- Though Dickens followed and Swift preceded Shelley, do you see any of the same concerns reflected in their works as are expressed in Frankenstein (for specific concerns see Frankenstein blog prompt)? Discuss one shared concern, and illustrate it with a direct quotation.
- How does history play a role in the settings of these books?
Due date: Monday, October 19
2 comments:
The first similarity that comes to mind is the fact that both Frankenstein and A Tale of Two Cities contain fantastical themes. In accordance to the Romantic Era, an exaltation of the imagination is present in both novels. In Frankenstein, there’s the idea of a dead body being brought to life and horrifying its creator, and in the first three chapters of Dickens’s novel there’s the idea of a man being buried for eighteen years and then being ¨recalled to life¨ (Ch. 3, pg. 14). Both of these plots reflect an intense imagination on the part of the author, and, seeing as Dickens came after Shelley, it wouldn’t be surprising that he got the idea of a body being brought back to life from her original story. Dickens even goes as far as having his character converse with the buried person in his own mind, asking him questions and then having the man’s apparition respond them as if in pleasant conversation (Ch.3, pg. 14). Already, the reader can see how Dickens is assimilating to the Romantic inclination of fantastical thought to his writing.
The reader can also see how Dickens takes history into consideration when writing this novel. In the late 1800´s, Europe, and specifically London, was known for being an unsafe place. With poverty on the rise, desperate people turning into pickpockets or murderers were not uncommon occurrences. It is easy to see that Dickens has placed his characters in this setting and made them respond to it, not by stating it outright, but by describing their reactions to the world around them. In one instance, while two characters are riding on a coach and are forced to stop, Dickens describes how they immediately become anxious, and even begin to hide their jewelry in order to keep it from being stolen (Ch. 2, pg. 10). Dickens makes his world real by applying it to a historical setting, and makes it easier to relate to by describing events that the common Londoner of the 1800´s could have experienced.
Swift and Shelley have very different ways of writing. Although there are some similarities between the two pieces, there is many different things between the two pieces. First of all, Shelley's book, Frankenstein, is a science-fiction book that is meant to be taken more seriously. The narration is really vivid, and the way the plot unfolds in the story is really plausible. Swift's "Gulliver's Travels" is also a science-fiction novel, only that, from what I have read in the 3 first chapters, it is more surreal, but then again, it is a satirical piece.
In these chapters, Lemuel Gulliver, the main character, is a survivor on a shipwrecked boat, and appears in "Lilliput", an island with 6-inch tall inhabitants. Clearly, this plot is much more imaginative and far from reality.
I think to a certain extent, both authors are criticizing some of the same things. So far, I have noticed Swift is indirectly making fun of and criticizing humankind, probably, and most particularly the english. I think that the Lilliputians, so far, represent the small-mindedness of society, and the way they completely tied him to the ground shows how insecure humans tend to be: how everything has to be taken badly, and how all strangers must be approached with a huge army. The Lilliputians were so fearful, as when "the creatures ran off, before [Gulliver] could seize them, he felt above an hundren arrows discharged on his left hand....and besides they shot another flight into the air...like bombs"(p.28). The first approach the Lilliputians took at approaching Gulliver was a militaristic one: just like almost every powerful nation during that era, who heavily depended on an army for their international relations. It is like satirizing the structure of the English courts and their ways of managing problems.
I think in a way Shelley also criticizes human kind. She portrays in many times throughout the novel, how people tend to "judge the book by it's cover", how people judge people before getting to know them. Although they are criticizing different characteristics of humankind, I believe that human behavior is a concern for both of them.
History I believe plays a huge role not only in the setting but in the theme of this book. "Gulliver's Travels" was written in 1726, when there were many things going on in history. There was chaos all over the place: the America's were already getting ready for a fight for independence, France was approaching a revolution, and England was caught all in the middle of this. The English court had to make quick decisions regarding how to handle these situations. These decisions that were made by these political parties and courts profoundly affected the English and how the world viewed them. I think this is why Swift, at least during these 3 first chapters, is satirizing how these courts functioned. The significance of these decisions and the way the government worked I think is what the novel was truly based on.
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