- select ONE significant quote.
- Type the quote out (put the page number!!)
- Explain why you selected the quote
- Explain what its significance is
- Propose one question to the class about the quote/section you selected
Steps #3 and #4 should be at least 6 sentences long. Do not exceed 12 sentences.
9 comments:
Geode Sibbick
"Thus strangely are our souls constructed, and by such ligaments are we bound to prosperity or ruin. When I look back, it seems as if this almost miraculous change of inclination and will was the immediate suggestion of the guardian angel of my life- the last effort made by the spirit of preservation to avert the strom that was even then hanginging in the stars, and ready to envelope me...It was a strong effort of the spirit of good; but it was inneffectual. Destiny was too potent and her immutable laws had decreed my utter and terrible destruction." (Shelley, 23)
This quote was selected because I believe that it is a statement concerning the age old argument as to free will versus destiny, and all of the myriad debates that rage around that issue. The main problem in this debate can be simplified into the question: do our choices matter in life, or are we simply set on a path that we cannot change with free will and choice being illusions created by a supreme being to whom we are little more than playthings. Frankenstein appears to believe that there are certain forces in play that seem to create a middle ground in between the extremes mentioned above, beings who may be able to deliver a nudge away from our supposedly immutable destinies. However, to me this still seems as if humans themselves are reduced to something on the level of a clockwork toy, set on its path with older and more complex beings nudging or guiding it in one direction or the other. This seems an entirely unwholesome form of existence which no being should aspire to. It may be true that not needing to be worried about ones fate would be comforting in the short run, as a being could know that whatever was going to happen would happen regardless of any will they may have, in the long run, a person would doubtless become frustrated that nothing that they said or did would have the slightest effect upon their eventual fate.
Question:In your opinion, do people have any free will regarding their eventual fates, or is it, as Frankenstein argues, in the hands of far greater beings than humans?
Esther Tai
"And when, on the morrow, she presented Elizabeth to me as her promised gift, I, with childish seriousness, interpreted her words literally and looked upon Elizabeth as mine--mine to protect, love, and cherish...No word, no expression could body forth the kind of relation in which she stood to me--my more than sister, since till death she was to be mine only" (18).
I chose this quote because it showed the unhealthy state of mind that isolation caused Frankenstein to have, and also showed some interesting aspects of the time period. For example, his possessiveness of his "sister" can be viewed as a form of female objectification which was no stranger to the time period (and today). Originally, this irritated me; however, later on in the novel, Elizabeth proved to actually be of stronger character than Frankenstein, thus reflecting that his ownership of her was a deliberate delusion of the character. His view of her is unrealistic, for in reality she does not belong to him and is free to form relationships with other people. His obsessive need to possess his sister is caused by his isolation from his peers, for I believe that if he had strong relationships with other people, he would not feel the urge to focus on her so strongly. There is also an element of Gothic literature present in this passage, with the near-incestuous feeling that pervades it, of unnatural love that addresses the irrational, mad side of the mind. It also carries a note of foreshadowing, suggesting the lengths that Frankenstein would go to in order to keep Elizabeth by his side, only, forever. Elizabeth is created almost as a foil to Frankenstein: bright, innocent, and courageous, she is a symbol of purity and goodness. Since Frankenstein clearly does not have enough relations with other people to truly be concerned with humanity as a whole, I believe that if she is destroyed, his last grasp on hope and sanity will also disappear, as well as his reasoning.
Question: Keeping Frankenstein’s possessiveness in mind, how do you think he would react if Elizabeth ever got married? Would he finally be able to admit to himself the true nature of their relationship (she is his sibling/cousin, she does not actually belong to him, he should probably form relationships with people other than just with his “sister”, etc…)
Beau Yurkevicius
"On the evening previous to her being brought to my home, my mother had said playfully, - "I have a pretty present for my Victor - tomorrow he shall have it." And when, on the morrow, she presented Elizabeth to me as her promised gift, I, with chilidish seriousness, interpreted her words literally and looked upon Elizabeth as mine - to protect, love, and cherish." (Shelley, 18)
I selected this quote because i believe it plays an important role in the develeopment of the story and the emotions and relations of characters. Due to Victor taking his mother's words seriously, he now feels that it is his duty to always protect Elizabeth as his own possession. As the story progesses, the strong relationship between these two characters is easily seen. Although Victor neglects the feelings he has toward his family during his research, he ultimately feels the need to return home and comfort his loved-ones that he has missed for so long. It is quite significant because it shows that Victor will never leave Elizabeth alone and will always be there to protect her. The love these two share will most likely grow even stronger with the coming events in the story and ultimately allow them to connect even more than they already have.
Question: Do you have anyone who you feel it is your duty to protect and cherish no matter what?
Shannon Temlak
“Under the guidance of my new preceptors, I entered with the greatest diligence into the search of the philosopher’s stone and the elixir of life; but the latter soon obtained my undivided attention. Wealth was an inferior object; but what glory would attend the discovery, if I could banish disease from the human frame and render man invulnerable to any but a violent death!” (Shelly 22)
I chose this quote because it accurately depicts Frankenstein’s obsessive desire to find a scientific way to preserve and replenish life. These two sentences mark the beginning of Frankenstein’s obsession with making such a discovery; they mark the start of Frankenstein’s unfortunate path. It is clear that there is a crazy thought-process circling through Frankenstein’s head, as he has developed the belief he could accomplish such a task from the readings of Cornelius Agrippa, Paracelsus, and Albertus Magnus. Frankenstein is filling his head with proposed theories by philosophers. Frankenstein’s father finds the works of these philosophers to be rubbish. Frankenstein, like any young man would, may want to prove his father wrong and impress him by using the knowledge he has acquired through the literature to make a successful discovery. Readers can sense how driven the man is to be successful in his pursuit. Frankenstein specifically states that he wants glory, but the reader immediately wonders what will happen if something goes wrong. It is evident that Frankenstein will go at great lengths to accomplish finding the “elixir of life”. The question, however, is at what costs? This quote examines if the benefits Frankenstein is capable of achieving will outweigh the unnamed consequences of pursuing his desires.
Regarding his obsession with pursuing a way to preserve and replenish life, how much do you believe Frankenstein was influenced by his father and/or his own reading of the philosophers? In your opinion, did either this person or activity play a prominent role in putting this outrageous task on the top of Frankenstein’s “to do” list?
Caitlynn Wentworth
"it is so long before the mind can persuade itself that she, whom we saw every day, and whose very existence appeared a part of our own, can have departed forever- that the brightness of a beloved eye can have been extinguished, and the sound of a voice so familiar and dear to the ear can be hushed,never more to be heard" (24).
i chose this quote because it gives the reader a really good sense of Frankenstien's beliefs and his emotions. The situation is so sad, and weird that elizabeth was which led to his mothers dying. this brings in ideas of te 17th century having a sad story, rather than a comedy. also i chose this quote because it is very true that something so drastic takes a long time to get use to. throughout the section of reading, many different ideas, theories, etc. come in, and are often either shut down by characters, or praised. this idea of taking a while to grasp death is something that all characters can agree on, as oppose to say old science philosophies. so far the book relies on frankensteins beliefs to explain why he is the way he is, and why he does things. i think this quote shows how little emotions death brings, but how much he focuses on the effects of death. i liked this quote because it is a relavent situation no matter who it is, and what year it is. later on in the reading he brings up how people die and are just food for worms, and i think death and life are significant themes throughout the story so far. i think it is important to remember that the book starts off with a death, though i dont know what happens in the story it seems to important. this quote does not really have any description of the story and such but i think it shows frankensteins character well.
question
What is a more difficult situation to deal with: dealing with the physical loss of someone, i.e not being able to see or talk to them, or is it more difficult to know that person is no longer in existence as that same person?
tried to word it so it doesnt bring in specific beliefs, but kind of failed.
Michael Strickland
“All that he said threw greatly into the shade Cornelius Agrippa, Albertus Magnus, and Paracelsus, the lords of my imagination; but by some fatality the overthrow of these men disinclined me to pursue my accustomed studies. It seemed to be as if nothing would or could ever be known. All that had so long engaged my attention suddenly turned despicable.” (22)
I selected this quote because I feel it marks the beginning of Frankenstein’s decline. He pursued the alchemists of old with a passion and this introduction to modern science made him doubt what he believed. I thought this quote was important to understanding the development of Frankenstein’s character as well as his mindset. This quote shows two sides of Frankenstein, that he can be adamant and unyielding in his beliefs at times, but at others it takes only a single statement to make him question himself and his beliefs. We see similar behavior later on as he completes the monster and then realizes that it is horrible tries to forget about it completely. In the end Frankenstein does not know what to believe he converts almost immediately from the philosophies of alchemists, to the hard facts of modern science. However the more he works at chemistry the more of the ancient beliefs and superstitions seem to seep back into his ideology. Such as his idea to study life and death, and bring a dead thing back to life combines ancient ideas with revolutionary technology and he is able to succeed where others failed.
What does this insight into Frankenstein's character imply about how he might handle problems in the future?
Danielle Watkins
“I need not to say that we were strangers to ay species of disunion or dispute. Harmony was the soul of our companionship, and the diversity and contrast that substituted in our characters drew us nearer together” (18).
I chose this quote because I think it is important to the rest of what we have read so far. In the quote, Victor is talking about Elizabeth and how close they are even though they are not related by blood. It is interesting, however, that Shelley uses the word “species” to describe how easily Victor and Elizabeth get along for it is a new species that is beginning to destroy their relationship. “Harmony” is what makes their relationship so strong, even though their character and personality are different. This is beginning to change later on in the book, though, because Victor hides his secret about the monster he created. This can be seen as breaking the relationship because Victor is essentially responsible for the monster that killed William and caused Justine to be convicted and then hanged. Victor does not want to hurt Elizabeth, however, so his actions can also be seen a way to protect her until he can solve the problem on his own. On the other hand, is keeping secrets from Elizabeth the right choice?
Question: Is it more worthwhile to tell someone a horrible secret or situation you’re in and end up hurting him or her initially or to try to solve the problem on your own and risk the consequences? Will Victor “solve his problem” or “face the consequences”?
Lane southard
"I thank you,' he replied, 'for your sympathy, but it is useless; my fate is nearly fulfilled. I wait but for one event, and then I shall repose in peace. I understand your feeling but you are mistaken, my friend, if thus you will allow me to name you; nothing can alter my destiny; listen to my history, and you will perceive how irrevocably it is determined." (13).
This quote taken from right before the first chapter is able to set the tone for the novel and acts to grab the reader. I selected it because the letters Walton is writing discuss this great relationship he has built with this man he has found. He even claims to love him like a brother as he grows closer to him. To the reader, not much is known about this man and his background and in this sentence he is about to reveal his past but he reveals a dilema he has that offers a twist to the plot yet is not immeadiately discusse leading the reader to continue on to try and find the truth to his mysterious past that has left his destiny sealed.
This quote is significant because it begins the outline of the plot for the story as now there is an intreguing story to be revealed with a clear goal of finding out this one event in the man's life that has left him to the will of fate. With the sudden change of setting with the start of chapter 1 it leaves this uncertainness lingering in the readers mind as the want to know this man's past grows more and more. The fact that he has accepted whatever may happen to him is interesting as well since one might try to change the enivitable but for this we don't know whether the event is good or bad. For this it is necessary for the reader to continue in order to find out the fate of this man and how it may affect the bond between the two comrades. Also, the man calling Walton his friend shows the mutual bond he has shown by Robert saying he was like a brother to him. The way the two have developed such a relationship in such a short time will likely have an effect on what happens between them when this event is revealed and it stresses the limits of their friendship.
What do you think this event is and will it be considered benefitial or harmful?
Kate Sullivan
"While my companion contemplated with a serious and satisfied spirit the magnificent appearance of things, I delighted in investigating their causes. The world was to me a secret which I desired to divine." (Shelley, 18)
I chose this quote because I thought it was an interesting comparison between Victor and Elizabeth. It showed their different outlooks and how they can still have a bond with one another. It is also an example of how Victor wants to disover more and focus on the causes. He, unlike Elizabeth, does not get caught up in the beauty or wonder of things. This quote is significant because it sets the basis for the character's reasons for doing certain things. It can also foreshadow events that are to come between Victor and Elizabeth and discoveries that are made. This quote provides insight into the beliefs of the characters.
How will the differing view points of Elizabeth and Victor affect their relationship?
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