I chose Umberto Boccioni’s The City Rises (1910). I had been looking for paintings around the room and walked past this but couldn’t make out the figures. As I stepped back, I could see that the brushstrokes made up what seemed to be a battle.  I was drawn to this painting because of the intense colors used and because the technique is similar to pointillism. The painting comes together when you view it from afar but loses its meaning when you view it close up. From researching this painting, it is one of the first Futurist paintings. The Futurist movement was one that focused on technological progress and urban environments. I learned that the painting actually depicts a city rising in the sense of technological advances. It depicts a the construction of an electric power plant. I had viewed a battle full of confrontation with “The City Rises” as a sort of uprising between citizens. In fact, it portrayed a city moving into the future with the help of technology. Boccioni exaggerated the angles of the people and horses in the painting and by doing so emphasized their importance in raising the city to a new level.

Marcela left her building and walked to the Fulton Street subway station. It was warmer than she thought it would be. She felt more energetic and in a better mood than usual, must have slept enough last night, for once. As she walked into the station, she saw police set up at a table checking bags again today. A section of the platform was cordoned off for minor maintenance so Marcela walked to the front of the train. She got off at Union Square to transfer to the 6 train, I might actually be on time today! A platform controller began screaming about delays, just kidding. A woman on the platform started yelling about how she was going to be late for work and how the MTA always makes her late. We’re all thinking the same thing but why do you have to yell about it. Marcela took out her phone to change the song and noticed the time, I might not be that late actually. She got on the 6 train for one stop and got off at 23^rd Street. I’m not doing too bad on time she thought as she walked up the stairs onto the street. Marcela regretted having not brought her sunglasses as the sun greeted her eyes on her walk over to Lexington. Marcela walked up and into her business policy class at Baruch, late but I haven’t missed anything yet.

I think there are two struggles when one is coming into their own individuality, the internal and the external. I grew up in a suburban, New Jersey town where there was no crime or diversity into a traditional immigrant family. My desire to be more American caused an internal struggle, how to fit in while being proud of my heritage. I often struggled with this, seeing as my brother was so proud to be the son of Chilean immigrants. I just wanted to fit in instead of being picked on for speaking Spanish and having an uncommon name. The internal struggle of my identity lead to an external struggle with my parents when I decided to move to New York City. It’s diversity and broad acceptance of others attracted me, along with the excitement one can only find outside of the suburbs. My parents were horrified I hadn’t chosen to stay home and attend community college. I was the youngest child, taking on the traditional American college route, leaving home before my older brother had. Coming into my own life, I realized I didn’t want the life my parents had had. I wanted to live my life on my own terms. The decisions I make without any influence from my parents are still a source of tension between us. And the tension pulls me between living my life and living the life they want for me. The conflicts I have experienced with my parents require that I have a solid plan for everything I do, to ensure my individuality and independence are protected.

Lamb (Aaron Walker)
I have to say my feeling are mixed about Frankenstein by Mary Shelly.
It was hard to decide between the two poems in which the creation
resembles. In my opinion, I thought the poem was very interesting and
related more the Lamb. When William Blake stated He is meek & he is
mild, and He became a little child this is the monster personality and
how he acts in many situations. Monster doesn’t have any family or
friends to experience or learn anything. The monster created by
Frankenstein’s was assembled from old body parts and strange chemicals
by a mysterious spark. He was brought to life eight feet tall and
enormously strong but with the mind of a newborn baby. He was
eventually abandoned by his creator and confused when he tries to
integrate himself into society. He was always shunned away by society
due to his physical features. Looking in the mirror, he realizes his
physical deformity, an aspect of his personality that shields society
to his initially tender and kind nature.

Tyger (Marcela Corro)
The Blake poem, Tyger, can be compared with Frankenstein in numerous ways. The Tyger is perceived to be horrible. A creature without a functioning heart, one that cannot feel emotion (“And what shoulder, & what art, Could twist the sinews of thy heart?). Similarly, the creature is seen this way by Frankenstein. After his initial excitement, he believes the creature to be a horrible thing, capable of the worst actions. I think the line “In what furnace was thy brain?” may refer to the Tyger having been created in the depths of Hell. For only a creature created in hell could be so dreaded and horrible. The hammer, the chain, and the furnance remind me of a laboratory and therefore remind me of Frankenstein. Certainly, neither of these creatures were created in a natural, Earthly way. It’s also interesting to note that “what immortal hand or eye, Dare frame thy fearful summetry?” alludes to an all powerful being that created this monster. Frankenstein in some ways, does become the only man to have created life and in some way, he does become God-like.

I was a bit confused when I read Mary Shelley’s version of Frankenstein’s creation. It was very short and did not describe what I had always pictured it as. I always thought of it the way Hollywood portrayed it in a very dramatic way: crazy scientist, huge lab, very loud with a storm raging outside. In addition to the two clips on the blog, I also took into consideration the latest Hollywood version of Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein, directed by Paul McGuigan. In that scene, it is a very elaborate creation with dozens of men working on the project. I think the McGuigan version is an even more elaborate version of the creation reflecting the ever increasing budgets and need for thrill in movies. The way the creation of Frankenstein’s monster reflects the desires of the public being entertained by the story. I think in the 1800s when Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein, no public could imagine such horror of a man-made monster being created. Therefore, Shelley did not focus on the theatrics of his creation but rather the thought process Frankenstein experiences after. The Whale version in 1931 put the creation in front of an audience, giving it reason to be much more eventful than Shelley’s version. The Branagh version is much more theatrical than Whale, with cameras following the surge of power to create anticipation for when the monster comes to life. The McGuigan version is even more dramatic and elaborate as dozens of men are hired to help in the creation process. There was more anticipation for the McGuigan version than any other film. While I have limited knowledge of the Whale and Branagh versions of the film, I think the McGuigan version does a good job of sharing the inner struggle of Frankenstein with the audience without losing the viewer’s attention.