Retelling stories has been used from generation to generation as a way to share life-changing lessons. Flashbacks provide a bridge to past or future events to the present without ruining the chronological order of a story. Practicing flashbacks in novels helps the reader connect important situations. The use of flashbacks in Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein retells the events, enhances understanding of the novel, and parallels its characteristics. Walton, the biased narrator, is initially introduced and tells the story of Frankenstein to his sister. Through Walton, Victor Frankenstein becomes real and tells Walton "...I imagine you can deduce an appropriate moral from my tale, a moral that may guide you if you succeed and console you if you fail. Prepare to hear the events that they are usually thought wonderful" (28) beginning the story of Frankenstein. Victor's quote serves as a reminder that the story takes place in the past but that the lessons are eternal. Victor hopes that Walton will find a lesson by recounting his journey of knowledge that will help him on his journey. The retelling of Walton as the first character is crucial because as the flashbacks transition into flashbacks the setting becomes sinister. Victor recounts his sensation of the monster as a “breathless horror,” as well as having “disgust” and “Unable to bear the appearance of the being” he had created (56). We learn about Victor's feelings through Walton's account of him and what Victor had endured when his creation came to life. Victor's feelings towards the monster are strong with disgust and this is what drives the monster to take revenge on him. The monster's ugly appearance truly makes him the monster he was never meant to be. They don't... half of the paper... improve their understanding of everything. Walton through his journey connecting the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean, the monster searching for the reason for its creation, and finally Victor's hunt, which ultimately leads to the creation of the monster. Each of their motives to reach a better understanding or to discover leads to a paradoxical loss towards themselves. The use of flashbacks in Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein recounts events, enhances understanding of the novel, and parallels its characteristics. Shelley narrates the novel in flashbacks to denote a better understanding of the characters and examines the quest for knowledge. In doing so it raises many questions: Is the pursuit of knowledge a journey worth taking? Will knowledge bring death? This mysterious thirst for knowledge fuels the monster within every human being.