Frankenstein (blog 1)

     Frankenstein opens with letters written from Robert Walton to his sister Margaret Seville in England. He tells her of the tremendous journey that he has embarked on, traveling to the North Pole, and how extremely lonely he has become. It seems like all the men he has to share his time with on this trip are all being belittled by him. Robert says that no one is as educated as he is and therefore he cannot keep a good conversation with them. “You may deem me romantic, my dear sister, but I bitterly feel the want of a friend. I have no one near me, gentle yet courageous, possessed of a cultivated as well as of a capacious mind, whose tastes are, like my own, to approve or amend my plans.” (pg. 18) Really though if you think about it, he is surrounded by a bunch of sailors who I can only imagine speak with no filter whatsoever, so I guess I do feel bad for this Robert fellow.
     Mr. Walton’s so far uneventful trip then turns around as he rescues a man on a sheet of ice as he is sailing his way towards his destination. This man was in terrible conditions, “His limbs were nearly frozen and his body dreadfully emaciated by fatigue and suffering. I never saw a man in so wretched a condition.” (pg.24) This man passes out and Robert intends on studying him very intently. He labels him as being “wild and mad, yet kind at the same time”. However, this man has Robert’s utmost attention and the deficit of having someone to call a friend is no longer an issue, “I said in one of my letters, dear Margaret, that I should find no friend on the wide ocean; yet I have found a man who, before his spirit had been broken by misery, I should have been happy to have possessed as the brother of my heart.” (pg. 26)
     Once we venture into the actual book, the narrators change from Robert Walton to Victor Frankenstein. Victor tells us of his family and his life growing up. He is always surrounded by his friends and those that love him. Victor’s life seemed idyllic, other than the fact that his family took in an orphaned girl named Elizabeth; there wasn’t much for him to complain about. When growing up, Victor becomes interested in the natural sciences. He studies the alchemists and later learns that all of that studying was for nothing, how unfortunate! Victor goes off to college after his mother dies and takes classes on chemistry and anatomy. His classes don’t seem to satisfy his urge of learning so he begins constructing a human of his own, completely isolating himself from his friends and family. In a nut shell, this guy becomes obsessed and that is never a good thing...
     As for now, I am really liking this book because it is something so different compared to everything I have read so far. Frankenstein is very interesting and I am excited to keep reading.