Notesale: Turn your study into money

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Frankenstein  text  response  task    

 
 
Provide  a  brief  overview  of  the  context  of  this  passage  within  the  wider  work  –  e
...
,  where  
does  it  occur,  what  is  happening  or  important  about  it?  (1-­‐2  sentences)  
 
Chapter  five  outlines  Victor’s  reaction  to  the  monster  as  it  struggles  to  find  meaning  after  
being  shunned  by  society
...
 We  are  shown  the  thinking  of  a  creator  in  two  
minds  -­‐  to  nurture  a  beautiful  creation,  or  to  reject  the  hideous  beast
...
   
 

Shelley  is  able  to  abruptly  alter  reader’s  perceptions  of  Victor,  as  the  illusion  of  an  ambitious  
and  righteous  character  falls  at  the  moment  of  his  monster’s  creation
...
 
However,  upon  creating  the  monster  Victor  is  confronted  with  the  unknown,  relinquishing  
original  beliefs  and  questioning  the  validity  of  his  former  ideals
...
 I  rushed  out  of  the  room  and  continued  a  long  time  
traversing  my  bedchamber,  unable  to  compose  my  mind  to  sleep
...
 
 
Discuss  the  ways  in  which  this  passage  is  important  either  thematically  or  atmospherically  
for  the  text  as  a  whole
...
 The  right  to  
personal  freedom  is  a  major  theme  addressed  by  Shelley  to  establish  to  the  darker  side  of  
Victor  towards  readers
...
 As  this  happens,  the  audience  feels  empathy  
for  the  monster’s  mistreatment,  and  resentment  towards  Victor
...
 A  dream  exhibiting  
the  morbid  decomposition  of  childhood  friend  Elizabeth  indicates  the  decomposition  of  
Victor’s  innocence,  showing  how  his  passion  turns  to  horror
...
 Delighted  and  surprised,  I  embraced  her;  but  as  I  imprinted  the  first  kiss  on  her  
lips,  they  became  livid  with  the  hue  of  death
...
 The  chapter  goes  on  to  develop  Victor’s  character,  as  he  enacts  
various  forms  of  cruelty  against  the  monster,  and  as  he  does  so  the  reader’s  perspective  
changes,  no  longer  seeing  him  as  a  noble  hero,  but  as  arrogant  and  superficial,  incapable  of  
empathy
...
 Examples  of  features  
might  include,  though  are  not  limited  to;  narrative  perspective,  structure,  figurative  
language,  symbolism,  allusions,  specific  features  of  genre,  etc
...
 The  Gothic  
device  of  ominous  foreshadowing  is  juxtaposed  against  the  neutral  techniques  of  symbolism  
and  allusions  to  change  atmosphere  in  accordance  to  the  novel’s  running  themes
...
 This  
development  initiates  from  the  third  sentence,  “It  was  already  one  in  the  morning;  the  rain  
pattered  dismally  against  the  panes,  and  my  candle  was  nearly  burnt  out,  when,  by  the  
glimmer  of  the  half-­‐extinguished  light,  I  saw  the  dull  yellow  eye  of  the  creature  open”,  
highlighting  gothic  foreshadowing  as  the  morbid  weather  acts  as  a  dark  augury  of  the  
moment  to  come
...
 Evidence  of  this  transition  is  shown  upon  
Victor’s  encounter  with  Henry  Clerval,  in  which  he  states,  “I  grasped  his  hand,  and  in  a  
moment  forgot  my  horror  and  misfortune;  I  felt  suddenly,  and  for  the  first  time  during  many  
months,  calm  and  serene  joy”
...
 Here  we  see  Shelley  portraying  Clerval  as  a  
symbol  of  vivid  righteousness  that  is  in  total  contrast  to  Victor,  hence  altering  the  chapter’s  
atmosphere,  and  embellishing  the  plot  in  turn
...
”  Some  
texts  write  about  ideas  or  places  which  are  very  foreign  to  us,  whilst  others  seem  to  reflect  
our  own  experiences  or  beliefs
...
 
 
Playing  upon  us,  as  the  audience,  as  she  implicitly  questions  the  moral  and  social  norms  of  
the  contemporary  society,  Shelley  is  able  to  present  readers  with  scenarios  very  foreign  to  
them
...
 Manifest  in  one  
passage  in  particular,  Shelly  employs  this  pseudo-­‐questioning  to  truly  characterise  the  
nature  of  a  once  avid  and  vehement  Victor  Frankenstein,  “I  remained  during  the  rest  of  the  
night,  walking  up  and  down  in  the  greatest  agitation,  listening  attentively,  catching  and  
fearing  each  sound  as  if  it  were  to  announce  the  approach  of  the  demoniacal  corpse  to  
which  I  had  so  miserably  given  life
...
 This  shunning  portrayed  by  Victor  heavily  
contrasts  against  my  feelings  of  reasonable  conduct  within  this  situation,  as  Shelly  asks  me  
what  I  wouldd  do  in  reaction  to  such  a  being  if  I  had  just  given  it  life
...
   
 



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