Category Archives: Frankenstein

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Group D: Final Project , Shatavia, Jeleah, Kye, Angel

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What:  For our group project we are going to create a scrapbook.  A scrapbook is a book of blank pages for sticking clippings, drawings, or pictures in.  The scrapbook is going to be designed exactly how we think Jefferson, Grant, or a character from the book would create it.  We will be filling up the scrapbook with Jefferson’s important memories, moments, recipes, and his time in jail.  In order to do this, we will be looking for symbols in magazines, things from the internet, clippings in newspapers and physical objects.  Being in jail and confined to one place causes a person to use their imagination.  Similar to Jefferson and Grant they are both trapped in situations that cause them to do a lot of imagining and thinking.  Something our group will be doing in order to create the perfect scrapbook that represents “A Lesson Before Dying”.

 

Why: In the book “A Lesson before Dying” a lot of the book has to do with symbols and teaching.  Jefferson is being taught a lesson by being sentenced to death.  Grants job as a teacher is to teach and he is also asked to teach Jefferson how to become a man.  Since teaching plays a huge role in this book, the scrap book will be created to teach others about our insights, thoughts, and main ideas about the book.  We all thought it would be a good gesture to create a visual.  This way our imagination and how we views things from the book can be brought to life.

announcements, Check in, Final Project Check-Ins, Frankenstein

3 Final Project Ideas: Project Check-in # 1 (Sample)

What I want for this first project check in are three possible ideas for your final project.

For Example: If my book was Frankenstein and I’m most interested in how it’s the space of education that allows Victor to go to monstrous extremes and create and abandon a creature that has no place in the world.  I’m interested in the ways in which Frankenstein speaks to western society’s ongoing investment  in the individual and the ways in which education and institution of education regulate the energies of the adolescent into narrow pursuits for individual accomplishment, progress and innovation at the cost of communal relation and accommodating difference.

So perhaps my group proposes the following three ideas for a final project:

1-create a short film which juxtaposes scenes of Victor’s monstrous education with images of grad students work in stem-cell labs and  images of  Aurora, CO and Will James Holmes, the grad student responsible for opening fire during the 2012 Batman premiere.

2-craft a workshop or a lesson plan that uses a combination of contemporary statistics about the consequence of loneliness and isolation on college campuses, scenes from Frankenstein, a mini-overview of various enlightenment ideas about the individual, independent rationale man (the relative newness of which animates Frankenstein and the legacy of which grounds our contemporary ideas of development, freedom, and success) to lead students in a discussion in which they reflect about the emphasis on individual success that we so often take for granted and asks them to think about alternatives ways of acting education.

3-design poster campaign based on Frankenstein that we put up all over Baruch and some other education institutions that in their visual recalling of Victor Frankenstein in various contemporary settings ask people to think about the connections between the ways we currently view being a student and educational advancement and the flaws apparent in Victor’s academic pursuits.

Frankenstein, Group C

Close Reading: Frankenstein (Method 2)

“When I was thirteen years of age we all went on a party of pleasure to the baths near Thonon; the inclemency of the weather obliged us to remain a day confined to the inn. In this house I chanced to find a volume of the works of Cornelius Agrippa. I opened it with apathy; the theory which he attempts to demonstrate and the wonderful facts which he relates soon changed this feeling into enthusiasm. A new light seemed to dawn upon my mind, and bounding with joy, I communicated my discovery to my father”

In chapter 2, Frankenstein recalls his youth as being defined by his pursuits for knowledge.  However, unlike most children, he yearned to discover life’s hidden secrets.  His ambitions unfulfilled, it was upon strange coincidence that he stumbles across that would bring him the epiphany he so greatly desired.

“One night during my accustomed visit to the neighbouring wood where I collected my own food and brought home firing for my protectors, I found on the ground a leathern portmanteau containing several articles of dress and some books. I eagerly seized the prize and returned with it to my hovel. Fortunately the books were written in the language, the elements of which I had acquired at the cottage; they consisted of Paradise Lost, a volume of Plutarch’s Lives, and the Sorrows of Werter. The possession of these treasures gave me extreme delight; I now continually studied and exercised my mind upon these histories, whilst my friends were employed in their ordinary occupations. ”

In chapter 15, The Monster, continues to recall what would be considered his youth.  Because of his insecurities, he lives as a silent observer to the Delacey ‘s. He spends his days learning from and secretly helping the impoverished family.  Without any intention, he discovers 3 great works of literature that would have a profound impact to him.

There are obvious similarities and differences to the discoveries of Frankenstein and The Monster. They were accidental discoveries that effected both in such a way that they had never known.  Frankenstein, despite his fathers dismissal of the treasure, was brought joy and motivation.  The Monster had no one to share his discoveries with, therefore  he had way to reconcile the feelings of pure joy with those of  dejection.

The literary value of their discoveries is another example.  The works of Cornelius Agrippa had, at some point, been of philosophical  value but was now seen as “sad trash”. Because the works had been long since disproved, one might consider it’s contents “fiction” or “fantasy”. However, because his father had not taken the time to explain this to him, Frankenstein viewed this as a literary truth.  Conversely, unbeknownst to The Monster,  “Paradise Lost” and “Sorrows of Werter” (the books he felt most impacted by) are respected works of fiction. He read these with the same regard that he had with the works he studied from the Delacey’s.

 

Frankenstein, Group A

Frankenstein Side by Side: Cornelius Agrippa vs Paradise Lost (creator vs creature literature)

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In Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein”, there are many parallels between Victor Frankenstein and his monster. One of which that really stood out to me was their shared interest in reading and learning. However, the differences between the two characters can be seen clearly from what books they are interested in.  The first book to be introduced was in a sense, Victor Frankenstein’s pathway to creating the monster. “In this house I chanced to find a volume of the works of Cornelius Agrippa. I opened it with apathy; the theory which he attempts to demonstrate and the wonderful facts which he relates soon changed this feeling into enthusiasm.” This moment coupled with his father’s dismissal of the book led him to his fascination with alchemy, natural science, and the creation of life. He continued to study this type of mystical science all the way into his university years.

On the other hand, Frankenstein’s monster was learning about the world through a completely different perspective. Victor was someone that had everything in life; friends, family, education, a lover whereas his creation, and in a way, his son, had nothing. They both were finding themselves through literature, but coming from two different worlds.  The monster’s favorite book was “Paradise Lost” and he felt like his situation and Adam’s were the same.  In Chapter 15, the monster explains, “I often referred the several situations, as their similarity struck me, to my own. Like Adam, I was apparently united by no link to any other being in existence; but his state was far different from mine in every other respect. He had come forth from the hands of God a perfect creature, happy and prosperous, guarded by the especial care of his Creator; he was allowed to converse with and acquire knowledge from beings of a superior nature, but I was wretched, helpless, and alone.”

The most interesting aspect I found about the Cornelius Agrippa volume and “Paradise Lost” is that one character took something real and tried to make it fake, and the other takes something fake and tried to make it real. Basically, Victor was a man of science, but he kept trying to apply alchemy and mystical science as fact and truth. Meanwhile, the monster does the the opposite of that, by taking “Paradise Lost” as a “true history” but it actually was a work of fiction. My analysis of this is that Victor lived a world of reality but was pursuing a fantasy of these philosophies. This ultimately leads to him going along this path of “magic” and creating the monster. The monster is the fantasy in this real world, desperately trying to validate his own existence.  The irony is that he connected to a work of imagination, like he himself was.

Both Victor Frankenstein and the monster were young in their lives when finding the books that defined their characters. They were both impressionable at the time of reading the books. I feel like Mary Shelley included this parallel of reading on purpose, but made what they were reading different in order to show where the lines of similarity between the creator and creature are blurred.

Full textual moments:

Chapter 2- In this house I chanced to find a volume of the works of Cornelius Agrippa. I opened it with apathy; the theory which he attempts to demonstrate and the wonderful facts which he relates soon changed this feeling into enthusiasm. A new light seemed to dawn upon my mind, and bounding with joy, I communicated my discovery to my father. My father looked carelessly at the title page of my book and said, “Ah! Cornelius Agrippa! My dear Victor, do not waste your time upon this; it is sad trash.”

If, instead of this remark, my father had taken the pains to explain to me that the principles of Agrippa had been entirely exploded and that a modern system of science had been introduced which possessed much greater powers than the ancient, because the powers of the latter were chimerical, while those of the former were real and practical, under such circumstances I should certainly have thrown Agrippa aside and have contented my imagination, warmed as it was, by returning with greater ardour to my former studies. It is even possible that the train of my ideas would never have received the fatal impulse that led to my ruin. 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. When I returned home my first care was to procure the whole works of this author, and afterwards of Paracelsus and Albertus Magnus. I read and studied the wild fancies of these writers with delight; they appeared to me treasures known to few besides myself.

Chapter 15-“But Paradise Lost excited different and far deeper emotions. I read it, as I had read the other volumes which had fallen into my hands, as a true history. It moved every feeling of wonder and awe that the picture of an omnipotent God warring with his creatures was capable of exciting. I often referred the several situations, as their similarity struck me, to my own. Like Adam, I was apparently united by no link to any other being in existence; but his state was far different from mine in every other respect. He had come forth from the hands of God a perfect creature, happy and prosperous, guarded by the especial care of his Creator; he was allowed to converse with and acquire knowledge from beings of a superior nature, but I was wretched, helpless, and alone. Many times I considered Satan as the fitter emblem of my condition, for often, like him, when I viewed the bliss of my protectors, the bitter gall of envy rose within me.

Frankenstein, Group B

Frankenstein Vs. Monster : Reflections

As the case for human versus monster, there is a distinction between the two when it comes to mental capacities. Victor Frankenstein, who’s human, is able to form cohesive and rational thought processes. When it comes to monsters, the general ideas concerning the mindframe of these “inhuman” beings are that they are unable to hold logic nor the civility to communicate in the appropriate fashion. Mary Shelley not only dispels this prototype but creates a monster of intellect, a being that shares and desires human emotions and relations. Founded in two passages in the book, the repeated mention of “reflection” has significance shedding the parallels and contrast of the two characters.

Through the narrative, readers are invited into the head space of Victor Frankenstein. In one particular passage in chapter three, Frankenstein leaves for Ingolstadt and bids his farewell to his friends and family. As he leaves he is deep in though on his journey, as quoted, “…indulged in the most melancholy reflections.” In consequence of this pensive state, Frankenstein realizes that for once he’ll be alone and away from his “amiable companions”, which he has been surrounded by all his life. In realizing that he’s been secluded in life, he acknowledges that it has brought a cynicism in meeting new people. He expresses his thirst for knowledge yet also feel he needs to participate in the social arena, to be apart of the world. In chapter thirteen, this second passage containing the mention of reflection is derived from the monster. The pain the monster feels stems from his loneliness and deformity. The more he was learning and acquiring knowledge, the more he felt “sorrow”. In observance of the cottagers, they have become a constant reminder of his empty existence, lacking love and affection, friendship and acceptance.

Mary Shelley’s choice in using the word, “indulge” in the chosen first passage implies that Victor Frankenstein’s reflections were thoroughly enjoyed. His recognition in having coming from a loving family and environment let’s him realize that he comes from a stable and solid background. He was a part of something so cherished that he found it hard to welcome and receive newcomers. As for the monster, Mary Shelley’s choice of word in connection to his reflection is “inflicted”.  To be inflicted upon something is to receive unwelcoming. When the monster “reflects” in this instant, he does not experience the same emotions as Victor Frankenstein is in recollection. Instead, it is the monster’s lack of familial ties, experiencing affection and love, that causes him “agony”. It is notable that the only love the monster know of  is from the Delaceys. The cottagers is a reminder of where he had not come from, at place of warmth and acceptance but scorn and abandonment from his creator. The employment of the words “indulge” and “inflict” adds depth to the character’s narrative. It allows readers to fully grasp the feelings of the monster and Frankenstein. The difference in the way the two reflects on their being and thoughts distinguishes their underlying attitudes towards life. In the first chosen passage, Frankenstein states that he was indeed secluded in his own world ( with his family), that his interactions were few and didn’t sought for social interactions. The similarity lies in the seclusion that they both experience but for the monster, he pines for interaction with the world. He seeks companionship an longs for affection. Unlike Frankenstein, the monster seeks for connection to the world, to have friends.

Both Frankenstein and the monster believe they’re “unfit” for companionship. The monster knows his deformity does not allow for his social acceptance. He can visually understand why he would not fit in with other people. Through his reflection, it adds to the pain of sorrow in his loneliness. For Victor Frankenstein, being social was not something he put in high importance. Because of the seclusion he was bought up in, he never felt the need to go beyond the “old familiar faces” of his family and Clerval. Yet another similarity, they both feel “unfit”.

While Victor Frankenstein spoke of his desire in  ” the acquisition of knowledge” in the first passage discussed, it brought about positivity. That cannot be said about the monster and his reflection as mentioned in his passage. “…but sorrow only increased with knowledge.” The amount of knowledge he was intaking made him aware of aspects concerning himself in which he was never exposed to. It is that he does not belong anywhere, that he is different ( and ugly), alone, and friends less. In a way, Mary Shelley could be implying that knowledge is for humans and when bestowed upon monsters, it could only be disastrous. What is a monster to naturally do with knowledge?

In the attention given to the selected passages, the monster and Frankenstein are pitted against each other. Even in their differences, the trope of reflection is evident of the similar themes that are reoccurring.

CR Post# 2, Frankenstein, Group E

Frankenstein

A reoccurring theme for the first couple of chapters in Frankenstein seems to be death. While it does not seem obvious at first, it is hinted at as being the inevitable. Victor had a free and blissful childhood, much due to the allowance of his parents. However, Victor’s open mind leads him to question everything, specifically things in regards to nature and its cause. His happiest thoughts happen when he is young. As he gets older, at the end of every wonder regarding natural mystery, the recurring answer is demise. The deeper Victor is in his personal studies, he subtly lets the reader know that he is aware of his fate. Victor states, “I feel exquisite pleasure in dwelling on the recollections of childhood, before misfortune had tainted my mind and changed its bright visions of extensive usefulness into gloomy and narrow reflections upon self.”

The death of Victor’s mother reaffirmed what he already knew about destiny. This ultimately led Victor to slightly shift his direction of interest. He was still fascinated with nature, but more so it’s relation to mortality.

The unknown and the secret are scary. The outcome for the unknown is death, both literally and symbolically. To be dead is to lose your humanity. Victory loses his humanity the more he indulges in the science. The more he focuses on creating the monster, the more out of touch he becomes with society.

To further assert the idea that the unknown is scary. The monster goes to make friends in chapter fifteen, hoping that they will look past his physical features. Instead, he was attacked and ran off.

I believe one of the ideas the author is trying to convey is that, what is unknown will get deserted and left to their own fate. “Monsters” in our society are those that do not fit the norm. The norm is created by the popular; heterosexual, able-bodied, white male. If you do not fit in any of those groups, you are considered a monster. If you do not fit in ALL of those groups, you are DEFINITELY a monster.