Frankenstein Final Chapters

1) What were your thoughts and reflections on this chapter and the death of Elizabeth?

Watching Victor sink into complete depression and despair in the final chapters was kind of upsetting, but watching him fret over his own death when it was obvious that his would not come was more than slightly frustrating. The reader has the advantage f hindsight since Victor is telling his story in the past tense to Robert Walton, so the reader knows that Victor will not die, but even then it is still quite obvious that Elizabeth will be the one to die since that would be similar to the crimes the Creature had committed previously. Although it may be slightly insensitive, I was not overly affected by Elizabeth's death since she was a fairly under-developed character who Victor worshiped for being beautiful, gentle, and pure, which was not enough for me to attach to her. The final chapters were 

2) In what ways might the Creature & Victor be considered “doubles” for each other?

The Creature and Victor were both obsessive, and once they set their minds toward certain goals, whether that be to create life or seek revenge, then they refuse to do anything except pursue these goals. At a certain point, this obsession that they both develop consumes their lives and is unhealthy, a negative aspect to both the Creature and Victor. Victor and the Creature also both refuse to take responsibility for their actions, pushing all of the blame onto others. For the Creature, he was isolated by people and I do see the effects of that, but I also believe that the Creature still made the choice to commit these evil acts, but he still blames the wrongs he committed on others. Victor also refuses to take take responsibility for his actions, like bringing his Creature to life, instead blaming things like fate or his father, for example. They both also long for female companionship and view it as the good in the world. The Creature views Agatha and then the potential female creature as possibly the answers to all of his problems, if they were to accept and love him. Victor also wants to protect Elizabeth, and views her as lovely and pure, something to be protected overall.

3) In the final chapters, Victor and the creature are involved in a mad contest of revenge. Record at least four statements made by each character that reveal his motives, feelings, or state of mind. Note the chapter number after each statement.

Victor:
"'Your threats cannot move me to do an act of wickedness; but they confirm me in a determination of not creating you a companion in vice. Shall I, in cool blood, set loose upon the earth a demon whose delight is in death and wretchedness?'" (ch. 20, p.157)
"A fever succeeded to this. I lay for two months on the point of death; my ravings, as I afterwards heard, were frightful; I called myself the murderer of William, of Justine, and of Clerval." (ch. 21, p. 167) 
"They were my brethren, my fellow beings, and I felt attracted even to the most repulsive among them, as to creatures of an angelic nature and celestial mechanism. But I felt that I had no right to share their intercourse. I had unchained an enemy among them whose joy it was to shed their blood and to revel in their groans." (ch. 22, p. 175)
"As the memory of past misfortunes pressed upon me, I began to reflect on their cause - the monster whom I had created, the miserable demon whom I had sent abroad into the world for my destruction. I was possessed by a maddening rage when I thought of him" (ch. 23, p.189)

Creature:
"Slave, I before reasoned with you, but you have proved yourself unworthy of my condescension. Remember that I have power, you believe youself miserable, but I can make you so wretched that the light of day will be hateful to you. You are my creator, but I am your master; obey!" (ch. 20, p. 157) 
"'Shall each man,' cried he, 'find a wife for his bosom, and each beast have his mate, and I be alone? I have feelings of affection, and they were requited by detestation and scorn.'" (ch. 20, p. 158)
"A grin was on the face of the monster; he seemed to jeer, as with his fiendish finger he pointed towards the corpse of my wife." (ch. 23, p. 187)
"Sometimes the peasants, scared by this horrid apparition, informed me of his path; sometimes he himself, who feared that if I lost all trace of him I should despair and die, left some mark to guide me." (ch. 24, p. 194)

Frankenstein Chapters 13-19

After hearing the creature's story, I do not think that he is entirely justified in declaring an "everlasting war" against humanity and his creator, Victor. I do believe that the creature has been wrongly discriminated against and judged based on his appearance, but I do not think that gives him a right to declare war on humanity. I think the creature can be angry and frustrated at his isolation and solitude, and I definitely think that Victor needs to take responsibility for his creature, but I do feel that sometimes the creature is a little too pessimistic and self-pitying. I will probably (or hopefully, at least) never understand how alone the creature feels, but he sometimes reads as kind of melodramatic when he is telling his story, and declaring war on an entire species is also slightly melodramatic in itself. I imagine that it is awful to be and feel like an outcast, tossed aside by everyone he has ever loved, but I do not think that this justifies ruining other people's lives.

I also think that he is not entirely justified in asking Victor to create him a mate. The creature hates his life and his existence, so if he truly hated it that much and was benevolent and good, then he would not wish that existence on another innocent being. I understand where he is coming from in making that request, and that he does not wish to be alone and he wants to be understood. However, he is very well spoken and is supposed to be very smart, so he should also understand that Victor would be creating another creature that would be outcast from society, which would not exactly be the right thing to do. Also, the creature may have begun to create sympathy for his tale, but then he describes killing William and the satisfaction it brings him, so that proves that he is not entirely deserving of this good thing, a mate. I think that he is a product of society and Victor's actions, but I also believe that he still has some control over himself and that he has chosen to commit these awful crimes, including murder even. Therefore, even though I do sympathize with the creature, I also believe that he has made some bad decisions that have ruined lives.

Frankenstein Chapters 1-6

Frankenstein begins with letters 1-4, where Captain Robert Walton is writing to hi sister Margaret Saville while he begins his travels north. Robert laments how lonely his is and how he desires an intellectual equal, then meets Victor Frankenstein while he was chasing after his creature. Victor agrees to tell his story, which Robert then copies down for Margaret. In chapter 1, Victor discusses how he had a perfect, idyllic childhood, and describes how his family adopted Elizabeth, to whom Victor felt an extreme attachment. In chapter 2, Victor discusses his interest in "natural philosophy" (science), and his fascination with alchemy, the secret to life, and the philosopher's stone. In chapter 3, Victor is preparing to go to university when Elizabeth catches scarlet fever, so Victor's mother nurses her back to life, but becomes ill and dies. When Victor arrives at university, he meets M. Krempe, who he does not particularly like, and M. Waldman, who becomes a kind of mentor to him and introduces him to more modern sciences. In chapter 4, Victor becomes obsessed with science and discovering the secret of life, throwing himself into his work, neglecting his health and neglecting to write to his family as he works to give life to a creature. In chapter 5, Victor animates his creature, but runs out of his apartment due to fear, running into Henry Clerval, a friend from back home. Victor falls ill due to months of obsession over his work, choosing to deny the fact that he brought this creature into existence. In chapter 6, Victor finally recovers and receives a letter from Elizabeth, informing him of Justine's (a servant) return to the Frankenstein household. Victor also decides to join Henry in taking language and literature classes at university.

As Victor's character develops, he seems to not take responsibility for his actions. Victor likes to blame fate for many of his actions in his life, he blames his father for not properly dissuading from pursing the old ways of science early in his life, and when Victor animates his creature, he runs away from it and refuses to acknowledge its existence. Henry Clerval is a kind of a foil for Victor because he is a happy, normal, kind, well-rounded man who is interested in languages and literature, while Victor is obsessive and loves science and "natural philosophy." Elizabeth and Justine are kind of similar characters because they are both pretty females who are seen are good and wholesome, who were taken in and cared for by the Frankensteins. A theme beginning to appear in the book is the similarity between Victor and Prometheus, both of whom tried to play God, but will likely face consequences for doing such. Frankenstein is also similar to the Paradise Lost because the monster was cast out by his creator, Victor, like how Lucifer and Adam were cast out by their creator, God.

Introduction to Frankenstein: Chapters 1-4

Question I Have So Far:

Why does Robert Walton yearn to travel?

Is Robert gay?

Does Robert's regret about not receiving a proper, formal education reflect Mary Shelley's feelings about her school?

How does Robert's affection for Victor Frankenstein affect his account of Victor's story?

Why did Victor feel such an attachment to Elizabeth?

What exactly did philosophers like Cornelius Agrippa discuss in their books?

How did the death of Victor's mother, and her deep affection for Elizabeth, affect Victor and influence his actions?

How and why does chemistry relate so closely to philosophy, as M. Krempe discussed?

What did Victor discover to be the secret to life and why will he not reveal it to Robert or the audience?

Thoughts on the Book So Far:

I think that since Robert is telling the story based on Victor's account of his past that there will be a decent amount of bias in the telling, since the audience is hearing from Robert who is hearing from Victor after the events have all occurred already. This allows Victor to reflect on his actions that led to the point where he is with Robert, adding more to the story than if it were told in present tense, as it was happening.

Victor seems to be a very complex main character, with questionable actions despite being the main character and likely the protagonist. In the first couple of chapters, Victor talks about when Elizabeth was adopted, and he describes her as his "more than sister," which I found to be kind of creepy and possessive, which could be an important trait that influences his actions later in the novel. Victor also justifies his actions, which he views as evils and things that led to the sadness in his life, by blaming destiny. This shows that he could struggle to accept responsibility for some of his actions, which may come up again later in his story. Overall, I am interested to see how Victor's character continues to develop and how his story unfolds.  

Merchant of Venice Reflection Question Two

13. Why do you think Shakespeare includes the sub-plot concerning Jessica and Lorenzo?

One reason that I think Shakespeare includes the sup-plot of Lorenzo and Jessica is to serve as a contrast to the relationship between Bassanio and Portia, especially a contrast between Jessica and Portia. Although Jessica chose to cross dress as man, similar to Portia, Jessica did it for very different reasons. Portia chose to cross-dress entirely of her own accord, and in doing so gained power and control over her marriage to Bassanio; Portia gained strength and the ability to be lawyer and save Antonio by cross-dressing. When Jessica chose to cross-dress, she felt weak and like it was a mere necessity, and she felt like she was ugly when dressed as a man. Jessica's reasons for cross-dressing were also fundamentally different from Portia's because Jessica chose to cross-dress specifically in order to be married to Lorenzo and as an escape, whereas Portia never seemed to lose her identity when dressed as a man and chose to cross-dress of her own accord.

Jessica also did not have the same respect for her father that Portia had for her father. Even after his death, Portia still respected her father, his will, and his casket test. Although Portia did not always agree with her father's actions and the constraint he put on her, but she always respected the rules of the casket test, even if she sometimes tried to manipulate the suitors within those rules. Jessica, however, outright disobeyed her father and ran away from him. Jessica not only ran away from her father, but she also eloped with Lorenzo, a Christian, spent all of Shylock's money, and converted to Christianity. Jessica seems to have seriously resented her father, and worked against all of his ideals and did everything he hates the most. Even though Portia may have disagreed with her father's methods, she still obeyed his wishes even after death, while Jessica made a point to disobey her father in every way she could when she ran away and eloped with Lorenzo.

I think Jessica and Lorenzo were also included to expand upon the Jewish-Christian dichotomy. Jessica converted to Christianity almost immediately after she eloped with Lorenzo, however she still faced discrimination for having been Jewish. This is specifically seen from Lancelet, who expresses his belief to Jessica that she will still end up in hell even though she converted to Christianity due to the "sins" of her father. Jessica and Lorenzo also serve as another relationship in the play, but one that had quite different origins. Jessica is fairly young, and Lorenzo and Jessica eloped without the permission of her father, so this is much different from the relationship of Portia and Bassanio, and even Nerissa and Gratiano. Both Portia and Nerissa seem to be older than Jessica, and their relationships seem to be less rushed and spur of the moment. Jessica and Lorenzo eloped suddenly, escaping from her father, so the relationship had a different beginning and may have a different ending as well. 

Merchant of Venice Reflection Question One

4. Does Jessica love her father? Why does she take and then spend so much money when she runs away? Do you think she'll live "happily ever after" in Belmont, with Lorenzo as her husband (and with Portia and Nerissa as friends)?

I like to believe that Jessica loved her, but I do not think that love is extremely prevalent in this play. Between a father and daughter, especially considering Shylock is a single father and the sole remaining parent, I think that there is an innate love present. However, I think Jessica harbors so much hate and resent for her father that the love is nearly nonexistent. For her entire life, Jessica has most likely been isolated due to her religion and her father's business practices (charging interest), and that would be difficult on any teenage girl. Jessica thus resents her father for, in her mind, essentially forcing Judaism upon her and separating her from Lorenzo and most other people. When Jessica runs away from her father, she converts to Christianity almost immediately, in an attempt to separate herself from her father and his religion, which she probably feels has restricted her for most of her life since most Christians discriminate against Jews.

I think Jessica takes and spends so much money when she runs away with Lorenzo in order to get back at and separate herself from her father. Jessica knows that Shylock loves his money almost as much as her, if not more than he loves her. Thus, in order to reach him and anger him for confining her to Judaism and this life of hatred, Jessica chooses to steal and spend this thing that is extremely precious to him. Jessica also probably resents her father for loving his money possibly more than he loves her, so she decided to steal and assert control and dominance over this thing that has captured her father's love, which ends up betraying him through Jessica stealing it. Based upon Shylock's reaction to Jessica running away with his money, and his cries for both his money and his daughter in equal measure, Jessica was probably correct in her assumption of his response when stealing his money.

I do not think that Jessica will get a perfect "happily ever after" living in Belmont. At the beginning of Act 5, Lorenzo and Jessica mention and relate their own love to other love stories, like Medea and Dido, that all ended poorly. These references could be foreshadowing for Lorenzo and Jessica's own relationship, especially since the Jessica is so young and the two rushed into the relationship. Jessica also will not likely get along entirely with Portia and Nerissa. Jessica already experienced some conflict with Lancelet in act 3, which will probably be typical of the other people in Belmont. Even though Jessica converted to Christianity, Lancelet disliked her and believed she was going to hell for being a Jew in the first place, which I think will be a similar response from Portia and Nerissa. Even if Portia and Nerissa do not outright hate Jessica, I do not think she will ever be entirely accepted in Belmont.  

Act Five -- Merchant of Venice

In Act 5 of The Merchant of Venice, Portia, Nerissa, Bassanio, Antonio, and Gratiano all return from the trial in Venice. When the men reveal to Portia and Nerissa that they gave away their rings, without knowing they had given the rings to a disguised Portia and Nerissa, the two women act outraged since they had made their husbands swear to never give away their rings. After messing with their husbands for a little longer, Portia and Nerissa reveal that they had disguised themselves as men and they were the lawyer and the clerk who had saved Antonio's life. I really liked that Portia and Nerissa revealed to their husbands that they had disguised themselves and proven to be strong women, and I also like how they used this information to their advantage. Portia and Nerissa gained some serious respect from Bassanio and Gratiano after revealing their positions in the trial, while also gaining more control in their marriage. I am also happy that the play ended on a high note, with Lorenzo becoming Shylock's heir, all of the couples (Lorenzo and Jessica, Bassanio and Portia, and Gratiano and Nerissa) ending happily and in love, and that even Antonio got his happy ending with a few of his ships out at sea actually being safe.