"'Look here, old sport, you've got to get somebody for me. You've got to try hard. I can't go through this alone." - Nick's idea of what Gatsby might have been thinking about his death, page 165.
What I believe to be the saddest part of this whole novel is the fact that absolutely no one came to Gatsby's funeral. Even though during his life he upheld the impression that he had lots of friends because he threw parties all the time, no one seemed to feel that they should go to his funeral. The only people that showed up were Nick, Gatsby's father, and the owl-eyed man. This reinforces my idea that Gatsby can be considered a protagonist of the story. People all around him gave him the impression that they wished to be his friend. Even the people he did business with did not take the time out of their days to attend the funeral. Basically, people only used him and his house. Everyone seemed to want to be involved in his life for the sole fact that he was rich and could throw them great parties. Daisy is a prime example. She only wanted to be with him because he was rich. Once he died, the so called love she had for Gatsby was gone and she seemed to just totally forget about everything they had. She continued on with her life with no consideration to the man that just died.
Monday, April 30, 2012
The Great Gatsby - Why I really dislike Tom
"'What if I did tell him? That fellow had it coming to him. He threw dust into your eyes just like he did in Daisy's, but he was a tough one. He ran over Myrtle like you'd run over a dog and never even stopped his car.'" - Tom Buchanon, page 178.
From the very beginning of the story, I never really liked Tom Buchanon. The second half of this novel only re-enforced my feelings and pushed me into disliking him even more. First of all, I think it's incredibly hypocritical for Tom to have had an affair with Myrtle and then become very jealous when he realized Daisy and Gatsby might be having an affair. All of a sudden it was very wrong for anyone to ever have an affair. To go along with this, even when it was all over, Tom still showed that he had feelings for Myrtle. He blamed Gatsby for her death and kept saying how he didn't even stop when he hit her. Little does he know, it was actually his own wife who killed Myrtle. He had no sympathy for the fact that he was basically the reason for why Gatsby died.
From the very beginning of the story, I never really liked Tom Buchanon. The second half of this novel only re-enforced my feelings and pushed me into disliking him even more. First of all, I think it's incredibly hypocritical for Tom to have had an affair with Myrtle and then become very jealous when he realized Daisy and Gatsby might be having an affair. All of a sudden it was very wrong for anyone to ever have an affair. To go along with this, even when it was all over, Tom still showed that he had feelings for Myrtle. He blamed Gatsby for her death and kept saying how he didn't even stop when he hit her. Little does he know, it was actually his own wife who killed Myrtle. He had no sympathy for the fact that he was basically the reason for why Gatsby died.
The Great Gatsby - Protagonist(s)
"A new world, material without being real, where poor ghosts, breathing dreams like air, drifted fortuitously about...like that ashen, fantastic figure gliding toward him through the amorphous trees." - Nick Carraway, page 161.
"When I had finished she told me without comment that she was engaged to another man. I doubted that, though there were several she could have married at a nod of her head, but I pretended to be surprised." - Nick Carraway, page 177.
Is it possible for a story to have two protagonists? I believe that this story does in fact have two protagonists. It is hard to distinguish between Nick and Jay who the true protagonist is. Therefore, I believe they both hold the position. For obvious reasons, Gatsby could be considered the protagonist. He loved Daisy and she didn't ever show the same love for him back. Then, he was wrongfully blamed for killing Myrtle. This resulted in him being murdered by Myrtle's husband. That sounds like a lot of forces negatively acting against Jay Gatsby if you ask me. On the other hand, Nick could also be considered the protagonist. He never really fit in with the lifestyle of New York City. This would be one of the main reasons he went back to Minnesota. Also, it seems as though Nick never really had any true friends. Finally, he became really close to Gatsby only to lose him as the result of a murder. Another reason he could be considered the protagonist is because of how Jordan treated him after everything went down. They used to really like each other. Then Jordan went off and got engaged to someone else, or at least pretended to get engaged to someone else.
"When I had finished she told me without comment that she was engaged to another man. I doubted that, though there were several she could have married at a nod of her head, but I pretended to be surprised." - Nick Carraway, page 177.
Is it possible for a story to have two protagonists? I believe that this story does in fact have two protagonists. It is hard to distinguish between Nick and Jay who the true protagonist is. Therefore, I believe they both hold the position. For obvious reasons, Gatsby could be considered the protagonist. He loved Daisy and she didn't ever show the same love for him back. Then, he was wrongfully blamed for killing Myrtle. This resulted in him being murdered by Myrtle's husband. That sounds like a lot of forces negatively acting against Jay Gatsby if you ask me. On the other hand, Nick could also be considered the protagonist. He never really fit in with the lifestyle of New York City. This would be one of the main reasons he went back to Minnesota. Also, it seems as though Nick never really had any true friends. Finally, he became really close to Gatsby only to lose him as the result of a murder. Another reason he could be considered the protagonist is because of how Jordan treated him after everything went down. They used to really like each other. Then Jordan went off and got engaged to someone else, or at least pretended to get engaged to someone else.
The Great Gatsby - Resolution
"After Gatsby's death the East was haunted for me like that, distorted beyond my eyes' power of correction. So when the blue smoke of brittle leaves was in the air and the wind blew the wet laundry stiff on the line I decided to come back home." - Nick Carraway, page 176.
As sad as it may be, Jay Gatsby's death can be considered the resolution of the story. Every little conflict that was happening suddenly seemed to come to an end. For example, the conflict between Tom and Daisy Buchanon's marriage seemed to end. Gatsby's death came in the wake of Myrtle's death. Both of these people are what caused Tom and Daisy to be unfaithful. With these two people dead, the couple is free to be faithful and loving to each other once again. Another conflict that wasn't as obvious was that Nick Carraway never seemed too happy to be living in New York City. Gatsby's death was like the final straw and is what pushed him to finally leave. Although Gatsby's death seems to be the resolution to the story, I am not particularly happy with how it ended. It was just so unhappy and I was left feeling like the story never came to a very good ending. Tom got to keep the girl he wanted, Gatsby lost the girl he loved and ended up dying, and Nick was left with no friends once again. The whole thing was just really sad.
As sad as it may be, Jay Gatsby's death can be considered the resolution of the story. Every little conflict that was happening suddenly seemed to come to an end. For example, the conflict between Tom and Daisy Buchanon's marriage seemed to end. Gatsby's death came in the wake of Myrtle's death. Both of these people are what caused Tom and Daisy to be unfaithful. With these two people dead, the couple is free to be faithful and loving to each other once again. Another conflict that wasn't as obvious was that Nick Carraway never seemed too happy to be living in New York City. Gatsby's death was like the final straw and is what pushed him to finally leave. Although Gatsby's death seems to be the resolution to the story, I am not particularly happy with how it ended. It was just so unhappy and I was left feeling like the story never came to a very good ending. Tom got to keep the girl he wanted, Gatsby lost the girl he loved and ended up dying, and Nick was left with no friends once again. The whole thing was just really sad.
The Great Gatsby - Dramatic Irony
"'Well, I tried to swing the wheel-' He broke off, and suddenly I guessed at the truth. 'Was Daisy driving?' 'Yes,' he said after a moment, 'but of course I'll say I was.'" - Jay Gatsby, page 143.
This moment is a great example of dramatic irony. Tom Buchanon believes that Gatsby is the one who killed his mistress. However, it was actually his own wife who killed Myrtle. My next question is how on earth Tom would react if he found out that Daisy killed her. He might become violent. Tom already showed that he has a violent side to him when he beat up Myrtle. Who knows what he would actually do when he found out that Daisy killed her, even if it was a complete accident. The other thing I thought was important to note is how much Gatsby loved Daisy. He was willing to take the blame for killing someone in order to protect her. However, Daisy doesn't really love him back in the same way. When Gatsby dies, she doesn't even visit him at his funeral. Basically, Gatsby was willing to protect someone he loved even though she would never do the same for him.
This moment is a great example of dramatic irony. Tom Buchanon believes that Gatsby is the one who killed his mistress. However, it was actually his own wife who killed Myrtle. My next question is how on earth Tom would react if he found out that Daisy killed her. He might become violent. Tom already showed that he has a violent side to him when he beat up Myrtle. Who knows what he would actually do when he found out that Daisy killed her, even if it was a complete accident. The other thing I thought was important to note is how much Gatsby loved Daisy. He was willing to take the blame for killing someone in order to protect her. However, Daisy doesn't really love him back in the same way. When Gatsby dies, she doesn't even visit him at his funeral. Basically, Gatsby was willing to protect someone he loved even though she would never do the same for him.
Monday, April 23, 2012
The Great Gatsby - Daisy's Motivations
"'They're such beautiful shirts,' she sobbed, her voice muffled in the thick folds. 'It makes me sad because I've never seen such - such beautiful shirts before.'" - Daisy Buchanon, page 92.
Ok, so it is a little hard to determine if Daisy truly is in love with anyone or if she is just a gold-digger, out to be with anyone who can make her rich. As soon as Gatsby left for the war, she was quick to marry someone else. Tom Buchanon happens to be very wealthy, only adding to my prediction that Daisy is a gold-digger. Additionally, Gatsby makes a point to make sure that Daisy sees his home. He wants to impress her. Maybe he, too, knows that she has a weakness for the finer things in life. He probably knows that if she sees his incredibly rich life and his incredibly nice home, then maybe she will fall in love with him again and he will be able to win her back. Being with someone like this will not make him happy. Perhaps the reason Tom cheats on her is because he knows she is just using him for his money. Perhaps he knows that she does not truly love him. This would explain his comment at the beginning of the novel when he said, "Don't believe everything you hear, Nick." This was immediately after he realized that Daisy and Nick were talking about his infidelity.
Ok, so it is a little hard to determine if Daisy truly is in love with anyone or if she is just a gold-digger, out to be with anyone who can make her rich. As soon as Gatsby left for the war, she was quick to marry someone else. Tom Buchanon happens to be very wealthy, only adding to my prediction that Daisy is a gold-digger. Additionally, Gatsby makes a point to make sure that Daisy sees his home. He wants to impress her. Maybe he, too, knows that she has a weakness for the finer things in life. He probably knows that if she sees his incredibly rich life and his incredibly nice home, then maybe she will fall in love with him again and he will be able to win her back. Being with someone like this will not make him happy. Perhaps the reason Tom cheats on her is because he knows she is just using him for his money. Perhaps he knows that she does not truly love him. This would explain his comment at the beginning of the novel when he said, "Don't believe everything you hear, Nick." This was immediately after he realized that Daisy and Nick were talking about his infidelity.
The Great Gatsby - Feeling Alone
"They had forgotten me, but Daisy glanced up and held out her hand; Gatsby didn't know me now at all. I looked once more at them and they looked back at me, remotely, possessed by intense life. Then I went out of the room and down the marble steps into the rain, leaving them there together." - Nick Carraway, page 96.
This is the point in the story when I felt the most sympathy for Nick. He thought he had a friend in Gatsby, but to me it looks as if Gatsby was only using him to get to Daisy. It says that Gatsby didn't know him anymore. Once he got what he wanted, Gatsby totally forgot about Nick. Now, Nick is left without anyone. The rain symbolizes his loneliness. Once he leaves the house and leaves two of the people he was most close to, he feels utterly deserted. However, there is still Jordan and hopefully this is just a temporary feeling he has. Maybe Gatsby will come to his senses and realize what a good friend Nick was to him. After all, he did reunite him with his former love.
This is the point in the story when I felt the most sympathy for Nick. He thought he had a friend in Gatsby, but to me it looks as if Gatsby was only using him to get to Daisy. It says that Gatsby didn't know him anymore. Once he got what he wanted, Gatsby totally forgot about Nick. Now, Nick is left without anyone. The rain symbolizes his loneliness. Once he leaves the house and leaves two of the people he was most close to, he feels utterly deserted. However, there is still Jordan and hopefully this is just a temporary feeling he has. Maybe Gatsby will come to his senses and realize what a good friend Nick was to him. After all, he did reunite him with his former love.
The Great Gatsby - Flashback
"One October day in nineteen-seventeen - (said Jordan Baker that afternoon, sitting up very straight on a straight chair in the tea-garden at the Plaza Hotel) - I was walking along from one place to another, half on the sidewalks and half on the lawns." - Jordan Baker, page 74.
Now this is when the novel really starts to get interesting. Jordan Baker uses a flashback to describe events that have a great impact on the characters' lives today and to explain the plan she and Gatsby would like Nick to help them with. Who would have thought that Daisy and Gatsby had a thing many years before? She remembers how devastated Daisy was on her wedding day when she received a letter from Gatsby. She was probably feeling like she was making a mistake and marrying the wrong man. Anyways, the purpose for Jordan telling this story is to try and convince Nick to invite both Daisy and Gatsby over at the same time so that they can see each other again after so many years apart. Personally, I do not think anything good will come of this. I predict that Daisy will start to have an affair with Gatsby. Sure Tom cheats on her but that does not make it okay for her to do the exact same thing and cheat on him. Hopefully an affair will not come from this whole situation. Daisy made the mistake of marrying Tom a long time ago and now should probably deal with the fact that she is with him instead of Gatsby. On the other hand, I think it is time for Gatsby to get over Daisy. He should find someone who chooses him from the beginning instead of someone who picks someone else and then wishes she had chosen Gatsby later after everything goes wrong.
Now this is when the novel really starts to get interesting. Jordan Baker uses a flashback to describe events that have a great impact on the characters' lives today and to explain the plan she and Gatsby would like Nick to help them with. Who would have thought that Daisy and Gatsby had a thing many years before? She remembers how devastated Daisy was on her wedding day when she received a letter from Gatsby. She was probably feeling like she was making a mistake and marrying the wrong man. Anyways, the purpose for Jordan telling this story is to try and convince Nick to invite both Daisy and Gatsby over at the same time so that they can see each other again after so many years apart. Personally, I do not think anything good will come of this. I predict that Daisy will start to have an affair with Gatsby. Sure Tom cheats on her but that does not make it okay for her to do the exact same thing and cheat on him. Hopefully an affair will not come from this whole situation. Daisy made the mistake of marrying Tom a long time ago and now should probably deal with the fact that she is with him instead of Gatsby. On the other hand, I think it is time for Gatsby to get over Daisy. He should find someone who chooses him from the beginning instead of someone who picks someone else and then wishes she had chosen Gatsby later after everything goes wrong.
The Great Gatsby - Direct Characterization
"His speaking voice, a gruff husky tenor, added to the impression of fractiousness he conveyed. There was a touch of paternal contempt in it, even toward people he liked - and there were men at New Haven who had hated his guts." - Nick Carraway, page 7.
Since he is the narrator of the story, Nick Carraway has the option to either directly or indirectly characterize each person in the novel. It seems that he has chosen, then, to use direct characterization not only to describe Tom Buchanon in the quote above, but also for most, if not all, of the other characters of the story. The quote above is how Nick decided to characterize Tom. Without even hearing him talk or seeing him act, the reader automatically has a more negative impression of Tom just because of the direct characterization Nick has given. How can we know for sure that Tom is the horrible guy that he seems to be portrayed? It is true that he is a cheater which is never okay, but who is to say that Daisy won't become exactly the same since she has recently gotten back in touch with her former love, Jay Gatsby. In fact, when Nick returned from standing outside by himself, he found Daisy crying on the couch close to Gatsby. This makes me think that she still has feelings for him.
Since he is the narrator of the story, Nick Carraway has the option to either directly or indirectly characterize each person in the novel. It seems that he has chosen, then, to use direct characterization not only to describe Tom Buchanon in the quote above, but also for most, if not all, of the other characters of the story. The quote above is how Nick decided to characterize Tom. Without even hearing him talk or seeing him act, the reader automatically has a more negative impression of Tom just because of the direct characterization Nick has given. How can we know for sure that Tom is the horrible guy that he seems to be portrayed? It is true that he is a cheater which is never okay, but who is to say that Daisy won't become exactly the same since she has recently gotten back in touch with her former love, Jay Gatsby. In fact, when Nick returned from standing outside by himself, he found Daisy crying on the couch close to Gatsby. This makes me think that she still has feelings for him.
The Great Gatsby - First Person Point of View
"It was a matter of chance that I should have rented a house in one of the strangest communities in North America. It was on that slender riotous island which extends itself due east of New York - and where there are, among other natural curiosities, two unusual formations of land." - Nick Carraway, page 4.
This entire book is told in the form of first person point of view. As a result of this, the reader sympathizes most with Nick Carraway and even tends to have the same feelings and opinions about the other characters that he has. For example, if one were to look at Jordan Baker in the situation she is in, one might be more likely to judge her upon the sole fact that she is a cheater and dishonest. However, since the novel is told in the eyes of Nick who is physically attracted to her, the reader doesn't seem to have this judgement. Just as Nick Carraway somewhat pushes this flaw to the side and forgets about, the reader also forgets this flaw. Also, since the story is told in the eyes of Nick, it makes it a little hard to determine whether or not Gatsby truly is trying to be a friend with him. At first, I felt that Gatsby was sincerely trying to be neighborly by inviting Nick to his home and taking him to lunch. Once I found out that Gatsby's true motivation was to become closer to Daisy, I started questioning the friendship that I though was beginning to form. Now I have started to believe that Gatsby is only using Nick to get closer to his long lost love and will perhaps dump him once his done using him as a way to get to Daisy.
This entire book is told in the form of first person point of view. As a result of this, the reader sympathizes most with Nick Carraway and even tends to have the same feelings and opinions about the other characters that he has. For example, if one were to look at Jordan Baker in the situation she is in, one might be more likely to judge her upon the sole fact that she is a cheater and dishonest. However, since the novel is told in the eyes of Nick who is physically attracted to her, the reader doesn't seem to have this judgement. Just as Nick Carraway somewhat pushes this flaw to the side and forgets about, the reader also forgets this flaw. Also, since the story is told in the eyes of Nick, it makes it a little hard to determine whether or not Gatsby truly is trying to be a friend with him. At first, I felt that Gatsby was sincerely trying to be neighborly by inviting Nick to his home and taking him to lunch. Once I found out that Gatsby's true motivation was to become closer to Daisy, I started questioning the friendship that I though was beginning to form. Now I have started to believe that Gatsby is only using Nick to get closer to his long lost love and will perhaps dump him once his done using him as a way to get to Daisy.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Frankenstein Part II - Motivation
"I shuddered to think that future ages might curse me as their pest, whose selfishness had not hesitated to buy its own peace at the price, perhaps, of the existence of the whole human race." - Victor, page 121.
The quote I have used above is a great example of Victor's motivation for why he decided not to continue with the development of the second creature. He had spent so many months traveling Europe and determining how he was going to create the second beast. He secluded himself on an island and began the process. Just as the creature was about finished and my anticipation was brought to it's height, he destroyed what was to be the first Creature's companion. As soon as Victor did this, I wondered, "WHY?!?!" His motivation/reasoning was because he did not want to leave the world and future generations with a massive problem that he himself had created. What if the two creatures started their own little family? There would be a completely new species of monsters on the planet that no one would be able to destroy. What if the female creature he was about to give life to turned out to be evil? There would be no way to stop her from creating chaos and destruction. Basically, Victor realized that although he had an obligation to the creature he created and an obligation to make him happy, he had an even larger obligation to the rest of humanity and to ensure that he not only killed the creature he had originally developed, but also stay away from developing another that could end up even more violent than the first.
Frankenstein Part II - The Creature's Reasons
"A frightful selfishness hurried me on, while my heart was poisoned with remorse." - The Creature, page 163.
I believe this quote is proof that the Creature was not evil by nature after all. He confesses that the reasons he did what he did was because he became selfish of all of humanity, including Victor. His envy and bitterness is what motivated him to kill and seek revenge. Originally, he was kind, warm, and happy. Humanity's hatefulness towards him and his inability to be loved by any other being is what temporarily changed him. Therefore, I believe that if Victor had gone ahead and created the second monster, the Creature would have probably kept his promise and gone and lived away from mankind. This theory is also supported by the fact that at the end of the novel, the Creature decided to kill himself. He felt bad for what he did and realized that he acted unjustly.
Frankenstein Part II - Elizabeth's Confusion
"Answer me, I conjure you, by our mutual happiness, with simple truth - do you not love another?" - Elizabeth, page 138.
When I read this part of the novel, I felt incredibly sympathetic for Elizabeth. She is confused by Victor's feelings. She believes that he does not want to marry her because he could possibly be in love with another. She and Victor's father, now, have both questioned Victor on this topic, believing that he feels a sort of obligation to his parents to marry Elizabeth. It is not without good reason that Elizabeth feels this way, though. Victor is always gone and embarking on different travels. The way his family probably sees it is that he is trying to get away from them. I felt so sad for Elizabeth because she confesses to loving Victor but also wants him to be happy. She would rather see him with someone else and be happy than be unhappy with her. However, the saddest part of this whole situation is that after Victor reassures Elizabeth that he loves her and after the two get married, she is brutally murdered by Victor's creation. In the end, instead of Elizabeth being unhappy without Victor, it is Victor being unhappy without Elizabeth.
When I read this part of the novel, I felt incredibly sympathetic for Elizabeth. She is confused by Victor's feelings. She believes that he does not want to marry her because he could possibly be in love with another. She and Victor's father, now, have both questioned Victor on this topic, believing that he feels a sort of obligation to his parents to marry Elizabeth. It is not without good reason that Elizabeth feels this way, though. Victor is always gone and embarking on different travels. The way his family probably sees it is that he is trying to get away from them. I felt so sad for Elizabeth because she confesses to loving Victor but also wants him to be happy. She would rather see him with someone else and be happy than be unhappy with her. However, the saddest part of this whole situation is that after Victor reassures Elizabeth that he loves her and after the two get married, she is brutally murdered by Victor's creation. In the end, instead of Elizabeth being unhappy without Victor, it is Victor being unhappy without Elizabeth.
Frankenstein Part II - Dramatic Irony
"And then I thought again of his words- 'I will be with you on your wedding night.'... In that hour I should die, and at once satisfy and extinguish his malice" - Victor, page 123.
The quote I have used above is a good example of dramatic irony. Victor believes that the Creature means that he is going to kill him on his wedding night. Therefore, Victor prepares himself for what he believes is going to be a fatal night for either him or the creature. However, the dramatic irony comes into play because the reader knows that the creature actually means that he is going to kill Elizabeth on their wedding night. He wants to get back at Victor by killing the person that means the most to him. Victor begins preparing himself for a night he thinks is going to be dangerous for himself, when he should be doing everything in his power to protect Elizabeth. I cannot help but think that if Victor had known the creature's real intentions, then he could have focused all of his energy on Elizabeth and her safety and perhaps kept her from being killed like all his other family members and friends. On another note, I find it incredibly impressive that after losing just about his entire family because of the monster he created, Victor is able to stay strong for the time being in order to kill the creature that has been reeking havoc on his entire life.
The quote I have used above is a good example of dramatic irony. Victor believes that the Creature means that he is going to kill him on his wedding night. Therefore, Victor prepares himself for what he believes is going to be a fatal night for either him or the creature. However, the dramatic irony comes into play because the reader knows that the creature actually means that he is going to kill Elizabeth on their wedding night. He wants to get back at Victor by killing the person that means the most to him. Victor begins preparing himself for a night he thinks is going to be dangerous for himself, when he should be doing everything in his power to protect Elizabeth. I cannot help but think that if Victor had known the creature's real intentions, then he could have focused all of his energy on Elizabeth and her safety and perhaps kept her from being killed like all his other family members and friends. On another note, I find it incredibly impressive that after losing just about his entire family because of the monster he created, Victor is able to stay strong for the time being in order to kill the creature that has been reeking havoc on his entire life.
Frankenstein Part II - Personification
"Despair had indeed almost secured her prey, and I should soon have sunk beneath this misery." - Victor, page 154.
The quote I have used above is a good example of the literary technique called personification. Victor is describing his emotions of despair as if they are some kind of living being. When he says that "despair had indeed almost secured her prey," he really means that his feelings of sadness were really close to killing him. He feels like he could just die from the emotions he is feeling. This use of personification is good at demonstrating that Victor's life is finally about to come to an end. I honestly have been extremely surprised that the monster hadn't killed Victor earlier in the book, especially since most of his anger has been focused on Victor. After everything that happened, I was a little irritated that Victor died from causes he placed upon himself, rather than a huge fight between him and the creature. The whole book seemed to be leading up to a great brawl between the two beings, yet it ended in no less than Victor dying of more natural causes and the creature admitting he was wrong and running off to the North Pole to kill himself.
The quote I have used above is a good example of the literary technique called personification. Victor is describing his emotions of despair as if they are some kind of living being. When he says that "despair had indeed almost secured her prey," he really means that his feelings of sadness were really close to killing him. He feels like he could just die from the emotions he is feeling. This use of personification is good at demonstrating that Victor's life is finally about to come to an end. I honestly have been extremely surprised that the monster hadn't killed Victor earlier in the book, especially since most of his anger has been focused on Victor. After everything that happened, I was a little irritated that Victor died from causes he placed upon himself, rather than a huge fight between him and the creature. The whole book seemed to be leading up to a great brawl between the two beings, yet it ended in no less than Victor dying of more natural causes and the creature admitting he was wrong and running off to the North Pole to kill himself.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Frankenstein - There Is Goodness After All
"I had been accustomed, during the night, to steal a part of their store for my own consumption; but when I found that in doing this I inflicted pain on the cottagers, I abstained, and satisfied myself with berries, nuts, and roots, which I gathered from a neighbouring wood." - The Creature, page 78.
When Victor first created this monster, he felt immediately that it was evil by nature. He did not for a second stop to wonder if it was capable of doing good. He just assumed that the Creature was out to harm others and that it was only going to cause destruction. The quote above proves that this assumption that Victor made is wrong. The Creature, at the time this quote is referring to, is thinking totally for himself. There is no one else around to tell him that if he steals the family's food, they will suffer. No one is telling him that this is bad. The Creature realizes all on his own that he should not steal from the family because it is inflicting pain on them. Therefore, there is some goodness in the Creature after all. The Creature is not evil by nature because, truthfully, it seems to me that he would much rather be good and loving than evil and destructive. All he wants is to be loved by others. The only reason he begins to act like a monster is because others are treating him like he is a monster.
When Victor first created this monster, he felt immediately that it was evil by nature. He did not for a second stop to wonder if it was capable of doing good. He just assumed that the Creature was out to harm others and that it was only going to cause destruction. The quote above proves that this assumption that Victor made is wrong. The Creature, at the time this quote is referring to, is thinking totally for himself. There is no one else around to tell him that if he steals the family's food, they will suffer. No one is telling him that this is bad. The Creature realizes all on his own that he should not steal from the family because it is inflicting pain on them. Therefore, there is some goodness in the Creature after all. The Creature is not evil by nature because, truthfully, it seems to me that he would much rather be good and loving than evil and destructive. All he wants is to be loved by others. The only reason he begins to act like a monster is because others are treating him like he is a monster.
Frankenstein - Misery Made Me A Fiend
"I was benevolent and good; misery made me a fiend. Make me happy, and I shall again be virtuous." - The Creature, page 69.
When I read this, I realized that it was the Creature's way of admitting that he is now bad. I almost feel sorry for him because he feels that the reason he is now the way he is is because of how everyone treated him. Just because he is ugly and hideous does not give people the right to freak out when they see him, especially if they haven't actually gotten to know him. (Truthfully, I would probably react the exact same way as everyone else if I saw this monster.) However, the Creature is willing to change his ways and return to his previous, good-natured self, only if Victor agrees to listen to him and love him as his creation. Now, although I am saying that I feel sort of bad for the Creation, I am not saying that it is acceptable for him to be violent. If he is in fact the one that killed William, then that was totally wrong. Even if one is being extremely bullied, that is no good reason to go out and kill people. This is the perfect opportunity for Victor to fix the problem he has created. If Victor can show love and compassion to the Creature, the the Creature will stop being violent.
When I read this, I realized that it was the Creature's way of admitting that he is now bad. I almost feel sorry for him because he feels that the reason he is now the way he is is because of how everyone treated him. Just because he is ugly and hideous does not give people the right to freak out when they see him, especially if they haven't actually gotten to know him. (Truthfully, I would probably react the exact same way as everyone else if I saw this monster.) However, the Creature is willing to change his ways and return to his previous, good-natured self, only if Victor agrees to listen to him and love him as his creation. Now, although I am saying that I feel sort of bad for the Creation, I am not saying that it is acceptable for him to be violent. If he is in fact the one that killed William, then that was totally wrong. Even if one is being extremely bullied, that is no good reason to go out and kill people. This is the perfect opportunity for Victor to fix the problem he has created. If Victor can show love and compassion to the Creature, the the Creature will stop being violent.
Frankenstein - Allusion
"Remember, that I am thy creature; I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel, whom thou drivest from joy for no misdeed." - The Creature, page 69.
The quote I have used above is an excellent example of an allusion. What the Creature means is that he is like Adam and Victor is like God. Just as God created mankind, Victor created the Creature. I find this allusion incredibly interesting for many reasons. The first and most obvious reason is because how on earth would the Creature know about the story of Adam and Eve? It seems that he has rapidly grown intellectually and I, personally, would like to know how he came to be so informed on a topic such as this. The other reason I find this allusion particularly interesting is because I feel it is the Creature's way of asking Victor to forgive him. Everyday mankind sins, yet God is always willing to forgive us. Similarly, the Creature probably knows that he has done wrong, yet hopes that Victor will look past his faults and love him for who he is. Everyone deserves to be forgiven, even if he or she is an ugly and disgusting monster.
Frankenstein - Foreshadowing
"Alas! I did not yet entirely know the fatal effects of this miserable deformity." - The Creature, page 80.
The quote I have used above is an example of foreshadowing. When the Creature sees his own reflection for the first time, he is completely shocked and terrified. He had no idea how ugly and scary he truly was. He then admits that he did not realize that his ugliness and deformities were going to have terrible and fatal effects on events in the future. We, as readers, do not know exactly what those fatal effects are, which is why this quote is an example of foreshadowing. We are left to wonder what exactly is going to happen. I believe this is the Creature's way of almost admitting that he was in fact the one who killed Walter. The reader can conclude that the Creature is going to probably become violent and kill someone. I almost feel sorry for the Creature. He is stuck in this ugly body and wants no more than to be loved by this family and to learn new and exciting things. However, his ugliness is a total setback and will probably prevent him from ever achieving those goals.
Frankenstein - Simile
"Sir Isaac Newton is said to have avowed that he felt like a child picking up shells beside the great and unexplored ocean of truth." - Victor, page 21.
The quote I have found above is a great example of a simile. What Victor means is that although Isaac Newton was making great discoveries and putting forth new ideas, he often felt like what he was discovering was extremely small in comparison to the many other discoveries that can and will be found. Victor is using this simile to demonstrate the same feelings he has about the studies he is conducting himself. Although he intensely studied and made many of his own discoveries, he felt like there was still so much more to be found. What he was learning and studying was tiny in comparison to the many other things that are out there just waiting to be discovered. I believe this is a very good quality to have. Victor has a great thirst for knowledge and is always striving to learn the most possible and be the best intellect he can. It is unfortunate, however that this characteristic leads him to creating a being that may or may not be the cause of two deaths.
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