Frankenstein
Letter 1: prepares 6 yrs for the journey
This letter and the following three, which begin the novel, use a literary device called framing, which, like a picture frame, sets up the major premise of the novel. Also, note that the letters to Margaret Saville in England have the initials "M.S.," which could also be interpreted as Shelley's own initials. To make up for this lack of education, they undertook adventures to broaden the mind and soul. Walton, himself, is a fairly typical Romantic character because he is educating himself and traveling for his own educational pursuits. The remote place settings, the Arctic Circle and St. Petersburg, are another example of an element in the Romantic novel.
Letter 2: Walton feels lonely
Here several Romantic ideas are thrust upon the reader at once: first is the allusion to Coleridge and seafaring; the second, to regions that are "marvelous" and "mysterious;" and third, a quest for personal and factual knowledge. Also, a Romantic notion is that Walton is so open to finding a friend (showing his feelings). He alludes to Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. This one poem helped launch the Romantic periodThe poem is an extended allegory symbolizing the death of imagination in man and an embarkment on a quest for spiritual and intellectual knowledge.
Letter 3: goodbye and abt success
Again, Walton tells of Romantic sentiments: how the stars, or nature, will witness his success and how he can keep going over the "untamed and yet obedient" regions of the North Pole. Walton states that his heart is "determined," his will is what matters, and that success or victory will be his. Confidence in the heart, not the mind, and free will are hallmarks of Romantic thought.
Letter 4: describing 3 diff days (ship is stuck in an ice field far from land,Walton meets victor,finds a friend in him,victor wants to confess)
This chapter...