Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Chapters 9-11

Chapter 9
  • "Sleep fled from my eyes" - makes Victor appears to be a monster as even sleep is running from him. Insomniac?
  • His guilt has appeared to make him more emotional
  • When the family go to their second home he feels a greater sense of freedom - false sense of security
  • "I gnashed my teeth, my eyes became inflamed" - he has become the monster, a direct result of ambition for knowledge
  • He is obviously guilty for the acts he has commitied
  • The line "the waters might close over me forever." could be stating that he wishes to be washed/cleansed/purged of his sins. Trying to drown out his intense guilt.
  • "the destroyer had been near to rob me of her" he assumes the creature is the destroyer. i doesnt see that he is actually to blame for all of the events.
  • He goes to the alps (nature) for salvation - romantic
  • Mont Blanc (the white mountain) juxtaposes the puritiy of nature against his sin.
  • The mountain shows how small one person is.
  • "all pleasure seemed to be her sacrilege to the dead" - why sacrilege and not sacrifice.

Chapter 10
  • "the icy wall of the glacier overhung me" - nature is representing his guilt. where ice is mentioned this could foreshadow the fear he is about to feel or supposed heartlessness of the creature.
  • The inclusion of the Shelley poem could intice the reader to believe that the events were true. Alternatively, it could be mary shelley conveying her litterature influences.
  • There are many romantice images "sublime" shown when Victor wanders around the mountainside.
  • Because the novel focus on an "outsider" for its protagonist, is it utopian?
  • "I felt faintness seize me" he is pertified of his creature or of his punishment or remption
  • The monster arrives.
  • Victor names him with offensives such as "devil" "daemon" - a poor father figure.
  • The creature acts the more rational of the two, victor wants to fight the other wants to speak. Which is the more civilised. Marxist approach - Those who had nothing to start with end up as better people
  • Victor acts in an extremely beligerent manner. The perhaps cause the reader to feel less sympathy for him.
  • "The guilty are allowed ... to speak in their own defence" - automatically admits his crimes though wishes to justify them.
  • "Begone i will not hear you" the individuality of victors approach to life. Mimics both Macbeth (at times) and Faustus.
  • "illuminate another world" - the world of truth? hell?
  • "the air was cold, and the rain had began" - gothic elements of weather.
Chapter 11
  • From now on the stary is entirely from the view point of the creature. This could emulate a final speech in court where the defence adresses the jury/judge. Therefore could relate to the fact that the creatures victims didn't have their last words. Also, symbolises the poor of society finally having a voice.
  • The creature speaks in good english - could show he is more intelegent than was first believed. the poor arent as uncizilised as the upper classes believe.
  • "light became more and more oppresive towards me"
  • Shelley includes the footnote of "*the moon" - as if she doubts her own decription
  • "i beheld a radiant form rise from above the trees" - the beauty and appreciation of nature, could show a common link between the creature and Victor - both appriciate nature
  • Light of the moon/sun vs the dark of the building and forest (light and dark imagery)
  • He finds fire and takes it for himself - the greek version of th prometheus tale where he takes fire from the god and is hence punished for eternity - will the creature suffer a similar fate? - is his rejection his punishment. Also this highlights the order of the fictional world god-man-creature.
  • Yet another person runs away from him
  • In the village he is attacked by a mob.
  • This is the first example where the creature meets the family. it is from this that he learns about the world etc. The fact he has to hide in a shed like structure does not appear to bother him. "beggars cant be choosers"

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