"I never saw a more interesting creature; his eyes have generally an expression of wildness, and even madness, but there are moments when, if any one performs an act of kindness towards him or does him any the most triflin service, his whole countenance is lighted up, as it were, with a beam of benevolence and sweetness that I never saw equallyed. But he is generally melancholy and despairing; and sometimes he gnashes his teeth.." (pg. 9)
Robert Walton is describing Victor Frankenstein in this quote. At first, the reader really does not have a clue who Victor is until Walton distinguishes his attributes to us. By the use of words such as wildness and madness, we understand that Victor is determined and has something on his mind even before we know his story. THe use of imagery gives us a background of who Victor may be and what he portrays as a character. WHen Robert gave him comfort, Victor lit up. He was so proud someone showed him kindess. From the get go, we can see that these two characters will be "friends" throughout the book. Roberts description of Victor sets the stage for Victor's actions and visible appearances in the future. While reading, I can picture Victor at this moment with the help of Robert's descriptive word choice.
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