Robert Walton and Margaret Saville

Robert Walton and Margaret Saville are brother and sister, and their correspondence constitutes the epistolary frame of the novel. Walton writes a series of letters to Margaret, each saluted "To Mrs. Saville, England," from St. Petersburgh, Archangel, and later from the Arctic seas. These letters record his Arctic expedition, his rescue of Victor Frankenstein, and the transcription of Frankenstein's harrowing narrative. Margaret never speaks directly; she exists only as the addressee, yet her presence shapes every letter. Walton repeatedly appeals to her judgment, fears her anxiety, and seeks her sympathy, making her the silent moral anchor of his account.

Identity and Relationship

Walton and Margaret are siblings, and Walton's letters reveal a deep, affectionate bond. He addresses her as "my dear sister" and "my dear, excellent Margaret," and he signs himself "Your affectionate brother, R. Walton" or "Robert Walton." Their relationship is one of trust and intimacy; Walton confides his ambitions, fears, and loneliness to her without reserve. He recalls that their Uncle Thomas's library of voyage narratives fueled his childhood dreams, and he remembers that his father's dying injunction forbade his uncle from allowing him to go to sea—a prohibition that Margaret would have known. Walton's letters are not merely reports but emotional outlets; he writes to share his enthusiasm, to confess his doubts, and to seek, if not an answer, at least the act of telling.

Walton's Dependence on Margaret

Walton's isolation on his voyage makes Margaret his only confidante. He laments, "I have no friend, Margaret: when I am glowing with the enthusiasm of success, there will be none to participate my joy; if I am assailed by disappointment, no one will endeavour to sustain me in dejection." He commits his thoughts to paper, but calls it "a poor medium for the communication of feeling." He desires "the company of a man who could sympathize with me, whose eyes would reply to mine," yet it is to Margaret that he pours out his heart. He tells her of his longing for a friend, his self-education, his romantic notions of the polar regions, and his fears. He even quotes Coleridge's "Ancient Mariner" to her, saying, "I shall kill no albatross; therefore do not be alarmed for my safety." Margaret is the repository of his most private self.

Margaret as the Implied Reader

Margaret's role extends beyond that of a passive recipient; she is the implied reader whose reactions Walton anticipates and shapes his narrative around. He imagines her "evil forebodings" at the start of his enterprise and reassures her of his prudence. He asks, "Do you understand this feeling?" about the northern breeze, and later, "Will you smile at the enthusiasm I express concerning this divine wanderer?" He assumes her fastidiousness, saying, "You have been tutored and refined by books and retirement from the world, and you are therefore somewhat fastidious." He also imagines her horror at the monster's tale: "You have read this strange and terrific story, Margaret; and do you not feel your blood congeal with horror, like that which even now curdles mine?" Margaret is thus not merely a character but a narrative device: her imagined responses guide the reader's own emotional and moral engagement with the story.

The Frame Narrative and Margaret's Significance

The entire novel is presented as Walton's letters to Margaret, making her the ultimate recipient of Frankenstein's tale. Walton writes, "I shall continue my journal concerning the stranger at intervals, should I have any fresh incidents to record," and later, "This manuscript will doubtless afford you the greatest pleasure." He even allows Frankenstein to correct and augment his notes, ensuring the story's fidelity. Margaret's name appears in the first letter's salutation and the last letter's closing; she is the thread that binds the narrative together. Without her, there would be no frame, no record, no transmission of Frankenstein's warning. She is the silent witness to whom the story is entrusted, and her existence—safe in England, surrounded by family—contrasts with the desolation of Walton and Frankenstein. Walton's final letter, written as he journeys back to England, ends with a note of hope: "I journey towards England, and I may there find consolation." Margaret represents home, love, and the possibility of return.