...Shelley's Frankenstein, (Topic) Victor has two doppelgängers, one being Clerval and the other being his creation (Argument) because the monster is an embodiment of his worse self who doesn't take responsibility and Clerval is his better self who lives without guilt, which is reflected in their relationship to nature, and view of self. (Reason) Victor Frankenstein...
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...Frankenstein Essay Assignment For this essay, you will choose a focus in the novel, Frankenstein, and create an original argument based on it. Your writing may be strictly literary analysis or it may take the form of a compare/contrast essay that works to connect an aspect of the novel to concepts or events outside the book. You are free to choose whatever focus you like in the novel. A good starting point is to consider what aspects of Frankenstein interest you most as you read it; for example you might be particularly drawn to the monster’s development, the relationship between Victor and Walton, Victor and the monster, the role of women, the nature vs. nurture debate, the importance of companionship, or the role of nature in the book. Here are some topic ideas that you may choose if you would like to connect the novel to outside sources: 1) Psychology/Identity formation- research child development, nature vs. nurture, and connect what you find to the monster’s development in the novel. What does Shelley’s novel seem to suggest about how identity is formed? Compare and contrast Shelley’s views with your research. 2) Philosophy- Shelley was heavily influenced by Locke and Rousseau, two major philosophical thinkers. Read excerpts of their works, and apply concepts from their writings to the novel. 3) Shelley’s biography- If you are interested in learning more about the writer behind the story, this is a good option for you. It won’t take you long to see...
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...restraint/And knew not eating death” (Milton Book IX 790-791. This quote by poet John Milton perfectly describes Victor Frankenstein from Mary Shelley’s gothic novel Frankenstein, and his unbridled ambitions. Frankenstein sought to create a new species of superior beings by together bodies and imbuing them with life, but soon realized his mistakes which cost him the lives of friends and family. Prior to his first successful creation, Frankenstein set himself up as God, and later his creation found that it resembled Adam. In a tale about the genesis of a race, it is natural that it would be rife with religious allusions, and indeed Shelley brings up John Milton’s Paradise Lost, an epic poem about the creation of...
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...Introduction Frankenstein was Mary Shelley's (1797-1851) first published novel, written when she was only eighteen years old in 1818. In her preface to the 1831 edition, Mary Shelley tells the reader that she was asked by her publisher: "How I, then a young girl, came to think of, and to dilate upon, so very hideous an idea?" Explaining where and why the idea for Frankenstein came to Mary Shelley could answer it Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin (living with but unmarried to the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley); Shelley; George Gordon, Lord Byron; and Dr. John Polidori spent the summer of 1816 in Switzerland. According to a 1 June 1916 letter by Mary Shelley, "almost perpetual rain confines us principally to the house." Lord Byron (a friend of Shelley's) and his physician John Polidori, resided nearby at the Villa Deodati. Persistent heavy rains kept them indoors, the four finally resorted to telling familiar and recently published horror and ghost stories. For days they told tales which included gothic elements: graveyard and convent, burial vaults, mysterious trap doors and passages, wild locations, secluded spots, and pursuits by moonlight. Finally, one evening at Byron's villa, they made a pact to see who could write the most frightening ghost story. Both Percy Bysshe Shelley and George Gordon, Lord Byron, had earned widespread fame; even Mary had first published a book at the age of eleven (Mounseer Mongtongpaw). Each undertook the task eagerly. It is said that Mary had a nightmare...
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...In Mary Shelly’s novel Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus, Shelley alludes to many other pieces of work such as Rime of the Ancient Mariner and biblical stories such as Paradise Lost constantly throughout the book. All of these allusions carry a compelling meaning between Frankenstein and the other literary work. Shelley’s reasoning for using various pieces of literature in her novel was to compare the characters in her novel to the other characters in the other works. The main characters in Shelley’s novel all portray other characters form the literary works in a way due to their actions and thinking. Frankenstein alludes to the literary works of Prometheus, Paradise Lost, and Rime of the Ancient Mariner to emphasize the certain actions that occur in the novel and how they are similar to the alluded works. All of these allusions provide insight to the actions of the characters and the characters in general. Many of the literary pieces alluded to in the novel are referenced by the protagonists in the story. In fact, the monster is taught how to speak by reading Paradise Lost, after stealing it and through this; he learns the concept of good and evil. The characters are aware of these works and realize that their actions are similar to those of the characters in the other literary works. All of the literary works deal with great tragedy but the protagonists in Frankenstein don’t seem to realize that even though they are acting a lot like the other characters in the literary...
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...Fathers play important roles in the development of their children, providing care, protection, companionship, socialization, and learning opportunities to their sons or daughters. Good fathers produce good kids who grow up to be productive members of society. On the other hand, children who are abandoned by their fathers often have low self-esteem, have issues establishing attachments with others, display deviant behaviors, and suffer from mental illness ("Father"). Mary Shelley's groundbreaking novel, Frankenstein, exemplifies how fathers abandoning their child, whether emotionally or physically, can affect their children in negative ways. Victor Frankenstein, the main character of the book who later creates the legendary monster, traces...
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...Of Monsters and Men: How Humanity Incites Monstrousness in Grendel and Frankenstein All too often on a daily basis do people judge others based on their physical appearance or other superficial criteria. Generally, close-minded individuals perceive anything foreign or a deviation from the norm as offensive or even as a threat. We would like to think that we are not prone to such a fault, but this foible is ingrained in human nature. Literature has examined this aspect of humanity on a magnified scale by using monsters as a metaphor for those we judge; the novels Grendel by John Gardner and Frankenstein by Mary Shelley are as much character studies on humanity as they are stories about monstrousness itself. The monsters in each novel certainly...
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...can ever forget. “It must be made equally clear, however, that such influences are exercised in the dialectical sense of ‘“continuity in discontinuity”’ (Meszaros, 1). There is very much “continuity in discontinuity” in literature, media, and the arts of today. In Mary Shelley’s book, Frankenstein, the hideous ‘monster’ that was created by Victor Frankenstein was frowned upon, fled from, and even abandoned by his own creator. This shows the inhumanity that society shows towards those who are different. “There was none among the myriads of men that existed who would pity or assist me; and should I feel kindness towards my enemies?” (Shelley, 115) The creature had merely a different look, but his emotions and desires were no different than any other human: love, companionship, and a sense of belonging. Many cast him away because his looks rang out evil. "I am alone and miserable; man will not associate with me; but one as deformed and horrible as myself would not deny herself to me. My companion must be of the same species and have the same defects. This being you must create” (Shelley, 35). The theme that rings throughout the novel is alienation. Outward appearance played a crucial role in the separation of the creature from society. The quick...
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...Nature vs. nurture is one of the oldest philosophical debates in history. The argument is whether your life experiences or the environment you grow up in has a lasting effect/influence on the type of person that you become or if your development is predisposed in your DNA. Both nature and nurture play important roles in the development of a human being, but it is not known which one causes the majority of the way a person turns out. In Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, I believe nature vs. nurture is a theme that she raises. Would the creature have turned out differently, even good, if Victor Frankenstein raised him and didn’t abandon him when he was first brought to life? She is arguing in favor of nurture and saying that the creature behaves...
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...Frankenstein Notes ------------------------------------------------- Some Interesting Points * There is a chilling logic in the creature's arguments. Why should he not respond in kind to the way that he has been treated by both his maker, who should have cared for him and looked after him, and by mankind as a whole? If the creature is inhuman, it is only because he is imitating the inhumanity of the human species. Therefore, I think that the novel presents Victor as being more inhuman. * Victor is alien in his society in the way that he removes himself from others, for example when he goes about creating the daemon/creation. Victor is very secretive and seems to like it that way... he doesn't really try to understand people like the creation does. The creation tries again and again to belong in the community, its his greatest desire. With Victor, on the other hand, there seems to be a gulf between him and the rest of society. * Justine’s trial testifies to the inhumanity of man. What is important to note is the way this links in to a vital theme of the novel, which is the presentation of the creature himself. He starts off innocent and wanting a relationship with his maker. It is the way that he is shunned by his maker and by humanity and treated cruelly that forces him into cruelty, but this cruelty is only paralleled by the monstrous nature of humanity as displayed in incidents such as the trial of Justine. We cannot expect the creature to be good when...
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...Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Key facts full title · Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus author · Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley type of work · Novel genre · Gothic science fiction language · English time and place written · Switzerland, 1816, and London, 1816–1817 date of first publication · January 1, 1818 publisher · Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, & Jones narrator · The primary narrator is Robert Walton, who, in his letters, quotes Victor Frankenstein’s first-person narrative at length; Victor, in turn, quotes the monster’s first-person narrative; in addition, the lesser characters Elizabeth Lavenza and Alphonse Frankenstein narrate parts of the story through their letters to Victor. climax · The murder of Elizabeth Lavenza on the night of her wedding to Victor Frankenstein in Chapter 23 protagonist · Victor Frankenstein antagonist · Frankenstein’s monster setting (time) · Eighteenth century setting (place) · Geneva; the Swiss Alps; Ingolstadt; England and Scotland; the northern ice point of view · The point of view shifts with the narration, from Robert Walton to Victor Frankenstein to Frankenstein’s monster, then back to Walton, with a few digressions in the form of letters from Elizabeth Lavenza and Alphonse Frankenstein. falling action · After the murder of Elizabeth Lavenza, when Victor Frankenstein chases the monster to the northern ice, is rescued by Robert Walton, narrates his story, and dies tense · Past foreshadowing · Ubiquitous—throughout...
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...FRANKENSTEIN Study Guide Homework: Please write your answers on separate paper. Letters 1-4 1. Who is writing Letter 1 (and all the letters)? Robert Walton 2. To whom is he writing? What is their relationship? Mrs. Saville, his sister 3. Where is Robert Walton when he writes Letter 1? Why is he there? What are his plans? St. Petersburg, Russia. He is hiring a crew for his ship. He intends to sail to the North Pole and discover magnetism. 4. What does Robert Walton tell us about himself? He is passionately committed to discovery and adventure. He wishes he had a friend with the same sensibilities and he says he is self-taught. 5. Where is Walton now? What do you think of Walton's question "What can stop the determined heart and resolved will of man"? Walton is out to sea, sailing north. The quotation establishes the Romantic idea of the power of emotion over reason. 6. How much time has elapsed between Letter 3 and Letter 4? What "strange accident" has happened to the sailors? One month has lapsed. The accident is the ship is trapped in ice and fog. 7. Why does the man picked up by the ship say he is there? What shape is he in? The man says he is “seek[ing] one who fled from me” (11) and he asks which direction the ship is sailing. He is near death, weak and emaciated. 8. What sort of person does he seem to be? How does Walton respond to this man? The man remains silent and this creates a sense of mystery around him. Walton finds...
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...FRANKENSTEIN Study Guide Homework: Please write your answers on separate paper. Letters 1-4 1. Who is writing Letter 1 (and all the letters)? Robert Walton 2. To whom is he writing? What is their relationship? Mrs. Saville, his sister 3. Where is Robert Walton when he writes Letter 1? Why is he there? What are his plans? St. Petersburg, Russia. He is hiring a crew for his ship. He intends to sail to the North Pole and discover magnetism. 4. What does Robert Walton tell us about himself? He is passionately committed to discovery and adventure. He wishes he had a friend with the same sensibilities and he says he is self-taught. 5. Where is Walton now? What do you think of Walton's question "What can stop the determined heart and resolved will of man"? Walton is out to sea, sailing north. The quotation establishes the Romantic idea of the power of emotion over reason. 6. How much time has elapsed between Letter 3 and Letter 4? What "strange accident" has happened to the sailors? One month has lapsed. The accident is the ship is trapped in ice and fog. 7. Why does the man picked up by the ship say he is there? What shape is he in? The man says he is “seek[ing] one who fled from me” (11) and he asks which direction the ship is sailing. He is near death, weak and emaciated. 8. What sort of person does he seem to be? How does Walton respond to this man? The man remains silent and this creates a sense of mystery around him. Walton finds...
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...FRANKENSTEIN Study Guide Homework: Please write your answers on separate paper. Letters 1-4 1. Who is writing Letter 1 (and all the letters)? Robert Walton 2. To whom is he writing? What is their relationship? Mrs. Saville, his sister 3. Where is Robert Walton when he writes Letter 1? Why is he there? What are his plans? St. Petersburg, Russia. He is hiring a crew for his ship. He intends to sail to the North Pole and discover magnetism. 4. What does Robert Walton tell us about himself? He is passionately committed to discovery and adventure. He wishes he had a friend with the same sensibilities and he says he is self-taught. 5. Where is Walton now? What do you think of Walton's question "What can stop the determined heart and resolved will of man"? Walton is out to sea, sailing north. The quotation establishes the Romantic idea of the power of emotion over reason. 6. How much time has elapsed between Letter 3 and Letter 4? What "strange accident" has happened to the sailors? One month has lapsed. The accident is the ship is trapped in ice and fog. 7. Why does the man picked up by the ship say he is there? What shape is he in? The man says he is “seek[ing] one who fled from me” (11) and he asks which direction the ship is sailing. He is near death, weak and emaciated. 8. What sort of person does he seem to be? How does Walton respond to this man? The man remains silent and this creates a sense of mystery around him. Walton finds...
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...In a competitive era like we have today, it is essential to catch up with the latest trends in the society. With increasing emphasis on various competitive exams and your soft skills for grabbing all upcoming opportunity, English as a language is becoming all the more important. Everywhere we go, we face difficulties in getting a job, which is our aim, to survive in the society and lead a successful life. Speaking and writing correct and required English is one of them. Here we bring a book that will give a basic structure to all the aspirants to attempt descriptive English properly. We give a complete framework covering each and every topic of descriptive English paper. The book comprises techniques to attempt précis and essays, contains types of letters, sample letters & even model tests for your practice. This will provide the aspirants with basic knowledge of general rules of attempting English language descriptive paper, guiding them in learning English to an extent to which they attempt confident use of English. The book is aimed to provide you the content, sufficient enough, to attempt the descriptive English paper efficiently and may lead you to success in your examination. For this purpose all the current topics are being covered here. This book also intends to provide the competitors a conceptual base through the explanations of the questions asked. Any modification or error shall be entertained and we will try to incorporate it in our next issue. DESCRIPTIVE...
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