What is Robert Walton in search of when he finds Frankenstein? What is strange about Walton's desire, and what about it suggests that it, like...

When he
rescues Victor Frankenstein from the icy water, Robert Walton, an ambitious sea captain and
explorer, is looking for a passage to the Atlantic Ocean through the Arctic. His ambitions
parallel those of Victor Frankenstein in several ways, which foreshadow that his journey, like
that of Frankenstein's, will not end well.

Like Frankenstein, Robert Walton
wants to remembered for doing something that no one else has ever been able to do. In this
sense, both of the men pursue their goals doggedly, endangering the lives of others around them
in their short-sighted ambition and pride. When their goals intensify into obsession, terrible
things happen, as Frankenstein's story demonstrates.

Robert Walton hears the
story of Frankenstein and his creature, and he writes all of the details in letters to his
sister. The learning he receives from Frankenstein's lesson leaves him with a decision: shall he
carry on traveling in search of this impossible goal, risking his life and the lives of his
crew, or shall he choose safety over fame and return home while he still can? Unlike
Frankenstein, Walton has a choice, and this is where the parallels between the two men
end.