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Robert Walton Character Analysis

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Many stories that have been told throughout the ages talk about the hero. Some well-known examples include the Odyssey, Beowulf, and Finding Nemo. In some tales the hero is obvious, while in others the hero is more subtle. In Mary Shelley’s book, Frankenstein, the hero is Robert Walton. He goes on an adventure thinking he can change a part of the world, and the world ends up changing him. A hero does so much more than save the day and win the battle. A hero starts their journey naïve and inexperienced and on the way learns more about the world they live in. “I arrived here yesterday; and my first task is to assure my dear sister of my welfare, and increasing confidence in the success of my undertaking” (Shelley 1). On this …show more content…

As he goes on his journey to the North Pole, he continuously sends letters to his sister Margaret. “I write a few lines in haste to say that I am safe – and well advanced on my voyage” (Shelley 7). On his journey he faced hardships such as getting stuck in ice, Victor’s death, and meeting the creature. His mentor on this journey becomes Victor. “He reminds me how often the same accidents have happened to other navigators, who have attempted tis sea, and in spite of myself, he fills me with cheerful auguries” (Shelley 158). When Victor dies, the creature appears, and in this moment Robert Walton fights back against the creature, and stands up for Victor, even after he knew how wrong Victor had also been. Robert Walton is the hero of Frankenstein. Frankenstein is not only about the making of a monster, but also of the journey of a hero. Robert Walton is not the main character. He is the narrator, and hero of this book. He travels across waters to explore what no man had. He believes his trip would be a task that he could conquer, and ended up seeing and discovering more than he had bargained for. In the end, he knows the true story of Victor and the creature. He is left to live with the memory of

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