As with your previous postings, I expect you to support each response with a citation from the text; identify it using MLA citation.
Response due: Friday, October 16
Friday, October 9, 2009
Frankenstein!!!
Frankenstein Chapters 1-2
As with your previous postings, I expect you to support each response with a citation from the text; identify it using MLA citation.
Discuss the similarities between Elizabeth and Victor’s mother. What might they symbolize?
As with your previous postings, I expect you to support each response with a citation from the text; identify it using MLA citation.
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One of the excerpts that symbolize the ideals of the Romantic Era is found in chapter 2 P29 where Victor is describing his intrigue for the sciences event though his father was not into the subject. Victor says “Wealth was an inferior object but what glory would attend the discovery if I could banish disease from human frame and render man invulnerable to any but a violent death!.” Here Victor is expressing his imagination, in this case a dream, where he can make an invulnerable human being in order to make a scientific goal. Though we all now, and even he did I suppose, this is an impossible task and least with his advances in science and technology (of his time), he wandered off in his imagination of completing this task and achieving fame and glory (the novel is also fiction).
Elizabeth is very similar with Victor’s mother. First they were beautiful and fair looking, just and pure hearted. In their childhood they were left orphans and beggars, living in extreme poverty until they are “rescued” by Victor’s father. His mother can be said was rescued because Victor’s father took her for a wife and his sister because his father took her as a daughter. They may symbolize the softer side of Victor’s passion, the loving side of Victor that will not be centered in science. In a way they are both part of his heart and he loves them a lot.
A good example of the romantic influence in this novel is Victor's childhood is portrayed as dreamy "No human being could have passed a happier childhood than myself. My parents were possessed by the very spirit of kindness and indulgence. We felt that they were not the tyrants to rule our lot according to their caprice, but the agents and creators of all the many delights which we enjoyed." But then it is contrasted by the fact the Victor's father discouraged his readings, by saying "Ah Cornelius Agrippa! My dear Victor do not waste your time upon this; its sad trash." this is evidence of romanticism because Victor lives in denial of his father's flaws, he just portrays the good things, the dreamy.
Elizabeth resembles the story of Victor's mother. They were both orphans, and at a certain point Victor understands the love of the mother, by loving Elizabeth, because of the similarities in their background, in other words, Victor loves his mother 'via' Elizabeth.
"While my companion contemplated with a serious and satisfied spirit the magnificent appearances of things, I delighted in investigating their causes. The world was to me a secret, which I desired to divine.” (Shelley 25) “Curiosity, earnest research to learn the hidden laws of nature ... are among the earliest sensations I can remember.” (Shelley 25) This shows that Frankenstein’s interest in science and nature developed from the curiosity of the causes and occurrences on the world. As the novel progresses his interest increases and the ideal of nature becomes more evident.
One of the similarities between Victor’s mother and Elizabeth is the most evident; they were both orphans who were rescued by the Frankenstein family. Victor’s mother found protection with Victor’s father after her father’s death and Elizabeth was found and adopted by Victor’s mother. They were both welcome in the family and they were both given love. Both these women were tender, sweet and gentle, they were not rough. Victor has an attachment to both, and he loves them very much. I believe they symbolize the tenderness and love of women.
The romantic theme is present in the description of Elizabeth as "a child fairer than pictured cherub-a creature who seemed to shed radiance from her looks and whose form and motions were lighter than the chamois of the hills" (Shelley 23). Elizabeth is being compared to nature's angelical beauty-she is an earthly and heavenly combination of a girl. This excerpt reveals how appearances are romanticized and compared to works of art-whilst drawing inspiration from nature at the same time.
Elizabeth and Victor's mother were both saved from pauper situations by Victor's father. He saved his mother by marrying her and he saved Elizabeth by allowing Victor's mother to keep her. They are both objects of adoration-Victor's father adores his mother, worshiping her every breath and Victor loves Elizabeth and would do pretty much anything to see her happy. Elizabeth and Victor's mother symbolize beauty and how the world eventually corrupts it-they are not only beautiful on the outside but also on the inside. they are the reincarnation of all the beauties of nature according to Victor and his dad. They are the characters that portray the more human side of Victor where he is not interested in science and his passionate side since he is willing to do anything for these women.
Nature is a predominant theme throughout this novel so far; you come by various examples where Victor uses nature to describe his feelings. Victor uses nature to tell us about his changes in character and to emphasize many important details about his life as he tells it. “….when we witnessed a most violent and terrible thunder storm. It advanced from behind the mountains of Jura, and thunder burst at once with frightful loudness from various quarters of the heavens.” (Shelly 30) Here we can see that victor tries to tell us that this was a terrible storm and that it shook things up. “ …on a sudden I beheld a stream of fire issue from an old and beautiful oak which stood about twenty yards from our house; and so soon as the dazzling light vanished, the oak had disappeared” (Shelly 30) I think this is a very important reference to nature because this event caused a change to happen in Victors life. I believe that through this occurrence of nature he depicts his own change. The next morning they had discovered that the tree had vanished, nothing but the stump was left. Victor was mesmerized by the sight; he had never seen anything so utterly destroyed. While a crowd of people stood around the destroyed oak tree, a man of great research in natural philosophy entered into an explanation based on the subject of electricity and galvanism. Foe some reason this incident changed the direction of Victors studies and focuses. Instead, “he betook himself to the mathematics and the branches of study appertaining to that science as being built upon secure foundations” (Shelly 31) He renounced his former studies of natural history. Victors mother was an orphan; alone from an early age after the death of her father, who was Victor’s fathers best friend. She was adopted by Victor’s father, and soon they married and had Victor. Elizabeth Victor’s sister was adopted as well. This is a clear similarity between these two characters; I believe the book is trying to show us a connection between these two characters. Since we haven’t heard much of Victor’s mother I believe Elizabeth symbolizes Victor’s mother, for she saw poor Elizabeth in the same misery she had suffered some time ago. So she pushes to adopt this poor girl, maybe seeing a lot of herself in Elizabeth. In my opinion Victor’s mother to some extent felt better about her situation maybe if she adopted and helped this young girl. She may be making the transition from adapted to adopter and seeing herself in the position to help people like herself she did so.
"I was their plaything and their idol, and something better-their child, innocent and helpless creature bestowed on them by heaven, whom to bring up to good, and whose future lot it was in their hands to direct to happiness or misery..."(Shelly 21-22) Shows how divine the child is viewed and shows how much he is worth to his parents and what he means to them.
Elizabeth and Victor's mother are very similar characters. They are both divine and beautiful creatures. They are good to those around them. At one point int thier lives each has gone from riches to poverty and then each found comfort in a wealthy home. They are each pure-hearted people and care for those around them. I think that Elizabeth and Victor's mother symbolize the pureness in life and represent what makes a person a "person". They show the diffence between simply having life and possessing a soul.
The Romantic Era can be portrayed at the beginning of chapter 2 when Victor is describing Elizabeth's personality: "She busied herself with following the aerial creations of the poets; and in the majestic and wondrous scenes which surrounded our Swiss home-the sublime shapes of the mountain, the changes of the seasons, tempest and calm, the silence of winter, and the life and turbulence of our Alpine summers-she found ample scope for admiration and delight" (25). Here, Victor mentions literary components to describe Elizabeth's intellectual personality and shows how interested he is in the 'majestic scenes' that the world contains.
Both Victor's mother and Elizabeth were raised as orphans until they found compassion and security from caring men (Victor's mother from her husband and Elizabeth from Victor). Both these women are gentle and peaceful, and are truly loved by Victor. Throughout these characters we perceive Victor's human nature as opposed to his scientific and literary passions.
Traits of the romantic era are found throughout the entire first two chapters. In chapter 2, for example, Victor talks about how he was greatly influenced by revolutionary thinkers (at the time) such as Cornelius Agrippa, Paracelsus and Albertus Magnus and it was reading the books of authors like this that augmented his passion for venturing into the “physical secrets of the world”(pg 27). This demonstrates the revolutionary ideas that the romantic era included regarding the sciences and the nature of things. Victor also states to “always having been imbued with a fervent longing to penetrate the secrets of nature” (pg 28). Frankenstein was eager to learn more about somewhat interesting branches of science, and this made him a peculiar being. Elizabeth and Victor’s mom were greatly alike in the sense that they both came from harsh conditions(Elizabeth having lost her family and Victor’s mom as well), and they were both gracious and beautiful. Love predominated within the family, and both Elizabeth and Victor’s mom cared for every individual in the family.
Romanticism can be seen in the novel by Victor's attempts to protest against the limitations on human existence through his experimentation wih reanimation. "The raising of ghosts or devils was a promise liberally accorded by my favourite authors, the fulfillment of which I most eagerly sought..."(29 Shelley).
Victor's mother and Elizabeth are similar in that they are both loving women and that at on point in their life they were orphaned and destitute. They symbolize the more uman side of Victor as he openly demonstrates his love for them.
Both of them were of important families and both were left abandoned (orphaned and (Victor's mom)beggars and(Elizabeth) children in utter dispair. They were both beautiful also. These women basically represent the ideal Romantic era female: beautiful, pure, good hearted, creatures of divinity.
A passage near the end of chapter 2 discribes the era's (literally Victor's but it can be interpreted as the era's) curiosity of nature and its mysteries. It reads, "The untaught peasant beheld the elements around him and was acquainted with their practical uses. The most learned philosopher knew little more. He has partially unveiled the face of NAture, but her immortal lineaments were still a wonder and a mystery...I had gazed upon the fortifications and impediments that seemed to keep human beings from entering the citadel of nature, and rashly and ignorantly I had repined."-(Shelley 29)
Some ideals of the Romantic Era are found. For example, Victor talks about Henry Clerval, "he was deeply read in books of chivalry and romance. He proposed heroic songs and began to write many a tale of enchantment and knightly adventure. He tried to make us act plays and to enter into masquerades.....drawn from the heroes..." (Shelly26). This shows characteristic of Romanticism in exaltation of imagination and elevation of medievalism. Another example that shows the ideals of Romantic era is when Victor describes Elizabeth. "Elizabeth shone like a shrine-dedicated lamp in our peaceful home. Her sympathy was ours; her smile, her soft voice, the sweet glance of celestial eyes" (Shelly 27). This shows the Romantic Era's emphasis on aesthetic experience and picturesque qualities.
There are few similarities between Elizabeth and Victor's mother in that they were both "rescued" from poverty and loneliness by a warm welcoming person. They are both tender, sweet, caring, fragile, and loving. They symbolize passive gentle women (stereotypical women in romantic era).
Throught the novels of the Romantic era we find reccuring themes that pivot around the importance of the individual. The essence of the human being is placed on a pedestal along with all their pertaining characteristics. Consequently they also have faith in their value. This is present on Shelly's novel as Frankenstein narrates the story of how their parents met. His father had not only sympathy for the orphan that was left alone and poor after her fathers death; but also he trusts her value and decides to givew her the benefit of the doubt. " He came like a protecting spirit to the poor girl, who committed herself to his care; and after the interment of his friend, he conducted her to Geneva, and placed her under the protection of a relation." ( 3) This demonstrates how his father trusted in the good deed he was doing. Ultimately this lead to another aspect of the romantic Era which is the loving relationship as the got married and created a family.
One of the ideals representative of the Romantic Era is that of an interest in nature which is noticeable in the novel. For example when Victor said he has a "fervent longing to penetrate the secrets of nature" (Shelley 28). He also says that he "entered with the greatest diligence into the search of the philosopher's stone and elixir of life" (Shelley 29). Both these quotes demonstrate Victors wanting to know and understand the nature and world around him. Both Elizabeth and Victor's mother were rescued from poverty by Victor's father. They both come from similar backgrounds. Both are portrayed similarly in a familiar and loving manner. This could represent a different side of Victor who can be very loving. The represent Victor's more tender side. I think that Elizabeth is like a younger version of Victor's mother. They are both beautiful and good hearted and represent the good that there can be in the world.
The romantic era was characterized by the harsh criticism against the values held by society. “My father loved Beaufort with his truest friendship and was deeply grieved by this retreat in these unfortunate circumstances. He bitterly deplored the false pride which led his friend to a conduct so little worthy of the attention that united them”(Shelley 21). In this quote the author criticizes how Beaufort values power, money, and people’s opinion over friendship and humility, which in the end matters the most, and therefore decides to leave because of his “pride”. Although he leaves he is not able to live happy with what left. Another primary characteristic of the romantic era was their fascination with beauty, nature and the divine, which are constantly reflected In Shelley’s style of discription like in “her brow was clear and ample , her blue eyes cloudless, and her lips and the moulding of her face so expressive of sensibility and sweetness that none could behold her without looking on her as of a distinct species, a being heaven sent”(Shelley 22).
Elizabeth and her adoptive mother are both two uniquely beautiful people that come from the poverty and cruelty of society being at one point rescued form orphan hood. They are truly beautiful, noble, caring, and loving as described by Victor who is loves science(romantics weren’t fond of t), but the only one who can bring him back from it are his mother and Elizabeth. They are like the figures of perfection many romantics seeked to escape the suffering and crudeness of those despairing times.
Dear Class,
Several of you wrote very insightful comments. I would like all of you to read all the postings but if time is an issue, I would suggest you read Jose Andre's because of his description of how nature is used, Alex's because she puts several ideas together concerning Elizabeth and the mother, Ah Young's for her discussion of the Romantic Era and Oscar's for the more obscure take on the social realities of the Romantic Era.
Please, don't anyone else make Vivian's mistake - DO NOT use a quotation that someone else has used.
Please DO NOT make the mistake Paulina made, two both parts of the prompt, not just one.
In other words: Read the post carefully.
Beginning around the time of the French Revolution, the Romantic era signaled a change of heart in European literature and art. Responding to the atrocities occurring throughout the continent and the swift industrialization of Europe, authors sought to shelter themselves in their writing by addressing themes like the imagination, nature, and individuality. These aspects of romanticism are easily visible in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein from its very beginning. In the first letter, Walton expounds on the glories of the northern climes he is approaching. He exalts the weather and atmosphere there, and “inspirited by… winds of promise, [his] daydreams become more fervent and vivid.” The pole “presents itself to [his] imagination as the region beauty and delight (Shelley 1).” This exaltation of nature and the descriptions of his imagination are clear indicators of a romantic work.
The clearest and most pointed similarity between Victor’s mother and Elizabeth is of course the fact that both were once orphans. Victor’s father took in the woman who would become his mother out of compassion. Maybe as a result of being an orphan for a while or because she was taken in so magnanimously when she was young, Victor’s mother seems to want to do the same for someone else. This could be the reason she takes in Elizabeth, attempting to pass on the kindness that was once shown to her. They are both kind-hearted and noticeably warm. Their similarities will undoubtedly work into the overall plot of the story later on.
An example of the romantic influence in the first two chapters would be "My temper was sometimes violent, and my passions vehement; but by some law in my temperature they were turned not toward childish persuits but to an eager desire to learn" (Shelly 26) I think it shows how they he turns his violence to ways he can better himself through learning therefore showing his worth as an individual.
The similarity between Elizabeth and Victors mother is that they were both orphans, and both are a very important part of Victors life, and they show the side of Victor that sees beyond the science and is able to love them completely.
Mary Shelley begins her story of Frankenstein with the familiar elements of the Romantic era. Since the first chapter one can find many aspects that reflect the ideals from that time, especially the exaltation of nature and a more peaceful mindset of the people. In chapter one, for example, the more free-spiritted romantic lifestyle is presented when Victor's father just married his mother. "Immediately after their union they sought the pleasant climate of Italy, and the change of scene and interest attendant on a tour through the land of wonders..."(Shelley 21). This shows how people began to appreciate nature and seek a more peaceful lifestyle. As the story progresses that fascination with nature and learning becomes more and more evident especially when Victor grows older.
Another imporant component in the story is the character of Elizabeth, who is introduced towards the end of chapter one. Elizabeth is a very important character in the story because she is almost a reflection of Victor's mother since they share many things in common. They both came, at one point in their lives, from powerful families but eventually ended up being poor orpahns. They were also distinctively beautiful yet very sweet and compassionate. These similarities are what established such a strong connection between them since they first met. Victor's mother felt the immidate desire to help Elizabeth because she felt connected to her; she knew what she had been trhough because she had experienced it as well. Eventually these two characters will play an important role in Victor's life.
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