Frankenstein

by Mary Shelley

Frankenstein: Frame Story 1 key example

Frame Story
Explanation and Analysis—Walton's Letters:

The letters Robert Walton writes to his sister Margaret Saville, which follow his journey through the Arctic, frame the novel. This is an example of a frame story, a unifying tale in which other stories appear. Walton’s letters are an important narrative device that allow readers to gain a more complex perspective on the story’s events. They serve the very practical purpose of introducing Victor Frankenstein and giving Frankenstein an opportunity to tell his story—the heart of the novel.