“This manuscript will doubtless afford you the greatest pleasure; but to me, who know him and who hear it from his own lips—with what interest and sympathy shall I read it in some future day! Even now, as I commence my task, his full-toned voice swells in my ears; his lustrous eyes dwell on me with all their melancholy sweetness; I see his thin hand raised in animation, while the lineaments of his face are irradiated by the soul within. Strange and harrowing must be his story, frightful the storm which embraced the gallant vessel on its course and wrecked it—thus” (page 29).
This excerpt from one of Walton’s letters to his sister uses imagery to prove Walton’s admiration for Frankenstein. It also introduces one of the themes of loneliness in the novel, since Walton’s loneliness parallels with Frankenstein’s. Walton is extremely happy for a friend on the ship. He grasps on to every word of the story. The reader is able to see Frankenstein’s expression and hear his voice, as he tells his dark tale. Walton advertizes an exciting story for his sister, so the reader’s expect the same.
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ReplyDeleteI noticed the loneliness too. I wonder if perhaps this theme will become even more evident in the monster formally known as Frankenstein. Perhaps the fact that the crew was on a ship, in the middle of ice with no one around was only to further illuminate the point.
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