Monsters and Marvels

Death of a loved one

2012-02-01T09:52:00.000-07:00

After finishing the novel Frankenstein I found it sad how much death played a role. I dont know if it's just me, but if that many people that were close to me died in such a short period of time I'd be more devestated than Victor was. On top of this thought, I always wonder about the background phenomenon as well. Don't you think people would have started to become suspicious if everyone around you was suddenly dying? I thought it to be weird that no one asked what the real underlying problem was. Death represented so many different aspects in this novel and I know it made me really sad when the end finally came. When I finished this book I was just sad. Do you think this is what Shelly intended for the end emotion of the reader? What did all of this Death in the stroy represent or mean to you?

Nature and the Monstrous/Marvelous

2012-01-31T09:00:00.000-07:00

Frankenstein, as well as some of our other texts, raises the issue of whether being a monster is related to going against one's nature. We've touched on this notion in class, but now let's discuss it in more depth. In what ways does nature perverted become monstrous? Does one automatically become monstrous if one looks or behaves unnaturally? Is the marvelous just as unnatural as the monstrous or less unnatural? What does nature have to do with the concept of "acceptability" in human and animal existence or behavior?

Religion/Faith in "Frankenstein"

2012-01-29T18:29:00.002-07:00

Just wondering: Does Frankenstein have a soul? Does having a soul make one a human being? Also, what part does God play in this story? Is there a God or supernatural force in the text? What do you think?

Emotional Tone of Frankenstein

2012-01-29T12:34:00.002-07:00

We discussed in class last week that Shelley's Frankenstein is full of emotions and uses emotions in a very descriptive and evocative way throughout the text. Some critics find this aspect of Shelley's work very effective, while others consider it overdone. What do you think about the emotional content in Shelley's novel? Are the exaggerated emotions distracting to the purpose of the story or not? Does the melancholy, anxst-ridden qualities of Victor's excessive emotional life help or hinder you from the aims of the story. What would be lost in the story if Shelley had toned the emotions down somewhat and made this a more analytical, less emotional story?

Human or Not?

2012-01-29T12:24:00.001-07:00

Clearly, the Creature in Frankenstein is not created in the normal way of humans. But would you identify him as human? How does he fit the definition of human beings? Or is he more than human or less than human? What identifies someone as belonging to humanity?

Is Knowledge Dangerous?

2012-01-28T09:00:00.000-07:00

In Chapter 4, Victor says "Learn from me . . . how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow."

What do you think about the dangers of knowledge? We are working in an academic environment (i.e., a college Honors course) based on improving knowledge in this class. So how can we reconcile the potential dangers and benefits of knowledge? What about this topic in your own life?

Viewpoints in Frankenstein

2012-01-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

Explore the shifts in the narrative perspective of Frankenstein. What is the effect of presenting different characters’ viewpoints, such as Walton’s or Victor’s or the Creature's? Or even those of minor characters such as Victor's father or Elizabeth or Clerval?

How Would You React?

2012-01-25T21:53:00.002-07:00

As I was reading the assignment for tomorrow, I found myself thinking about how I would react to a situation similar to the De Lacey family's situation. If you were to be placed in a situation where you have some sort of out of the ordinary being (whether it be human or not) knocking at your front door, how would you react? Would you act as violently as Felix? I like to think that I would not have been as rash. I find myself trying to understand a person before I pass judgement on them.

I also have a more general question that kind of pertains to this idea. In today's society, where we are exposed to so many different experiences, cultures, and lifestyles, do you think that we would be as appalled by such an instance as the one described above?

Frankenstein Freewrites

2012-01-25T18:47:00.001-07:00

Post your freewrites from Tuesday's class on Frankenstein as a comment to this post.

Legacy Lecture #1

2012-01-25T12:36:00.002-07:00

On Tuesday, January 24, I attended a lecture held in Humanities 108. The lecture was given from 12:15 to 1:15 by Michael Drout, and titled "Lexomics for Literary Analysis: New Methods for Old Problems." Drout is a professor at Wheaton College and a forerunner in his field. Lexomics is a relatively new process of comparing ancient literary texts and mathematically deriving their closeness. Drout and his colleagues have developed a system of graphing technology that enables them to input a section of one text and instantly compare it to a similar section from another text. Lexomics makes it possible to derive, in some cases, the sources of certain works which were previously unknown. Drout gave one example of this use of the technology in his comparison of the work Guthlac A to Guthlac B. I would be lying if I pretended to grasp entirely the concepts Drout was discussing, as much of it went straight over my head. It was interesting, however, to see how the advancements in technology can assist in deeper understanding of the world of literature. Before I attended this lecture, I perceived the investigation of literature, especially ancient literature, as being pursued by combing through the dusty, scattered leafs of ancient scrolls and codices. After attending this lecture, I am now aware of the progressiveness and ingenuity being invested in the study of ancient literature.

Why Does Walton tell the Story?

2012-01-23T20:17:00.000-07:00

What purpose is served by having Robert Walton tell Victor's story? Compare and contrast Robert's and Victor's goals and interests.

Victor's Reaction

2012-01-23T20:16:00.001-07:00

Examine Victor’s process of creating the Creature and compare it to his initial reaction. In what ways are his reactions to be expected? In what ways are they unexpected?

2012-01-19T22:05:00.002-07:00

Childhood Monsters and Marvels

Today after class I began to think about all of the definitions and nouns of monsters and marvels that we had come up with. One great aspect I began to realize was how incredible it is how people perceive things in such different ways. Obviously all of us found this course to sound intriguing or we wouldn't have signed up for it. We all already had a certain opinion of what "Monsters and Marvels" would entail. I know for myself it sounded intriguing because I love mythology; I love being able to use my imagination. I started thinking about monsters and marvels again and began wondering what my peers childhood fears or marvels were. I know for me my mother had to look under the bed and in the closet before I felt saf to go to bed. I felt like someone or something would snatch me up in a blink of an eye. I know the dark still scares me sometimes! I also know I thought if only I could fly life would be that much more exciting. So my question is for you guys: What were childhood monsters or marvels?

Cerberus

Who or What Are You?

2012-01-17T09:53:00.003-07:00

You have been given name of a mythical or fictional character or creature to use as your pseudonym for work on this blog. Look up your pseudonym and write a brief description of who/what your character is.

Marvel Definition

2012-01-17T09:52:00.003-07:00

The Oxford English Dictionary defines the word "marvel" as follows:
1. = MIRACLE .
2. a. A wonderful or astonishing thing; a cause of surprise, admiration, or wonder; a wonder. b. A wonderful tale or legend; a description of a wonderful event or thing. c. A wonderful example of something. d. Chiefly poet. Wonderfulness.
3. Astonishment, surprise, admiration, wonder.

Would you agree or disagree with this definition? How might we add to or alter this definition to come up with a working definition of this term for the purposes of our course? Can we come up with a single definition, rather than a 1-3 type of definition?

Monster Definition

2012-01-17T09:52:00.000-07:00

The American Heritage Dictionary defines the word "monster" as follows:
1a. An imaginary or legendary creature, such as a centaur or Harpy, that combines parts from various animal or human forms. b. A creature having a strange or frightening appearance.
2. An animal, a plant, or other organism having structural defects or deformities.
3. Pathology A fetus or an infant that is grotesquely abnormal and usually not viable.
4. A very large animal, plant, or object.
5. One who inspires horror or disgust: a monster of selfishness.

Would you agree or disagree with this definition? How might we add to or alter this definition to come up with a working definition of this term for the purposes of our course? Can we come up with a single definition, rather than a 1-5 type of definition?