As seen in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, what is the theme of the quote below, referring to Robert Walton and his exploration? "You cannot contest...

The following quote is found in Letter One of Mary
Shelley's Frankenstein.

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"You cannot contest the inestimable benefit which
I shall confer on all mankind, to the last generation, by discovering a passage near the
pole."

In the opening to the
novel and letter to his sister (Margaret Saville), Robert Walton details the necessity
he feels regarding his exploration of the North Pole. A dream of his since he was a
child, Walton states that nothing will ever keep him from the "preferred glory to every
enticement that wealth placed in my path." The quote, while letting readers in on his
plans, prove to be far more important than the description of his quest for greatness.
In fact, this quote speaks to Walton's own quest for forbidden knowledge (a theme from
the novel).

This theme, the search for forbidden
knowledge, does not only resonate through Walton. Actually, it becomes far more apparent
in the protagonist of the novel, Victor Frankenstein. Given that Victor's own quest for
forbidden knowledge leads him to his own death, his knowledge regarding these types of
quests proves important for Walton as well.

Like the old
mariner in Coleridge's "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," Victor parallels the mariner
and Walton the wedding guest. Victor is charged with the teling of his story (exactly
like the marnier is charged with the telling of his story) in order to enlighten and
warn others. Victor recognizes Walton's own ambition and warns him about taking ambition
too far.

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"Seek happiness in tranquillity and
avoid ambition, even if it be only the apparently innocent one of distinguishing
yourself in science and discoveries. Yet why do I say this? I have myself been blasted
in these hopes, yet another may succeed." Chapter
24

Here, one sees the
parallel between Walton and Victor. Both are (were) willing to pursue their endeavors at
the cost of their own lives. Fortunately for Walton, Victor's own past will serve as a
reminder as to the price of overly ambitious quests. In the end, the quote ties Walton
to Victor, reminding readers about the true cost of some knowledge.