Thursday, April 21, 2011
Frankenstein
"Pardon this gush of sorrow; these ineffectual words are but a slight tribute to the unexampled worth of Henry, but they soothe my heart overflowing with the anguish which his remembrance creates" (pg 114). This foreshadows the death of Henry. He begins talking about Henry in the past tense, giving the reader the clue that Henry died. Victor also interupts the story to convey his grief for his lost friend. This also shows his deep grief for the loss of his friend because he interupts the story to tell Walton how good of a friend Henry was. It was after the death of Henry that Victor's health suffered greatly. He was almost to the point of death. Victor reacted more severely to Henry's death than to his wife, Elizabeth's death. Victor does not refer to anyone else in the past tense other than Henry. He does not reflect on the death of Elizabeth, but he reflects on the death of Henry.
Frankenstein-Health
"The human frame could no longer support the agonies that I endured, and I was carried out of the room in strong convulsions" (pg 129). Victor's health rapidly declines after he agrees to build another creature for his monster. When he decides not to go through with it, the monster kills his best friend Henry. Victor is charged with the murder and he goes crazy. He becomes delusional and cannot handle the emotional turmoil Henry's death caused. His health had almost recovered from the shock when Justine and William were killed, but he was still weak. Victor seems very emotionally unstable and has many relapses. Victor even passed out when he found Elizabeth's body. He dies in the end because he works too hard to find the monster.
Frankenstein-Irony
"Let the cursed and hellish monster drink deep of agony; let him feel the despair that now torments me" (pg 150). Victor curses the monster and vows he will avenge the deaths of his loved ones. He pursues the monster so that he can kill him. It is ironic that he curses the monster to feel the despair he feels now when the monster is also in despair. He only killed Victor's friends and family because of his loneliness. He wanted Victor to build him a female so he would not be lonely so he threatened Victor. Victor agreed but later changes his mind so the monster goes on a rampage. He wanted Victor to feel the pain of being alone, the same pain he feels. It is ironic that Victor wants the monster to feel his despair after his loved ones were killed when they were killed so that Victor would feel the pain the monster endured. The monster and Victor had similar pain, but neither would sympathize with the other.
Frankenstein-character similarities
"Seek happiness in tranquility, and avoid ambition, even if it be only the apparently innocent one of distinguishing yourself in science and discoveries" (pg 162). Walton and Victor shared many similarities. They were both ambitious and their expeditions did not go as planned. Victor created a terrible monster and Walton ventured into the uninhabitable north pole and failed. He had to return and he wasted many months sailing on a pointless journey.Victor's life was haunted by his creation and he died very young. Walton will always be affected by his journey. he knows the terrible things the monster did and that the monster might still be alive. Walton and the monster also had some similarities. The monster was terribly lonely and wanted a friend, but he could not find a friend because everyone was scared of him. Walton wanted a friend and found Victor, but Victor died.
Frankenstein part II-Ending
"But soon I shall die, and what I now feel be no longer felt" (pg 166). Walton finds the monster by the coffin of Frankenstein. He acts as though he was sorry that Frankenstein died and stated that it was his fault he had died. He knew that if he murdered Victor's family and friends he would ruin Victor's life, but he did it anyway. The monster also vows to kill himself. He said he was sorry for what he had done and he was going to commit suicide. I do not trust the monster to actually carry out his deed because he has many mood swings. He purposely killed Victor's friends and then said he was remorseful, but he ends up killing more people. He said he would kill himself because he was remorseful but he has proven that remorse is not enough. The story ends and the reader does not know what happens to Walter or the monster.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Frankenstein-Winter
"In a thousand spots the traces of the winter avalanche may be perceived, where trees lie broken and strewed on the ground..." (pg 66). The setting in the book has mainly taken place during the winter. Robert is sailing to the North Pole so he is surroundings are covered with ice and snow. After the death of Justine, Victor travels into the snow covered mountains. Creature also spends the beginning of his life in the snow. He clears the path covered in snow for the family living in the house he watches. Winter is often described as cold, harsh, and desolate. Robert felt friendless and isolated from the ones he loved. Victor was consumed by a harsh guilt of creating Creature who caused the death of William and Justine. Creature was physically cold as he struggled to stay alive in the forest and he was also alone. Winter is also a sign of hopelessness.
Frankenstein-Health
"For this I had deprived myself of rest and health" (pg 35). One of the themes in Frankenstein is health, or lack of it. Frankenstein works hard day and night to give life to his creation. His health declines and when Creature comes to life, he flees from it in realization of its horror and disgust. He health fails him even more and he is confined to his bed. He receives a letter from his father and finds that William had been killed. Justine is charged for the murder and is killed although she was innocent. Elizabeth succumbs to grief as does Victor, but for different reasons. His health further declines because of his agonizing guilt for creating the creature who murdered his little brother. Had he of been in the right mind and perfect health when he hatched the plan to bring life to the creature, he might have thought twice about his plan.
Frankenstein-Sympathy
''I saw few human beings besides them; and if any other happened to enter the cottage, their harsh manners and rude gait only enhanced to me the superior accomplishments of my friends" (pg 79). The monster spends his life in the forest watching this family for most of the day. He has never met the young couple or the old man before but he considers them to be his friends. When the little boy, William, was killed, Victor immediately blames Creature. The reader also feels compelled to hate Creature because Victor describes him as wretched and disgusting. When Creature becomes the third narrator, the reader feels more sympathy towards him. He wants friends and is depressed and lonely. He is very similar to Robert because Robert was also in desperate need of a friend. Monster could not even talk to anyone because everyone was so frightened.
Frankenstein-POV
"You will rejoice to hear that no disaster has accopmanied the commencement of an enterprise which you have regarded with such evil forebodings" (pg 1). Robert Walton is the first narrator in the story and he speaks through the letters he writes to his sister, Margaret. He is an explorer journeying to the north pole to reveal and understand its mysteries. During his travels, he finds a man emaciated and close to death. He nurses him back to health and the reader discovers that the man is Victor Frankenstein, the person who created the monster. In Walton's letter to his sister Frankenstein tells Walton about his life and what he had done in creating the monster. The story is in Victor's point of view until page seventy. The monster tells Frankenstein what he had done in his life so far and how he had survived by himself. The reader feels more sympathetic toward the creature because he expresses his sadness and misery because of his loneliness.
Frankenstein-Benevolence
"And yet you rescued me from a strange and perilous situation: you have benevolently restored me to life" (pg 9). Robert had found Victor emaciated and near dead and he decided to help him out. Victor has many benevolent people in his life. He describes his parents as benevolent and his professor. Robert was benevolent to Victor because he nursed a stranger back to health and gave him food and shelter. It adds a contrast to how he treated his creation. He immediately abandons the monster after it was brought to life. Victor did not even know how his creation would act and did not take the time to observe him. The reader would think that Victor would extend common courtesy toward his creation and look after him because of all the benevolent people in his life, but he does not.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
The Great Gatsby-Characters
" 'They're a rotten crowd,' I shouted across the lawn. 'You're worth the whole damn bunch put together.' I've always been glad I said that. It was the only compliment I ever gave him, because I disapproved of him from beginning to end." I really liked Nick Carraway. I think I liked him a lot because of this line. He spends most of his time with people like Tom and Daisy, but he realizes they are not the best people. He was also genuinely kind to Gatsby. He did not talk to Gatsby because he wanted anything. He was one of the few people who actually took the time to find out past events in Gatsby's life. He actually knew the truth about him and how he was James Gatz before he was Jay Gatsby. Nick seemed genuine and honest and as a result, Daisy and Tom were portrayed as shallow and fake. The Great Gatsby has become one of my favorite books.
Gatsby-Metaphor
"So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past" (pg 180). The boat in this sentence is a metaphor for all the people. The boat against the current signifies the struggle to escape from the past or trying to relive the past. Some people run from their past, but do not succeed as well as those who try to relive their past and fail. People will always carry their past with them whether they try to forget it or not. Events from a person's past made them what they are today. Gatsby was a man who lived for the past. He wanted to marry Daisy and start their life right where they left off five years ago. He could not accept that he could not relive his past and it led to his demise. He had lived almost his entire life building his fortune so that he could marry Daisy. He did not have anything in the present to live for.
Gatsby-simile
"Daisy and Jordan lay upon an enourmous couch, like silver idols weighing down their own white dresses against the singing breeze of the fans" (pg 115). Idols are to be worshipped and admired, but nothing else. This stands for a common view of women in that time period. Tom often states that he believes women should not have equal rights. He does not encourage indpendence for women either and thinks that they have to much at that point. In the Roaring Twenties, women began to gain independence and they wore shorter dresses, had shorter hair cuts, and no longer hid in the shadow of their husbands. The twenties offered many changes for women, giving them more independence. Tom did not like Daisy to have too much independence because he was afraid she would leave him. When he found out about her affair with Gatsby, he was angry.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
The Great Gatsby-Disgusting Daisy
"I tried to think about Gatsby then for a moment, but he was already too far away, and I could only remember, without resentment, that Daisy hadn't sent a message or a flower" (pg 174). Up to the point of Daisy and Tom's fight about Gatsby, I kind of liked Daisy. She was shallow and selfish at times, but she never did anything drastic to make me hate her. When Gatsby was shot, I was disgusted that Daisy never sent any message or flowers for her funeral. Even though she stated through her actions she was not going to leave Tom and marry Gatsby, she should have at least sent flowers. I felt so sorry for Gatsby because no one comes to his funeral. He tried to relive the past and he failed. He expected Daisy to still love him, but she did not. She loved money and would not wait for him. I do not think she ever loved him because she was so selfish. If she truly loved him, she would have married him when he was poor.
Gatsby-Irony
"I suppose the latest thing is to sit back and let Mr. Nobody from Nowhere make love to your wife. Well, if that's the idea you can count me out... " (pg 130). Tom is extremely angry to find out Gatsby loves Daisy and she likes him too. He wants Daisy to remain faithful to him, but he does not have to remain faithful to her. He has a mistress, Myrtle, and he goes to see her often. It is ironic that he gets angry at Daisy for doing the same thing he is doing. He is having an affair, but does not think women should be able to have affairs. He is strongly against women becoming more independent and he is also racist. The situation he is in should give him more of a perspective on how Daisy feels about his mistress. Another event which is ironic is that both Daisy and Tom have their lovers die. Myrtle is hit by Gatsby's car, though Daisy is driving, and Gatsby is shot.
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