A number of the book's central themes are introduced here. Walton's intense ambition to discover the unknown (to the point that he would sacrifice his life and the lives of his men at sea) indicates that he considers himself a kind of epic hero. He describes his voyage as both "glorious" and "magnificent"; it is therefore clear that, for him, it is equivalent to an odyssey.

Underlying his obsession with discovery is the desire for glory and conquest; in this way, Walton hopes to achieve immortality. He suffers from extreme hubris (the belief that he can be equal to a god) and considers himself invincible. He feels that destiny has chosen him, specifically, to complete this perilous journey.

The narrator begins to pick apart and identify the aspects of his personality that will eventually lead to his downfall. He possesses what he calls a "thirst for knowledge." Thirst, of course, is a fundamental human need, necessary to one's very survival. Victor's desire to learn, therefore, is driven by nothing so insubstantial as curiosity: it is instead the precondition of his very being. Shelley thereby indicates that there is a compulsive quality to Victor's scholarship: it is something very close to madness.

The reader is gradually introduced to those aspects of Victor's character that will lead to his downfall. He tells us that he possesses "a thirst for knowledge"

tranger's distress at the obvious arrogance of Walton's plans (he likens Walton's curiosity to drinking from a poisonous cup) is telling. From this, the reader may infer that Frankenstein believes indeed, knows firsthand that the quest for knowledge can lead to destruction.

Through the character of Walton, Shelley condemns both him and a society that insists that its

Some topics in this essay:
Arctic Circle, Walton Frankenstein's, Victor Clerval, Walton Shelley, Cornelius Agrippa, , philosophy victor, natural philosophy victor, natural philosophy, thirst knowledge, lead downfall,