How does Shelley, through Robert Walton, begin to examine the issues surrounding man's belief in both the Rational (science) vs. the Supernatural (the unexplained).

Robert Walton is trying to achieve his goal with his belief in the rational; he hopes to convince his men that this goal is achievable. The unexplained begins to surface when he encounters Dr. Frankenstein who has many stories to tell which affect the question of the unexplained. The entire novel becomes a study in the rational (science) and the supernatural (unexplained).