Summary
Justine's trial was held. The evidence against her was that she was gone the night of the murder, and was seen in the morning near where the body was found. Also, the valuable picture was found in her pocket. Justine told her side of the story, saying she had stayed with an aunt, then looked for William upon hearing about a lost child. By this time, the city gates were locked. Elizabeth defended her by saying that she had no motive, as she would have given her the picture if Justine had asked. Justine was condemned, and sentenced to death.
Justine confessed, but Victor thinks the monster committed the murder then set Justine up. Elizabeth and Victor visited Justine, and she admits that she confessed a lie.
The next day, Justine was killed. Now, Frankenstein was responsible for William and Justine's deaths and Elizabeth and his father's sadness. Victor becomes so grieved and guilt - ridden that he falls into a depression and his health declines again. Eventually, his family moves from Geneva to Belrive. Victor felt free, as without the city walls he could go boating at night.
Victor's approach to the problem changes, and he wants to kill the monster as a form of revenge instead of avoid all contact with him. Elizabeth unknowingly encourages him in this aspect by speaking of how the murderer walks free.
Victor feels better while travelling, so he wandered through a valley and mountains on horseback. He arrives at the village of Chamounix. The next day he explored the valley. Surrounded by nature, he is comforted. He eventually decides to scale a glacier. Upon reaching the top, he sees the creature approaching. Victor decides to fight him. The monster says that he is hated by his creator, that Victor shouldn't have played with life, and that Victor must make a deal with him, or he will kill his family and thousands of others. If Frankenstein agrees, the creature will be kind and obey Victor, if Victor will only give him happiness. The monster convinces Victor to sit with him in his hut while he tells Victor his story.
The creature says that after he first came to life, he became aware of his senses, and wandered out into the forest. He couldn't speak properly. By observing a campfire, he realized how to use fire, how to light objects on fire, and how to cook. Due to lack of food, he traveled until he found a shepherd's hut. The elderly shepherd inside ran at sight of him, and the monster then ate his breakfast. The monster next went into a town, but was stoned, so fled. He found a hovel connected to a cottage in the country. The following day, he prepared the shelter to live in, and stole food from the cottage. He observed a young man and girl working on the farm. Peeking through a crack in the cottage, he was able to see inside. He watched an old man play beautiful music on an instrument. Enthralled, the creature watched the family until they went to sleep.
The monster continued his observations. He realized the old man was blind. The younger family members cried at times, and the monster realized that he was not alone in sadness - yet he could not determine the cause of their tears. Eventually, he realized that the family was impoverished and hungry. As a result, the creature stopped stealing food, chopped firewood, and cleared a paths through the snow.
He observed the personalities of the family members; the old father was encouraging, the boy, Felix, was depressed but very kind and selfless, and the girl, Agatha, was also sad but very sweet and loving. Over a few months, the creature also begins learning a few words, and realizes that writing on paper represents words. He decides that he will learn the language, then reveal himself to the family. He believes that he will be able to make them love him.
Thoughts
Through the book, I have seen Victor's relationships with both the creature and Elizabeth changing. He used to love and be obsessed with the creature, but once he was alive, Victor was disgusted and fearful if it. Later, he hated the monster and wished to kill it, and then finally felt obligated to make it happy. As for Elizabeth, she used to be Victor's sister and playmate. Victor was her protector. When he went to college and became interested in the creation of life, he became distanced and cold. Finally, after William's death, Elizabeth became an example for Victor to strive for.
Another observation I made is that Victor's mood continues to have a range of extremes. He started off obsessed with the creation of life and in poor health. He was then terrified and traumatized by the monster. After he recovered, he was extremely happy, and after William's death he was grief-stricken, guilty, and depressed. In his wanderings in the wilderness, he swings from content and comforted to extremely melancholy.
Furthermore, the monster must have had some awful experience to turn him from a caring and gentle, if ugly, creature to a suspected murderer. He used to love humans, but at this point he hates them. I wonder what this event is.
The monster has asked happiness from Frankenstein. I wonder if his request will have something to do with having companionship, as he initially longed to be with people.
It seems that several times Frankenstein alludes to more deaths in the future by the monster's doing. This foreshadowing makes me wonder if Elizabeth and Victor's father will be killed, as when Frankenstein was telling his story to Robert Walton, he was alone.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Frankenstein (chapters 5-7)
Summary
Victor Frankenstein finally completed the construction of the body. He gave it life, but upon doing so was horrified by the creation. He ran away from it to his bedroom. He slept, but was soon awakened by the creature looking at him and mumbling unintelligibly. Victor then escaped outside, where he spent the rest of the night.
In the morning, Victor walked to town, where he saw his friend Clerval, who had come to study at the university. They went back to Victor's apartment, where the monster was nowhere to be found. However, soon after Frankenstein began hallucinating and fell ill - having become crazy with fear of his creation - for several months.
When he at last became better, he received a letter from Elizabeth. She told him how well the family - including Victor's brothers, Ernest and William, and one of their servants, Justine - was doing, and begged him to come home.
Frankenstein planned to return to Geneva once he was fully healed. Though he improved physically, he was afraid of scientific apparatus, and hated talking to his professors about science. He was traumatized by everything related to the sight of the monster. Thus he and Clerval studied languages and writing instead.
Victor's return to Geneva was delayed by weather and other events. Nonetheless, during this time his spirits became increasingly high as Clerval helped him return to his humanity. He was becoming joyful and happy. Yet, he then received a letter from his father that said that when he, Elizabeth, Ernest, and William were out walking, Ernest and William went ahead to play hide and seek. William became lost, and was found strangled in the morning. Elizabeth thought it was her fault, because she had allowed William to wear a valuable picture of Caroline, and this may have been the motive for the murder.
Victor left for Geneva at once. Upon his arrival, a violent storm breaks out. He sees the silhouette of the monster behind the trees, and realizes that it must be the murderer. however, he doesn't tell his family, as he believes that no one can catch him anyway. However, when Justine is accused of the crime (because she had been sick the morning of William's murder, and was found with the allegedly stolen picture) he insists that she is innocent.
Notes
In the beginning of chapter five, there is a sudden change in Victor Frankenstein's personality. Upon seeing his creation become alive, he is disgusted and terrified of what was once his beloved obsession. It seems that he had to see the final product before realizing how awful it was. Victor reverts back to his original personality, which I believe was the author's way of then allowing him to connect on a personal level with his family after William's murder. He had to be distanced from the monster, so there was a definite difference between human and beast.
Also, a trend that I have observed in the book is one of irony. Just when the situation is terrible - such as when Frankenstein was ill and delusional - it takes a turn for the better - he then became extremely pleased with life in general. One can also recognize when a tragic event is about to happen; only after Victor is becoming joyful and has received a letter that the family is doing well, death strikes. I could predict that some woe was likely to befall a relative, as the letter Elizabeth wrote to Victor gave too many details that would be out of place in context, but could be used later in the story. Also, I knew that Victor would probably hear about it soon after he was feeling well and the book had acquired a tone of normality and happiness. In the same manner, I predict that Justine will be convicted, just because it is unfair and would be another blow to Frankenstein, who said that "...I was destined to become the most wretched of human beings."
Lastly, I had a few questions. First of all, I wonder what Victor used to make the monster come alive? Electricity? Also, why did Elizabeth, Victor's adopted sister, suddenly become referred to as his cousin? Finally, I wonder why Elizabeth feels so guilty for William's death? Could it be that she had a role in the murder?
Victor Frankenstein finally completed the construction of the body. He gave it life, but upon doing so was horrified by the creation. He ran away from it to his bedroom. He slept, but was soon awakened by the creature looking at him and mumbling unintelligibly. Victor then escaped outside, where he spent the rest of the night.
In the morning, Victor walked to town, where he saw his friend Clerval, who had come to study at the university. They went back to Victor's apartment, where the monster was nowhere to be found. However, soon after Frankenstein began hallucinating and fell ill - having become crazy with fear of his creation - for several months.
When he at last became better, he received a letter from Elizabeth. She told him how well the family - including Victor's brothers, Ernest and William, and one of their servants, Justine - was doing, and begged him to come home.
Frankenstein planned to return to Geneva once he was fully healed. Though he improved physically, he was afraid of scientific apparatus, and hated talking to his professors about science. He was traumatized by everything related to the sight of the monster. Thus he and Clerval studied languages and writing instead.
Victor's return to Geneva was delayed by weather and other events. Nonetheless, during this time his spirits became increasingly high as Clerval helped him return to his humanity. He was becoming joyful and happy. Yet, he then received a letter from his father that said that when he, Elizabeth, Ernest, and William were out walking, Ernest and William went ahead to play hide and seek. William became lost, and was found strangled in the morning. Elizabeth thought it was her fault, because she had allowed William to wear a valuable picture of Caroline, and this may have been the motive for the murder.
Victor left for Geneva at once. Upon his arrival, a violent storm breaks out. He sees the silhouette of the monster behind the trees, and realizes that it must be the murderer. however, he doesn't tell his family, as he believes that no one can catch him anyway. However, when Justine is accused of the crime (because she had been sick the morning of William's murder, and was found with the allegedly stolen picture) he insists that she is innocent.
Notes
In the beginning of chapter five, there is a sudden change in Victor Frankenstein's personality. Upon seeing his creation become alive, he is disgusted and terrified of what was once his beloved obsession. It seems that he had to see the final product before realizing how awful it was. Victor reverts back to his original personality, which I believe was the author's way of then allowing him to connect on a personal level with his family after William's murder. He had to be distanced from the monster, so there was a definite difference between human and beast.
Also, a trend that I have observed in the book is one of irony. Just when the situation is terrible - such as when Frankenstein was ill and delusional - it takes a turn for the better - he then became extremely pleased with life in general. One can also recognize when a tragic event is about to happen; only after Victor is becoming joyful and has received a letter that the family is doing well, death strikes. I could predict that some woe was likely to befall a relative, as the letter Elizabeth wrote to Victor gave too many details that would be out of place in context, but could be used later in the story. Also, I knew that Victor would probably hear about it soon after he was feeling well and the book had acquired a tone of normality and happiness. In the same manner, I predict that Justine will be convicted, just because it is unfair and would be another blow to Frankenstein, who said that "...I was destined to become the most wretched of human beings."
Lastly, I had a few questions. First of all, I wonder what Victor used to make the monster come alive? Electricity? Also, why did Elizabeth, Victor's adopted sister, suddenly become referred to as his cousin? Finally, I wonder why Elizabeth feels so guilty for William's death? Could it be that she had a role in the murder?
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Frankenstein (chapters 1-4)
I am reading Frankenstein by Mary Shelly instead of the Odyssey, so I will first give a summary of the first four chapters and the prologue.
In the prologue, a man named Mr. Walton embarked on a trip across the ocean to the north pole in order to study magnetism - against his father's dying wishes. Walton first saw a massive figure on a dogsled - I am assuming this person was the monster - then later rescued a man who had been following the creature. The stranger came with Mr. Walton on the voyage, and this man told Walton his story.
The man's name is Victor Frankenstein. His father and his mother, Caroline, adopted a girl from an impoverished family. Her name is Elizabeth, and Victor loves her dearly as a sister. Elizabeth had a positive influence on the personalities of both Victor and his best friend, Clerval.
Victor became extremely interested in outdated, fantastical theories of alchemy when he was a teenager. He believed these writings as true science. Later, a scientist happened to be visiting the Frankenstein family during a thunderstorm. He explained electrical theories to Victor, who then transferred his interest from alchemy to mathematics.
When Victor was seventeen years old, his mother died of scarlet fever. He went to a university soon after, despite his depression. He was then alone, having left his friends and family.
He heard a professor, Mr. Waldman, speak. The teacher convinced him that the alchemists were geniuses who contributed to mankind; they had just been wrong on some counts. Mr. Waldman also gave Victor the use of lab equipment. Victor was convinced to return to his previous studies, as well as chemistry. He became and exemplary student, but ignored his family.
Victor became intrigued by anatomy and the cause of life. To determine this cause, he studied death and corpses. This morbid interest eventually lead him to discovering how to make the dead live.
He began gathering body parts to build an over-sized human being. After almost two years of toiling, he nearly finished, though he neglected his family and his health.
I like Mary Shelly's writing style. The plot progresses in a very thoughtful manner. It is not jumbled and extremely fast-paced as many horror stories are today. The circumstances started out as normal, then became more supernatural. Also, there isn't just one turning point that influences Victor Frankenstein; there is a series of events that lead up to him becoming a 'mad scientist'. A lot of the mood is created by Mary Shelly's use of the element of suspense. I enjoy the foreboding tone of the book.
The author also did a great job of not only relying on the story line to capture readers' attention; though the monster is a large part of the book, the main aspect is merely about Frankenstein's development as a character. He gains depth and personality as his thoughts, reactions, and feelings are described. His journey leading up to the monster's creation, for instance, is composed of his decisions. His interest in science causes him to choose to avidly pursue these studies while neglecting his relationships - even though the obsession takes a toll on his health - and eventually is determined to become "capable of bestowing animation upon lifeless matter". Also, though he always craved knowledge, he first had a misconception of reality, then wished to understand the unknowable. The story seems to tell of his moral decline as a person when he conducts dark experiments. Lastly, I thought it interesting that the narrator is an older Frankenstein who now sees the error of his ways.
In the prologue, a man named Mr. Walton embarked on a trip across the ocean to the north pole in order to study magnetism - against his father's dying wishes. Walton first saw a massive figure on a dogsled - I am assuming this person was the monster - then later rescued a man who had been following the creature. The stranger came with Mr. Walton on the voyage, and this man told Walton his story.
The man's name is Victor Frankenstein. His father and his mother, Caroline, adopted a girl from an impoverished family. Her name is Elizabeth, and Victor loves her dearly as a sister. Elizabeth had a positive influence on the personalities of both Victor and his best friend, Clerval.
Victor became extremely interested in outdated, fantastical theories of alchemy when he was a teenager. He believed these writings as true science. Later, a scientist happened to be visiting the Frankenstein family during a thunderstorm. He explained electrical theories to Victor, who then transferred his interest from alchemy to mathematics.
When Victor was seventeen years old, his mother died of scarlet fever. He went to a university soon after, despite his depression. He was then alone, having left his friends and family.
He heard a professor, Mr. Waldman, speak. The teacher convinced him that the alchemists were geniuses who contributed to mankind; they had just been wrong on some counts. Mr. Waldman also gave Victor the use of lab equipment. Victor was convinced to return to his previous studies, as well as chemistry. He became and exemplary student, but ignored his family.
Victor became intrigued by anatomy and the cause of life. To determine this cause, he studied death and corpses. This morbid interest eventually lead him to discovering how to make the dead live.
He began gathering body parts to build an over-sized human being. After almost two years of toiling, he nearly finished, though he neglected his family and his health.
I like Mary Shelly's writing style. The plot progresses in a very thoughtful manner. It is not jumbled and extremely fast-paced as many horror stories are today. The circumstances started out as normal, then became more supernatural. Also, there isn't just one turning point that influences Victor Frankenstein; there is a series of events that lead up to him becoming a 'mad scientist'. A lot of the mood is created by Mary Shelly's use of the element of suspense. I enjoy the foreboding tone of the book.
The author also did a great job of not only relying on the story line to capture readers' attention; though the monster is a large part of the book, the main aspect is merely about Frankenstein's development as a character. He gains depth and personality as his thoughts, reactions, and feelings are described. His journey leading up to the monster's creation, for instance, is composed of his decisions. His interest in science causes him to choose to avidly pursue these studies while neglecting his relationships - even though the obsession takes a toll on his health - and eventually is determined to become "capable of bestowing animation upon lifeless matter". Also, though he always craved knowledge, he first had a misconception of reality, then wished to understand the unknowable. The story seems to tell of his moral decline as a person when he conducts dark experiments. Lastly, I thought it interesting that the narrator is an older Frankenstein who now sees the error of his ways.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
My Email
I just realized that the contact information listed on the class PATH blog only had my parents' emails... So if anyone wants/needs to email me, ask me for my email address during class this upcoming week!
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