One need
not read very far into s classic of Gothic literature, , or the Modern
Prometheus, to ascertain the answer to the question, what, in addition to personal
glory, doeshope to accomplish on his voyage. In the opening letter to his sister Margaret,
Walton asks rhetorically what may be accomplished by his journey to the frigid Arctic and the
North Pole:
What may not be expected in a country of
eternal light? I may there discover the wondrous power which attracts the needle and may
regulate a thousand celestial observations that require only this voyage to render their seeming
eccentricities consistent forever. I shall satiate my ardent curiosity with the sight of a part
of the world never before visited, and may tread a land never before imprinted by the foot of
man.
Later, within the same correspondence, Walton goes
beyond his admittedly self-aggrandizing adventure in describing his...
No comments:
Post a Comment