In Frankenstein, why does Walton want to take the journey to the north?

's
includes a series of letters which affect the events in the story. The
first of these, written by an explorer namedto his sister back in England, Mrs. Saville, is sent
from St. Petersburg, Russia and discusses Walton's upcoming voyage to the North Pole. He reveals
that he has spent six years preparing for and planning this trip, and that he plans to leave the
following June. He will soon make a trip to Russia to find the right ship for the voyage and to
finalize plans for the journey.

Walton recalls his father telling his uncle
that Walton should not be a sailor. He also recounts his failure to make a career out of writing
poetry. These are two motivations for his expedition: to prove his family wrong and to make up
for his previous failures. He implies in his letter to his sister that he wants to know and
learn more about the world, and that he cannot learn these things sitting at home and writing
about them.

In summary, Walton desires to take this trip in order to show his
father and uncle, as well as himself, that he can do something of worth and importance to the
world. He can discover new things and learn new information to share with others. His self-image
and his persona to others will undertake a transformation, should he return alive and
successful.