He
starts off by calling her his dear sister.
He uses
vivid details when describing the weather like saying it plays on his cheeks.
He is
affectionate to her and grateful to her for all her kindness to him.
He is
writing passionately about a great purpose he wants to achieve
He
writes about conquering his fear of death
She
knows his failures
Remembering
the importance of the individual experience and he talks about the wind and how
it inspires his day dreams.
Having a
purpose feeds to the intellect
He
compares himself to Homer and Shakespeare
He is
driven –perfers the glory over the luxury and ease
·
“My first task is to assure my dear sister of my
welfare, and increasing confidence in the success of my undertaking.” Celebrating
his progress and what he plans to do, he feels proud of himself for taking this
adventure on.
·
“There, Margaret, the sun is forever visible;
its broad disk just skirting the horizon, and diffusing a perpetual splendor.” Here
he is giving a description of how big the world is and how beautiful it is.
“The sun is forever visible,” the world is bigger than the eye can see.
·
“…beauty every region hitherto discovered on the
habitable globe.” With romanticism they focus on geometrical shapes and he is
describing the wonder of this earth. There is still so much to discover.
·
“And now, dear Margaret, do I not deserve to
accomplish some great purpose. My life might have been passed in ease and
luxury; but I preferred glory to every enticement that wealth placed in my
path.” This discusses his purpose, his goals, his dreams, and his fears. He is
willing to risk his life for this adventure.
Letter 1-
·
The first sentence states that he has arrived in
Russia, with his goal being the North Pole. He acknowledges his sisters
reservations and emotions toward his journey, so he kindly writes her to ease
her mind and eliminate her worries.
·
The details of his current surroundings paint a
picture of his continued journey to the Pole. He depicts the sun as a focal
point that is and forever visible, utilizing the Romantic view that the
horizon/sun is a permanent and grand fixture that surpasses human capabilities.
·
The last sentence of the first pages talks about
the enticements of his journey put all fears of danger and death to rest. His
is ambitious, brave, and passionate like the Byronic hero.
·
The second paragraph of the second page depicts
his drive and passion for his journey
·
He endured the cold, famine, thirst, hard labor,
and sleep deprivation to achieve his goals, he will do whatever it takes to
accomplish his dreams
·
Uses intense vivid words that paint a detailed
picture of his experiences
·
At the end of the letter he is overconfident in
his abilities, yet reveals his depressed in struggles of his journey and the
hardships that he had not anticipated. He is possibly trying to build up his
ego to continue on his journey.
