Active Reading

Frankenstein Letters 1–4

Robert Walton and the stranger he rescues share a number of similarities. As you read Walton’s letters,
make notes in the chart below about each character’s situation, goals, attitude, and personal qualities.
Consider both the character’s statements and his actions. When you complete the chart, take time to
think about the things the men have in common.

Walton The Stranger

Situation Is searching for the source of
magnetism in the polar regions

Goals

Attitude

Personal Qualities
Responding
Frankenstein Letters 1–4
Personal Response
How did you react to the two characters introduced in this section? Explain.

Analyzing Literature
Recall and Interpret
1. Who is Robert Walton? What is he searching for? What is his attitude toward his quest?
What do these details suggest to you about his character?

2. In this letter to his sister, what does Walton say he longs for? Why do you think Walton
feels lonely even though he is on board a ship with a full crew?

3. How does Walton respond to the stranger? Why do you think Walton is attracted to the
stranger?
Analyzing Literature (continued)
Evaluate and Connect
4. Why is the poem The Ancient Mariner important to Walton? How is the stranger similar to
the ancient mariner? What mood does Shelley create by alluding to this poem?

5. Walton has a thirst for knowledge, as the stranger once did. What details suggest that both
are willing to make sacrifices in the search for knowledge? Do they seem unusual in this
respect?