Frankenstein Blog 1

The novel starts out with a series of letters written by Robert Walton to Mrs. Saville, his sister. In his letters he explains that he is on a voyage to the Arctic. Walton seems like a very optimistic person in his first letter: "These reflections have dispelled the agitation with which I began my letter, and I feel my heart glow with an enthusiasm which elevates me to heaven; for nothing contributes so much to tranquillese the mind as a steady purpose--a point on which the soul may fixits intellectual eye. He hopes that this expedition will make some purpose in his life. I thought this was a strange but good way to start this book because it sets the tone of a dark story and it isn't the typical "Once upon a time" we're all accustomed to. After reading the four letters from Walton the reader starts chapter 1, where the narration is switched to Victor Frankenstein. The chapter starts out with Victor
narrating about his life story and he talks about how his mother and father met. It's a little creepy because of how far they are apart in age and also considering the fact that the narrator's father took in Caroline, the narrator's mother, in as a daughter! The narrator talks about being born in Italy and the way his parents took pride in their only son and how perfect his life was. He talks about his family adopting a girl named Elizabeth. Victor seems to adore Elizabeth and the last line of the chapter seems to imply that he becomes a little overprotective: "No word, no expression could body forth the kind of relation in which she stood to me --my more than sister, since till death she was to be mine only."
Victor continues to explain his story and says that his life hasn't always been rainbows and unicorns: "I feel exquisite pleasure in dwelling on the recollections of childhood, before misfortune had tainted my mind, and changed its bright visions of extensive usefulness into gloomy and narrow reflections upon self." He talks about the death of his mother and I think that this is the start of Victor's misfortune. I see a lot of similarities between Robert Walton and Victor. Both men have a drive for learning and both are very determined. I think Shelley opened the novel with letters from Walton to his sister to show the reader the close resemblance. Victor seems to become so hungry for knowledge that he becomes kind of obsessed with his creation and I think this is because of the death of his mother.
I think this book will start to get very interesting as it progresses. It becomes evident that Victor is already starting to lose his mind and this obsession will eventually do more harm than good.