CR#2
Frankenstein
“Oh! be men, or be more than men. Be steady to your purposes as firm as a rock. The ice is not made of such stuff as your hearts may be; it is mutable and cannot withstand you if you say that it shall not. Do not return to your families with the stigma of disgrace marked on your brows. Return as heroes who have fought and conquered, and who know not what it is to turn their backs on the foe” (Shelley 189-190).
There are many literary and rhetorical devices at work in this passage, some of which are metaphors, imagery, and symbols but the ones of utmost importance are irony and paradox. Each line in Frankenstein’s passage is contradictory to all his actions throughout the book. Take for instance the line, “be steady to your purposes as firm as a rock” (Shelly 189). In this passage he is giving a speech to a group of men to encourage them to continue what they started. Except Frankenstein himself, did not continue what he started. He set out to create life from death and in turn left that life out to die. The next line in this passage is “The ice is not made of such stuff as your hearts may be; it is mutable and cannot withstand you if you say that it shall not” (Shelley 189). This line is another ironic contradiction to Frankenstein’s tale as he has no control of the creation and the creation has proved he can withstand Frankenstein but that Frankenstein cannot withstand it. Frankenstein goes on to say, “Do not return to your families with he stigma of disgrace marked on your eyebrow” (Shelly 189). This line completely contradicts every time Frankenstein went home to his family. Every time he went home he was disgraced because the reason he would go home was for the death of one of his family members caused by the creation he brought to life. The last line in this passage reads, “Return as heroes who have fought an conquered, and who know not what it is to turn their backs on the foe” (Shelley 189-190). The irony here is that Frankenstein turned his back on his creation in turn making him his foe. Which lead to the death of all of his loved ones, a fight he could not win. Ultimately it was the creation that out conquered Frankenstein. If only Frankenstein had the outlook he has in this speech at the beginning of the novel. Things might not have ended so tragically.
Asiye Sinmazisik
Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft, and Karen Karbiener. Frankenstein. New York: Barnes & Noble Classics, 2003. Print.
I’m really impressed by this post for a couple of reasons. One you’ve chosen a passage that isn’t among the most famous, and it’s at a point in the story where we might be caught up in the plot and not pay attention to the language. Secondly your post is very focused. You want to talk about this one passage and how Frankenstein’s characterization of the obstacle/adversary of the ice seems ironic given what we’ve learned about his dealing with the monster. Also you really try to follow your aim all the way through. These things are all good.
I have some comments about the way you’re reading, but your scope, originality, and attention to detail are strong.
1) I think you need to establish the context of the quote more. Set us up with where we are in the story (like what’s going on in terms of the plot); who’s speaking; what’s the objective; and anything else that might be important (i.e. if everyone dies two seconds later).
2) Along with establishing the context of the quote, I need you to identify the basic assumptions for your reading. So in your post it seems like you are paralleling the ice and the monster. I think that’s not an immediate parallel; it’s actually an argument you have to make. The ice isn’t Frankenstein’s creation. And Frankenstein doesn’t view the monster as part of nature. These differences alone might explain where you see a divergence between his attitude to the ice and his lived experiences around the monster. I don’t think you’re wrong. In fact I think the difference might actually take your argument to the next level. Regardless though you have to establish how it is that the ice parallels the monster in Frankenstein’s life. It seems like the parallel might be in Frankenstein’s belief a singular drive in purpose can conquer all. In which case it’s not so much the ice and the monster that are in parallel. Rather the ice occasions another moment in which we see Frankenstein despite everything persists in this stance.
3) Then if you were writing a paper, you would need to posit what this irony is doing. Why did Shelley show us this scene? And give us this irony?