Frankenstein- Blog 10

Death is a major theme in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. There are 6 deaths of major characters in the story. It is all for the same or similar reason and it all begins with Victor. If Victor would have never created the creature, William, Justine, Henry, Elizabeth, and Victor's father would have never died. If it were not for the creature's loneliness and Victor's possible creation of a mate, there would have been some sort of salvation for some of these characters. It is in the last couple scenes of the book that we that the creature has also caused the death of Victor. We finish off the story with the creature wanting to end his own life for all of the evil he has caused. "'This is also my victim!' he exclaimed; 'in his murder my crimes are consummated  the miserable series of my being is wound to is close!'" (Shelley, 163). It is this scene that strikes the most importance. We see that death has been a major theme and it is now that the creature, the cause of all of this, realizes all of the damage he has done and that there is nothing to do but end his own life.

Frankenstein- Blog 9

The psychological effect that the creature in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley causes is the lead cause to Victor's sickness. The creature keeps Victor alert and afraid throughout his existence. Victor is on the verge of suicide at one point, doesn't mind dying at another, and is devastated by his family member's deaths. It is the creature who afflicts pain. Not just emotional and physical, but psychological as well. "...but I was overcome by the sensation of helplessness, so often felt in frightful dreams, when you in vain endeavor to fly from an impending danger, and was rooted to the spot" (Shelley, 122). It is every move that the creature does that has Victor on his toes ready to respond. Victor lives in depression and becomes ill whenever some incident happens to him because of his emotional weakness. In the end, it terminates the lives of all his loved ones and eventually his.

Frankenstein- Blog 8

The doubling that happens between Henry and Victor in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is very predominant. It happens to be that as they go on to their voyage for Victor's quest to make the creature's mate, we see that Henry has become as Victor had been before the creature's creation. Henry was not interested in nature and science while Victor saw it in gloom. "He was alive to every new scene; joyful when he was the beauties of the setting sun, and more happy when he beheld it rise, and recommence a new appearances of the sky" (Shelley, 112). Henry was taking Victor's path of loving nature but in a way that Victor did not. Henry was optimistic and was not too eager. He was easy-going and had patience, something that Victor lacked. Victor wanted to hold the world in his hands while Henry knew he could only live in that world.

Frankenstein- Blog 7

The creature in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley provides for us a proof of what learning is to deprived children. The less fortunate or children raised in deprived conditions are grateful for what they have. At least most are; there are always those exceptions of rebellious children. In reading about the creature's background and means of learning, we see his eagerness and willingness to learn. A normal person takes learning for granted, but when deprived they seek it. This is also the case with the creature. As he hides in the cottage of a family in Geneva, he is craving to learn and to understand what is going on around him. "I conjectures, therefore, that he found on the paper signs of speech which he understood, and I ardently longed to comprehend these also..." (Shelley, 79). It is in this desire to learn that the creature was able to learn language and learn things about society that concluded him to realize of his rear existence in the world.

Frankenstein- Blog 6

The sense of time in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, is used very crucially. It is something that is kept in front of us, especially with the many stories within stories. In reality, we know that the stories are too detailed to be true, but we must not be stuck on that. We must acknowledge that this is a fiction story and that the stories are told in great detail but are told for the sole purpose of telling a good story. Furthermore, we have Walden writing his sister a letter with the story that Victor is telling him about the creature. On the mountains, Victor encounters the creature for the first time since the creature came to life. When meeting, Victor attacks but the creature wants only to tell Victor the reasoning and story behind his two years of life. "But I consented to listen, and seating myself by the fire which my odious companion had lighted, he thus began his tale" (Shelley, 70). With the start of this story, Victor begins recounting yet another story in his story to Walden's written story. (How confusing!) It is crucial for us to keep a sense of time within each story and for us to realize that all these events do not happen chronologically.

Frankenstein- Blog 5

Just as expected, the creature has come back to haunt Victor Frankenstein. In Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, we see that what was seen as a "monster" by Victor is really an eloquent, intelligent human being. "Be calm! I entreat you to hear me, before you give vent to your hatred on my devoted head" (Shelley, 68). The strangest thing has happened. First, a living being was created from dead matter. The being could not speak at the beginning and was on his own. He was lost and thought to be dangerous. Yet here he is, telling his creator that he will leave all in peace if they listen to him. It is quite interesting how such a dangerous and frightening man can speak so intelligently. To victor this was also a great surprise. He refers to the creature to "daemon". It is quite bizarre and interesting how it all plays it out.

Frankenstein- Blog 4

It is crazy how being afraid of something can help you hide your feelings and emotions. In Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Victor Frankenstein is so afraid of the creature he has created. He is so afraid that he runs away and does not think about the consequences that could lead to. He has left this "creature" to run around in the wild. Frankenstein doesn't think about this because of his fright towards himself for creating the creature and the creature itself. He continues to decline in health because of his constant worries and dismay. It is clear that he does not want to tell anyone of what he has done. He avoids it from Clerval and avoids it from his professors. He even tries to avoid it to himself but it cannot be possible because it haunts him. His fright is so large that when his favorite servant is accused of his death and he knows she is not the killer, but rather the large creature he has created, he avoids telling anyone. "My tale was not one to announce publicly; its astounding horror would be looked upon as madness by the vulgar" (Shelley, 530). He is afraid that people will think he is insane and it causes the execution of his servant. Only he knows the truth, and his fright is taking a hold of him.

Frankenstein- Blog 3

The one thing that is very unrealistic about the book Frankenstein by Marry Shelley is the details told to Robert Walton by Victor Frankenstein. When Victor commences to tell his story, he says many things that are red flags for us to know that the narrator is not reliable. For example, when recounting to Walton the letters that were sent between his sister and him, he was technically able to recite them word for word. A real person in a conversation would either have to have memorized it, have it in front of him, or summarize it. No one would really recite it in the way he did. "My Dearest Cousin, You have been ill, very ill, and even the constant letter of dear kind Henry are not sufficient to reassure me on your account" (Shelley, 40). This letter, written by Elizabeth is recited to Walton by Frankenstein. Again, I see it to be unreliable that a person can have such a memory. We have to take in to account that the above mentioned, of being able to have it in front of him or memorize it is most likely improbable since he was in the middle of the ocean. It just bring out the fact that this story is fiction, more specifically science fiction.

Frankenstein- Blog 2

As we learn more about Victor Frankenstein in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, we learn about his creation. In Mary Shelley's version we see parts of the Frankenstein story that are unexpected and not like the movies or other stories told. In Shelley's version, the creator is terrified with what he has done as soon as the creature is brought to life. In other versions the creature is taken care of and nurtured. While reading Shelley's version, I did not expect Victor to be upset with the creation. I expected Victor to take a different approach to the way in which he reacted to the creature. He immediately ran away. "He might have spoken, but I did not hear; one hand was stretched out, seemingly to detain me, but I escaped, and rushed downstairs" (Shelley, 36). It was this bizarre reaction that took me by surprise. I completely expected Victor to be extremely happy and be excited to have finally mastered what he had spent so much time working on. It was not the reaction that other movies or stories portrayed either. This of course, is Shelley's version.

Frankenstein- Blog 1

                      Frankenstein by Mary Shelley begins with letters written from Robert Walton, a very important character, to his sister. In these letters, Robert shares his passion for learning and his desire to know more about the world. Robert is a great example of a crucial character who is not mentioned much once the real story starts. He is our leading character until he comes upon Victor Frankenstein. It is Robert's passion for exploring that leads us to learn about Frankenstein's story. As Robert begins to know Frankenstein, his "affections for his guest increase every day" (Shelley, 11). They share many characteristics that lead to their eventual friendship and us finding out the story. They both share a passion for exploring and for learning.  Frankenstein tells Walton that he wants to prevent him from making the same mistake he made by being so ambitious. This is when the story of Frankenstein's great story is told. Again, if it would have not been for Walton and discovering Frankenstein in the middle of the frozen ocean, there would have been no story to tell. Robert is an important character although mentioned very few times.

Much Madness is divinest Sense- Alienation Unit

Much Madness is divinest Sense by Emily Dickinson is a poem of paradoxical proposition. Insanity is good sense and good sense is insane. "To a discerning Eye..." [Dickinson, 830] refers to a person who takes notice in things and in this poem it is referring to a person who notices that insanity is good sense. I have trouble figuring out why the words "discerning" and "Majority" provide the resolution of the paradox. I believe it is because those words bring about an uncertainty. They make us rethink insanity and good sense so that they no longer coincide. I have to be completely honest and say that I am having trouble comprehending this poem in general. I see the two parts, the insanity and the good sense, but I can not pick out what pulls them apart or what brings them together.

APO 96225

The irony present in APO 96225 by Larry Rottmann is situational because of the mother's expectancy to get a letter in the mail with exactly what is going to happen. The soldier writing back tells his mom the positive things that are going around him while the mother begs to know the reality. She is all too eager to be grateful that her son is being optimistic. She is too worrisome and can not enjoy that her son is alive and well to be able to send her the messages. Her son is in reality miserable but wants his parents not to worry. The soldier wants to keep his parents from worrying while his mother is worrying too much. It is the irony that brings about the important point that we must be grateful for the information that is given to us for things happen for a reason. Some people try to hide things from us for our own good and we are too blind trying to figure out the rest that we do not realize the good that someone is trying to do for us. 

I felt a Funeral, in my Brain- Alienation Unit

The poem I felt a Funeral, in my Brain by Emily Dickinson is terrifying due to the metaphor of the funeral being related to a part of the speaker dying. The speaker feels despair and the people who mourn her are really the pains she feels. She describes them as something that "Kept treading-treading-till it seemed That sense was breaking through-" [Dickinson, 776].  This repetition is to emphasize that they are so strong and keep coming back. These pains are tormenting her, destroying her even. It is like she is possessed and these pains come from the inner possession that is inside of her until she reacts and they go away. This poem is divided into two parts- the speaker as a viewer and the speaker as a participant. In the end they both shatter. Her pains get the best of her and she has what we call a mental break down. It is the end of the funeral, the part where part of the speaker dies.

Bartelby, the Scrivener- Alienation Unit

Bartleby, the Scrivener by Herman Melville brings me a sense of sadness and in a weird way a sense of warmth. Bartleby's character is somewhat bizarre with his weird obsession for being at work....or so we think. A homeless person, like Bartleby, has to be desperately poor in order to live at the place where he works. I guess it is really hard to imagine such a life. We take what we have for granted and all Bartleby had was work, work, and more work. Living a life like that would be 1) very solitary and depressing and 2) sad. I find warmth in this because I imagine myself being able to go to Bartleby's office and hugging him and taking him to a shelter. Poverty is a weakness and something I would like to someday try to combat. Bartleby was harmless although he was put in prison for not wanting to leave his "home", "Being under no disgraceful charge, and quite serene and harmless in all his ways, they had permitted him freely to wander about the prison..." [Melville, 672]. Bartleby eventually died in the prison and I like to think it was because he was in solitude and missed being in the comfort of the office he called home.

Miss Brill- Alienation Unit

Miss Brill by Katherine Mansfield remind me a lot of the stories that I studied in my Junior year AP Psychology class. The way that Miss Brill acted was in no way normal. The first sign of this is when she begins to talk to her fur as it has come to life. "She had taken it [the fur] out of the box that afternoon, shaken out the moth powder, given it a good brush, and rubbed the life back into the dim little eyes. 'What has been happening to me?' said the sad little eyes" [Brill, 182].  The alliteration used to give live to the fur represents her mind seeing the fur as her only companion perhaps. When in the park, she also imagines her life as a play. Her solitude brings her imagination to life in a way that makes her believe she is not lonely. Also, her life is very routine, something that I suppose would bring comfort. Comfort was exactly what she needed since she lived alone and in a world of imagination. Sadly, it all comes falling down when the couple makes fun of her at the end of the story. Poor old Miss Brill.