"During these last days I have been occupied in examining my past conduct, nor do I find it blameable." - pg 161
Finally, a character that notices a futile cause when he sees one. At last, a character looks into reality, realizes he is not to blame, and walks away from whatever questionable task he is performing. In the passage above, Walton claims he does not blame himself for the death of Victor, or the situation he put his men in. His intentions were noble, and he did not do anything against his better judgment. Had he continued on his dangerous quest, he would be culpable for any misfortunes that befell him or his men after that. This is a contrast with all the other characters in the novel.
Unlike Walton, Victor blames himself for everything that is happening AND refuses to stop the vicious cycle of chasing and killing. This is both nonsensical and comparative to the monster. The monster knows that Victor will never give him what he wants, but he continues to kill those close to him anyway. The monster says that his violence is spurred by the wrongs done to him, but still admits that the acts he commits are all his own and not anyone else's. So, I guess in the end, Walton did learn something from Victor: quit while you're ahead and don't play the blame game.
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