Re-read the following chapter and answer the questions that follow:
CHAPTER ONE
Captain Robert Walton Meets Victor Frankenstein
The Arctic wind chilled me to the bone as I stood on deck looking out at the frozen land around me. I was in the North Pole. My lifelong dream to come here was now a reality. But at what cost to me and my men? Our ship was trapped on ice, and we did not know if we would live or die.
I felt foolish. The entire trip had gone terribly wrong. My need to see a part of the world untouched by human bengs had turned my trip into a complete disaster. We had ended up so far north because of my own actions. I should have taken the first chance to turn around,b ut I refused and stubbornly drove on. I didn't care how unhappy it made my crew. My spirit was broken, but I was determined not to quit.
Time passed very slowly. Most days I wished I had a good friend to keep me company. I wanted someone I could talk to during the long, cold nights. I missed having friends more than anything else in the world. Yes, I had a crew of great men on board my ship, but they took orders from me. They were not my friends.
By the next morning, the situation had gotten worse. The ship was completely surrounded by ice. We could do nothing but wait. By mid-afternoon, the fog cleared from the sky and we were able to see more. White snow and ice stretched out from the ship in every direction.
One of the men pointed out a strange sight in the distance. We watched as a sled being pulled by a large man headed even farther north. The whole crew watched until the man and his sled disappeared on the ice. We turned to one another and asked, "Who was that? What was that?" As far as we knew, there were no people in this part of the world.
The next morning I came on deck to find my sailors talking to someone over the side of the ship. I leaned over the side and saw a man floating on a piece of ice! All around him were pieces of a broken sled. The ice must have drifted toward us in the night. My men tried to convince him to board our ship so he wouldn't drown.
Something told me that this was not the same man we had seen yesterday. That creature had looked wild and savage, not entirely human. This man was European and he spoke with a thick accent.
"My name is Victor Frankenstein," he shouted up. "Before I come on board, can you please tell me where you are going?"
"I am Captain Robert Walton," I answered. "This is my ship, and we are on a voyage to the North Pole." Frankenstein was wrapped in many layers of fur, but he still looked cold. "You must come on board. You will freeze out there."
The man nodded. A couple of my sailors threw down some rope and helped him climb on board.
* * *
Frankenstein was almost frozen and in a terrible state! He was pale and thin, and it was clear that he needed a good, warm meal. I could tell that he had been through a hard time. Even before we could get him into a warm cabin, he fainted. We wrapped him up in warm blankets and made him drink a cup of hot tea. He got better slowly and then ate some soup.
When he started to look and feel better, I moved him into my cabin. For some reason, I wanted to help him as much as I could. He tossed and turned in his sleep that first night. There was a great sadness in his eyes, as if he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders.
What a surprise to find a man in the middle of the cold Arctic seas! The sailors wanted to ask him a million questions, but Frankenstein was still sick and I didn't want them to bother him too much. One night after dinner, my first mate, Hardy, came to visit.
"Why did you come so far on such a small sled?" he asked.
Frankenstein stopped smiling and a dark look came into his eyes. "I was chasing someone who ran away from me."
Hardy paused and then said, "Was he travelling on the same kind of sled?"
Frankenstein looked straight at him. "Yes. How did you know that?"
"I think we saw him. We saw a man pulling the same kind of sled across the ice."
"It must be the monster!" Frankenstein yelled. "Which way did he go? Did you see if he made it across the ice? How fast was he going?"
"To the north, but that's all we could see," Hardy answered.
A pale Frankenstein lay back down on the bed.
"That's enough for now!" I said. "He needs his rest. I'll see you in the morning, Hardy." Hardy nodded politely and took his leave.
Frankenstein put his head down on the pillow and said softly, "You must want to know how I got here and what I'm doing. You are polite not to ask."
"You need to get your strength back," I said. "That's far more important than answering any questions that I may have."
Frankenstein smiled gently at me. "But you saved my life. I am in your debt."
"None of that is important now. You need to rest."
After a quiet moment, Frankenstein asked, "Do you think the ice broke up enough to destroy the other sled? Do you think it is forever lost?"
I told him that it was hard to know for sure because the ice was still solid. Frankenstein fell back into deep thought. "I should like to go back on deck," he said. "I need to watch for that sled."
"No," I said strongly. "You are far too weak. The air is far too cold. I'll get one of mymen to watch out for the sled."
"Thank you, Robert." He smiled. "That is so kind."
The next few days passed without event. Frankenstein's health got better, but he was still weak and spent a lot of time thinking. Despite his sadness, Frankenstein and I talked until late most nights. He became the very friend I so wanted to have on this unlucky journey. All I wanted to do was help him in any way I could. Frankenstein was gentle, wise, and smart. The more I got to know him, the harder it was for me to watch him suffer.
We spoke one night about my Arctic voyage. I told him the whole story and then, for some reason, I grew upset.
I said harshly, "I worry that you think me silly, Frankenstein, for spending all of my money and for pushing my men so hard to get here. I don't know why it is so important to find lands no man has ever seen before. Something inside of me pushes me forward, and I fear nothing will stop me until I have succeeded. I hope you can understand and not think less of me."
Frankenstein's eyes filled with tears when he heard the passion in my voice. He cried out, "Unhappy man! Robert, you must listen carefully to my story. You must know the danger of such strong wishes!"
I was surprised by his outburst. "What story? Frankenstein, what are you talking about?"
"I'm sorry," he said quickly. "Please forgive me for speaking so sharply. Let's talk about something else, shall we?"
At his wish, I changed the subject. We talked about my childhood and my sister in England, and then we went to sleep.
Frankenstein apologised again the next morning. "Robert, I didn't mean to yell. You see, I have lost everything that I loved in this world, including my wife and a dear friend. I want to tell you the whole story. I think it may help you find your own way."
1) Who is Robert Walton and why is he at sea?
2) Describe Robert Walton's personality, using quotations from the text.
3) How does Robert feel at the start of this chapter? (Include quotations from the text to prove your point.)
4) How does Robert feel about Frankenstein? (Include quotations from the text to prove your point.)
5) Frankenstein does not immediately jump onto Robert's ship, even though he is stranded all alone on a lump of melting ice in the middle of the sea. Why do you think he hesitates? (It may help to think hard about the question he asks Robert before he gets onto the ship. You will have to make a sensible guess from reading the text, like a detective - the text does not give you the answer directly.)
6) How does Robert feel after Frankenstein comes to live on the ship? (Include quotations.)
7) Why does Robert get upset at the end of the chapter? (Include quotations)
8) Why do you think Frankenstein's eyes fill with tears?
9) Do you think this is a good beginning to a story? If so, why? If not, why not?
10) Does it make you want to read on and find out what happened to Frankenstein?
