Student-+Mills,+C

**__Reading Blog. __** **__Letters: __** 1) The novel begins with a series of letters in which the narrator of the novel is writing his thoughts and plans to his sister. In these letters Walton reveals to his sister that he intends to travel to the North Pole, as this was a desire of his from an early age. Walton dreams of achieving something that no man has done so before him, Walton states ‘tread a land never before imprinted by the foot of man’ page four. Walton details to Mrs. Saville that his goal is to ‘satiate my ardent curiosity with the sight of a part of the world never before visited’ also page four. 2) Walton is a man exploding with curiosity and enthusiasm. A person reading Frankenstein may also come to the conclusion that Walton is simply the storyteller piecing the novel together; however I believe that his influence in the play is used more so to enable the writer to explore key events in the story further then the characters are able to. 3) Walton and Frankenstein display similar intentions and ambitions at the beginning of the novel, although once the reader discovers more about the men individually we come to the conclusion that they simply started at a similar point but drifted in different paths. **__ Ch. 1-5: __**  4) - 5) Elizabeth is described to be pure, passionate, beautiful and adored/loved by everyone. Victor as a child was described as an ‘innocent and helpless creature....’ (Page 28) by his mother and I think that he retained the helpless creature but lost his innocence with age. He is also said to have received a lesson of patience, of charity, and of self-control. His character implements the concept of ‘impulsive’ in my mind. ‘Elizabeth was of a calmer and more concentrated disposition; but, with all my ardour, I was capable of a more intense application, and was more deeply smitten with a thirst for knowledge’ (page 32). 6) Henry and Elizabeth are portrayed as having a lot of similar characteristics, these include; caring/adoring, passionate and they are also strongly loyal to something. Henry and victor are displayed as being quite the opposite of each other; they don’t share similar characteristics as Henry does to Elizabeth. Victor is a selfish man whereas Henry does not demonstrate this feature. Elizabeth however is a link between Henry and Victor as she is the focus of their admiration, both men care deeply for her. 7) In my opinion Mary Shelley devoted so much space to victor’s childhood environment and his education as she wants the reader to connect emotionally with the character, this in turn interacts us in the book and we become more engaged as we view the character rise and fall. This concept creates more significance and importance in the major events that the novel depicts and also ensures the reader questions what they would have done in the situation. 8) – 9) The appearance of the creature that Frankenstein creates is not depicted in an extreme amount of detail, however it is stated that the creature had dull yellow coloured eyes, heavy breathing, yellow coloured skin that scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath, lustrous black coloured hair, pearly white teeth, shrivelled complexion and straight black lips. ‘..but these luxuriance’s only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same colour as the dun-white sockets in which they were set...’ page 59. 10) When the creature is created the focus is not solely on the creation but on the process in which Victor undertook, the years of work, the lack of rest and degrading health. ‘I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body. For this I had deprived myself of rest and health’. The attention and focus is also drawn to the reaction Victor has to his creation. ‘..The beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart’ (page 60) this is not the reaction the reader would necessarily expect if they began reading this book with no clue of the plot. The focus is mainly on the process to which the creature was created. **__Ch. 6-17: __** 11) The creature accuses victor of making him irrevocably excluded from society and abandoned from his creator. The conversation is said to take place on the summit of Montanvert, ‘it is a scene terrifically desolate’ page 114. The mountain is isolated from others, a winter avalanche had destroyed surrounding trees, leaving them broken and strewed on the ground, as you travel higher up the mountain it is particularly dangerous. This setting is therefore particularly appropriate as the reader begins to see similar features between the isolated mountain and the excluded creation. The creature states ‘the Desert Mountains and dreary glaciers are my refuge’ page 118. 12) When the creation reveals his story to Frankenstein the reader discovers that the creature’s natural instincts are in fact very similar to human. He display’s the desire to be accepted by the rest of society and when rejected becomes frustrated and angered. The creature informs us that he gains pleasure from witnessing the daily routine of the DeLaceys, his ‘protectors’. He values kindness, fairness and goodness; these values are gained from his observations of the DeLaceys. The creature learnt from his observations of the DeLaceys, his attitude and willingness assisted him with his quest for knowledge. ‘Their pronunciation was quick; and the words they uttered, not having any apparent connection with visible objects...I discovered the names that were given to some of the most familiar objects of discourse...’this knowledge lead the creature to want to discover the motives and feelings of people other than the DeLaceys. 13) Ordinary humans could not come to terms with accepting this creature as it was so different from themselves. It was more than a different skin, eye or hair colour that separated them in the appearance sense. I believe it was the idea that this creature is something they cannot compare to another in its race; the being was one of a kind and individual. Its features were uncommon. I believe this demonstrates that human acceptance relies on its ability to compare and recognise, the people witnessing this creature would look at its features and characteristics and compare them to their own. With such significant differences, I think the people would find it difficult to relate and associate with the creature. <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">14) The creature asked Frankenstein to create another being like him in order for the creature to finally find acceptance and similarity. I do believe it is a reasonable argument as victor created the being and then abandoned him with no one to communicate with, and in this sense I think he owes it to the creation to make him a companion. If victor does this the creation has promised to never bother him or another human again. “I am alone, and miserable; a man will not associate with me; but one as deformed and horrible as myself would not deny herself to me” the creature talking, page 175. **__<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif';">Ch. 18-23: __** <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">15) Frankenstein cannot inform his family of his creation as he is ashamed and distraught at the idea that his work has killed, harmed and distressed his family. His creation was responsible for the deaths of William, Justine, and Henry Clerval, and he fears that if he tells his family of the being they will never forgive him. <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">16) Victor Frankenstein does not realise that the monsters pledge “I shall be with you on your wedding night” threatens Elizabeth as well as him as he has no intention to marry. Elizabeth would not be the person that, at this stage, Frankenstein’s considers himself married too. **__<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif';">Ch. 24: __** <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">17) In the characters of victor and the creature, the reader is shown similar traits that link the creation and the creator. The creature is lonely and isolated and in time Victor excludes himself from society. Both characters are possessed with the idea of revenge, their lives purposes is to kill the other. <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">18) – <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">19) Frankenstein and his monster are both ultimately miserable, bereft of human companionship, and obsessed with revenge as victor refuses to create a mate for the creature and the being destroyed, harmed and hurt his family and friends. The isolation of Victor from his friends and family comes down to the guilt he feels for the killings of his creation. The creation does not have human companionship as he is so different from ordinary people, victor Frankenstein is the one who created him in this way and it is because of this he desires a female mate, however Frankenstein will not create one. During the novel we see the two characters in the same situation however it is the being that in the end stops his attempts for revenge. <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">20) Walton did not kill the creature as; after the creation had explained his story to Walton he felt for him. The creature had been abandoned, bereft of human championship, lonely, isolated, miserable, revengeful and hurt. He felt that the acts of the monster were just able for the events occurred in the creations lifetime. The monster had also told Walton that he had intended to take his own life, and Walton did not need to destroy him. <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">21) Walton did not learn necessarily from the knowledge of victor Frankenstein, instead he learnt from his mistake. Victor made the mistake of creating something that he was to later abandon. Frankenstein’s creation was purely for personal gain. Walton had the responsibility for his crew on the voyage they were undertaking and instead of abandoning them for his own personal gain he took his men back to safety. Walton however has learnt from Victor Frankenstein’s recommendations. <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">22) I think that both influential writers are correct in their statements. Harold bloom wrote that the reader’s sympathy lies with the creature; however Allan Rodway says the reader’s sympathy lies with Victor Frankenstein. The reader demonstrates sympathy for both characters during the book; this may be because they both endure isolation, lack of companionship, obsession for revenge and general hardship. My sympathy however lies more with Harold blooms statement than Allan Rodways; I feel that Frankenstein had a choice whereas the creation did not. <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">23) In my opinion it was not wrong for Victor Frankenstein to inquire into the origins of life. It was wrong that Frankenstein did not consider the consequences and impacts this creation would have on existing life. <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">24) I believe that the creature is a monster and not a human being as it was manmade and the acts that it has committed. However, the acts that the creature has committed; i.e. murder are also committed by ordinary humans. I therefore believe that the creation is neither a monster nor a human being. <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">25) I do not think the creation, who can be persuasive, is always telling the truth. I believe that it, as humans, has the ability to lie and deceive. I would like to think that as a reader the creation is honest and true, however I do not think there is any evidence to prove either.