Beneath the more obvious plot of Frankenstein lies a more subtle relationship between Walton, Victor, and the monster. The three characters are very closely related; their existence depends on each other. Walton represents the youthful desire for knowledge inherent in man, while Victor and the monster represent the moral compass that Walton can use in his scientific endeavors. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Robert Walton makes only a few appearances in Frankenstein, in the form of letters to his sister, Margaret. We begin to see very early, from his first letter, that he is driven to make a name for himself by discovering the cause of magnetism, to open the way to the Pacific or to set foot on unexplored lands. He actually feels entitled to a discovery, telling his sister that he deserves to "accomplish a great goal" because of the effort it took to get as far as he did. This thirst for knowledge is found in Victor and in the monster. Victor finds “continuous nourishment for discovery and knowledge” in his scientific studies. Victor is more advanced in his studies than Walton in his, but he has not come to fully understand the results of his experiment. Like a neglectful parent, Victor threw his creation to the winds to face the harshness of nature, a rather ironic ending given that the monster is antithetical to nature. The monster also made his own discoveries, although more metaphysical than scientific. By observing the inhabitants of the chalet, he learns the language and the history. Through their interactions, he discovers family and connections. The knowledge he gains from his observations through the crack in the wall does not affect him the way a discovery would affect Walton or Victor. These men strive to discover the unknown, while the monster seeks only to discover what is in plain sight. Everything he learns serves to sadden him and make him aware of his place in the world: that he is an anomaly, without a name, without family or friends. His response to his own question “what am I” is a groan, weighed down by his isolation and turmoil. For him, knowledge is more of a parasite than anything else because “it clings to the mind, once it has taken hold of it, like a lichen on the rock”. He was ignorant and animal, but became intelligent and saddened. Unlike Victor, the monster takes what he learns, internalizes it, and reflects on the lessons. His ultimate goal is to achieve some sort of humanity from his experiences, thus becoming a more complete individual. Victor first firmly believes he is working for the good of humanity when he researches the method to restore life to the dead, but abandons the fruits of his labor before it has a chance to flourish when he sees that his creation is not as beautiful as he had initially expected. Both fail in their efforts. Victor, while trying to improve society as a whole, fails to realize the importance of an individual's influence on it. The monster, while trying to improve itself, fails by attacking and destroying a community. The Monster and Victor represent two ends of a spectrum when it comes to the acquisition and application of knowledge, and Walton, who has yet to make any progress in any discovery, must choose a path that lies between them if he wants to do anything. good for everyone. Walton has yet to discover anything when he begins his writing, and his shipmates are on the verge of mutiny. His quest to find the idealistic “land of eternal light” ends.