Frankenstein: Letters 1-4 quote analysis Flashcards
‘I feel a cold northern breeze play upon my cheeks…’ (letter 1)
The use of pathetic fallacy is frequent in the novel for creating mood and tension. The impact of weather on the individual (the senses, moods and emotions)
P.15 ‘This breeze, which has travelled from the regions towards which I am advancing, gives me a foretaste of those icy climes’, ‘inspirited by this wind of promise’ (letter 1)
‘breeze’, ‘icy climes’- weather that ppl are normally scared of, but he is still motivated to travel despite this weather, which is shown through ‘inspirited’, ‘promise’, a sense of hopefulness, optimistic- determined, boldness
‘I try in vain to be persuaded that the pole is the seat of frost and desolation; it ever presents itself to my imagination as the region of beauty and delight.’ p15 (letter 1)
Walton is somewhat aware of the dangers/isolation of the Arctic, but initially it only serves as a place that elicits awe and imagination [the sublime]
‘frost and desolation’- lack of hope, emptiness, contrasts with ‘beauty and delight’- how he viewed it
– similar to Frankenstein- they both find peace and find calmness in nature
–also how despite everyone tells him to not play with science bc it will lead to frost and desolation, but because he is so obsessed with it, he only sees the delight and beauty in it
‘I imagined that I also might obtain a niche in the temple where the names of Homer and Shakespeare are consecrated’ p.16 (letter 1)
The allusion to Homer and Shakespeare (fathers of Greek Literature and English Literature)- their works are revolutionary, showing how Walton hopes to become a revolutionary figure as well, where his work will be immortal
P.16 ‘Paradise of my own creation’ (letter 1)
capitalised ‘P’ personifies ‘Paradise’, showing its importance, how his works creates happiness for him, also shows his egocentric character, like Frankenstein, since he refused to take in everyone’s opposition and went on to create the monster
P.17 ‘My life have been passed in ease and luxury; I preferred glory to every enticement that wealth placed in my path’ (letter 1)
he is from the upper class and is rich, however he prefers glory to wealth, showing how much he wants attention
P.19 ‘how slowly the time passes here, encompassed as I am by frost and snow’ (letter 2)
contrasts with how he previously saw the frost and snow as sth that brings him joy- now they slow down time for him- slow time is when we feel sad/ lonely, ‘encompassed’ suggests he is being trapped, sense of claustrophobia
“I have no friend, Margaret: when I am glowing with the enthusiasm of success, there will be none to participate in my joy; if I am assailed by disappointment, no one will endeavour to sustain me in dejection.” p19 (letter 2)
‘no’, ‘none’ are negative connotations, reflects on how he views loneliness
- Reflects on Frankenstein- after he creates the monster, he is lonely, even after being accompanied by Henry, he isn’t able to be completely honest with him- lonely
- The monster he created- this being that scares/ disgusts everyone- lonely, we can be lonely even with so many ppl around
‘The absence of the object of which I now feel as a most severe evil’ (letter 2)
‘most severe evil’- hyperbole emphasising how he views himself as a monster- like the monster in Frankenstein who has no friends
P.20 ‘my best years spent under your gentle and feminine fosterage has so refined the groundwork of my character that I cannot overcome an intense distaste to the usual brutality exercised on board ship’ (letter 2)
he dislikes the gentleness and feminine characteristics in him, it just makes him crumble, cannot face such violence– like Frankenstein, after he created the monster, he abandons it and goes on a run - they’re both cowards
P.21 ‘I am going to unexplored regions to ‘the land of mist and snow’; but I shall kill no albatross, therefore do not be alarmed for my safety or if I should come back to you as worn and woeful as the Ancient Mariner’ (letter 2)
‘Mist and snow’- pathetic fallacy
-Samuel Coleridge- Romantic poet- The Rime of Ancient Mariner
‘Instead of the cross, the albatross about my neck was hung’ – during enlightenment, ppl were distancing themselves from religion, ‘cross’- religion, abandoned religion, ‘albatross’- bird, much heavier than a cross, saying that if they stop following religion during Enlightenment, they will have the bear the sin
-Link to Frankenstein- he showed disregard for nature and attempted to play God and creating life itself in the monster, after his creation, he views it as a curse since it results in the death of his loved ones
‘But success shall crown my endeavours’ p.23 (letter 3)
Shows how strong his will is for success, saying he will succeed at the end of his journey and how he believes he deserves success
-italicised ‘shall’ emphasises his confidence in it
“I will not rashly encounter danger. I will be cool, persevering, and prudent”p.23 (letter 3)
suppressing passionate emotions is necessary for rational thought but both Walton and Frankenstein don’t do this
Frankenstein describes his fervour when making the creature and it turns out to be a monster
‘My swelling heart involuntary pours itself out thus. But I must finish.’ p.24 (letter 3)
Context: written during the Romantic period - this kind of exaggerated passion was a common feature of the Romantic tradition.
Absolute modal verb ‘must’ - dedication
“I have found a man who, before his spirit had been broken by misery, I should have been happy to have possessed as the brother of my heart” p.28 (letter 4)
“Brother of my heart” highlights the similarities between the two men,
Waltons quest to reach the northernmost part of the earth is similar in spirit to Victor’s quest for the secret of life: both seek ultimate knowledge and sacrifice the comfort of the realm of known knowledge in their respective pursuits.
