[adapted]

by
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Letter 1

St. Petersburg, Dec. 11th

Dear Margaret,

I am happy to tell you that I am safe. My journey has begun well. I arrived here yesterday, and I feel strong and hopeful.

I am far north now. The cold wind touches my face, and I enjoy it. It makes me think of the place I am going. I imagine the North not only as ice and danger, but as a place of beauty and light. I believe there is much to discover there. I want to find new lands and new knowledge. I hope to understand the power of the compass and discover secrets of nature. I believe this journey can help many people.

This dream is not new. Since I was a child, I have loved stories of sea voyages. I wanted to go to sea, but my father did not allow it. Later, I tried to become a poet, but I failed. After I received money from my family, I returned to my first dream.

For many years, I have prepared myself. I worked with sailors and learned to endure cold and hunger. I studied science and medicine. Now I feel ready. Still, I know this journey will be long and difficult. I must stay strong, for myself and for my crew. Soon I will travel to Archangel. There I will hire a ship and sailors. I do not know when I will return. If I succeed, it may take years. If I fail, I may return soon, or never.

Goodbye, my dear sister. Thank you for your love.

Your affectionate brother,
Robert Walton

Letter 2

Archangel, March 28th

Dear Margaret,

Time passes slowly here. Everything is covered in snow and ice. Still, I have made progress. I have hired a ship and started to gather my crew. The men seem brave and reliable. But I feel a deep sadness. I have no close friend. I want someone who understands me. When I feel joy, I have no one to share it with. When I feel doubt, I have no one to help me.

I write my thoughts, but it is not the same. I want a friend who is kind and wise, someone who can guide me. I know I have strong ideas, but I also make mistakes. I learned many things alone, and I feel this lack now.

I must tell you about two men on my ship. My lieutenant is brave and wants success. The master is calm and kind. He treats his crew with respect, and I admire him. He once loved a woman, but she loved another man. He helped her marry the man she loved and gave them his money. Then he left. I think this shows great kindness.

Do not think I will change my plans. My decision is firm. I will begin my voyage when the weather allows it. I feel both excitement and fear. I am going to a place no one knows. I hope I will return, but I cannot be sure.

Please continue to write to me. Your letters will give me strength.

With love,
Robert Walton

Letter 3

July 7th

Dear Margaret,

I write quickly to tell you I am safe. We have already traveled far. The weather is cold, but not too bad. The wind helps us move forward. My men are brave, even when we see large pieces of ice around us.

Nothing serious has happened. There have been some strong winds and small problems, but nothing unusual. I promise I will be careful. I will not take foolish risks. Still, I believe I will succeed. I feel strong and determined.

Goodbye for now, my dear sister.

Robert Walton

Letter 4

August 5th

Dear Margaret,

A strange thing has happened, and I must tell you. A few days ago, our ship was trapped in ice. Thick fog surrounded us, and we could not move. It was a dangerous situation.

Then the fog cleared. We saw a wide field of ice in every direction. Suddenly, we saw something very strange. A man, very large in size, traveled across the ice on a sledge pulled by dogs. He moved quickly and disappeared. We were all shocked.

Later, the ice broke, and our ship was free. The next morning, we found another sledge on the ice. Only one dog was alive. Inside was a man, very weak and close to death. We brought him onto the ship. Before he came aboard, he asked where we were going. When I told him we were traveling to the North Pole, he agreed to join us.

He was very thin and sick. We cared for him, and he slowly became stronger. He is gentle but very sad. He told us he is chasing someone. When I told him about the large man we saw, he became very interested. He called this being a “demon.” He now watches the sea often, hoping to see the sledge again. I feel close to him and think of him as a friend.

One day, I spoke about my great ambition. I said I would give everything to succeed. He became upset and told me to stop. He warned me that this kind of desire can destroy a person. He said he has suffered greatly and lost everything. He has agreed to tell me his story so I can learn from it.

I will write down his story carefully. He will begin tomorrow.

Your loving brother,
Robert Walton

Chapter 1

I am from Geneva. My family was well known in that city. My father worked for the government for many years. People respected him. He was honest and worked very hard. He married late in life.

I will tell how he met my mother. His close friend, Beaufort, was once a rich merchant. Later, he lost his money and became poor. He was proud and did not want others to see his fall. He left Geneva with his daughter, Caroline, and lived in Lucerne.

My father cared deeply for his friend. He went to find him. After many months, he found him in a poor house. Beaufort was very ill. His daughter cared for him with love. She worked to earn a little money, but it was not enough. After some time, Beaufort died, and Caroline was alone. At that moment, my father came. He helped her and took care of her. He brought her back to Geneva. After two years, she became his wife.

My parents loved each other very much. My father wanted to protect my mother from all pain. They travelled through Italy, Germany, and France. I was born in Naples during this time. For some years, I was their only child. They loved me very much. My mother was kind and gentle. My father was calm and caring. My early life was happy.

When I was five, we stayed near Lake Como. My mother often visited poor people. One day, we went to a small house. There were many children there. One girl was different from the others. She had fair hair and blue eyes. She looked gentle and kind. The woman in the house told us her story. The girl was not her child. She was the daughter of a rich man from Milan. Her mother died when she was born. Her father disappeared, and she became poor.

When my father returned, he saw the girl with me. My mother asked to take her into our home. The poor family agreed. The girl came with us. Her name was Elizabeth Lavenza. She became part of our family. She was more than a sister to me. Everyone loved her. She was kind and beautiful.

My mother once said she had a gift for me. The next day, she gave me Elizabeth. As a child, I believed she was mine to love and protect. We called each other cousins, but she was much more to me.

Chapter 2

Elizabeth and I grew up together. We were almost the same age. We never fought. We were always happy together. We were different in nature. Elizabeth was calm. She loved beauty, nature, and poetry. She enjoyed the mountains, the sky, and the seasons. I was not like her. I wanted to understand things. I wanted to know how the world worked.

After my younger brother was born, my family stayed in Geneva. We had a house in the city and another near the lake. We lived mostly near the lake.

I did not like many people. I chose only a few friends. My closest friend was Henry Clerval. He was the son of a merchant. He loved stories of brave men and great actions. He wrote stories and liked to act them out. He cared about people and their actions. I cared about nature and its secrets.

My childhood was very happy. My parents were kind and gentle. I knew I was lucky. I had strong feelings, but they did not turn to games. I wanted to learn. I was not interested in languages or politics. I wanted to understand nature and life.

Elizabeth brought peace to our home. She was kind to everyone. She made me calmer. She also helped Henry become more kind. When I think of those days, I feel joy, but also sadness. Small things in that time later led to my suffering.

I must explain how I became interested in science. When I was thirteen, we stayed at an inn because of bad weather. There I found a book by Cornelius Agrippa. At first, I was not interested. Then I became very excited. I showed the book to my father. He said only, “Do not waste your time.” He did not explain more. So I continued to read.