Captain Walton
The Fool (Upright)
“To see the The Fool generally means a beginning of a new journey, one where you will be filled with optimism and freedom from the usual constraints in life. When we meet him, he approaches each day as an adventure, in an almost childish way. He believes that anything can happen in life and there are many opportunities that are lying out there, in the world, waiting to be explored and developed. He leads a simple life, having no worries, and does not seem troubled by the fact that he cannot tell what he will encounter ahead (labyrinthos).”
Why I chose the Card:
“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. These are my enticements, and they are sufficient to conquer all fear of danger or death and to induce me to commence this laborious voyage with the joy a child feels when he embarks in a little boat, with his holiday mates, on an expedition of discovery up his native river (Letter 1).”
The first card I selected for Walton is “The Fool” in the upright position. This card represents new beginnings, adventures, innocence, naivety, etc. This is fitting because the novel begins with Walton’s letters detailing his trip to the North Pole. As the quote above details, Walton feels excitement at the prospect of treading new waters and making new discoveries, which allows him to dismiss the dangers ahead of him.
An additional reason that I selected The Fool card is because the Major Arcana cards in a tarot deck are often considered “The Fool’s Journey”. This means that each of these cards represent a lesson that will be taught to the fool as he begins his journey, which mirrors how the novel itself is structured. We go on this journey with Walton as he learns Victor’s story, beginning to eventual end. Walton’s journey through Victor’s retelling of events is integral to the novel because it’s what makes up the novel itself.
Why I chose the Illustration:
The depiction of The Fool card I decided to use is from the classic Rider-Waite tarot deck. It shows a man at the edge of a cliff with waves of water rising above the sides. One interpretation of this is that is shows how the fool will leap off the cliff into his journey, unheeding of the dangers that lie ahead. This fits the nature of Walton’s journey to an extent. I also wanted each of Walton’s cards to have water imagery to symbolize his journey through the sea.
The Chariot (Reversed)
“At times, the reversed Chariot is a warning that you are letting obstacles and challenges get in the way, preventing you from achieving what you set out to do. It’s all getting too hard, and you don’t have the will to go on (Biddy).”
Why I Chose the Card:
“I write to you, encompassed by peril and ignorant whether I am ever doomed to see again dear England and the dearer friends that inhabit it. I am surrounded by mountains of ice which admit of no escape and threaten every moment to crush my vessel. The brave fellows whom I have persuaded to be my companions look towards me for aid, but I have none to bestow (chapter 24).”
The second card I picked for Walton is “The Chariot” in the reversed position. This card represents obstacles, lack of direction, opposition, etc. This can be taken in a literal sense when Walton’s ship is trapped by ice, as exhibited in the quote above. He is unable to continue the voyage or even turn back, and his men begin to succumb to the cold while resources begin to dwindle. In the end, Walton’s crew persuades him to abandon the voyage altogether when they can finally move again. Overall, the obstacle that Walton faced prevented him from moving forward which would be what the card is warning about.
Why I Chose the Illustration:
“The Chariot” card I decided to use is from Yoshi Yoshitani’s Fairytale tarot deck. It depicts a man on a boat that is being pulled forward by some sort of aquatic creature, presumably fish. This again fits the theme of water I was trying to maintain for Walton’s cards, and it being a ship is a representation of his literal journey/voyage to the North Pole. Since the card is reversed, it appears that the fish pulling the ship are struggling up a wave, which would make it harder to move the ship. This highlights the difficulty that the ice posed for Walton, preventing him from making any more progress.
The World (Reversed)
“You are drawing near to something that marks the end of a journey or an era. You may have many accomplishments that have lined your path, but there is a strange emptiness that fills you when you look backwards upon it, as if you have all the pieces but they are not coming together. What is missing? Do you feel connected to what you’re doing? Do you feel connected to others? What alienates you from feeling complete? From feeling whole? (labyrinthos)”
Why I Chose the Card:
“Margaret, what comment can I make on the untimely extinction of this glorious spirit? What can I say that will enable you to understand the depth of my sorrow? All that I should express would be inadequate and feeble. My tears flow; my mind is overshadowed by a cloud of disappointment. But I journey towards England, and I may there find consolation (Chapter 24).”
The final card I chose for Walton is “The World” in the reversed position. This card represents a lack of closure/completion, which I believe perfectly sums up how the reader and Walton could feel at the end of the book. With Victor’s sudden death, the creature abruptly disappears into the frozen landscape to die. There is a lack of closure for what the aftermath of all of this is going to be. There is an even bigger lack of closure for Walton, as the friend he longed for and admired has passed just as quickly as he had arrived. The ending leaves a lot of loose ends that will perhaps never be tied to completion.
Why I Chose the Illustration:
I chose this “The World” card from the Fantasy World tarot deck, illustrated by Vera Samiramay. It depicts a symbol of an ouroboros, which is the serpent seen swallowing its own tail. It is viewed as a symbol of a continuous cycle, especially regarding life/death. It can be applied to Walton and his journey as well. Even though it has ended, it also has opened up doors to new beginning for him. As he states in the quote above, “but I journey towards England, and I may there find consolation”. This is showing this potential for something new to sprout from the end of his journey.
Victor Frankenstein
The Fool (Reversed)
“On the flipside, the reversed Fool can show that you are taking too many risks and acting recklessly. In your attempt to live ‘in the moment’ and be spontaneous and adventurous, you may do so in total disregard of the consequences of your actions and engaging in activities that put both yourself and others at risk (Biddy).”
Why I Chose the Card:
“A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me. No father could claim the gratitude of his child so completely as I should deserve theirs. Pursuing these reflections, I thought that if I could bestow animation upon lifeless matter, I might in process of time (although I now found it impossible) renew life where death had apparently devoted the body to corruption (Chapter 4).”
The first card I selected for Victor is “The Fool” in the reversed position. This card represents recklessness, risk-taking, negligence, etc. I picked it specifically as a foil to Walton, since the novel involves the beginning of both of their journeys. However, in contrast to Walton, Victor’s journey is marked with very distinct chaos and failures of his own doing. Victor very egotistically decides to create a creature and believes that it would hail him almost as a god. He also believes that he may hold the key to renewing life from death. However, Victor fails to consider what happens after he accomplishes these things. When his creature is complete, Victor shuns it immediately and is horrified by its very existence, which demonstrates the negligence and recklessness seen in the reversed fool card.
Why I Chose the Illustration:
The card I chose for “The Fool” is from the Ghoulish Garb’s Terror Tarot deck. It depicts a goblinesque man treading on a pile of bones. I thought that it serves as a nice contrast to Walton’s fool card, which has bright and cheery colors. Victor’s card has dark, foreboding blues and images of skulls, which can symbolize the dismantling of bodies to create the creature. In general, I tried to keep within a theme of bodies/death for Victor’s cards.
The Hierophant (Reversed)
“When you see the Hierophant in reverse, it may mean that you are feeling particularly restricted and even constrained from too many structures and rules. As a result, you have lost quite a lot of control as well as flexibility in your life. You have a particularly strong will and desire to go ahead and regain control as well as to break free from the shackles of convention. You are tempted to try unorthodox approaches or to function in a way which defies social ties and norms (labyrinthos).”
Why I Chose the Card:
“I saw how the fine form of man was degraded and wasted; I beheld the corruption of death succeed to the blooming cheek of life; I saw how the worm inherited the wonders of the eye and brain… from the midst of this darkness a sudden light broke in upon me … I was surprised that among so many men of genius who had directed their inquiries towards the same science, that I alone should be reserved to discover so astonishing a secret (Chapter 4).”
The second card I selected for Victor is “The Hierophant” in the reversed position. This card represents challenging the status quo, rebellion, new approaches, etc. This fits Victor’s studies and how he forged his own path and learned the secret to life. Instead of strictly sticking to the more accepted/orthodox fields of science that his professors wanted him to study, Victor decided to still pursue knowledge in the realm of Alchemy. He subsequently took to doing taboo things such as digging up graves and observing rotting bodies, and sewing body parts together to form his creature. Victor expresses shock that he was able to learn the secret of creation where so many before him had failed, which fits with the idea of the reversed hierophant approaching things from a new angle and deriving knowledge from within yourself – becoming your own teacher.
Why I Chose the Illustration:
The card I chose for “The Hierophant” comes from The Alchemical Tarot: Renewed Deck, illustrated by Robert Place. It depicts a man sitting on a throne with two candles beside him, each in front of a window. One candle is in front of a window that shows it being night outside, while the other is in front of a window showing daytime outside. The figure of a man stands beside the daytime window, while a woman stands in front of the nighttime window. The man on the throne is holding open a book. I chose this illustration mainly for the book and the two human figures. I believe it shows Victor’s pursuit of knowledge and how he used bodies to create the creature.
The Tower (Upright)
“When the Tower card appears in a Tarot reading, expect the unexpected – massive change, upheaval, destruction and chaos… Change is here to tear things up, create chaos and destroy everything in its path. Just when you think you’re safe and comfortable, a Tower moment hits and throws you for a loop. A lightning bolt of clarity and insight cuts through the lies and illusions you have been telling yourself, and now the truth comes to light (biddy).”
Why I Chose The Card:
“During the whole of this wretched mockery of justice I suffered living torture. It was to be decided whether the result of my curiosity and lawless devices would cause the death of two of my fellow beings: one a smiling babe full of innocence and joy, the other far more dreadfully murdered, with every aggravation of infamy that could make the murder memorable in horror (Chapter 8).”
The final card I chose for Victor is “The Tower” in the upright position. This card represents realization, chaos, sudden change, etc. This applies to the repercussions that Victor begins to face regarding his abandonment of the creature. The sudden chaos and realization begins when the creature causes the death of both William and Justine (eventually leading to the monster vowing to kill everyone Victor loves). With these deaths, Victor’s life changes and he realizes that abandoning his creation comes with a set of consequences and that his “curiosity and lawless devices” resulted in him creating something he shouldn’t have created in the first place.
Why I Chose the Illustration:
The card I chose for “The Tower” also comes from the Ghoulish Garb’s Terror Tarot deck. It depicts lightning striking a tree and setting it on fire as two hooded, reaper-like figures fall from it. The roots of the tree are littered with skulls. Again, this keeps in the theme of death and bodies that can be applied to Victor’s creation. The reaper-like figures also could symbolize his mingling with the mechanisms of life and death.
Creature
The Lovers (Reversed)
“The Lovers reversed can also reflect that the feelings within a relationship are not mutual. One person may be more emotionally involved than the other, and this gap could lead to disappointment and insecurity later down the track. You may be reluctant to open your heart to the relationship for fear of getting hurt. The reversed Lovers also speaks to self-love and respect. To what extent do you honour and accept who you are and the value you offer in this world? Be mindful, too, if you look at other people and wish you were more like them (Biddy).”
Why I Chose the Card:
“‘Accursed creator! Why did you form a monster so hideous that even you turned from me in disgust? God, in pity, made man beautiful and alluring, after his own image; but my form is a filthy type of yours, more horrid even from the very resemblance. Satan had his companions, fellow devils, to admire and encourage him, but I am solitary and abhorred (Chapter 15).”
The first card I chose for the creature is “The Lovers” in the reversed position. The card represents disharmony, self-love, imbalance, etc. This card relates both to how other people view the creature as well as how he views himself. Other people cannot look past the appearance of the creature and do not accept him at all. He is alone, and even the cabin-folk that he had grown to love fled at the sight of him. The creature views his form as “filthy” and “horrid” and laments his forced solitude.
Why I Chose the Illustration:
The card I chose for “The Lovers” comes from the Ghoulish Garb’s Terror Tarot deck. It depicts a skeletal, reaper-like figure over a man with devil-like features and a woman wrapped by a snake next to an apple tree (Adam and Eve and the forbidden fruit). I decided to go with a religious/Adam and Eve theme for the creature to represent how he was created by Victor, and how Victor could be seen as god while he himself could be seen as Adam.
The Tower (Reversed)
“The Tower reversed suggests that you are undergoing a significant personal transformation and upheaval. This differs from the experience of the upright Tower where the change is often because of external circumstances and may even feel forced upon you. Instead, with the reversed Tower card, you are instigating the change and calling into question your fundamental belief systems, values, purpose and meaning… You may change your beliefs and opinions about important topics, realizing that you can no longer support older models. Or, in more dramatic cases, you may go through an existential crisis where you seriously question your life’s purpose (Biddy).”
Why I Chose the Card:
“I had saved a human being from destruction, and as a recompense I now writhed under the miserable pain of a wound which shattered the flesh and bone. The feelings of kindness and gentleness which I had entertained but a few moments before gave place to hellish rage and gnashing of teeth. Inflamed by pain, I vowed eternal hatred and vengeance to all mankind (Chapter 16).”
The second card I chose for the creature is “The Tower” in the reversed position. This card represents personal change, fear of change, etc. It relates heavily to the creature’s battle with his own morals and how he feels about humanity. He begins feeling nothing but bitterness and rage at the treatment he receives, and a personal change begins to take place within him where the “kindness and gentleness” begins to turn to “hatred and vengeance”, as the quote describes. In some ways, it can be argued that the creature fears this change that takes place within himself. Him wanting a female companion could be a way to indicate this, as he was willing to leave humanity behind for good with just the one companion.
Why I Chose the Illustration:
The card I chose for “The Tower” comes from the Tarot of the New Vision Deck. It depicts Adam and Eve falling out of a lightning-struck tower towards the tree of knowledge. This could symbolize the creature falling away from his nature of kindness after obtaining the knowledge that humanity will never accept him as he is.
The Hanged Man (upright)
“The hanged man understands that his position is a sacrifice that he needed to make in order to progress forward – whether as repentance for past wrongdoings, or a calculated step backward to recalculate his path onward (Labyrinthos).”
Why I Chose the Card:
“Do not think that I shall be slow to perform this sacrifice. I shall quit your vessel on the ice raft which brought me thither and shall seek the most northern extremity of the globe; I shall collect my funeral pile and consume to ashes this miserable frame, that its remains may afford no light to any curious and unhallowed wretch who would create such another as I have been. I shall die (Chapter 24).”
The final card I chose for the creature is “The Hanged Man” in the upright position. The card represents sacrifice, surrender, letting go, etc. This applies to the creature at the end of the novel, after Victor has passed. The creature seems to suddenly feel remorse after his only “relationship” is lost, and he decides that the only way forward is to “sacrifice” himself so that no one else can ever create a miserable creature like him.
Why I Chose the Illustration:
The card I chose for “The Hanged Man” comes from the classic Rider-Waite tarot deck. It depicts a man suspended upside down on a cross. This is straightforward in that it connects to the creature sacrificing himself for what he believes is a greater good.
Works Cited:
- Alligo, Pietro, et al. “The Tower Tarot Card.” Tarot of the New Vision Tarot Garden, http://tarotgarden.com/tarot-of-the-new-vision/.
- Major Arcana Tarot Card Meanings. 24 Apr. 2020, www.biddytarot.com/tarot-card-meanings/major-arcana/.
- Place, Robert. “The Hierophant.” Robert Place the Alchemical Tarot: Renewed, https://robertmplacetarot.com/the-alchemical-tarot-renewed-4th-edition.
- Samiramay, Vera Petruck. “The World Tarot Card.” Fantasty Tarot Deck ArtStation, www.artstation.com/artwork/L2bkWR.
- Smith, Pamela. “The Fool Tarot Card Image.” Rider-Waite Tarot Deck Wikipedia Page, Last edited on 3 Mar. 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rider-Waite_tarot_deck.
- Smith, Pamela. “The Hanged Man Tarot Card Image.” Rider-Waite Tarot Deck Wikipedia Page, Last edited on 3 Mar. 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rider-Waite_tarot_deck.
- “Tarot Card Meanings List – 78 Cards By Suit, Element, and Zodiac.” Labyrinthos, https://labyrinthos.co/blogs/tarot-card-meanings-list.
- “The Fool Tarot Card.” The Fool Ghoulish Garb Page, www.theghoulishgarb.com/products/the-fool-tarot-card-sticker.
- “The Lovers Tarot Card.” The Lovers Ghoulish Garb Page, https://www.theghoulishgarb.com/products/the-lovers-tarot-card-ghoulish-edition
- “The Tower Tarot Card.” The Tower Ghoulish Garb Page, https://www.theghoulishgarb.com/collections/the-tower-tarot-card-ghoulish-edition.
- Yoshitani, Yoshi. “The Chariot Tarot Card.” The Chariot Spirit Navigator Page, https://spiritnavigator.com/tarot-card/the-chariot/.
For my Unessay project, I decided to connect three characters in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (Captain Walton, Victor, and the Creature) and their experiences to tarot cards from the Major Arcana. I actually had no prior knowledge of tarot before going into this project, but I tried to do some research and careful examinations of each card that I picked. Hopefully it is sufficient.
For Captain Walton, I picked cards that related to his voyage and subsequent encounter with Victor, from beginning to end. I gave him the fool (upright) to signify the beginning of his voyage and how we experience/go on the journey of learning Victor’s story with him, the chariot (reversed) to signify the obstacles in his voyage, and the world (reversed) to show how abrupt the ending of his voyage/the novel in general leaves us with a lack of closure.
For Victor, I focused on his actions that led to the creation of the creature and the consequences that happened after. I gave him the fool (reversed) to show how he acts as a sort of foil to Walton with his ego and selfishness. I also gave him the Hierophant (reversed) to show his obsessive pursuit of knowledge to create the creature, and I gave him the tower (upright) to show the ensuing chaos that resulted from his negligence.
For the creature, I focused on his struggles with himself and those around him. I gave him the lovers (reversed) to show how he isn’t loved by anyone around him or by himself, as an extension. I also gave him the tower (reversed) to show the internal moral change/conflict that takes place within himself, and then I gave him the hanged man (upright) to show how he saw the only way forward for himself to be the act of sacrificing himself so that no one would ever create another creature like him again.
As a bonus, I did have some cards lined up for Elizabeth as well, but decided to scrap this concept because I felt that I was going overboard with the assignment. For Elizabeth, though, I had wanted to focus on how her character is reduced to being a caregiver/object for others. I was going to give her the empress (reversed) to show how she focuses too much on being a maternal figure after the death of her own mother (“aunt”) and didn’t allow herself to grieve. Then I was going to give her the emperor (reversed) to show how the authoritative patriarchy dictates her future marriage to Victor and how she is expected to act and why she was adopted. Finally, I was going to give her the star (upright) to mention how she is described with celestial features and seen as something to give Victor hope/restore him after his hardships.
My response to this piece of literature matters because it shows how it can still be relevant to modern-day. Even though Frankenstein was written in 1817, it still resonates with us today. We still feel for the creature and his experiences, and can even identify ourselves within him. Tarot cards are a good tool to identify facets of ourselves and our journeys in life and I think it’s really cool how it can be applied to the characters in the text.
I can safely say that, after doing this project, I want to become more knowledgeable about tarot in general. I still know nothing about the minor arcana cards and I bet that, if I did, it would’ve enhanced my project.
This is so out of the box and creative, I love this project so much. I love how you connected certain characters to certain Tarot cards, that adds such a fun twist to what each character was like. The card you picked for Walton “the fool” was really interesting, and I didn’t really know much about tarot cards until I read your project. I think it is extremely fitting about naivety and looking for adventure, because that is basically what Walton is doing. I also love that for Victor you picked the “revered fool” I think it also is very fitting. Even though Walton and Victor were able to get along they were both very different. Walton just wanted to gain more knowledge and more adventure while Victor was very much how you described, risk-taking and chaotic. I really enjoyed this!
This is such a creative idea! It was so interesting going through the characters of the book and seeing what cards fit them. I also like how you included a quote from the character to help explain why you chose that certain card for them. Including the illustration also really helped visualize it, as well. Great job!