This blog is for the “Monsters and Marvels through the Ages” course, taught by Dr. Leslie Donovan in the University Honors Program at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, NM, USA. It provides an easily accessible, electronic space for 100-level Honors students to discuss texts and ideas, develop critical thinking skills, and practice college level writing. While anyone may read our work, only class members may post.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Frankenstein Freewrites
Post your freewrites from Tuesday's class on Frankenstein as a comment to this post.
Mary Shelley does much to not only focus on the horror in Frankenstein but to also develop the characters she created. She is able to do this by showing the many changes in Victor Frankenstein’s life, but she also focuses on the characterization by introducing other characters when their emotions tend to be heightened, as she does with Elizabeth and Justine and the trial. This story shows the characters changing/evolving in a few ways. It mostly shows the changes in Victor from when he was an innocent child looking for knowledge to when he is older and more sure to himself and wants to use his knowledge to reanimate life. His evolution takes place through his carious studies and seems to take a turn for the worst as his life becomes darker. Shelley effectively uses the shift in events from happy to sadness to mirror the change that has happened to Victor and many of the characters in this book. Shelley’s methods are how the story itself develops and unfolds as the characters try to adjust to their new situations and overcome the obstacles of death and life. Shelley also uses imagery and the set of the book to mirror and sometimes contrast her character’s feelings and personality to better explain/develop their traits. Together, Shelley makes for a truly gratifying horror novel.
Characters often make or break stories. Where would "A Picture of Dorian Gray" be without Dorian Gray or "The Great Gatsby" without Nick Carraway? In similar ways, Victor Frankenstein and the Creature are the characters which make this story so enthralling. Victor Frankenstein begins life perfectly, without flaw or blemish, coming from a perfect home and a seemingly perfect family. His Creation's origin is the antithesis of that perfection. He does not come from a perfect family. In fact, he comes from the components of families to a creator who neither loves nor cares about him. It is also interesting to note that while Victor Frankenstein's family makes Victor a better person, the Creature's "Father" makes him a worse individual.
2 comments:
Mary Shelley does much to not only focus on the horror in Frankenstein but to also develop the characters she created. She is able to do this by showing the many changes in Victor Frankenstein’s life, but she also focuses on the characterization by introducing other characters when their emotions tend to be heightened, as she does with Elizabeth and Justine and the trial. This story shows the characters changing/evolving in a few ways. It mostly shows the changes in Victor from when he was an innocent child looking for knowledge to when he is older and more sure to himself and wants to use his knowledge to reanimate life. His evolution takes place through his carious studies and seems to take a turn for the worst as his life becomes darker. Shelley effectively uses the shift in events from happy to sadness to mirror the change that has happened to Victor and many of the characters in this book. Shelley’s methods are how the story itself develops and unfolds as the characters try to adjust to their new situations and overcome the obstacles of death and life. Shelley also uses imagery and the set of the book to mirror and sometimes contrast her character’s feelings and personality to better explain/develop their traits. Together, Shelley makes for a truly gratifying horror novel.
Characters often make or break stories. Where would "A Picture of Dorian Gray" be without Dorian Gray or "The Great Gatsby" without Nick Carraway? In similar ways, Victor Frankenstein and the Creature are the characters which make this story so enthralling. Victor Frankenstein begins life perfectly, without flaw or blemish, coming from a perfect home and a seemingly perfect family. His Creation's origin is the antithesis of that perfection. He does not come from a perfect family. In fact, he comes from the components of families to a creator who neither loves nor cares about him. It is also interesting to note that while Victor Frankenstein's family makes Victor a better person, the Creature's "Father" makes him a worse individual.
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