Alden, H. M. "Review of 'The Mayor of Casterbridge." Harper's New Monthly Magazine 73.438 (Nov. 1886): 961-962.
H.M. Alden, wrote a glowing review of The Mayor of Casterbridge in the Harper's New Monthly Magazine in the November issue of 1886. I agree with his review on most aspects, especially what he writes about the characters of Henchard and Lucetta.
Alden says of Henchard, "The wrong he has done cannot be repaired, because it cannot, to his mistaken thinking, be owned; and in the tragedy of its expiation your pity is more for him than for all the others." I agree that I pity Henchard, but I also realize he is the only one who caused himself the misery he goes through. If he didn't sell his wife and daughter, was revengeful and deceiving, and pushed away everyone he cared about, maybe he wouldn't have died alone.
Alden describes Lucetta as "only too captivating in that combination of shrewdness and blind imprudence, of fickleness and tender-heartedness, of fascinating grace and helplessness." I also really enjoyed the character of Lucetta because she seemed like the most interesting character beside Henchard with a unique personality. She could be kind or mean whenever she wanted. He also says "Nothing is better in the book than Lucetta's dropping Henchard, and her conquest of the young Scotchman, whom she wins away from Henchard's putative daughter, Elizabeth Jane. . ." She got exactly what she wanted, because she fought for it. Love is highest on her priorities before revenge, which is opposite of Henchard's.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
The Hound of the Baskervilles
Sherlock Holmes is one of the few fictional characters so internationally famous that even before readers encounter the Holmes stories, they are already familiar with the great detective. Now that you have read The Hound of the Baskervilles, how would you answer the question, "Who is Holmes?" What scenes or details in Hound do you think illustrate his character especially well? To what extent do you think the character described in the story lives up to his myth?
Sherlock Holmes is one of my favorite literary characters because he is not a typical detective. He is arrogant and humorous. We also know he is a cocaine addict which makes his thought process even more eccentric as Watson describes him as having "the power of detaching his mind at will." Watson first describes him as usually "very late in the mornings save upon those not infrequent occasions when he [is] up all night," showing us he is usually hard at work or hardly working. He asks interesting and sometimes aloof questions and says, "The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes." He describes his investigation methods as, "The past and the present are within the field of my inquiry, but what a man may do in the future is a hard question to answer." While he is investigating the murder, he says, "I tell you, Watson, this time we have got a foeman who is worthy of our steel," obviously knowing the immense talents he has to offer in his work. He seems like he makes his investigation perfect in silence without worrying about the proper details and swoops in at the last minute with it all figured out in his head. He also seems excited by the work, saying, "There is nothing more stimulating than a case where everything goes against you."
The Hound of the Baskervilles is marked by the constant juxtaposition of the rational and scientific with the irrational and supernatural. How can you see this tension in the novel? Which of the two forces -- science or the supernatural -- triumphs at the end? How is this made clear? Why might this tension have been especially riveting for a Victorian audience?
Doyle starts out telling us about Sir Charles Baskerville, who "never returned" from his walk and that he died from "cardiac exhaustion," leading us to wonder if it was his body or something else that did him in. The evidence of footprints and health issues are countered by rumors of a haunting, the ghostly cries of the Hound, The Baskerville legend about the "evil" moors, and the freakish size of the hound. Dr Mortimer lead us to believe things more by saying, "Since the tragedy, Mr. Holmes, there have come to my ears several incidents which are hard to reconcile with the settled order of Nature. . . I find that before the terrible event occurred several people had seen a creature upon the moor which corresponds with this Baskerville demon, and which could not possibly be any animal known to science." We are left to wonder if it was something supernatural or scientific that caused Baskerville to die. I think the supernatural and the science build up equal tension throughout the story. Holmes say about their mysterious clues on the supernatural end to Watson, “The devil’s agents may be of flesh and blood, may they not?” Holmes and Watson figure out what really happen and make rational reasoning as answers for his death as opposed to supernatural. Holmes seems also intrigued by this supernatural mystery saying, "The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes."
The moors in The Hound of the Baskervilles are so central to the plot that they almost act as an extra character. If you were to describe them the way you would describe a human character, what would you say about them? Which person in the story do they most resemble? How?
The moor is a creepy foggy setting for this mysterious town, which is an element of what every great mystery needs. To some of the residents, it is the access of evil. It doesn't help the residents to change their opinion when they hear the ghostly cries of the hound coming from the moor. Dr. Mortimer believes Sir Charles Baskerville was afraid of the moors, saying "I think it unlikely that he waited at the moor-gate every evening. On the contrary, the evidence is that he avoided the moor." Hugo Baskerville created the legend with the warning, "To that Providence, my sons, I hereby commend you, and I counsel you by way of caution to forbear from crossing the moor in those dark hours when the powers of evil are exalted." It must have been from this warning, Sir Charles gets his fear. They even find a note written for Sir Charles saying, "'As you value your life or your reason keep away from the moor.' The word "moor" only was printed in ink" which leads them to wonder who wrote it and why the moor is so disturbing. On the other hand Stapleton describes the moor as "a wonderful place. You never tire of the moor. You cannot think the wonderful secrets which it contains. It is so vast, and so barren, and so mysterious." As readers we find Stapleton is also "mysterious" and full of "secrets," since he is the murderer.
Historians of the detective novel recognize the pairing of the brilliant Holmes with a very ordinary partner -- Watson -- as one of the Arthur Conan Doyle's key contributions to the genre. Why do you think their pairing works so well? How would Hound be different if Watson were taken out of the tale? Holmes remarks in another novel that Watson "sees but does not observe." How does that make him a useful narrator for a detective story?
Holmes and Watson are a good literary pairing because they seem like total opposites. Watson is straight-laced as opposed to Holmes, which makes him a great counterpart. I think it is because they don't get along and constantly debate about their work, that makes their partnership so great. I don't think Holmes would have a great confidant he could also argue with and would go even more insane if Watson was taken out of the tale. Holmes and Watson approach their cases differently. It is obvious Holmes thinks highly of Watson's help in their cases, saying, "Really, Watson, you excel yourself. I am bound to say that in all the accounts which you have been so good as to give of my own small achievements you have habitually underrated your own abilities. It may be that you are not yourself luminous, but you are a conductor of light. Some people without possessing genius have a remarkable power of stimulating it. I confess, my dear fellow, that I am very much in your debt." Watson looks at the facts and what he can physically see, while Holmes looks at the coincidences and the feelings and the hidden clues of the cases, which Watson doesn't see. If Holmes was the narrator, there wouldn't be as good as conclusion, because we would already know what Holmes is thinking. Watson finds out the solutions the same time as we do, which makes it thrilling.
In a well-crafted detective story, nothing is wasted; each scene adds suspense and clues to the hunt for "whodunnit." How tightly written is Hound in this sense? What particular clues, details, descriptions or lines of dialogue do you think worked particularly well to build suspense? Which do you consider the climactic scene? Why?
Doyle gives us a taste of the mystery in each chapter, leaving us to want more. I believe Doyle has Sherlock Holmes and Mr. Watson ask important questions to the people and doctors who are their leads and suspects, because they are questions we would want to know the answer to if we were in the story. We also experience the climatic settings of the murder in a first hand way like Holmes and Watson, with them describing and finding every suspicious trail, hearing every cry, spotting the cracks in Stapleton's story, and seeing the moor and the giant hound for what they actually are, as the murder victims saw them. The clues through inner and outer dialogue make us enfold them in our minds while reading them. We also get to see Holmes and Watson break the clues down and debate as to what is actually going on, like we would do if we were investigating the murder. It is also important that Watson writes letters to Holmes why he was away, going deeper into the mystery and the lives of the people who were involved in Baskerville's life. Through the letters, we learn what Watson finds important about the case, searching on his own, and not relying on Holmes to solve the mystery for him.
Sherlock Holmes is one of my favorite literary characters because he is not a typical detective. He is arrogant and humorous. We also know he is a cocaine addict which makes his thought process even more eccentric as Watson describes him as having "the power of detaching his mind at will." Watson first describes him as usually "very late in the mornings save upon those not infrequent occasions when he [is] up all night," showing us he is usually hard at work or hardly working. He asks interesting and sometimes aloof questions and says, "The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes." He describes his investigation methods as, "The past and the present are within the field of my inquiry, but what a man may do in the future is a hard question to answer." While he is investigating the murder, he says, "I tell you, Watson, this time we have got a foeman who is worthy of our steel," obviously knowing the immense talents he has to offer in his work. He seems like he makes his investigation perfect in silence without worrying about the proper details and swoops in at the last minute with it all figured out in his head. He also seems excited by the work, saying, "There is nothing more stimulating than a case where everything goes against you."
The Hound of the Baskervilles is marked by the constant juxtaposition of the rational and scientific with the irrational and supernatural. How can you see this tension in the novel? Which of the two forces -- science or the supernatural -- triumphs at the end? How is this made clear? Why might this tension have been especially riveting for a Victorian audience?
Doyle starts out telling us about Sir Charles Baskerville, who "never returned" from his walk and that he died from "cardiac exhaustion," leading us to wonder if it was his body or something else that did him in. The evidence of footprints and health issues are countered by rumors of a haunting, the ghostly cries of the Hound, The Baskerville legend about the "evil" moors, and the freakish size of the hound. Dr Mortimer lead us to believe things more by saying, "Since the tragedy, Mr. Holmes, there have come to my ears several incidents which are hard to reconcile with the settled order of Nature. . . I find that before the terrible event occurred several people had seen a creature upon the moor which corresponds with this Baskerville demon, and which could not possibly be any animal known to science." We are left to wonder if it was something supernatural or scientific that caused Baskerville to die. I think the supernatural and the science build up equal tension throughout the story. Holmes say about their mysterious clues on the supernatural end to Watson, “The devil’s agents may be of flesh and blood, may they not?” Holmes and Watson figure out what really happen and make rational reasoning as answers for his death as opposed to supernatural. Holmes seems also intrigued by this supernatural mystery saying, "The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes."
The moors in The Hound of the Baskervilles are so central to the plot that they almost act as an extra character. If you were to describe them the way you would describe a human character, what would you say about them? Which person in the story do they most resemble? How?
The moor is a creepy foggy setting for this mysterious town, which is an element of what every great mystery needs. To some of the residents, it is the access of evil. It doesn't help the residents to change their opinion when they hear the ghostly cries of the hound coming from the moor. Dr. Mortimer believes Sir Charles Baskerville was afraid of the moors, saying "I think it unlikely that he waited at the moor-gate every evening. On the contrary, the evidence is that he avoided the moor." Hugo Baskerville created the legend with the warning, "To that Providence, my sons, I hereby commend you, and I counsel you by way of caution to forbear from crossing the moor in those dark hours when the powers of evil are exalted." It must have been from this warning, Sir Charles gets his fear. They even find a note written for Sir Charles saying, "'As you value your life or your reason keep away from the moor.' The word "moor" only was printed in ink" which leads them to wonder who wrote it and why the moor is so disturbing. On the other hand Stapleton describes the moor as "a wonderful place. You never tire of the moor. You cannot think the wonderful secrets which it contains. It is so vast, and so barren, and so mysterious." As readers we find Stapleton is also "mysterious" and full of "secrets," since he is the murderer.
Historians of the detective novel recognize the pairing of the brilliant Holmes with a very ordinary partner -- Watson -- as one of the Arthur Conan Doyle's key contributions to the genre. Why do you think their pairing works so well? How would Hound be different if Watson were taken out of the tale? Holmes remarks in another novel that Watson "sees but does not observe." How does that make him a useful narrator for a detective story?
Holmes and Watson are a good literary pairing because they seem like total opposites. Watson is straight-laced as opposed to Holmes, which makes him a great counterpart. I think it is because they don't get along and constantly debate about their work, that makes their partnership so great. I don't think Holmes would have a great confidant he could also argue with and would go even more insane if Watson was taken out of the tale. Holmes and Watson approach their cases differently. It is obvious Holmes thinks highly of Watson's help in their cases, saying, "Really, Watson, you excel yourself. I am bound to say that in all the accounts which you have been so good as to give of my own small achievements you have habitually underrated your own abilities. It may be that you are not yourself luminous, but you are a conductor of light. Some people without possessing genius have a remarkable power of stimulating it. I confess, my dear fellow, that I am very much in your debt." Watson looks at the facts and what he can physically see, while Holmes looks at the coincidences and the feelings and the hidden clues of the cases, which Watson doesn't see. If Holmes was the narrator, there wouldn't be as good as conclusion, because we would already know what Holmes is thinking. Watson finds out the solutions the same time as we do, which makes it thrilling.
In a well-crafted detective story, nothing is wasted; each scene adds suspense and clues to the hunt for "whodunnit." How tightly written is Hound in this sense? What particular clues, details, descriptions or lines of dialogue do you think worked particularly well to build suspense? Which do you consider the climactic scene? Why?
Doyle gives us a taste of the mystery in each chapter, leaving us to want more. I believe Doyle has Sherlock Holmes and Mr. Watson ask important questions to the people and doctors who are their leads and suspects, because they are questions we would want to know the answer to if we were in the story. We also experience the climatic settings of the murder in a first hand way like Holmes and Watson, with them describing and finding every suspicious trail, hearing every cry, spotting the cracks in Stapleton's story, and seeing the moor and the giant hound for what they actually are, as the murder victims saw them. The clues through inner and outer dialogue make us enfold them in our minds while reading them. We also get to see Holmes and Watson break the clues down and debate as to what is actually going on, like we would do if we were investigating the murder. It is also important that Watson writes letters to Holmes why he was away, going deeper into the mystery and the lives of the people who were involved in Baskerville's life. Through the letters, we learn what Watson finds important about the case, searching on his own, and not relying on Holmes to solve the mystery for him.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Composición sobre Mi Familia
Mis padres y yo tenemos el pelo castaño y somos altos. Somos religiosos, caritativos y reservados. Nos gusta ver películas, salir por comer y viajar en cruceros al Carib. Hemos vivido en Utah nuestras vidas enteras y nos gustan gatos más que perros. Tengo más en común con mi mamá que con mi papá. Yo paseo más tiempo con mi mamá que mi papá. Mi padre siempre trabaja fuera en el jardín o en su oficina de casa cuando él está en casa.
A mi mamá y a mí nos gusta ir de compras y pintar las artes, mientras a mi papá y a mí nos gusta tomar fotos, hacer el camping y escuchar la música de John Mayer. Cuando estoy en casa, me gusta leer, estudiar o mirar películas. Cuando ellos están en casa, les gusta mirar la televisión o sentarse fuera en sus tumbonas en el patio. Mis padres discuten mucho y esto me vuelve loco.
Yo era una niña buena con unas excepciones. Ellos me castigaban si yo las contestaba, si yo me rebelaba o conseguía una nota mala en la escuela. Ellos llaman a mi hermano "El Querido" y ellos me llaman "La Olvidada." No soy su niña favorita aunque ellos jugaron más travesuras en mi hermano que a mí.
Pienso que los tiempos más difíciles han sido cuando ellos intentan a interferir en mi vida. Ellos trataban de decirme que hacer sin dejarme hacerlo sola. Si alguien me hace una pregunta, ellos interrumpirían y tratarían de responder por mí. Cuando cocino algo para la comida o limpio algo, ellos siempre tratan de hacerme hacerlo sus caminos. Me hago frustrada cuando ellos se quejan de ello.
A mi mamá y a mí nos gusta ir de compras y pintar las artes, mientras a mi papá y a mí nos gusta tomar fotos, hacer el camping y escuchar la música de John Mayer. Cuando estoy en casa, me gusta leer, estudiar o mirar películas. Cuando ellos están en casa, les gusta mirar la televisión o sentarse fuera en sus tumbonas en el patio. Mis padres discuten mucho y esto me vuelve loco.
Yo era una niña buena con unas excepciones. Ellos me castigaban si yo las contestaba, si yo me rebelaba o conseguía una nota mala en la escuela. Ellos llaman a mi hermano "El Querido" y ellos me llaman "La Olvidada." No soy su niña favorita aunque ellos jugaron más travesuras en mi hermano que a mí.
Pienso que los tiempos más difíciles han sido cuando ellos intentan a interferir en mi vida. Ellos trataban de decirme que hacer sin dejarme hacerlo sola. Si alguien me hace una pregunta, ellos interrumpirían y tratarían de responder por mí. Cuando cocino algo para la comida o limpio algo, ellos siempre tratan de hacerme hacerlo sus caminos. Me hago frustrada cuando ellos se quejan de ello.
El Yucatan Presentation
The Yucatan Peninsula is made up of three states: Yucatan, Campeche, and Quintana Roo. The principal industries are tourism and the production of Henequen trees which they use to make hammocks.
I talked about Chichen-Itza and Merida in the Yucatan state. Chichen-Itza is six square miles large. It has the most preserved and largest ball court. Cenote Sagrado is a sinkhole where the Mayans performed human sacrifices.
Mérida es the capital of the Yucatan state. It is nicknamed the White City because of its white limestone and white houses. The Governor's Palace has many murals on the wall showing the fight for independence. I showed the photos my Dad took of the Monument a la Independence and the murals. San Indelfonso Cathedral was built in 1774 out of stones from the Xbacluum-Chaan pyramid. It took 11 years to complete. When we went there, the tour guide told us it was the oldest church on an American continent.
The state of Quintana Room is named after the Mexican patriot Andrés Quintana Roo. I talked about Cancun, Cozumel, and Tulum in this state. Cancun is nicknamed the Golden Snake because of the shape of La Playa Delphines. Chac Tun is an underwater cavern. The Yucatán Peninsula contains the most extensive underwater caverns in the world.
Jack Nicklaus designed a golf course for the country club in Cozumel. Chankanaab National Park was set up to protect the coral reefs and is a place where people can snorkel and swim with dolphins. El Cedral is the oldest settlement in Cozumel and now is a tourist trap. I took a photo of El Monumento del Buceador Scuba arch in San Miguel last year when I was there. Castillo Real is largest ruin in Cozumel. I was in Cozumel one week before Hurricane Wilma hit the island in October 2005, completely destroying and sinking the Lagosta Pier that Carnival Cruise Lines uses.
Tulum is known as the City of Dawn. Ah Muzen Cab, the Mayan God of the bees, is the patron God. Tulum sits on a fourty foot cliff with a beach underneath. Templo del Frescos is known for its carved figures and is painted the colors of vegetables on the inside.
In the state of Campeche, I talked about the capital of Campeche. It was once captured by the dutch pirate Peg Leg and the locals built forts and ports to keep the pirates out. It is surrounded by mangrove trees, that house lots of flamingos.
Friday, July 23, 2010
The Hound of Baskervilles
Before reading The Hound of the Baskervilles, I read A Study in Scarlet to understand how the partnership of Dr. Watson and Sherlock Holmes came into existence. I enjoyed the mystery more in Hounds than in Scarlet, because there was more of a buildup to the mystery. Scarlet felt like two different stories with little to connect them. I liked how Doyle only dropped a couple of clues per chapter in Hounds and kept me guessing till the end.
While reading Hounds and Scarlet, I could only picture the characters as Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law played them in the Guy Richie film adaptation of Sherlock Holmes, which I recently watched. Reading the two novels made me appreciate Richie's version more because I realize he did a great job at capturing the characters' personalities and humor from the novels which the older films have missed. In the older films, I've always viewed Holmes and Law as yawn worthy characters who were stuffy.
Holmes and Watson are a good literary pairing because they seem like total opposites. While Watson is serious and traditionally "by the book", Holmes is my favorite out of the two because he is arrogant, eccentric, and humorous. While he is investigating the murder, he says, "I tell you, Watson, this time we have got a foeman who is worthy of our steel," obviously knowing the immense talents he has to offer in his work. He seems like he makes his investigation perfect without worrying about the proper details.
While reading Hounds and Scarlet, I could only picture the characters as Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law played them in the Guy Richie film adaptation of Sherlock Holmes, which I recently watched. Reading the two novels made me appreciate Richie's version more because I realize he did a great job at capturing the characters' personalities and humor from the novels which the older films have missed. In the older films, I've always viewed Holmes and Law as yawn worthy characters who were stuffy.
Holmes and Watson are a good literary pairing because they seem like total opposites. While Watson is serious and traditionally "by the book", Holmes is my favorite out of the two because he is arrogant, eccentric, and humorous. While he is investigating the murder, he says, "I tell you, Watson, this time we have got a foeman who is worthy of our steel," obviously knowing the immense talents he has to offer in his work. He seems like he makes his investigation perfect without worrying about the proper details.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
American Wife
Saturday, July 17, 2010
The Mayor of Casterbridge
I thought Michael was pretty despicable and miserable from beginning to end, so it didn't really matter if he was rich or poor. He blames his selling Susan and the baby at the fair on the "alcohol," saying, "When I was a young man I went in for that sort of thing too strong- far too strong- and was well-nigh ruined by it." He tells Susan to judge him on his "future works" and is always begging the other characters for forgiveness. It is ironic that he bans Farfrae from seeing Elizabeth-Jane, because he believes he is "too poor." When the roles are reversed, he continues to be devious and starts drinking again after Lucetta marries Donald Farfrae. He is the type of person who only wants what he can't have. He says, "If I had only got her with me—if I only had! Hard work would be nothing to me then! But that was not to be. I—Cain—go alone as I deserve—an outcast and a vagabond." As soon as he got the affection of Susan, Lucetta, or Elizabeth-Jane, he treated them badly. I believe by the time he dies, he truly feels remorse for his actions and writes in his will, "And that no flours be planted on my grave. And that no man remember me."
Hardy was a master of symbolism; discuss the importance of rain in The Mayor of Casterbridge as well as the interplay of light and dark images.
Henchard exclaims in chapter 10, "It never rains but it pours." If you act miserable, you will continue to be miserable. It could also mean the more you think, the less happy you are. Henchard's features are "dark," while Elizabeth's are "fair." It seems like the characters who are conflicted like Henchard or Lucetta suffer the most, while the simple ones like Elizabeth-Jane are happy go lucky, who is described as "never a gloom in [her] soul." Henchard believes "Misery taught him nothing more than defiant endurance of it" and says of his depression, "I sank into one of those gloomy fits I sometimes suffer from ... I could curse the day that gave me birth." Elizabeth is religious and virtuous while Henchard is revengeful, saying, "God forbid such a thing! Why should I sill be subject to these visitations of the devil, when I try so hard to keep him away?"
Discuss Hardy's view of women as expressed in The Mayor of Casterbridge.
I think the women in the novel aren't portrayed as complex characters. They all see simple or Jezebels. I think Hardy views the men of this novel as smarter and more powerful. Elizabeth-Jane bugs me, because she seems like an blissful idiot, is easily distracted by music or shiny objects, and doesn't fight for Farfrae when her friend steals him, just going along with it. She is described by Farfrae as being "too impersonally human to be distinctively feminine" and Elizabeth says, "If I am not well-informed it shall be no fault of my own." Lucetta seems to feel bad for Elizabeth, saying "What a lonely creature you are, never knowing what's going on." Lucetta is immediately deemed a manipulative hussy, because of the sensual letters she wrote to Henchard and she seems to drag both Donald and Michael along, weighing her options. Henchard describes Susan as "simple," being the "original ground of [his] contempt for her." Susan stays with Newsom all those years because she was stubborn and immediately returns to Henchard, but says "I have seen him, and it is enough for me! Now I only want to go- pass away- die." It could be the era in which the women live that makes them act in such a degrading way.
How does Hardy's use of outside observers to help narrate the action and examine the function of the prologue and epilogue sections of The Mayor of Casterbridge.
I think the outside observers are helpful in giving us an outside perspective of what the others see going on. Buzzford describes Casterbridge perfectly as an "old, hoary place o' wickedness, by all account." It is also described by Coney as having "sentiment" and "romance." We are able to know through their eyes, the whole picture of what dastardly deeds are going on in this town based on their judgments and how much the main characters hide from society. Certainly if Elizabeth-Jane was the narrator, this novel would be much lighter until she discovers her stepfather's misdeeds.
Discuss the conflict between tradition and modernization in The Mayor of Casterbridge.
Henchard believes it is his duty to remarry Susan, after "ruining" Lucetta, sending her money to "recompense." When Henchard loses his wealth, he says, "I am not the man to sponge on a woman," indicating that women should be dependent on men for money, class, and power. When Lucetta is given the money, she says "I was a poor girl then; and now my circumstances have altered, so I am hardly the same person." Lucetta is always asking Elizabeth-Jane if she should take the first or second man, and Elizabeth tells her, "You ought to marry Mr. Henchard or nobody- certainly not another man!" Lucetta says, "If I had my wish, I'd let people live and love at their pleasure," and "I won't be a slave to the past- I'll love where I choose."
Friday, July 16, 2010
The Mayor of Casterbridge
I read Tess of D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy earlier this year, so I was curious to see if his novel, The Mayor of Casterbridge, was as good. I liked The Mayor of Casterbridge a lot. It is such a great intriguing novel with lots of drama. I thought Michael was pretty despicable and only wanted what he couldn't have. As soon as he got love from Susan, Lucetta, or Elizabeth-Jane, he treated them badly. I believe by the time he dies, he feels remorse for his actions and writes in his will, "And that no flours be planted on my grave. And that no man remember me."
I think the women in the novel aren't portrayed as great role models. Elizabeth-Jane bugs me, because she seems like an blissful idiot. Lucetta is immediately deemed a manipulative hussy, because of the letters she wrote to Henchard and she seems to drag both Donald and Michael along, weighing her options. Susan seems frigid and lifeless. She stays with Newsom all those years out of "obligation" and immediately returns to Henchard without knowing if Newsom is truly dead or alive.
I don't think love is as important as sex or revenge to these characters. The character seem to marry more for money, duty, lust, and obligation rather than love. Michael doesn't really love Susan, or he wouldn't have sold her at the fair and blamed it on the alcohol. He lusts after Lucetta, when she is being courted by Farfrae. Farfrae really only loved Elizabeth-Jane and backed off after he didn't feel she had as much passion or personality as Lucetta.
I think the women in the novel aren't portrayed as great role models. Elizabeth-Jane bugs me, because she seems like an blissful idiot. Lucetta is immediately deemed a manipulative hussy, because of the letters she wrote to Henchard and she seems to drag both Donald and Michael along, weighing her options. Susan seems frigid and lifeless. She stays with Newsom all those years out of "obligation" and immediately returns to Henchard without knowing if Newsom is truly dead or alive.
I don't think love is as important as sex or revenge to these characters. The character seem to marry more for money, duty, lust, and obligation rather than love. Michael doesn't really love Susan, or he wouldn't have sold her at the fair and blamed it on the alcohol. He lusts after Lucetta, when she is being courted by Farfrae. Farfrae really only loved Elizabeth-Jane and backed off after he didn't feel she had as much passion or personality as Lucetta.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Charlotte Bronte & Jane Eyre
While I was reading Jane Eyre, I also started reading Branwell Bronte by Winifred Gerin for my final project on Branwell's writings. From what I have read so far, I believe Jane's childhood is very similar to Charlotte's, because she was sent to boarding school by her father after her mother died when Charlotte and Bronte were quite young. Charlotte also was teacher at her boarding school and a Governess. She based "Thornfield Hall" on the home of Ellen Nussey, her best friend, because it had "chestnut trees, a battlemented rock, and a rookery."
Tom Winnifrith, who wrote The Brontes, believes Charlotte based the character of Helen Burns on her elder sister Maria who died when she was quite young. Winnifrith also believes that "the afflictions of her father and brother enabled Charlotte to give an accurate portrait of both drunkenness and recovery from blindness, and may have prompted psychological and symbolic speculation" in Jane Eyre.
I also read Father of the Brontes by Annette B. Hopkins. Hopkins believes Mrs. Reed is based on Charlotte's Aunt Elizabeth Branwell, because Charlotte had a lot of resentment against her aunt for trying to take the place of her mother. When Charlotte gave her father a copy of Jane Eyre, he exclaimed, "Girls, do you know that Charlotte has been writing a book, and it is much better than likely?"
Tom Winnifrith, who wrote The Brontes, believes Charlotte based the character of Helen Burns on her elder sister Maria who died when she was quite young. Winnifrith also believes that "the afflictions of her father and brother enabled Charlotte to give an accurate portrait of both drunkenness and recovery from blindness, and may have prompted psychological and symbolic speculation" in Jane Eyre.
I also read Father of the Brontes by Annette B. Hopkins. Hopkins believes Mrs. Reed is based on Charlotte's Aunt Elizabeth Branwell, because Charlotte had a lot of resentment against her aunt for trying to take the place of her mother. When Charlotte gave her father a copy of Jane Eyre, he exclaimed, "Girls, do you know that Charlotte has been writing a book, and it is much better than likely?"
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Assessment of Jane Eyre
While Mrs. Reed’s hatred of Jane is evidenced early in the book, her villainy reached its peak when she wrote to Jane’s uncle that Jane was dead. Why did Mrs. Reed do that? What possible advantage did it give her? If that act was simply the climax of Mrs. Reed’s enduring hatred, how can you account for the fact that she still had so strong an urge to confess her misdeed to Jane?
I think Mrs. Reed told John Eyre, Jane was dead because of her pride and guilt. She didn't want Jane to be happy when she was miserable. Mrs. Reed was jealous of Jane's mother because she was her husband's "great favorite" and she took it out on Jane, believing Jane would never fight back. When Jane stands up to Mrs. Reed, saying "I am glad you are no relation of mine. I will never call you aunt as long as I live. I will never come to see you when I am grown up; and if any asks me how I liked you, and how you treated me, I will say the very thought of you makes me sick," shaking Mrs. Reed to her core. I think it also upset Mrs. Reed, to have Jane point out Mr. Reed was "watching" her and knew how she was mistreating Jane. Mrs. Reed confesses to Jane, saying, "I wish [you] had died" and "I have twice done you a wrong which I regret now. One is breaking my promise which I gave to my husband to bring you up as my own child; the other-" and showing Jane the letter from John Eyre, wanting to adopt her. I think Mrs. Reed wanted to confess to get the guilt of her chest and also because she knows Mr. Reed won't be happy with her when she finally joins him in the afterlife.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of the author’s telling the story in the first person? Do you get to know Jane better that way? Why or why not? Do you think you would get a more unbiased understanding of the other characters if they were analyzed by an all-seeing author instead of being seen only through Jane’s eyes? Why, or why not?
I think it is better through Jane's eyes because we get to read her confessions about the other characters and the thoughts going through her head, such as falling in love with Mr. Rochester and leaving after finding out he was still married. We get heartfelt confessions and warnings like, "Gentle reader, may you never feel what I then felt? May your eyes never shed such stormy, scalding, heart-wrung tears as poured from mine. May you never appeal to Heaven in prayers so hopeless and so agonized as in that hour left my lips; for never may you, like me, dread to be the instrument of evil to what you wholly love." If it was from third person, we might have not gotten the great build up to the mystery of Thornfield Hall through Jane's experiences and discovering Mr. Rochester's wife in the attic.
What do you think was the author’s purpose in making both Jane and Mr. Rochester physically unattractive?
Jane Eyre needed to be an "ugly duckling," because she had to grow into a "swan." We needed to see being treated harshly for her looks and feel unloved, so we could see her blossom when she finally found love. Mr. Rochester needed to be unattractive, so Jane wouldn't feel inadequate or inferior while being around him. Jane's plainness and humble persona makes Mr. Rochester want to talk to her and find more about her. Because she was so plain looking like himself, Mr. Rochester felt comfortable talking to her as an equal. Jane believes Mr. Rochester's easy "manner freed [her] from painful restraint; the friendly frankness, as correct as cordial, with which he treated me, drew me to him" (Ch. 15). When Jane starts falling for Mr. Rochester, she says about his looks, "And was Mr. Rochester now ugly in my eyes? No, reader: gratitude and many associates, all pleasurable and genial, made his face the object I best liked to see; his presence in a room was more cheering than the brightest fire" (Ch. 15). Jane's philosophy is that "Beauty is in the eye of the gazer." She admits Mr. Rochester's looks "were not beautiful, according to rule; but they were more than beautiful to me; they were full of an interest, an influence that quite mastered me, — that took my feelings from my own power and fettered them in his. I had not intended to love him; the reader knows I had wrought hard to extirpate from my soul the germs of love there detected; and now, at the first renewed view of him, they spontaneously arrived, green and strong! He made me love him without looking at me" (Ch. 17). Their story reminds me of the movie, The Enchanted Cottage, where both of the main characters are plain and disfigured, but when they fall in love, they can only see each other's beauty.
Jane told Mr. Lloyd that she was afraid of poverty. What evidences do we have later on that she seemed to be equally uneasy about having luxuries and wealth?
I think she first felt that way about poverty, because the Reeds brainwashed her into thinking she was less because she was not as rich as them, so she wanted to be equals and have the luxuries they had. When she was at school and discovers she has a talent for drawing, she is not amused by luxuries, but by her artistic accomplishments, saying, "That night, on going to bed, I forgot to prepare in imagination the Barmecide supper, of hot roast potatoes, or white bread and new milk, with which I was wont to amuse my inward cravings. I feasted instead on the spectacle of ideal drawings, which I saw in the dark - all the work of my own hands." (Ch. 8). I think as she grew up, she wanted love more than anything, because she associates love with happiness rather than having riches. She had also seen how money negatively affected The Reeds and the people she met in her life.
What was the importance of religion in Jane’s life? Why are there many more evidences of her religious faith in the later parts of the book?
Jane at first doesn't believe in religion or God because of her harsh upbringing and says, " If people were always kind and obedient to those who are cruel and unjust; the wicked people would have it all their own way: they would never feel afraid, and so they would never alter, but would grow worse and worse. When we are struck at without a reason, we should strike back again very hard; I am sure we should — so hard as to teach the person who struck us never to do it again." Helen Burns urges her to forgive the Reeds for their misdeeds and to not seek "vengeance." After listening to Helen's theories, Jane says, "my mind made its first earnest effort to comprehend what had been infused into it concerning heaven and hell: and for the first it recoiled baffled; and for the first time glancing behind, on each side, and before it, it saw all round an unfathomed gulf: it felt the one point where it stood — the present; all the rest was formless cloud and vacant depth: and it shuddered at the thought of tottering, and plunging amid that chaos." When Helen is dying, Jane is very upset by the fact that a child is dying and wants to know where her friend will go. I think is Helen's death that finally resolves Jane into figuring out what she truly believes and developing a moral compass. It is through her faith and integrity, Jane is finally able to forgive Mrs. Reed on Reed's deathbed, saying "Love me, then, or hate me, as you will, you have my full and free forgiveness: ask now for God's, and be at peace."
I think Mrs. Reed told John Eyre, Jane was dead because of her pride and guilt. She didn't want Jane to be happy when she was miserable. Mrs. Reed was jealous of Jane's mother because she was her husband's "great favorite" and she took it out on Jane, believing Jane would never fight back. When Jane stands up to Mrs. Reed, saying "I am glad you are no relation of mine. I will never call you aunt as long as I live. I will never come to see you when I am grown up; and if any asks me how I liked you, and how you treated me, I will say the very thought of you makes me sick," shaking Mrs. Reed to her core. I think it also upset Mrs. Reed, to have Jane point out Mr. Reed was "watching" her and knew how she was mistreating Jane. Mrs. Reed confesses to Jane, saying, "I wish [you] had died" and "I have twice done you a wrong which I regret now. One is breaking my promise which I gave to my husband to bring you up as my own child; the other-" and showing Jane the letter from John Eyre, wanting to adopt her. I think Mrs. Reed wanted to confess to get the guilt of her chest and also because she knows Mr. Reed won't be happy with her when she finally joins him in the afterlife.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of the author’s telling the story in the first person? Do you get to know Jane better that way? Why or why not? Do you think you would get a more unbiased understanding of the other characters if they were analyzed by an all-seeing author instead of being seen only through Jane’s eyes? Why, or why not?
I think it is better through Jane's eyes because we get to read her confessions about the other characters and the thoughts going through her head, such as falling in love with Mr. Rochester and leaving after finding out he was still married. We get heartfelt confessions and warnings like, "Gentle reader, may you never feel what I then felt? May your eyes never shed such stormy, scalding, heart-wrung tears as poured from mine. May you never appeal to Heaven in prayers so hopeless and so agonized as in that hour left my lips; for never may you, like me, dread to be the instrument of evil to what you wholly love." If it was from third person, we might have not gotten the great build up to the mystery of Thornfield Hall through Jane's experiences and discovering Mr. Rochester's wife in the attic.
What do you think was the author’s purpose in making both Jane and Mr. Rochester physically unattractive?
Jane Eyre needed to be an "ugly duckling," because she had to grow into a "swan." We needed to see being treated harshly for her looks and feel unloved, so we could see her blossom when she finally found love. Mr. Rochester needed to be unattractive, so Jane wouldn't feel inadequate or inferior while being around him. Jane's plainness and humble persona makes Mr. Rochester want to talk to her and find more about her. Because she was so plain looking like himself, Mr. Rochester felt comfortable talking to her as an equal. Jane believes Mr. Rochester's easy "manner freed [her] from painful restraint; the friendly frankness, as correct as cordial, with which he treated me, drew me to him" (Ch. 15). When Jane starts falling for Mr. Rochester, she says about his looks, "And was Mr. Rochester now ugly in my eyes? No, reader: gratitude and many associates, all pleasurable and genial, made his face the object I best liked to see; his presence in a room was more cheering than the brightest fire" (Ch. 15). Jane's philosophy is that "Beauty is in the eye of the gazer." She admits Mr. Rochester's looks "were not beautiful, according to rule; but they were more than beautiful to me; they were full of an interest, an influence that quite mastered me, — that took my feelings from my own power and fettered them in his. I had not intended to love him; the reader knows I had wrought hard to extirpate from my soul the germs of love there detected; and now, at the first renewed view of him, they spontaneously arrived, green and strong! He made me love him without looking at me" (Ch. 17). Their story reminds me of the movie, The Enchanted Cottage, where both of the main characters are plain and disfigured, but when they fall in love, they can only see each other's beauty.
Jane told Mr. Lloyd that she was afraid of poverty. What evidences do we have later on that she seemed to be equally uneasy about having luxuries and wealth?
I think she first felt that way about poverty, because the Reeds brainwashed her into thinking she was less because she was not as rich as them, so she wanted to be equals and have the luxuries they had. When she was at school and discovers she has a talent for drawing, she is not amused by luxuries, but by her artistic accomplishments, saying, "That night, on going to bed, I forgot to prepare in imagination the Barmecide supper, of hot roast potatoes, or white bread and new milk, with which I was wont to amuse my inward cravings. I feasted instead on the spectacle of ideal drawings, which I saw in the dark - all the work of my own hands." (Ch. 8). I think as she grew up, she wanted love more than anything, because she associates love with happiness rather than having riches. She had also seen how money negatively affected The Reeds and the people she met in her life.
What was the importance of religion in Jane’s life? Why are there many more evidences of her religious faith in the later parts of the book?
Jane at first doesn't believe in religion or God because of her harsh upbringing and says, " If people were always kind and obedient to those who are cruel and unjust; the wicked people would have it all their own way: they would never feel afraid, and so they would never alter, but would grow worse and worse. When we are struck at without a reason, we should strike back again very hard; I am sure we should — so hard as to teach the person who struck us never to do it again." Helen Burns urges her to forgive the Reeds for their misdeeds and to not seek "vengeance." After listening to Helen's theories, Jane says, "my mind made its first earnest effort to comprehend what had been infused into it concerning heaven and hell: and for the first it recoiled baffled; and for the first time glancing behind, on each side, and before it, it saw all round an unfathomed gulf: it felt the one point where it stood — the present; all the rest was formless cloud and vacant depth: and it shuddered at the thought of tottering, and plunging amid that chaos." When Helen is dying, Jane is very upset by the fact that a child is dying and wants to know where her friend will go. I think is Helen's death that finally resolves Jane into figuring out what she truly believes and developing a moral compass. It is through her faith and integrity, Jane is finally able to forgive Mrs. Reed on Reed's deathbed, saying "Love me, then, or hate me, as you will, you have my full and free forgiveness: ask now for God's, and be at peace."
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Reading Jane Eyre
I first read Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte about 10 years ago and couldn't put it down. I absolutely loved it and considered it to be one of my all-time favorites. I loved it just as much the second time around. I love how this novel is a romantic mystery and we are given one clue a chapter leading up to the heartbreaking discovery in the attic.
I can relate a lot to Jane, because of her beliefs, her love for drawing, and her desire to have happiness and love over luxuries and wealth. Jane Eyre is a very gripping read, with lots of intense moments mixed with humor. Tom Winnifrith believes, "Jane Eyre fails because its satire is so heavy-handed. We laugh at Mr. Brocklehurst and Baroness Ingram of Ingram Park, but we laugh for the wrong reasons."
While I was reading The Brontes by Tom Winnifrith, I came across a section on Jane Eyre. Winnifrith said, "Mr. Rochester is the most selfish and the most stupid of heroes in wanting to marry Jane with his mad wife in the house and thinking he can get away it" (105). I love the romance between Jane and Mr. Rochester. It reminds me in some ways of Elizabeth and Darcy from Pride and Prejudice, because of their meaningful and intellectual discussions. One of my favorite parts is when Rochester pretends to be a fortune teller to try to get Jane and his friends to reveal what they think of him.
I can relate a lot to Jane, because of her beliefs, her love for drawing, and her desire to have happiness and love over luxuries and wealth. Jane Eyre is a very gripping read, with lots of intense moments mixed with humor. Tom Winnifrith believes, "Jane Eyre fails because its satire is so heavy-handed. We laugh at Mr. Brocklehurst and Baroness Ingram of Ingram Park, but we laugh for the wrong reasons."
While I was reading The Brontes by Tom Winnifrith, I came across a section on Jane Eyre. Winnifrith said, "Mr. Rochester is the most selfish and the most stupid of heroes in wanting to marry Jane with his mad wife in the house and thinking he can get away it" (105). I love the romance between Jane and Mr. Rochester. It reminds me in some ways of Elizabeth and Darcy from Pride and Prejudice, because of their meaningful and intellectual discussions. One of my favorite parts is when Rochester pretends to be a fortune teller to try to get Jane and his friends to reveal what they think of him.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Discussing Pride & Prejudice
Jane Austen's writing certainly is autobiographical and I think she relates most to Elizabeth in Pride & Prejudice, because of Elizabeth's opinions on love, marriage, money, sex, and class are the same as her own. Love is very important to Elizabeth but not to the social circle around her. She doesn't believe in Mrs. Bennet's plan of "securing" a man and "falling in love as much as she chooses" at "leisure" afterward.
Elizabeth doesn't care about class or money and stands up to Lady Catherine when she objects to her marrying Darcy, saying, "He is a gentleman; I am a gentleman's daughter, so far we are equal" and "Neither duty, nor honour, nor gratitude have any possible claim on me." If Elizabeth didn't believe in marrying for love, she would have married Mr. Collins, but her "feelings in every respect forbid it."
Class is important to Darcy, but love is more important. He talks Bingley out of marrying Jane because of her wealth and tells Elizabeth, "I have no wish of denying that I did everything in my power to separate my friend from your sister, or that I rejoice in my success. Towards him I have been kinder than towards myself," meaning he loves Elizabeth is spite of her class. If Darcy didn't want to marry for love, he would have married Miss Bingley, because they were equal in class.
Through loving Elizabeth, Darcy changes his priorities of class and love, though he is resilient and struggles "in vain" against. He tells Elizabeth, "By you, I was properly humbled. I came to you without a doubt of my reception. You showed me how insufficient were all my pretensions to please a woman worthy of being pleased."
When Lydia runs off with Mr. Wickham, we are led to believe that this society believes marriage should come before sex. Elizabeth says Lydia "has no money, no connections, nothing that can tempt to" and she will be "lost forever" if she loses her irretrievable virtue. Mr. Collins writes to Mr. Bennet, "the death of your daughter would have been a blessing in comparison of this."
The only marriage of Victorian convenience was Charlotte and Mr. Collins. Charlotte tells Elizabeth, "Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of choice" and "it is better to know as little as possible of the defects of the person with whom you are to pass your life" before she accepts Collins' proposal.
Unlike Jane Austen's "journalistic" approach, stories with "flowery language" sometimes can make me turn off from reading and make me want to skim through it. I thoroughly enjoy Jane Austen's "biting social commentary" because it is both subtle, yet humorous.
Elizabeth doesn't care about class or money and stands up to Lady Catherine when she objects to her marrying Darcy, saying, "He is a gentleman; I am a gentleman's daughter, so far we are equal" and "Neither duty, nor honour, nor gratitude have any possible claim on me." If Elizabeth didn't believe in marrying for love, she would have married Mr. Collins, but her "feelings in every respect forbid it."
Class is important to Darcy, but love is more important. He talks Bingley out of marrying Jane because of her wealth and tells Elizabeth, "I have no wish of denying that I did everything in my power to separate my friend from your sister, or that I rejoice in my success. Towards him I have been kinder than towards myself," meaning he loves Elizabeth is spite of her class. If Darcy didn't want to marry for love, he would have married Miss Bingley, because they were equal in class.
Through loving Elizabeth, Darcy changes his priorities of class and love, though he is resilient and struggles "in vain" against. He tells Elizabeth, "By you, I was properly humbled. I came to you without a doubt of my reception. You showed me how insufficient were all my pretensions to please a woman worthy of being pleased."
When Lydia runs off with Mr. Wickham, we are led to believe that this society believes marriage should come before sex. Elizabeth says Lydia "has no money, no connections, nothing that can tempt to" and she will be "lost forever" if she loses her irretrievable virtue. Mr. Collins writes to Mr. Bennet, "the death of your daughter would have been a blessing in comparison of this."
The only marriage of Victorian convenience was Charlotte and Mr. Collins. Charlotte tells Elizabeth, "Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of choice" and "it is better to know as little as possible of the defects of the person with whom you are to pass your life" before she accepts Collins' proposal.
Unlike Jane Austen's "journalistic" approach, stories with "flowery language" sometimes can make me turn off from reading and make me want to skim through it. I thoroughly enjoy Jane Austen's "biting social commentary" because it is both subtle, yet humorous.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Assessment of Pride and Prejudice.
Jane Austen’s original title for the novel was First Impressions. What role do first impressions play in Pride and Prejudice?
Elizabeth and Darcy's first impressions of each other lead the entire main plot of the story, so either title would have been good. This novel clearly shows how first impressions can either hurt or help a future friendship or relationship. At first, Elizabeth holds a grudge against Darcy after overhearing him talk about her at the ball, saying, "She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me," believing he is just another arrogant man she has come across. Elizabeth bases her entire outlook on Darcy based on his one comment, as "Darcy was only the man who made himself agreeable nowhere, and who had not thought her handsome enough to dance with." She lets her pride get in the way of truly getting to know Darcy for the man he really is. It doesn't help Darcy's case, when Mr. Wickham makes him look like the horrible man who denied the inheritance of his father's loyal ward. When she gets to know Darcy better and sees he has some good qualities, Elizabeth says, "I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine." They are both really stubborn with their judgments. Elizabeth believes Darcy's "defect is a propensity to hate everybody." Darcy believes Elizabeth's defect "is willfully to misunderstand them." While Elizabeth ridicules Darcy for being arrogant, Darcy ridicules her humility saying, "nothing is more deceitful than the appearance of humility. It is often only carelessness of opinion, and sometimes an indirect boast." Maybe if Elizabeth had confronted Darcy on his bad manners earlier in the book, they wouldn't have had so many misunderstandings. Darcy spends time getting to know Elizabeth, he considers her "as one of the handsomest women of my acquaintance," retracting his first statement. If Darcy had known how much Elizabeth hated him based on falsehoods, he could have cleared up a lot of her misjudgments earlier on. It's a good thing they spent more time together, because they would have continued to think badly of each other and never found their intellectual equals.
Analyze how Austen depicts Mr. Bennet. Is he a positive or negative figure?
I think Mr. Bennet is a positive figure and a good role model as a father. He comes across as tough, loving, wise, and patient with a sense of humor. Mr. Bennet doesn't get carried with girls' love lives like Mrs. Bennet. He allows his daughter to be "silly," lets them make their own decisions, and treats them with respect, just as long as they leave him out of the melodrama, but he is there when they need them and tends to give the girls great advice if they ask for it. Mr. Bennet also tends to keep his wife, Mrs. Bennet from destroying their lives, like refusing to let Elizabeth marry Mr. Collins, knowing Mrs. Bennet is pushing Lizzy to marry him, by saying, "An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do." He let Elizabeth know he is on her side no matter what. Mrs. Bennet and the girls clearly view Mr. Bennet as an authoritarian figure. Mrs. Bennet tells him, "I wish you had been there, my dear, to have given [Darcy] one of your set-downs," knowing he comes over as tough but loving. He shows he has a sense of humor about their living situation, his wife's meddlesome ways, and society in general, when he says, "For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbours, and laugh at them in our turn?"
Discuss the importance of social class in the novel, especially as it impacts the relationship between Elizabeth and Darcy.
In this novel, social class is very important to the setting and plot. It dictates who you can marry and who you should be seen with in public in order to have a good reputation. Money is also a leading factor in determining your future. There are people in this novel, such as Mr. Wickham, who live only for money and will do anything to get it, hoping for large inheritance. The Bennet family is viewed as lower in class than the rest of their social circle and Mrs. Bennet is determined to get her daughters married off the wealthy men in order for them to be taken care of. At first Mr. Darcy believes he is better than Elizabeth, but falls in love with her in spite of her place in society and his presumptions. When she rejects him, he makes amends by saying, " By you, I was properly humbled. I came to you without a doubt of my reception. You showed me how insufficient were all my pretensions to please a woman worthy of being pleased." Elizabeth clearly does not believe that you don't have to have money, in order to be happy and chooses to live above her own means. When Elizabeth is looked down by Lady Catherine as not being good enough for Darcy, Elizabeth says, "He is a gentleman; I am a gentleman’s daughter; so far we are equal." She also tells Lady Catherine, "Neither duty, nor honour, nor gratitude ... have any possible claim on me." If everybody in this novel, lived like Elizabeth, they would all be better off.
Compare and contrast the Bingley-Darcy relationship with the Jane-Elizabeth relationship.
Both pairs of friends are loyal to each other, even though they may be total opposites and disagree at times. They all give each other advice and rely on each other's opinions. They are the people that matter most. Bingley regards Darcy's judgment as "the highest opinion," which makes him reject Jane due to her societal reputation. Darcy also values his friendship with Bingley, but acts like a saboteur, believing he knows what is best for his friend. When Elizabeth confronts Darcy on ruining her sister's life after he proposes, he writes, "I have no wish of denying that I did everything in my power to separate my friend from your sister, or that I rejoice in my success. Towards him I have been kinder than towards myself," Darcy believes Bingley will be better off in society without marrying Jane, when Darcy is smitten with Jane's sister. Elizabeth constantly turns to her sister Jane for advice, as acts as confidant, more than any of other sisters. She even rejects Darcy's proposal, out of loyalty to Jane. Elizabeth believes Jane never sees "fault in anybody" and Jane tells her, "I would not wish to be hasty in censuring anyone; but I always speak what I think."
Pride and Prejudice is a novel about women who feel they have to marry to be happy. Taking Charlotte Lucas as an example, do you think the author is making a social criticism of her era’s view of marriage?
Darcy summarizes the thoughts of the women in this time period as, "A lady's imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony, in a moment." Not all the women or the men believe in marrying for love in this novel. The women of this society want to meet wealthy men and believe they have to do everything in their power to make them their husbands, in order to have a stable future. Mrs. Bennet believes it her business and highest priority "to get her daughters married," advising her daughters to get the wealthy men to marry them first, and then "there will be leisure for falling in love as much as she chooses." Charlotte believes marriage is "the only honourable provision for well-educated young women of small fortune, and however uncertain of giving happiness, must be their pleasantest preservative from want." Charlotte marries Mr. Collins, even though she doesn't love him, which shocks Elizabeth. Charlotte tells Elizabeth, " Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance. If the dispositions of the parties are ever so well known to each other or ever so similar beforehand, it does not advance their felicity in the least. They always continue to grow sufficiently unlike afterwards to have their share of vexation; and it is better to know as little as possible of the defects of the person with whom you are to pass your life," which Elizabeth whole heartedly disagrees with. Elizabeth wants to marry for love, not for convenience or for money. If she did not believe in marrying for love, she would have married Mr. Collins.
Elizabeth and Darcy's first impressions of each other lead the entire main plot of the story, so either title would have been good. This novel clearly shows how first impressions can either hurt or help a future friendship or relationship. At first, Elizabeth holds a grudge against Darcy after overhearing him talk about her at the ball, saying, "She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me," believing he is just another arrogant man she has come across. Elizabeth bases her entire outlook on Darcy based on his one comment, as "Darcy was only the man who made himself agreeable nowhere, and who had not thought her handsome enough to dance with." She lets her pride get in the way of truly getting to know Darcy for the man he really is. It doesn't help Darcy's case, when Mr. Wickham makes him look like the horrible man who denied the inheritance of his father's loyal ward. When she gets to know Darcy better and sees he has some good qualities, Elizabeth says, "I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine." They are both really stubborn with their judgments. Elizabeth believes Darcy's "defect is a propensity to hate everybody." Darcy believes Elizabeth's defect "is willfully to misunderstand them." While Elizabeth ridicules Darcy for being arrogant, Darcy ridicules her humility saying, "nothing is more deceitful than the appearance of humility. It is often only carelessness of opinion, and sometimes an indirect boast." Maybe if Elizabeth had confronted Darcy on his bad manners earlier in the book, they wouldn't have had so many misunderstandings. Darcy spends time getting to know Elizabeth, he considers her "as one of the handsomest women of my acquaintance," retracting his first statement. If Darcy had known how much Elizabeth hated him based on falsehoods, he could have cleared up a lot of her misjudgments earlier on. It's a good thing they spent more time together, because they would have continued to think badly of each other and never found their intellectual equals.
Analyze how Austen depicts Mr. Bennet. Is he a positive or negative figure?
I think Mr. Bennet is a positive figure and a good role model as a father. He comes across as tough, loving, wise, and patient with a sense of humor. Mr. Bennet doesn't get carried with girls' love lives like Mrs. Bennet. He allows his daughter to be "silly," lets them make their own decisions, and treats them with respect, just as long as they leave him out of the melodrama, but he is there when they need them and tends to give the girls great advice if they ask for it. Mr. Bennet also tends to keep his wife, Mrs. Bennet from destroying their lives, like refusing to let Elizabeth marry Mr. Collins, knowing Mrs. Bennet is pushing Lizzy to marry him, by saying, "An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do." He let Elizabeth know he is on her side no matter what. Mrs. Bennet and the girls clearly view Mr. Bennet as an authoritarian figure. Mrs. Bennet tells him, "I wish you had been there, my dear, to have given [Darcy] one of your set-downs," knowing he comes over as tough but loving. He shows he has a sense of humor about their living situation, his wife's meddlesome ways, and society in general, when he says, "For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbours, and laugh at them in our turn?"
Discuss the importance of social class in the novel, especially as it impacts the relationship between Elizabeth and Darcy.
In this novel, social class is very important to the setting and plot. It dictates who you can marry and who you should be seen with in public in order to have a good reputation. Money is also a leading factor in determining your future. There are people in this novel, such as Mr. Wickham, who live only for money and will do anything to get it, hoping for large inheritance. The Bennet family is viewed as lower in class than the rest of their social circle and Mrs. Bennet is determined to get her daughters married off the wealthy men in order for them to be taken care of. At first Mr. Darcy believes he is better than Elizabeth, but falls in love with her in spite of her place in society and his presumptions. When she rejects him, he makes amends by saying, " By you, I was properly humbled. I came to you without a doubt of my reception. You showed me how insufficient were all my pretensions to please a woman worthy of being pleased." Elizabeth clearly does not believe that you don't have to have money, in order to be happy and chooses to live above her own means. When Elizabeth is looked down by Lady Catherine as not being good enough for Darcy, Elizabeth says, "He is a gentleman; I am a gentleman’s daughter; so far we are equal." She also tells Lady Catherine, "Neither duty, nor honour, nor gratitude ... have any possible claim on me." If everybody in this novel, lived like Elizabeth, they would all be better off.
Compare and contrast the Bingley-Darcy relationship with the Jane-Elizabeth relationship.
Both pairs of friends are loyal to each other, even though they may be total opposites and disagree at times. They all give each other advice and rely on each other's opinions. They are the people that matter most. Bingley regards Darcy's judgment as "the highest opinion," which makes him reject Jane due to her societal reputation. Darcy also values his friendship with Bingley, but acts like a saboteur, believing he knows what is best for his friend. When Elizabeth confronts Darcy on ruining her sister's life after he proposes, he writes, "I have no wish of denying that I did everything in my power to separate my friend from your sister, or that I rejoice in my success. Towards him I have been kinder than towards myself," Darcy believes Bingley will be better off in society without marrying Jane, when Darcy is smitten with Jane's sister. Elizabeth constantly turns to her sister Jane for advice, as acts as confidant, more than any of other sisters. She even rejects Darcy's proposal, out of loyalty to Jane. Elizabeth believes Jane never sees "fault in anybody" and Jane tells her, "I would not wish to be hasty in censuring anyone; but I always speak what I think."
Pride and Prejudice is a novel about women who feel they have to marry to be happy. Taking Charlotte Lucas as an example, do you think the author is making a social criticism of her era’s view of marriage?
Darcy summarizes the thoughts of the women in this time period as, "A lady's imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony, in a moment." Not all the women or the men believe in marrying for love in this novel. The women of this society want to meet wealthy men and believe they have to do everything in their power to make them their husbands, in order to have a stable future. Mrs. Bennet believes it her business and highest priority "to get her daughters married," advising her daughters to get the wealthy men to marry them first, and then "there will be leisure for falling in love as much as she chooses." Charlotte believes marriage is "the only honourable provision for well-educated young women of small fortune, and however uncertain of giving happiness, must be their pleasantest preservative from want." Charlotte marries Mr. Collins, even though she doesn't love him, which shocks Elizabeth. Charlotte tells Elizabeth, " Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance. If the dispositions of the parties are ever so well known to each other or ever so similar beforehand, it does not advance their felicity in the least. They always continue to grow sufficiently unlike afterwards to have their share of vexation; and it is better to know as little as possible of the defects of the person with whom you are to pass your life," which Elizabeth whole heartedly disagrees with. Elizabeth wants to marry for love, not for convenience or for money. If she did not believe in marrying for love, she would have married Mr. Collins.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Reading Pride & Prejudice
Sense & Sensibility is my favorite Jane Austen novel, but Pride & Prejudice is a close second. It's been three years since I last read Pride & Prejudice, and every time I read it, I get more out of studying it. I see more of the characters' personalities, realize things I have missed, and am reminded of how humorous the novel actually is.
Darcy and Elizabeth are one of my favorite literary couples because of their banter. I love how stubborn Darcy and Elizabeth are, judging each other through misunderstandings, even though they are intellectual equals. If Darcy had known how much Elizabeth hated him based on falsehoods, he could have cleared up a lot of her misjudgments earlier on. It's a good thing they spent more time together, because they would have continued to think badly of each other and never found their intellectual equals.
My favorite secondary characters are Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, because Mrs. Bennet is so ridiculous and overdramatic with her statements and Mr. Bennet is a good male counterpart to his wife. She takes every decision her daughters make personally, as if it effects her total existence, while Mr. Bennet doesn't get carried with girls' love lives like Mrs. Bennet.
Mr. Bennet also tends to keep his wife, Mrs. Bennet from destroying their lives, like refusing to let Elizabeth marry Mr. Collins, knowing Mrs. Bennet is pushing Lizzy to marry him, by saying, "An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do." He shows he has a sense of humor about their living situation, his wife's meddlesome ways, and society in general, when he says, "For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbours, and laugh at them in our turn?"
Darcy and Elizabeth are one of my favorite literary couples because of their banter. I love how stubborn Darcy and Elizabeth are, judging each other through misunderstandings, even though they are intellectual equals. If Darcy had known how much Elizabeth hated him based on falsehoods, he could have cleared up a lot of her misjudgments earlier on. It's a good thing they spent more time together, because they would have continued to think badly of each other and never found their intellectual equals.
My favorite secondary characters are Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, because Mrs. Bennet is so ridiculous and overdramatic with her statements and Mr. Bennet is a good male counterpart to his wife. She takes every decision her daughters make personally, as if it effects her total existence, while Mr. Bennet doesn't get carried with girls' love lives like Mrs. Bennet.
Mr. Bennet also tends to keep his wife, Mrs. Bennet from destroying their lives, like refusing to let Elizabeth marry Mr. Collins, knowing Mrs. Bennet is pushing Lizzy to marry him, by saying, "An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do." He shows he has a sense of humor about their living situation, his wife's meddlesome ways, and society in general, when he says, "For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbours, and laugh at them in our turn?"
Assessment of Frankenstein
In this novel, as in many Romantic texts, unspoiled nature provides the major uplifting counterpart to the troubled world of humanity. Currently, though, the scientific question about altering life forms through genetic engineering is focused on nature more than on humans: though cloning and related technologies are being debated, large percentages of agricultural crops are already genetically engineered. How does this novel enable or encourage us to think about these issues?
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is definitely a cautionary tale of science gone wrong. Science can be a fulfilling yet dangerous filler for our curiosity. Victor intentionally plays God, saying, "Life and death appeared to me ideal bounds, which I should first break through, and pour a torrent of light into our dark world." When Victor brings the monster to life and "the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled [Victor's] heart," killing his scientific desires. While he should have been happy his experiment worked, Victor is tortured with the consequences of his decision to pursue this type of science, saying "I was seized by remorse and the sense of guilt, which hurried me away to a hell of intense tortures, such as no language can describe." He knows he crossed the line and can never take it back. Victor finally realizes his mistakes and tells Walton, "how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow.” A constant theme is nature versus science, as well as God versus man. Can anyone just enjoy their humanity or do we enjoy playing God? Why as humans, do we feel the need to have more power over our own lives and world than we actually have?
It has been said that this novel is about two monsters, or two victims: Victor Frankenstein and his hideous creation. What are the similarities or parallels between the two? What are the differences?
Frankenstein and the Monster both have a thirst for knowledge. Victor says, "I had begun life with benevolent intentions and thirsted for the moment when I should put them in practice and make myself useful to my fellow beings." His professor calls the books Victor has been reading "nonsense" which gives Victor the desire to learn more. The Monster compares himself to Adam while reading Paradise Lost by John Milton, identifying himself more with Satan. Frankenstein and the Monster are only happy when they are blissfully ignorant. Victor says of his happy childhood, "Curiosity, earnest research to learn the hidden laws of nature, gladness akin to rapture, as they were unfolded to me, are among the earliest sensations I can remember." The monster is the happiest working for the people at the cottage, saying, "My spirits were elevated by the enchanting appearance of nature; the past was blotted from my memory, the present was tranquil, and the future gilded by bright rays of hope and anticipations of joy." After the people at the cottage shriek at his appearance, The monster wants Victor to create a female counterpart for him, like God giving Eve to Adam, so he won't be "alone and miserable." When Victor denies his request, he plots revenge against his creator. After the murders of his brother and his bride, Victor walks around telling us he has caused himself and the ones he loves constant misery. They both have god complexes, believe they have more power than they actually have. The monster tells Victor, "You are my creator, but I am your master—obey!"
Some critics argue that the text offers no strong female roles. Do you agree? Does it offer any strong male roles? Which ones, and how? (Note: this question may lead you to investigate the term “strong” in this context.)
Victor describes the women in his life by their looks first, and rarely their personalities, so it is hard to tell if they are role models o not. Elizabeth Lavenza, Frankenstein's cousin and future bride, is the antithesis of his monster and described by Victor as "delicate," beautiful, and "sweet." She is usually brought into a scene only when Frankenstein needs her to comfort him, wanting his opinion, but never offering hers. We don't to get to read or see what she is thinking except for a letter to Victor she wrote about their upcoming nuptials and only then she is offering Victor advice, telling him if he marries her, she "shall need no other happiness." When Victor tells Elizabeth of his "dreadful secret," she still marries him when she should have been appalled at his behavior. Justine, the martyr, is described by Victor as "blooming in the loveliness of youth and health." A strong role model is someone who is a brave protagonist, who learns a valuable lesson from their mistakes and takes accountability. Victor learns from his mistake, but only at severe consequences and he lets Justine die without telling the truth about his monster and doesn't take responsibility for the monster either. I do not think he is a strong role model.
Although it might invite discussion of social and scientific questions, this novel tells a story rather than posing those questions or expounding upon them. What are the advantages and disadvantages to our discussion created by the novel’s form? Could a piece of non-fiction engage the same kinds of questions in the same way?
This novel is thought provoking because it leaves its message open for interpretation and Shelley's words might have changed the world, making people think about Darwin's theories of Evolution versus Creationism. Everyone will have a different reaction to this novel, based on their own personal beliefs and history. It's nice to hear mind opening thoughts and conclusions from people who might catch something that I might have not understood from reading and interpreting the novel on my own. One of the main lessons from the novel is "Just because we can, should we?" Someone in our class liked Victor's actions to a "hit and run accident" saying, "It's not what you do, but why you do it" and asked "Do we as a society create monsters?" I don't think non-fiction would engage the same kinds of questions, because we as a society tend to judge real events more harshly than fiction and our society is a "cycle of creation and destruction."
If Frankenstein’s monster were less horrifying to behold, would the plot lose its terrifying force? That is, what elements are truly horrible here: the fact of recklessly created, unnatural life, or the fact of its hideous appearance and acts?
I think the horrifying image of the monster is what pulls the moral of novel together, because Victor needed to realize he made a mistake in trying to create life from spare parts. When Victor brings the monster to life and "the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled [his] heart," killing his scientific desires. Victor is the true monster of the book and the true horrifying thing, because if he had shown the monster love, the monster would have had a peaceful existence. If the monster hadn't been rejected by his creator and criticized for his looks in the first place, the monster would have lived a happy life in society and there would not have been any conflict or turmoil. The monster was brought down by his looks, something he could not control, and chose to try to gain control through his creator
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is definitely a cautionary tale of science gone wrong. Science can be a fulfilling yet dangerous filler for our curiosity. Victor intentionally plays God, saying, "Life and death appeared to me ideal bounds, which I should first break through, and pour a torrent of light into our dark world." When Victor brings the monster to life and "the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled [Victor's] heart," killing his scientific desires. While he should have been happy his experiment worked, Victor is tortured with the consequences of his decision to pursue this type of science, saying "I was seized by remorse and the sense of guilt, which hurried me away to a hell of intense tortures, such as no language can describe." He knows he crossed the line and can never take it back. Victor finally realizes his mistakes and tells Walton, "how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow.” A constant theme is nature versus science, as well as God versus man. Can anyone just enjoy their humanity or do we enjoy playing God? Why as humans, do we feel the need to have more power over our own lives and world than we actually have?
It has been said that this novel is about two monsters, or two victims: Victor Frankenstein and his hideous creation. What are the similarities or parallels between the two? What are the differences?
Frankenstein and the Monster both have a thirst for knowledge. Victor says, "I had begun life with benevolent intentions and thirsted for the moment when I should put them in practice and make myself useful to my fellow beings." His professor calls the books Victor has been reading "nonsense" which gives Victor the desire to learn more. The Monster compares himself to Adam while reading Paradise Lost by John Milton, identifying himself more with Satan. Frankenstein and the Monster are only happy when they are blissfully ignorant. Victor says of his happy childhood, "Curiosity, earnest research to learn the hidden laws of nature, gladness akin to rapture, as they were unfolded to me, are among the earliest sensations I can remember." The monster is the happiest working for the people at the cottage, saying, "My spirits were elevated by the enchanting appearance of nature; the past was blotted from my memory, the present was tranquil, and the future gilded by bright rays of hope and anticipations of joy." After the people at the cottage shriek at his appearance, The monster wants Victor to create a female counterpart for him, like God giving Eve to Adam, so he won't be "alone and miserable." When Victor denies his request, he plots revenge against his creator. After the murders of his brother and his bride, Victor walks around telling us he has caused himself and the ones he loves constant misery. They both have god complexes, believe they have more power than they actually have. The monster tells Victor, "You are my creator, but I am your master—obey!"
Some critics argue that the text offers no strong female roles. Do you agree? Does it offer any strong male roles? Which ones, and how? (Note: this question may lead you to investigate the term “strong” in this context.)
Victor describes the women in his life by their looks first, and rarely their personalities, so it is hard to tell if they are role models o not. Elizabeth Lavenza, Frankenstein's cousin and future bride, is the antithesis of his monster and described by Victor as "delicate," beautiful, and "sweet." She is usually brought into a scene only when Frankenstein needs her to comfort him, wanting his opinion, but never offering hers. We don't to get to read or see what she is thinking except for a letter to Victor she wrote about their upcoming nuptials and only then she is offering Victor advice, telling him if he marries her, she "shall need no other happiness." When Victor tells Elizabeth of his "dreadful secret," she still marries him when she should have been appalled at his behavior. Justine, the martyr, is described by Victor as "blooming in the loveliness of youth and health." A strong role model is someone who is a brave protagonist, who learns a valuable lesson from their mistakes and takes accountability. Victor learns from his mistake, but only at severe consequences and he lets Justine die without telling the truth about his monster and doesn't take responsibility for the monster either. I do not think he is a strong role model.
Although it might invite discussion of social and scientific questions, this novel tells a story rather than posing those questions or expounding upon them. What are the advantages and disadvantages to our discussion created by the novel’s form? Could a piece of non-fiction engage the same kinds of questions in the same way?
This novel is thought provoking because it leaves its message open for interpretation and Shelley's words might have changed the world, making people think about Darwin's theories of Evolution versus Creationism. Everyone will have a different reaction to this novel, based on their own personal beliefs and history. It's nice to hear mind opening thoughts and conclusions from people who might catch something that I might have not understood from reading and interpreting the novel on my own. One of the main lessons from the novel is "Just because we can, should we?" Someone in our class liked Victor's actions to a "hit and run accident" saying, "It's not what you do, but why you do it" and asked "Do we as a society create monsters?" I don't think non-fiction would engage the same kinds of questions, because we as a society tend to judge real events more harshly than fiction and our society is a "cycle of creation and destruction."
If Frankenstein’s monster were less horrifying to behold, would the plot lose its terrifying force? That is, what elements are truly horrible here: the fact of recklessly created, unnatural life, or the fact of its hideous appearance and acts?
I think the horrifying image of the monster is what pulls the moral of novel together, because Victor needed to realize he made a mistake in trying to create life from spare parts. When Victor brings the monster to life and "the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled [his] heart," killing his scientific desires. Victor is the true monster of the book and the true horrifying thing, because if he had shown the monster love, the monster would have had a peaceful existence. If the monster hadn't been rejected by his creator and criticized for his looks in the first place, the monster would have lived a happy life in society and there would not have been any conflict or turmoil. The monster was brought down by his looks, something he could not control, and chose to try to gain control through his creator
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Discussing Frankenstein
We talked a lot about choice and accountability. Like most of my classmates, I felt like Victor took no responsibility for his decisions and shunned the monster, hoping it would go away on its own. I also felt Victor was the true monster of the book and felt bad for the monster. I thought it was interesting that one of my classmates felt bad for Victor, because she believed he was being tortured for making one bad decision in his life.
Someone else compared Victor's reaction to "hit and run" behavior, which made me think of how we tend to judge people quickly for their bad behavior without knowing why they did the things they did. Did we as a society create these monsters, because we didn't offer them a second chance and teach them the right way to act?
While we were discussing the dangers of science and cloning, I was reminded of a quote from Dr. Ian Malcolm, played by Jeff Goldblum in the movie Jurassic Park, where he said, "Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should." I think this quote applies to Frankenstein's message as well.
Someone else compared Victor's reaction to "hit and run" behavior, which made me think of how we tend to judge people quickly for their bad behavior without knowing why they did the things they did. Did we as a society create these monsters, because we didn't offer them a second chance and teach them the right way to act?
While we were discussing the dangers of science and cloning, I was reminded of a quote from Dr. Ian Malcolm, played by Jeff Goldblum in the movie Jurassic Park, where he said, "Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should." I think this quote applies to Frankenstein's message as well.
Frankenstein. Dialogues, and Films
For espanol, I had an exam on Chapter 1 on Monday and had to create a dialogue with a partner for our test next Tuesday.
For Victorian Lit, My professor had his knee replaced on Monday, so we watched a documentary on Frankenstein and Mary Shelley called Nightmare: The Birth of Victorian Horror on Tuesday. It was interesting to learn Shelley had three distinct dreams which led her to write the story and she named the novel after a castle she stayed at once. Then we discussed the book Frankenstein on Thursday with his daughter who is also a teacher.
I also read Eyes of A Stranger by Rachel Ann Nunes about twins who were separated at birth, and As Always Dave by Jack Weyland about a New York singles ward.
I went to the library to do some research on Branwell Bronte, but they didn't have any books on him or any of his writing and their computer database wasn't working, which was frustrating.
For Victorian Lit, My professor had his knee replaced on Monday, so we watched a documentary on Frankenstein and Mary Shelley called Nightmare: The Birth of Victorian Horror on Tuesday. It was interesting to learn Shelley had three distinct dreams which led her to write the story and she named the novel after a castle she stayed at once. Then we discussed the book Frankenstein on Thursday with his daughter who is also a teacher.
I also read Eyes of A Stranger by Rachel Ann Nunes about twins who were separated at birth, and As Always Dave by Jack Weyland about a New York singles ward.
I went to the library to do some research on Branwell Bronte, but they didn't have any books on him or any of his writing and their computer database wasn't working, which was frustrating.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)