Frankenstein Journals

Isabel Vazquez
Mrs. Bosch
AP English Lit.
Frankenstein Journals
1“… the first misfortune of my life occurred- an omen, is it were, of my future misery.” Frankenstein 32
Since formalism involves aiming then I’m going to take this omen talk as a belief in the supernatural... And since he states this in a damsel in distress way I’m also going to say paranoia.
2 “On the third day, my mother sickened.” F32
This might not be important. But it DOES remind me of something I have heard at church many times. It says something like ‘on the third day Jesus rose again and ascended into heaven.’ I’m not sure how it goes exactly or if its mere coincidence.
3 “Elizabeth, my love, you must supply my place to my younger children.” F31
Sure the lady is dying, but that she requests that Elizabeth take her place as a motherly role despite her relatively young age offends me.
4 “I will endeavor to resign myself cheerfully to death and will indulge a hope of meeting you in another world.” F33
“Another world”. It sounds like Caroline Beaufort Frankenstein does not have a solid belief in an afterlife such as heaven. Which is strange because is the woman in the house is supposed to be the one with the religious pull to the rest of the family.
5 “-that the brightness of a beloved eye can have been extinguished and the sound or a voice so familiar and dear to the ear can be hushed, never more to be heard: These are the reflections of the first days; but when the lapse of time proves the reality of the evil, then the actual bitterness of grief commences.” F33
The imagery in this piece in intense. Not only is the light of life described so eloquently but also the feeling one gets when that life is extinguished.
6 “but I believed myself totally unfitted for the company of strangers.” F35
Here it kind of makes me believe that the only reason Frankenstein created the monster is because he was alone, he wanted to be with family or piece of him. Perhaps there is a homosexual side of him. If he wanted to create something he could subdue it would have been a female creation. ?
7 “..but when at morning's dawn I descended to the carriage which was to convey me away, they were all there--my father again to bless me…” F34
Mornings dawn and descending are opposite. The sun is going up while he is going down.
8 “ I had often, when at home, thought it hard to remain during my youth cooped up in one place, and had longed to enter the world, and take my station among other human beings.” F35
He was ‘cooped up’. He believes like an animal.
9 “Chance--or rather the evil influence, the Angel of Destruction, which asserted omnipotent sway over me from the moment I turned my reluctant steps from my father's door led me first to M. Krempe, professor of natural philosophy.” F35
The “Angel of Destruction” is who Frankenstein blames his bad fortune on.
10 “ He was an uncouth man, but deeply embued in the secrets of his science.” F35
This make no sense.
11 “ M. Krempe was a little squat man, with a gruff voice and a repulsive countenance; the teacher, therefore, did not prepossess me in favour of his pursuits.” F36
that’s nice of him to judge people based on what they look like. If their physical is appealing to him. Also a reason why he rejects his creation.
12 “M. Waldman entered shortly after. This professor was very unlike his colleague. He appeared about fifty years of age, but with an aspect expressive of the greatest benevolence; a few grey hairs covered his temples, but those at the back of his head were nearly black. His person was short, but remarkably erect; and his voice the sweetest I had ever heard.” F37
Frankenstein approves of him and his beliefs. Coincidentally he is opposite of
M. Krempe.
13 “ "The ancient teachers of this science," said he, "promised impossibilities, and performed nothing. The modern masters promise very little; they know that metals cannot be transmuted, and that the elixir of life is a chimera. But these philosophers, whose hands seem only made to dabble in dirt, and their eyes to pore over the microscope or crucible, have indeed performed miracles. They penetrate into the recesses of nature, and show how she works in her hiding places. They ascend into the heavens: they have discovered how the blood circulates, and the nature of the air we breathe. They have acquired new and almost unlimited powers; they can command the thunders of heaven, mimic the earthquake, and even mock the invisible world with its own shadows." F38
These modern scientists are what Victor is included in. He proves M. Waldman right in his ideas. ‘They have acquired new and almost unlimited powers; they can command the thunders of heaven, mimic the earthquake, and even mock the invisible world with its own shadows.’
14 “So much has been done, exclaimed the soul of Frankenstein--more, far more, will I achieve: treading in the steps already marked, I will pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation.” F38
Frankenstein is speaking about himself. Foreshadowing included in this passage.
15 “ "I am happy," said M. Waldman, "to have gained a disciple;"…” F39
M. Waldman is previously described to be angelic. Then he refers to Frankenstein as a disciple.
16 “I saw how the fine form of man was degraded and wasted; I beheld the corruption of death succeed to the blooming cheek of life; I saw how the worm inherited the wonders of the eye and brain.” F42
That’s gross how he can just think of people in that way. Its like people are just animals to him.
17 “ The sun does not more certainly shine in the heavens, than that which I now affirm is true. Some miracle might have produced it, yet the stages of the discovery were distinct and probable.” F42
“I only believe in science.”- Esqueleto
18 “ A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me.”
Frankenstein trying to pose as God.
19 “ Every night I was oppressed by a slow fever, and I became nervous to a most painful degree; the fall of a leaf startled me, and I shunned my fellow-creatures as if I had been guilty of a crime.” F47
Frankenstein himself is acting like an animal now. It shows that he cannot play the part of God and here are the results when he attempts it.
20 “ I slept, indeed, but I was disturbed by the wildest dreams. I thought I saw Elizabeth, in the bloom of health, walking in the streets of Ingolstadt. Delighted and surprised, I embraced her; but as I imprinted the first kiss on her lips, they became livid with the hue of death; her features appeared to change, and I thought that I held the corpse of my dead mother in my arms; a shroud enveloped her form, and I saw the grave-worms crawling in the folds of the flannel.” F49
Nightmare. Dirty conscience.

Frankenstein- An Application of Theory

Isabel Vazquez
Mrs. Bosch
AP English Literature
10 December 2008

Balance in Frankenstein
Mary Shelley mildly accentuates balance in her gothic novel Frankenstein. Whether it is as simple as descending into the mornings dawn, Shelley’s establishment of contradicting thoughts and actions amongst the characters makes clear the nature of her protagonist Victor Frankenstein. The happenings in the novel reflect on the natural ideas of Frankenstein.
Victor’s scientific outlook on life causes the novel as a whole to be a tragedy. Towards the beginning of the novel, Victors mother dies from the scarlet fever, which she caught for caring for Elizabeth in her sickbed.
On the third day which she attended her, when Mrs. Frankenstein laid dying she yet remained relatively content.
“’will endeavor to resign myself cheerfully to death and will indulge a hope of meeting you in another world.’ She died calmly, and her countenance expressed affection even in death.”
Frankenstein’s pessimistic ideas and wretched choices cause him misery. His choices from then on seem to be drastic. There seems to be no middle ground.
Shelley adds a pleasant/indifferent numb feeling caused by an unpleasant situations. The realization of the surreal humanity or a somewhat denial of the truth. After his mothers death, Victor expresses himself strongly.
“-that the brightness of a beloved eye can have been extinguished and the sound or a voice so familiar and dear to the ear can be hushed, never more to be heard: These are the reflections of the first days; but when the lapse of time proves the reality of the evil, then the actual bitterness of grief commences.”
Victor may have been momentarily swayed by the sudden grief, but his concluding disbelief in some sort of afterlife and negative disposition towards a higher being is proof that he hold no incentives in his life. The drastic events hold drastic reactions in Frankenstein.
“My mother was dead, but we still had duties which we ought to perform; we must continue our course with the rest and learn to think ourselves fortunate whilst one remains whom the spoiler has not seized.”
‘The spoiler’ can be considered many things, but in this context what the term is being referred to is the giver and taker of life. His mother is gone but they must yet continue, fortunate which the spoiler has not seized.
In the way he mentions it he seems to be mocking as opposed to anything else. This disbelief could have easily been
Questioning the ultimate power which Frankenstein does not believe in is the reason he is able to create the Monster with no remorse. Victor only believes in good or evil. He never grows spiritually because he does not believe it will make a difference. Frankenstein’s monster however does grow. By the end of the novel he knows that his actions have been wrong but Frankenstein continues the pursuit for revenge. Theses two characters are at this point are foils of one another.
If occurring events drastic enough to change the character, he is never truly enough to stir enough action into him.
** On the third day Jesus rose again to ascend into heaven. Mrs. Frankenstein’s death is a symbolic way of wording an end to a character. Who better to make the contras with that with Frankenstein’s mother.

Literary Theories-Frankenstein

Formalism is a style of criticism much different from most others. Formalism’s basic foundation includes finding the answer within the text itself as opposed to finding a correlation between historical or author influenced factors. It is believed that to understand a work of literature, you must look solely into that specific piece.

The roots of formalism trace back as far to Plato 428-347BC and Aristotle 384-322BC. In 1914 British philosopher Clive Bell’s book reaffirmed Aristotle’s interpretation of Plato’s idea. Aristotle’s example stated that ‘an animal was a dog was not important; that a dog was a Dalmatian or an Irish wolfhound was.’ It is with this mindset that one applying the concept of formalism must be set.

Formalism is often compared to new criticism. Though very similar, when looked at the two differ significantly. Formalism applies linguistic devices to literature. Although meant to disregard most concepts in analyzing the work, since it analyzes the style of writing, it nonetheless must take into account the historical change of writing in the era. Looking deeply into the wording, format and repetition as well to tension, awkwardness and countless other literary concepts are key in developing a formalistic theory. Critics today argue that formalisms collection of evidence may simply make a false representation of an idea.

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/722/03/

http://www.lawrence.edu/dept/english/courses/60a/newcrit.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plato