Bonnie Flaig: A Critical Evaluation of Frankenstein

1. There are many connections between Shelley's life & the novel. One being that mothers are noticeably absent from the novel, as Shelley's mother, having died shortly after Mary's birth, was absent from her daughter's life. In the novel:
-Victor's mothers dies early, leaving a painful void in his life
-The creation of the monster by Victor, "the pale student of unhallowed arts," is essentially a motherless birth

2. Theme of "doubles" in the novel.

-Walton vs. Victor:
Both are fascinated with exploring dangerous areas heretofore unknown to humanity. Walton is exploring the northernmost regions of the world, while Victor has dabbled in the creation of life. When Victor is telling his story though, it is too late for him--he tells a miserable tale. For Walton, t is not too late to change his course. Both men are usually isolated or lonely in the world and write about this.

Creature vs. Victor:
Perhaps another side of Victor. The creature is like Victor's id, acting out terrible fantasies that Victor has imagined. At the same time, Elizabeth and Clerval consistently try to appeal to all that is moral and upright in Victor.

Elizabeth vs. Victor:
Eliz. seems to double as Victor's mother after the old woman's death. Eliz. is symbolically tied to the mate Victor begins to construct for the creature. When victor destroys the mate, Eliz. dies at the hands of the creature.

3. Biblical symbolism.

Theme of outcast & story of creation: The creature is bitter and dejected after being turned away from human civilization. Muck like Adam was turned out of the garden of Eden. (One difference though). In the Bible, Adam causes his own fate by sinning.... in Frankenstein the creature cannot control his fate of being a hideous monster; Victor created him that way. Beginning of the story, epigraph from John Milton's Paradise Lost (1667)....

Did I request thee, Maker, from my clay
To mound Me man? Did I solicit thee
From darkness to promote me?

4. Aspects of Shelley's life, again, contribute to the novel. She was the daughter of the revolutionary feminist writer Mary Wollstonecraft and the radical philosopher WIlliam Godwin, who was nearly arrested for supporting the French Revolution. Shelley's parent's political views often led to their being considered outcasts by proper society. And Shelley later repeated this role by running off with a married poet. Relates to biblical theme ^^^.

5. Shelley's Politics can relate to the novel. She had a realistic view of the world, tempered by compassion. In other works, Shelley wrote sympathetically of the poor and saw the need for reform, but she also feared the violence of a revolution of the underclass. Readers of Frankenstein feel the same ambivalence about the creature. While sympathizing with the creature and recognizing the injustice of his plight, the reader, like Victor, also begins to fear the creature's revenge.

Beowulf, The Green Knight, and Influences on Modern Day Super Heroes

Although written in different time periods, the two stories, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Beowulf show many similarities. Both of these stories share the same common ideas, such as the type of qualities that heroes posses. Each of the two stories also has a main character that exhibits these qualities of bravery, honor and truth. In addition, similarities between Beowulf and a modern day superhero are evident in the famous Batman character. Beowulf was one of the earlier, more significant epic hero stories and, therefore, set the path for super heroes to come.

     In the story Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the main character, Sir Gawain continually showed bravery throughout the book. One of the first places we see his bravery is right at the beginning of the book, when he is dining in King Arthur's court. When the Green Knight entered the court, he presented a challenge to all of King Arthur's knights assuming that they would rise to the occasion. Instead, all of the knights sat in their seats dumbfounded, but the minute King Arthur was about to accept the challenge, Gawain bravely stood up and did what no other knight wanted to do, accept the challenge and save the kingdom from anarchy. By doing this, Gawain not only showed his love for King Arthur, but also for his kingdom.    

In the story Beowulf, the main character, Beowulf is an incredible person who was willing to defeat anyone to keep his people safe. When Beowulf heard about the evil monster Grendel that was terrorizing King Hrothgar's town, he stepped up and agreed to fight Grendel without hesitation. By doing this, we see that Beowulf lacked no bravery and that he had a great love for human kind.

Sir Gawain does not pass his test in honesty completely, however, his does not fail it either. While on his way to the Green Knight's Chapel, Sir Gawain stopped off at a palace for lodging. It was here that Gawain was tested for his honesty. While staying at the palace, Gawain was placed in an awkward position when he found out that his host's wife had feelings for him. Gawain, however, was strong and did not fall for her attempts to seduce him. In the end however, his host's wife offered him a sash, which he accepted since she had fooled him into thinking that it had the power to protect him from any harm. When it was time for Gawain to leave the palace, he did not mention to his host about the sash even though he was supposed to, and in the end Gawain ended up facing the consequences of not telling by being nicked on the back of his neck.

Beowulf showed honesty throughout the poem, however one place where it can be seen undoubtedly occurs when Beowulf promises to help King Hrothgar with his problems with Grendel. Before fighting Grendel, Beowulf told the King that he would fight the monster without any weapons. When Beowulf came face to face with the monster, he kept both of his promises to the king. Not only did he kill Grendel, but he also did it without the need for weapons or armor.

Similarities between the Anglo-Saxon hero Beowulf and other famous heroes continue onto modern day figures. For example, similarities can be seen through the comparison of Beowulf and the modern day Batman. Both Batman and Beowulf have a strong code of ethics. Batman often releases criminals after a fight instead of killing them. The criminals were not an immediate life threat, so Batman did not feel it was right to kill them. His code of ethics does not allow for murder, therefore Batman kills only when absolutely necessary. Beowulf reveals his adhesion to a code of ethics in his argument with Unferth. Beowulf condemns Unferth, saying “You murdered your brothers, your own close kin. Words and bright wit won’t help your soul; you’ll suffer hell’s fires, Unferth, forever tormented.” Batman and Beowulf share the same code of ethics: one that condemns murder. The heroes are true to their ethics and only kill when absolutely necessary.

Both Sir Gawain and Beowulf exhibited many of the same qualities that made them worthy of the title, hero. Not only did both characters show off their great qualities, but they also showed how much they cared for other people. They both helped people when people needed them, and treated them with great respect. Similarly, Beowulf and the modern day Batman went about their crime fighting with a code of ethics and upheld their respect for others even if it were an opponent. Beowulf set the bar for many later super heroes to come and that is why similarities can be made between Beowulf and many of these stories and characters.

Anglo-Saxon Art

Anglo-Saxon art before roughly the time of Alfred (ruled 871–899) is mostly in varieties of the Hiberno-Saxon or Insular style, a fusion of Anglo-Saxon and Celtic techniques and motifs. The Sutton Hoo treasure is an exceptional survival of very early Anglo-Saxon metalwork and jewellery, from a royal grave of the early 7th century. The period between Alfred and the Norman Conquest, with the revival of the English economy and culture after the end of the Viking raids, saw a distinct Anglo-Saxon style in art, though one in touch with trends on the Continent.

Anglo-Saxon art is mainly known today through illuminated manuscripts, including the Benedictional of St. Æthelwold andLeofric Missal, masterpieces of the late "Winchester style", which drew on Hiberno-Saxon art,Carolingian art and Byzantine art for style and iconography, and combined both northern ornamental traditions with Mediterranean figural traditions. The Harley Psalter was a copy of the Carolingian Utrecht Psalter — which was a particular influence in creating an Anglo-Saxon style of very lively pen drawings.

Manuscripts were far from the only Anglo-Saxon art form, but they have survived in much greater numbers than other types of object. Contemporaries in Europe regarded Anglo-Saxon goldsmithing and embroidery as especially fine. Perhaps the best known piece of Anglo-Saxon art is the Bayeux Tapestry which was commissioned by a Norman patron from English artists working in the traditional Anglo-Saxon style. The most common example of Anglo-Saxon art is coins, with thousands of examples extant. Anglo-Saxon artists also worked in fresco, ivory, stone carving, metalwork and enamel, but few of these pieces have survived. 

Anglo-Saxon art is a term that is used to describe art that was produced by the Anglo-Saxons during their presence inGreat Britain. This form of art became prominent after the reign of King Alfred. There was a rise in English culture during his reign, and this lasted until the 12th century. After this, Romanesque art became more popular. 

Before the rise of King Alfred, the Hiberno-Saxon style was the dominant art form of the day. The Hiberno-Saxon style was a mixture of Celtic and Anglo-Saxon artistic influences. Most historians today know of Anglo-Saxon art through the many manuscripts that existed at the time. Unfortunately, many examples of Anglo-Saxon art have not survived to the present day.

Some examples of art styles that were prominently used by the Anglo Saxons are Byzantine art, iconography, and Carolingian art. When it came to ornaments, the Anglo-Saxons borrowed stylistic influences from Mediterranean cultures. One of the most powerful examples of Anglo Saxon art is the Bayeux Tapestry. Many of the Anglo-Saxon artists worked with things such as metalwork, stone, and ivory. Many of these elements have been found by archaeologists working in the region. The churches in England give historians a good example of the artistic styles that influenced the Anglo-Saxons. The most important thing to realise about this style of art is that it did not emerge from a single source. 

The Anglo-Saxons were known for borrowing the styles found in other cultures. However, they would also add their own distinct touch to any art they produced. These artists were also known for working with materials such as enamels. In addition to Byzantine art, the Anglo-Saxons also used the styles that were commonly used by the Norse. One of the most popular manuscripts that describe Anglo-Saxon art is the Benedictional of St. Ethelworld manuscript. The art that was created by this group of people is also prevalent in their architectural style.

  Fragment of cross shaft from St. Oswald's Priory, Gloucester; at right with added, but perhaps not inauthentic, color.

 Gold and garnet cloisonné (and mud); military fitting from the Staffordshire Hoard before cleaning.

 The English army flee, the final surviving scene of the Bayeux Tapestry.

 The Bewcastle Cross

 This splendid circular brooch is made from hammered sheet silver. The centre part is decorated with five figures who represent the five human senses.

 Sutton Hoo, gold and niello belt buckle from ship burial. Big deal for nobility. The Green Knight (top of pg 118).


Sutton Hoo: Shortly before World War II, archaeologists uncovered in East Anglia a remarkable find: an apparently early seventh century grave monument made for an Anglo Saxon king. The monument was in the form of a long boat measuring approximately 86 feet. 

The absence of bones has led archaeologists to identify the monument as a cenotaph, or memorial. Scholars have long pointed to the parallels between this find and the following descriptions of funerary practices in the Old English poem Beowulf.

 Evangelist portrait from the Grimbald Gospels, early 11th century, in the late Winchester style.

 Shoulder-clasps from Sutton Hoo, early 7th century

 Anglo Saxon Jewelry

 

11th century ivory cross (preserved within church)

 Pentney Hoard- William King, found six silver Saxon brooches while digging a grave at the church. Not realising what they were, he handed them to the rector, who locked them in the vestry chest. Three years later the new rector, the Rev. John Wilson, recognised their significance, and they were subsequently identified by the British Museum as 9th century silver disc brooches of national importance, made of delicately cut and engraved sheet silver.

The Kingston Brooch This fine piece of Anglo-Saxon jewellery from the early 9th Century is also gold filigree with decoration of cuttlefish shell, garnets and lapis lazuli.

This purse and warrior helmet were a couple other items found at Sutton Hoo. Maybe the warrior helmet was Beowulf's???....

The Alfred JewelA beautiful example of decorative art from the late 9th Century. It is an enamelled portrait - said to be of King Alfred - holding two sceptres

Ellis Bell & "Wuthering Heights"

For a summer reading assignment, my AP English teacher had us choose from a list of classic English novels of the 19th century. The list included unforgettable pieces like Frankenstein and more, however I felt that I should broaden my horizon and put something new in front of my eyes; something I would not typically read. Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights is something I would not typically read, being that it is an enduring romance or "sob" (as I would call it) story written from a woman's perspective of the time period. This is not to say that I have anything against these facets or female writing. I would just never think to pick up this particular book and begin reading it, of personal choice. But they say, "don't judge a book by its cover." And in this case I did not want to literally judge this book by its cover. So I began reading and mid-way through I found myself pleasantly surprised.

First of all, I would like to point out Bronte's excellent use of language and vocabulary in this book. Her language actually augmented what would have already been a great story to begin with. I was very fascinated by the fact that Bronte (also know by her pen name Ellis Bell) was so well-spoken and written as a young lady coming from her social background and time period. Born into a middle class family, she was given sufficient educational opportunities but it was her personal pursuit that gained her great knowledge in linguistics. For example, she would do things like teach herself German out of books while maintaining a job primarily solely because she was interested in the language. A curious young girl, much of Bronte's education was based out of her house where she was taught by her father and aunt. Her interest in writing stories and poem began around the age of eight when her and her sisters wrote stories about their toy soldiers and the Duke of Wellignton. With that little literary background, I would like to give an example of her writing taken from Wuthering Heights:

"Fortunately, the beasts seemed more bent on stretching their paws and yawning and flourishing their tails, than devouring me alive; but they would suffer no resurrection, and I was forced to lie till their malignant masters pleased to deliver me: then, hastless and trembling with wrath, I ordered the miscreants to let me out--on their peril to keep me one minute longer--with several incoherent threats of retaliation that, in their indefinite depth of virulency, smacked of King Lear. The vehemence of my agitation brought on copious bleeding at the nose, and still Heathcliff laughed, and still I scolded."

As seen in this passage and throughout the book, vocabulary serves as a large foundation in Bronte's writing and comes off the page as a very evident aspect in each and every sentence.

Another facet that makes Bronte a unique storyteller is her ability to immerse the reader within the story, as if they are really there. Take this passage for example.
"The intense horror of nightmare came over me: I tried to draw back my arm, but the hand clung to it, and a most melancholy voice sobbed. "'Let me in--let me in!'" "'Who are you?'" I asked, struggling, meanwhile, to disengage myself. "'Catherine Linton,'" it replied, shiveringly (why did I think of Linton? I had read Earnshaw twenty times for Linton). "'I'm come home: I'd lost my way on the moor!'" As it spoke, I discerned, obsurely, a child's face looking through the window.

Her detailed descriptions are so emotionally driven and thought based from the narrators point of view that they have the affect of placing the reader within the scene where they are standing next to the narrator, thinking the same thoughts.

Another thing I would like to point out that brings Bronte's story to life is her usual use of the emotional, exclamatory interjection. Taking a look at a passage in the book, this technique is evident.

"If I imagined you really wished me to marry Isabel, I'd cut my throat!"

"I cannot love thee; thou'rt worse than thy brother. Go, say thy prayers, child, and ask God's pardon. I doubt thy mother and I must rue that we ever reared thee!"

"I'm trying to settle how I shall pay Hindley back. I don't care how long I wait, if I can only do it at last. I hope he will not die before I do!"

"Well, if I cannot keep Heathcliff for my friend--if Edgar will be mean and jealous, I'll try to break their hearts by breaking my own. That will be a prompt way of finishing all, when I am pushed to extremity!"

Something as simple as the repeated and proper use of the interjection is brilliant in a novel that is meant to provoke emotion. It serves as a tool to intensify the scenario and makes the story much more realistic.

5 Books I've enjoyed Lately

1. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. This book was one of the more fascinating books I've read lately. The fact that it explored the truthful young lifestyle of a boy around my age made it a piece that was very hard to put down.

2. Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence by Gary Mack with David Casstevens. This book I reccomend to any athlete or sports fan. Sometimes sports books can turn into stat sheets about an athlete's career but this book turned out to be a great read that actually explores the inside of an athlete's mind when they are in training or performance.

3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows by J.K. Rowling. I have to include HP on here just because I'm a fan and I thoroughly enjoyed the series. I thought the last book was a great way to cap it off. I actually read  "Deathly Hollows" a week before the film premiered this summer; perfect timing. I enjoyed the book more than the movie by the way.

4. Atonement by Ian McEwan. Although I'm not a romance person, Atonement captured my attention from the start. It was a required read for my English class, but I ended up really enjoying it. McEwan's writing style is captivating and was very interesting for me to read from an American's perspective.

5. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. I read this book last spring as a pleasure read and I thought it was a very entertaining novel. This is right down my ally because it is a mystery-detective story (if you read my last blog). Although there is not really a strong literary view in it, the history in this novel is very intriguing.

Good Storytelling that I've Recently Encountered

For me, good story telling is essential for a good reading experience. If a novel is lacking a good story teller  I will proceed to completely lose my focus, leave the world within the book and enter my own imaginative universe within seconds. So clearly books lacking good storytellers have been struggles for me in the past. Because of my short attention span, I have a personal bias towards mystery genre's when it comes to reading. The general format for good murder novels are all the same: the characters are introduced, a question or thesis is presented which remains throughout the story, along the way small clues and pieces are introduced which represent a large and dramatic build-up to an eventual, mind-blowing finish. Now, how do you lose focus when your brain is constantly being stimulated by things like small clues and knowing that there is an eventual prize of an unexpected and fantastic ending coming your way? Personally, I never do. With that said, I would like to introduce a classic within the mystery genre, The Big Sleep written by the great Raymond Chandler. Chandler's books still continue to stir our minds and entangle us within our detective alter ego's, The Big Sleep being one of his most acclaimed stories. And although the book consisted of a lot of dialogue, Chandler's ability to tell the story from detective Phillip Marlowe's point of view is rather refreshing and inviting. I felt as though I was sitting next to a camp fire at night listening to Uncle Bob's intriguing, old voice as I was reading this story.
"It was about eleven o'clock in the morning, mid October, with the sun not shining and a look of hard wet rain in the clearness of the foothills. I was wearing my powder-blue suit, with dark blue shirt, tie and display handkerchief, black brogues, black wool socks with dark blue clocks on them. I was neat, clean, shaved, and sober, and I didn't care who knew it. I was everything the well-dressed private detective ought to be. I was calling on four million dollars." 


"I went quickly away from her down the room and out and down the tiled staircase to the front hall. I didn't see anybody when I left. I found my hat alone this time. Outside, the bright gardens had a haunted look, as though small wild eyes were watching me from behind the bushes, as though the sunshine itself had a mysterious something in its light. I got into my car and drove off down the hill. What did it matter where you lay once you were dead? In a dirty sump or in a marble tower on top of a high hill? You were dead, you were sleeping the big sleep, you were not bothered by things like that. Oil and water were the same as wind and air to you. You just slept the big sleep, not caring about the nastiness of how you died or where you fell." 


Here are two passages from the beginning and end of the novel. You can tell by Chandler's careful attention to detail and context that he has the traits of a good story teller. Notice he mentions things like date and time as well as what he is wearing; the more detail, the better in any mystery. He is also very thoughtful and contemplative as you can see towards the end of that second passage, questioning the significance of death. Chandler's The Big Sleep and all his other works are all great reads. I suggest them to any mature reader, especially someone looking for a good old-fashioned mystery or simply just a story with a good narrator.