives. Victor creates a monster and makes a "misery" out of him whereas Walton goes on a voyage towards the North Pole and puts his crew in "grave danger". Thus one might suggest that Shelley is channelling her ideas on Romanticism as Romantics often believed that people should not distance themselves from nature and ought not to assume that there is reason for everything. Robert Walton becomes a representation of the Enlightenment era which opposed Romanticism. Doppelganger's suggest that one of the characters are a much more darker form of the other which may be Victor. Thus, Shelley may be trying to show the nuances of danger caused by being overly ambitious and creating a distance from nature which may influence an Enlightenment audience to shift away from their beliefs and to see the righteous nature of Romanticism. Moreover, Victor may be the more darker double as he completely isolates himself from nature in a "little hut" whereas Robert Walton focuses his narrative in a "ship" meaning he is exploring nature and is being supported by it (the sea). Although both end up dying, Victor Frankenstein leaves danger in the world (the monster still remains alive) which makes the audience leave will a sense of terror and contempt for engaging with reason and science.

LANGUAGE

Lexical field of nature

STRUCTURE

Mary Shelley presents Victor as emotionally volatile through the use of juxtaposition. The passionate and joyful way he opens the novel, for he tells the audience how he imagines the North Pole ("region of beauty and delight")  which is offset by his claim that "his spirits are often depressed". 

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EFFECT

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