Frankenstein / Mary Shelly / Ch. 22-24

Frankenstein misinterprets the creature’s threat.  This causes him to lose his wife. If Victor would have thought properly and requisitioned his family to help him kill the monster on his wedding night.  Twice Victor knew when the creature would come but he failed to prepare properly for the creature coming.  If before the creature had threatened and killed those close to Victor why would he think it would kill him first still.  “I knew that I was preparing for myself a deadly torture; but I was a slave, not the master, of an impulse, which I detested, yet could not disobey” (Shelly 164).  The creature is an intelligent being with a of kilter conscience. He knows what he should have done but he is not equipped well enough to fight his impulses.  The message behind this book if there is one it is to beware of your impulses.  Both Victor and the creature continually give into impulses rather that thinking rationally.  If either one would have actually thought about their actions Victor’s family might have lived.

Frankenstein / Mary Shelly / Ch. 19-21

“You are my creator, but I am your master;-obey!” (Shelly 122). The creature loses all his patience and starts to threaten Victor almost immediately.  Frankenstein fails at life.  He had not thought of the impact of his actions until it was to late once again.  He did not think of the real consequences of creating another monster.  He also does not plan fare enough ahead to what would happen if he destroyed his work. If Victor could have planed on not creating the new creature in the beginning he could have waited for the creature to arrive to check his progress then shot him.  The two creation scenes are very similar with Victor hiding after his act and the creature coming for him on in a clearly menacing way and the other in an apparently menacing way.  Victor is revolted by his scientific instruments both times as well.  The two trials are equally similar but completely flipped.  In the first an innocent person is convicted and killed and in the second a guilty person is brought to trial and let loose.

Frankenstein / Mary Shelly / Ch. 17-18

“I will work at your destruction, nor finish until I desolate your heart, so that you shall curse the hour of your birth” (Shelly 105).  The creature wants a female.  If the creature knows how ugly it is does it not think that its mate will also see this in him?  I feel Victor could have reasoned with the creature a lot better than he did.  The creature wants a female but does it deserve one?  He asked Victor to judge him so why does not victor say his decision as a judgment not just his prejudice.  Victor is still self-centered to think that the creature would harm him because he is the only one who can help the creature.  If victor would have fought the creature then could he have prevented his family’s demise? If he won unlikely as it was he would have killed the creature before it could cause more harm.  If he died then the creature would have no one to help him so he might have left humanity to itself or went on a rampage which would eventually cause some kind of hunting party to kill it. 

Frankenstein / Mary Shelly / Ch. 15-16

“‘Great god!’ exclaimed the old man, ‘who are you’” (Shelly 96).  The old man although he is blind can still tell there is something odd about the creature when he touches him.  The creature hopes to live with the cottagers and have them not judge him for his appearance.  His wish is destroyed with in minutes of him trying to make friends with the cottagers.  The creature’s only hope to make friends is destroyed so he loses hope and turns toward his creator for recompense.  How does one of Victor’s garments fit the creature?  Finding William in the woods brings hope to the creature that he might not be prejudiced towards ugliness but he is.  William voices his opinion like any child would.  This perfectly characterizes the creature ugliness.  The creature seems to be slightly put-off by his action of killing William for a little bit.  The creature is also smart enough to frame another person for the crime.  His hope seems not completely lose yet because he at first seems to admire the woman he frames.

Frankenstein / Mary Shelly / Ch. 13-14

Ignorance is bliss.  The creature stated out unknowing in ignorance.  He then slowly becomes more acquainted with humanity.  In his first forest he lived happily.  The creature had very little but he needed very little as well because he was ignorant of anything better.  But as the creature gained more knowledge he became more aware of his circumstances.  “I cannot describe to you the agony that these reflections inflicted upon me: I tried to dispel them, but sorrow only increased with knowledge. Oh that I had forever remained in my native wood, nor known nor felt beyond the sensations of hunger, thirst and heat” (Shelly 85).  The creature does not fully understand everything that happens but is more and more realizing how alone he is in the world.  The creature is like a child slowly learning about the world.  He is however leaning much faster than human children because he was created originally as a monstrous being.  He was force to fend for himself and he only gets to learn by listening to others. 

Frankenstein / Mary Shelly / Ch 10-12

“I expected this reception,” said the daemon. “All men hate the wretched; how, then, must I be hated, who am miserable beyond all living things!” (Shelly 68).  The thing can speak!  Who could the thing learn to speak so eloquently in the span of two years?  The monster is portrayed as having very human emotional characteristics.  He knows he is hated.  How does the monster know who created him if when he was first created he could not make sense of all of his senses individually?  I like how Shelly portrays the monsters early days.  He is lost and can’t make since of what his mind is thinking.  It in a way gives a perspective of what a new born baby may think. This is interesting also thought that the monster remembers those early days so vividly. While the monster is observing the family why does no one find him?  It seems odd that they would have never heard him through the wall. 

Frankenstein / Mary Shelly / Ch 7-9

“William is dead!—that sweet child, whose smiles delighted and warmed my heart, who was so gentle, yet so gay! Victor, he is murdered!” (Shelly 46).  Another person is dead in the story.  Why do all the stories we read have someone die in them.  They aren’t even bad guys who die but nice people.  This death adds to the weight that is building on top of Frankenstein.  He continually has bad things happen to him. He started out have the best childhood that anyone could have but then his mother dies.  He goes to school and creates a monster then his brother dies.  Then an innocent person is executed for his brother’s murder.  Frankenstein is continually sinking deeper into despair.  Why did he not at least try to explain his creation to someone so that they might be able to help Justine? Justine that is ironic that part of her name is “just” when she dies an unjust death.

Frankenstein / Mary Shelly / Ch 4-6

“In my education my father had taken the greatest precautions that my mind should be impressed with no supernatural horrors. I do not ever remember to have trembled at a tale of superstition, or to have feared the apparition of a spirit,” (Shelly 30).  Frankenstein’s father is further to blame for Frankenstein’s demise.  He again affected his child in a way that was detrimental to his life. If Frankenstein had been superstitious of death like most normal people then he may not have made his fatal mistake.  Frankenstein was a smart person but he just had too much gusto and a little to little respect for dead peoples bodies.  How many bodies did he watch decay?  Frankenstein’s whole actions in the university are creepy.  Did no one ask question about why he was collecting body parts at least his maid or house keeper?  It is ironic that he so fervently works to create life but once he finally does he immediately hates it and is scared of his own creation.  He even gets cripplingly sick just by the thought of his creation.

Frankenstein / Mary Shelly / Ch 1-3

The first three chapters serve to characterize Frankenstein before his life became hopeless and he met Walton on the frozen ocean.  Frankenstein has a adopted sister which he cares very deeply about.  He had a very happy and privileged childhood which would for most people make them stuck up. Frankenstein is not totally stuck up but is very determined. He has a great interest in learning especially about the reasons for nature’s occurrences.  He has no responsibilities given to him by his parents and he seems to be free to do as he pleases.  In his youth he taught himself a great deal.  “But the cursory glance my father had taken of my volume by no means assured me that he was acquainted with its contents; and I continued to read with the greatest avidity,” (Shelly 21).  Although he had a great childhood he blames his ultimate downfall on his childhood. His father failed to fully explain his opinion about Frankenstein books so Frankenstein further delved into his books in obstinacy to his father’s remark. 

Frankenstein / Mary Shelly / Letters

This is probably the first frame story I have actually thought of as such.  I think I have read one before but I never really realized what had happened.  This frame story characterizes Captain Walton a man who has similar ambitions to Frankenstein.  Walton has a strong relationship with his sister who is really his only relation.  He does not mention any other family which he would talk to.  He does mention an uncle who inspired him to be an explorer because of the books he lent Walton to read. “You seek for knowledge and wisdom, as I once did; and I ardently hope that the gratification of your wishes may not be a serpent to sting you, as mine has been,” (Shelly 13).  Frankenstein and Walton are very similar. They both have grand ideas that they try to attain. The difference if where they are in that journey to attain their goals.  Frankenstein has reached his goal and it turned sourer. Walton has not yet reached his goal and does not know how it will end up. 

APO 96225 / Larry Rottman

“‘Please don’t write such depressing letters. You’re upsetting your mother” (Rottman 846).  This is ironic.  The father asks the son not to do what his mother asked him to do.  The mother worries and wants to know how her son is doing but when he actually tells her he gets upset. Which is better to know and be depressed or to not know and be worried?  The poem ends were it started.  The whole poem shows shortness. The letters are very brief and say nothing really important.  The only comforting thing in the son’s letters is that the parents are still getting letter meaning he is still alive.  The poem shows how war is not really something to tell anyone about even if they ask and seem to want to know they really don’t.  The title of the poem adds to the separation shown between the parents and son because it is just letters and numbers of no real importance.

Much Madness is divinest Sense / Emily Dickinson

“Assent—and you are sane—” (Dickinson 830).  Assent to madness and you are considered sane.  What logic is this?  The speaker must be mad to thing that it is normal.  This is in fact the truth.  The many people who run about obsessively working are mad.  They are missing the best part of life.  This is thought how the world works.  If someone does not go along with this order then they are seen as outcast or slackers.  If they go about comely threw the madness they are seen as snobbish. They could also be seen as having a secret and trying to rule the madness.

I felt a Funeral, in my Brain / Emily Dickinson

The first to stanzas sound like the poem could be describing a headache or migraine.  There in a constant beating or treading.  “Kept beating—beating—till I thought my mind was going numb” (Dickenson 776).  It could also be a sick person lying in bed with a headache and having to wake up but not willing to.  The bell tolling could be a sign of morning and the last to stanzas would be the person falling back to sleep ignoring the fact that it is morning.  The treading and beating could be others waking up and going about their business to start the day.  I believe it is more representative of a person who lost someone very dear to them and unwilling to fully accept it.  They are attending the funeral but being in a delirious state.  They are viewing it as if it is only in their mind.  The poem mentions being only and ear which could be when the church bells tolled at the end of the service then after they stopped and the body was laid in the ground there was nothing ells to do.  It is like the person fell into the grave with their beloved.

Bartelby, the Scrivener / Herman Melville

The story is told in a first person point of view of the lawyer who hired Bartelby.  This point of view provides a disconnect with Bartelby. It makes it so that we don’t know the past of Bartelby or any of his thought. Not knowing Bartelby’s thoughts make him more strange and hard to understand.  Making the lawyer the narrator gives us a close up opinion of Bartelby from someone else in the story. “Doubtless I should have violently dismissed him from the premises. But as it was, I should have as soon thought of turning my pale plaster-of-paris bust of Cicero out of doors” (Melville 650).  I thing it is the Lawyers fault for not firing Bartleby sooner or forcing him to work that caused him to get worse and stop working altogether.  If the lawyer would have forced Bartelby to act he might have come out of is delusional state.  At the end of the story when the lawyer mentions were Bartelby previously worked he says Bartelby was not fired until new management took over.  Maybe the old manager had the same opinion of Bartelby that the lawyer did which is why he had his job for so long. 

Miss Brill / Katherine Mansfield

Miss Brill is nuts.  She has been single for to long that she has become a spinster.  She has no real friend to speak of.   She goes every Sunday to listen to the band and watch people.  She eavesdrops on everyone that passes by or sites on a bench by her to listen to the band.  Miss Brill is a recluse.  She lives by herself and apparently talks to her furs. “‘What has been happening to me?’ said the sad little eyes. Oh, how sweet it was to see them snap at her again from the red eiderdown” (Mansfield 182).  Miss Brill is eccentric.  She thinks the eyes of her furs portray thoughts.  She later thinks that she is par of a theatrical production at the park.  She is then insulted by a child making remarks about her furs.  This causes her to change the schedule of her day by going strait home instead of stopping of for a pastry. She then puts her furs away and thinks she hears something crying.