Robert Walton Character Analysis in Frankenstein

An explorer who rescues Victor from the ice, hears his harrowing story, and sets it down on paper in letters to his sister, Margaret Saville. Walton's quest for knowledge in the North Pole parallels Victor's search for education and enlightenment at Ingolstadt. Because he parallels Victor in this way, Robert Walton is a "double" of Victor, whose actions, by mirroring or contrasting Victor's own, serve to highlight Victor's character and various themes in Frankenstein.

Robert Walton Quotes in Frankenstein

The Frankenstein quotes below are all either spoken by Robert Walton or refer to Robert Walton. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

I have no friend, Margaret: when I am glowing with the enthusiasm of success, there will be none to participate my joy; if I am assailed by disappointment, no one will endeavour to sustain me in dejection.

Related Characters: Robert Walton (speaker), Margaret Saville

Page Number and Citation: 10

Explanation and Analysis:

At the beginning of his second letter, Robert Walton confesses to his sister, Margaret, that he longs for a companion, another person with whom he can share the joys and sorrows of exploration. While the first letter introduces the reader to Walton's quest – he hopes to discover a new passage to the North Pole – this second letter offers more insight into his personality. Walton writes with the arrogance that unites many of the book's male characters: he does not consider his travel companions to be his intellectual equals. He doesn't believe his peers can understand his lofty ideals. Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae.

You seek for knowledge and wisdom, as I once did; and I ardently hope that the gratification of your wishes may not be a serpent to sting you, as mine has been.

Related Characters: Victor Frankenstein (speaker), Robert Walton

Page Number and Citation: 17

Explanation and Analysis:

Here Victor Frankenstein prepares to tell Walton his story, a story driven by Frankenstein's own brush with maddening ambition. Once again Mary Shelley draws the reader's attention to parallels between Victor and Walton: the men are both well-educated, adventurous, and hungry for glory. Here, though, Victor speaks of his own goals in the past tense, and the reader can infer that he has suffered a dismal reversal of fortune, that his quest for glory and knowledge has ended in despair. Victor's mention of a metaphorical "serpent" in this section is one of the novel's many allusions to the Bible and Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspi

Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow.

Related Characters: Victor Frankenstein (speaker), Robert Walton

Page Number and Citation: 32

Explanation and Analysis:

Here, Victor begs Walton to reconsider his own ambition and look for fulfillment and satisfaction not in discovery but in daily life. Shelley shows us again that the two men share several qualities, including an obsession with knowledge and glory. She makes it clear that ambitious men are doomed, using the words "dangerous" and "allow."In this sentence, Victor establishes a distinction between two types of men: one who "believes his native town to be the world" and one who "aspires to become greater than his nature will allow." The first is a happy member of society because he is "native" Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error.

Robert Walton Character Timeline in Frankenstein

The timeline below shows where the character Robert Walton appears in Frankenstein. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Frankenstein begins with a series of four letters from Robert Walton to his sister, Margaret Saville. The first letter is written on December 11 from St.... (full context)

Walton's purpose in venturing to the North Pole is twofold: to discover a northern passage to... (full context)

Walton plans to rent a ship, hire a crew, and depart from northern Russia in June,... (full context)

In his second letter on March 28th of the following year, from Archangel, Russia, Walton describes himself as lonely. He worries that his refined upbringing has made him too sensitive... (full context)

Walton writes that his resolution to carry out his journey is "fixed as fate." He confesses... (full context)

Written on July 7th, this short letter describes Walton's journey so far as a "triumph." His men remain resolved and loyal, and the weather... (full context)

In the first entry of this three-part letter, Walton says his crew has observed a huge "savage" figure in a dogsled speeding across the... (full context)

The man comes aboard. Walton says he showed a "benevolence and sweetness" unequalled by anyone else he had ever met.... (full context)

In the second part of the letter, Walton tells the stranger that he is on a quest for knowledge, which upsets the stranger.... (full context)

...of the letter, the stranger says he's decided to tell his story to either help Walton in his quest for knowledge, or convince him to give it up. He hopes that... (full context)

Walton tells the stranger that his destiny has already been determined. Walton then promises his sister... (full context)

This is the point at which Walton's ship rescued Victor. The narrative returns to the present. Victor, knowing he's dying, begs Walton... (full context)

The novel returns to the frame of Walton's letters to his sister, Margaret Saville. In a letter on August 26, Walton says that... (full context)

In a letter on September 2, Walton tells Margaret that his ship and crew are in grave danger: the ship is now... (full context)

In a letter on September 5, Walton says that his crew have demanded that he turn the ship around and head for... (full context)

In a letter on September 7, Walton says he has agreed to the crew's demand to turn back. He considers what has... (full context)

In his final letter on September 12th, Walton says that he has turned back, his hopes of "glory" and "utility" crushed. In addition,... (full context)

Walton interrupts his letter upon hearing a disturbance in the cabin where Victor's body lies. He... (full context)

Robert Walton Character Analysis

Robert Walton Quotes in Frankenstein

Letter 2 Quotes

Letter 4 Quotes

Chapter 4 Quotes

Robert Walton Character Timeline in Frankenstein