Shelley's novel Frankenstein opens
and closes with the personal letters and thoughts of Walton, a man at sea desiring to
sail home. Unfortunately for him, or fortunately-however one may look at it, he is
engaged by Victor Frankenstein. Walton has found Victor almost frozen and on the verge
of death upon an iceberg. Victor shares with Walton, almost as a dying declaration, the
story of his life and of the monster he created.
Given that
both men lead lives filled with obsessions, Walton feels for the dying Victor and wishes
to "soothe him":
I wish to soothe him; yet can I counsel one so
infinitely miserable, so destitute of every hope of consolation, to
live?
Victor sees no chance
for his own survival and asks Walton to search out the monster who has ruined his
life.
Walton's wish for Victor to survive is crushed given
that Victor has given up on life. Victor has lost his brother, his wife, and his best
friend at the hands of his monster. Victor sees no reason to continue on with his life.
Walton realizes that the peace Victor finds in his dreams is the only thing which will
soothe him. Walton has no other choice but to allow Victor to
die.
Victor reitterates his desire to die, and go against
Walton's wishes, in the following:
If I were engaged in any high undertaking or
design, fraught with extensive utility to my fellow-creatures, then could I live to
fulfil it. But such is not my
destiny...
In the end, Walton
must only allow Victor to die so that he may find the peace his mind and heart
desire.
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