After writing the in class essay, and finally reading volume one of Mary Shelley’s Frankestein, I realized what really made the novel a horror story. Its not just the fact that Victor Frankenstein stole pieces of dead bodies, put them together, and used electricity to make a “person” its also the way that Shelley uses vivid imagery to paint a picture for the reader. I expected the book to be a monster that was running around killing people and nothing could stop it. I was wrong. I had the Hollywood version of this novel in my head, but I surprisingly like Mary Shelley’s novel better. I always thought that the movies were cheesy. Anyways, back to the book. “Sometimes my pulse beat so quickly and hardly that I felt the palpitation of every artery” (Shelley 59). The imagery of Victor Frankenstein’s heart reacting to the adrenaline conveys to the reader his fear of his own creation. The reader can also relate, because we have all been in a frightening situation where there is nothing we can do. Victor also experiences the opposite of fear, “at others, I nearly sank to the ground through languor and extreme weakness” (Shelley 59). Instead of being afraid, Victor chooses not to deal with his troubles, instead he tries to ignore them by giving in to his exhaustion and sleeping. Shelly portrays an image of Victor collapsing and staying there for hours. At least thats how I pictured what happened to him. I saw it as Victor being as tired as if he stayed awake for three days straight and his body could not go on any longer, and finally forced him to sleep. “...a cold shivering came over me. I threw the door forcibly open, as children are accustomed to do when they expect a spectre to stand in waiting for them on the other side; but nothing appeared I stepped fearfully in: the apartment was empty; and my bedroom was also freed from its hideous guest” (Shelley 62). When Henry Clerval, Victor’s friend, comes to visit him, Victor realizes that he has not addressed the problem of his creation. His panic is not only shown through his thoughts but his actions this time. He compares himself to a child, like when you hear your first ghost-story as a kid and for the next week or so you freak out at every little noise.
So far, I’m really enjoying Frankenstein, it is slightly confusing but after we discuss a few of the things I start to understand it more.
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I completly agree with so many of the things you discussed. First of all, I had that same impression in my head when i began reading this book, which is why i was dreading reading it so much, but I was definatly proven wrong. My favorite part of this story was the imagry and the intense feelings I could see and feel from reading the different narrators. I already turned in my book but the moments of him discovering life and different feelings were so deep and powerfull to read. This book was definatly not a hard book to read for an assignment
ReplyDeleteFor the love of God, it's spelled DEFINITELY, Melissa! Not "defiantly" or "definatly" or "definately."
ReplyDeleteGoing off of what Melissa and Katie said, i also found the book Frankenstein intriguing. Mary Shelley did a very good job at using imagery and diction to display the settings, conflicts, and ideas throughout the novel. The book gives off an eerie feeling of gothic romance, but is so interesting that it keeps the reader coming back for more. Mary Shelley displays the creature as a terrifying monster from Victor's point of view, but then gives us the perspective of the creature himself, and we realize that he started out as just a poor, unfortunate creature without a family or knowledge of the world. This gives us (atleast it gave me) an emotional connection to the creature, and the perspective from the creature gives us more of an insight of the book as a whole. Right off the bat the book interested me, and it became to be a completely different story than i had thought it would be. It's a great story that changed the way I viewed the world.
ReplyDeleteI really liked Frankenstein because not only was it an eerie and interesting read, but it also spawned some really interesting conversations in the classroom. I agreed with Ms. Arko when she told our class that even though the book was written many years ago, it's still applicable to many of the moral dilemmas that our society faces: abortion, stem cell research, etc. The perspective that is given of the creature reminds us that there is always two sides to every debate.
ReplyDeleteLike Katie, I was totally wrapped up in thinking Frankenstein was the stereotypes that Hollywood has built it up to be, when really this has been my favorite book this year. I found the beginning long and boring, but once i was in the thick of the plot the story really took off and became very interesting.
ReplyDeleteI agree Katie, alot of what makes a horror story a horror story is the vivid depiction of the scary tale. It's kind of like bad scary movies, where the scene is just so fake it is no longer scary. The art of telling the horror story is vital to the spooky escence.
ReplyDeleteSimilar to the vivid descriptions, the suspense is also important to the telling of the horrror story.The suspence keeps an audiance interested in the tale.
The telling of a horror story is greatly aided by the suspense and also by the vivid descriptions.
I particularly liked the section when the monster narrated the story because it gave insight into his nature, which was entirely different from the other characters' assumptions. Much of the imagery from the monster's point of view made him seem like a child. It was interesting to think about a child's first experiences because it's not possible for any person to remember their life before three years of age. I commend Mary Shelley's creativity as she wrote about an event-the beginning of life-that no one could possibly remember. Everything that she wrote would be completely from her own imagination.
ReplyDeleteFrankenstein was hands down my favorite book I read this year for AP Lit. My favorite section was the same as Emilie's; when the monster narrated, the book changed into something really special. In addition to the monster's childlike point of view, his feelings of loneliness and eccentricity really spoke to me. Showing that this creature, a first of its kind, exhibited emotions that are widely relatable proved that Mary Shelly was unafraid to show a soft spot in scientific discovery, and even promote it a little.
ReplyDeleteI agree. It wasn't until after getting far into the book when I really realized how much of a horror story this book was. Mary Shelley did a good job of creating that classic scary scene that you picture when you think of a horror story. This book also creates that scary story effect by bringing something to life that should be dead. Frankenstein is an actually good horror story.
ReplyDeleteFrankenstien was by far the best book we read all year. I honestly went into the book thinking, like Katie, that Mary Shelly's novel would be almost as cheezy as the holy wood version of the story.But instead of being about an unstoppable monster running around killing people, as is the case in the movie, Mary Shelly envokes fear in the reader not by physical violence, but by the fear of the unknown that they must face. Shelly's use of literary techniques shower the novel in mystery, making the read a very suspensful and scary without incorporating any amount of gore. This novel was definitely a very pleasent suprise for me, who was expecting to be bored out of my mind while reading this book.
ReplyDeleteThis book was obviously the best one all year. I went into the book only thinking about the movie versions of the book. Once further into the book though it got much more detailed and interesting. The way Mary Shelley used such descriptive words to paint such vivid pictures of everything going on made the story more of a horror. She was really able to develop the suspense and gloomy feel throughout the book.
ReplyDeleteI also have to comment on Shelly's imagery. Its crazy how much of it she uses but i think it makes it way better. Like Katie said, the imagery helps the reader connect, when I'm reading Frankenstein I feel as if i am literally there, I feel as if I am standing next to Frankenstein looking at the mountains or creating the monster.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Katie, i too had this hollywood idea of what frankenstien was like. It wasn't until we read the book that Mary Shelly had originally created this completely different charater. However i think i still perfer the hollywodd version, he's nicer.
ReplyDelete