Robert Walton In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Everyone has always had an unusual fantasy of creating a being of their own and creating something that will have a huge impact on the world in a positive way. However, no one really thinks about the consequences that these fantasies and obsessions may have. In Mary Shelley's novel ¨Frankenstein¨ a young doctor, Victor Frankenstein, becomes completely obsessed with the idea of creating a life, a life that is so indestructible and that is better than mankind, but most importantly that is able to live forever. Victor becomes so obsessed with creating this creature that he is never able to see how hiedous his creation is turning out to be. As soon as the monster comes to life Victor realizes the disgrace that the creature is to what he was actually …show more content…
Robert Walton is the person that Victor confesses everything that has happened to, and he is able to make decisions that are better for him and his crew due to the story that Victor has told him. Both of these characters serve as foils to Victor Frankenstein because between all these characters they all have many similarities as well as many differences, they all as well teach each other very valuable lessons. Although both characters serve as foils to Victor Frankenstein, Robert Walton is the character that contributes more to the overall meaning of the book. Mary Shelley makes Robert Walton as a foil to Victor Frankenstein in order to show how although both characters have lived different lives, they are fairly similar to each other due to their mutual sense of adventure and their hunger for knowledge and …show more content…
Robert Walton is the captain of the boat he and of all of his crew. Walton writes to his sister that, ¨the brave companions whom [he has] persuaded to be [his] companions look towards [him] for aid¨ (203) which shows that Walton has been responsible and held accountable for the lives of others not just his. He is the leader of the crew and he cannot make decisions as liberally or easily as Victor Frankenstein makes his. Robert Walton decided to go back home to England and states that, ¨I have consented to return if we are not destroyed. Thus are my hopes blasted by cowardice and indecision; I come back ignorant and disappointed¨ (206) showing that he, unlike Victor Frankenstein, knew when it was time to stop and just head back. He did not want to have the guilt of the deaths of his men if it could be prevented. Victor states that, ¨I, not in deed, but in effect, was the true murderer” (80) showing that he was not able to turn back before it was too late. Once he actually started to see the creature he had created the creature had already killed innocent people making Frankenstein guilty by default because if he would of killed the creature early on, or if he would of never created the creature at all none of those deaths would of happened. Victor had a more liberal life because he never had to take care of any other person but himself, but it