The Letters I-IV

 Four Letters from Robert Walton to Margaret Saville in England  Saville is Walton’s sister  Sets the stage for the story to be told in flashback

 Location: St. Petersburgh, Russia on December 11 th,  Walton is preparing for a voyage to the North Pole  Knowledge and Glory are his goals  He has been planning this for 6 years  Once in Archangel, Russia he will charter a boat.

Story Begins Walton sets sail

 “I try in vain to be persuaded that the pole is the seat of frost and desolation; it ever presents itself to my imagination as the region of beauty and delight. There, Margaret, the sun is forever visible, its broad disk just skirting the horizon, and diffusing a perpetual splendour.”  Letter I, p.1

 “What may not be expected in a country of eternal light?”  Letter I, p. 1  “I shall Satiate my ardent curiosity with the sight of a part of the world never before visited, and may tread a land never before imprinted by the foot of man.”  Letter I, p. 1  I voluntarily endured cold, famine, thirst, and want of sleep; I often worked harder than the common sailors during the day and devoted my nights to the study of mathematics, the theory of medicine, and those branches of physical science from which a naval adventurer might derive the greatest practical advantage.  Letter I, p. 1

 Location: Archangel, Russia on March 28 th, 17—  Walton finds a ship and crew  Walton realizes he is missing something.

 "I have no friend, Margaret: when I am glowing with the enthusiasm of success, there will be none to participate my joy; if I am assailed by disappointment, no one will endeavour to sustain me in dejection."  Letter II, p. 4

 July 7 th, 17—  Walton is optimistic about his journey.  Every problem that has been encountered has been easily fixed  He is confident that he will reach the North Pole

 The ship became surrounded by ice  In the distance, the crew spotted a large man riding a dogsled across the frozen ocean.  The crew found a man with a dogsled on a piece of ice.  The man was almost dead.

 He was more concerned with the direction of the ship and the large man the crew spotted than his own survival.  Walton explains that his letters will become a record of his conversations with a stranger they have picked up.

 When the man heard about the giant, he wanted to stay on the deck and watch.  “From this time a new spirit of life animated the decaying frame of the stranger.” ▪ Letter IV, p. 10  Walton is curious about the man and believes that if the men had met before, they would have been great friends, the kind of friend Walton longs for in his earlier letter.

 Walton talks to his guest about his voyage to the North Pole.  He explains his desire to see and explore the North Pole at any cost, even the cost of human life.  “… I would sacrifice my fortune, my existence, my every hope, to the furtherance of my enterprise. One man's life or death were but a small price to pay for the acquirement of the knowledge which I sought for the dominion I should acquire and transmit over the elemental foes of our race.” ▪ Letter IV, p. 11  The man is upset by this and Walton drops the subject

 Walton speaks of his loneliness and the man states,  “… ‘we are unfashioned creatures, but half made up, if one wiser, better, dearer than ourselves -- such a friend ought to be -- do not lend his aid to perfectionate our weak and faulty natures.'" ▪ Letter IV, pg. 12  Although he agrees that friendship is an important part of life and happiness, the man says that he can form no such ties because he has lost everyone he cares about and can't start over.

 Because of Walton’s desire to risk everything in search of knowledge and glory, the man decides he is no longer going to take his story to the grave.  He hopes Walton will learn from his mistakes.  “You seek for knowledge and wisdom, as I once did; and I ardently hope that the gratification of your wishes may not be a serpent to sting you, as mine has been.” ▪ Letter IV, p. 13