Mary Shelley’s Preface – Shelley explains that her fascination with narrative began in childhood, nurtured by family hearth stories. In the summer of 1816 she joined Percy Shelley, Lord Byron and others at Lake Geneva; their ghost‑story competition and lively debate on galvanism sparked her imagination. That night she suffered a terrifying nightmare in which she saw a corpse’s pale light animate, providing the initial vision for Frankenstein.

Walton’s Letters (frame story)

• Letter I (St. Petersburgh, 11 Dec 1817) – Explorer Robert Walton writes to his sister Margaret Saville, announcing his departure for the Arctic in pursuit of fame and scientific discovery. He confesses deep loneliness and a desire for a companion who can share his triumphs and console his defeats.
• Letter II (Archangel, 28 Mar 1817) – Walton reports progress in assembling a crew but again laments his isolation. He describes a mysterious sight on the ice: a gigantic, silent figure in a dog‑sled crossing the frozen sea, suggesting that land may lie nearer than imagined.
• Letter III (7 July 1817) – The expedition reaches high latitudes; despite ice and storms, the crew remains determined. Walton reflects on humanity’s power to master the “untamed element” and affirms his resolve.
• Letter IV (5 Aug 1817) – While trapped by ice, the ship encounters a drifting ice‑floated sled with a dying European man. The crew rescues him, nursing him with brandy and soup. They note his alternating moods: wild melancholy punctuated by moments of radiant kindness.
• Letter V (13 Aug 1817) – Walton grows fond of the stranger, admiring his eloquence, profound grief, and philosophical depth. The man speaks of a lost noble companion and a fate that cannot be altered, hinting at a tragic back‑story that will later intertwine with Victor Frankenstein.
• Letter VI (19 Aug 1817) – The stranger promises to recount his full narrative, warning that his misfortunes may serve as a moral lesson for Walton’s own quest. Walton vows to record the tale faithfully, anticipating that it will illuminate the “marvellous” and “horrible” events that shaped the Creature’s existence.