Frankenstein and Worlds of Upheaval PDF

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Frankenstein and Worlds of Upheaval What aspects of the context are relevant to the novel? How does Shelley use the novel to comment on these contextual concerns? What is she saying about the place of the individual in times of upheaval? -

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Saying that the individual has to be appreciated, not just a commodity (fodder for the revolutionary movement) o Seen and valued, and NURTURED responsibly, society has a necessity to nurture individuals so that we will not have violence and insurrection  What happens to the creature because of the way he is treated?  He becomes violent and a symbol of revolution o The creature’s story emphasises this; the importance and value of the individual o The claims the creature makes  He is not evil – he was born this way  He was born benevolent  The individual is born benevolent but the collective imposes a destructive influence on the goodness of them  Frankenstein is HIS GOD; theoretically from Wordsworth how the child comes from the hand of the creator Think about perspective and voice o We have the voice of Walton, Frankenstein, and the Creature and they all create different perspectives Wordsworth: “Ode on the ___ of immortality” o You are born coming from God – not tabula rasa o Your recollections of God fade as society influences you

How does the individual relate to the collective? How are the private worlds of the individual used to comment on wider social issues?

In what ways does the novel challenge or accept literary conventions and traditional societal values?

What does Shelley say about the complexity of individual lives?

What does she say about identity? -

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Russo and Locke’s theories of identity o Russo: natural man o John Locke (enlightenment): tabula rasa  She brings in the idea that Frankenstein the creator is wrong in throwing away his creature as people are not born inherently evil  Identity is shaped from your treatments/experiences in society In order to understand his identity; he absorbs himself into other people, places, stories, characters  he applies it to himself o He is born with no identity but forms his own No family/friend experiences; he has to form his own identity in correlation with nature o Identity is formed from a mothers love

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For most people, identity is a continual process over life, sculpted life experiences, in the case of Frankenstein and his creation, both struggle to understand their value and placement in the world, which leads to a scramble to understand personal identity o Monster has to deliberately seek out family and the factors that create activity Frankenstein and the monster both don’t have mothers Monster has no class, no place in society, no way to define himself in society  has no identity o Class defines identity o Monster relies on the books, human connection in order to gain identity and Victor relies on  Victor questions his own identity – is he god or is he Satan, concept of the Doppelganger The Creature  a self without society, unable to relate to childhood connections, father, mother or a nation (fatherland = nationality) o Sensory confusion as his point of original Shelley’s account of morality in the creature is in line with Locke’s arguments VICTOR’s quest for knowledge corrupts his moral judgement and therefore erodes his sense of identity that he once knew in the form of family and human connection o He falls into a hold of isolation, self-seclusion and detachment WORLDS OF UPHEAVAL: difficult to establish your sense of identity in WoU as it is difficult to access the things that we use to identify ourselves (family etc…) o Great changes in society; Victor wants to drive upheaval in his pursuit of science and knowledge but he sacrifices the identity he thought he knew in order to do this o When the world is in a period of change, the way people fit into that society, peoples sense of identity may be threatened by the events happening around them, question and evaluate their sense of identity  Monster  who is constantly criticising and reflecting on his identity, on what he has become, reflects on the way in which what he has become is the result of how he has been treated o All men are created equal, what does it mean to be an individual or man, what is the nature of man? How are you seeing yourself? How do you identify yourself in these notions of human nature?

How does she present voice and point of view? -

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They use the Chinese Box Structure  multilayered story, perception of Walton but Victors perception and the monsters story o Used in the letters Both Frankenstein and The Creator we get other voices talking about them o Multiple perspectives Contained in Victors thoughts at the start; relate to disgust and sympathise, but once we hear from the monsters POV, that changes Preface that MS later put in; we get no actual authorial voice until this is put in, forced to recognise the complexity of each character; motives shift and change o In times of revolution and upheaval, there is no simple answer Could consider; unreliable narrators  MS makes us Epistolary Identify the monster with the French revolution; changes in POV, changes in the way people involved in the revolution felt, and how the people more distance felt about it o People who were initially supportive became disenchanted o Frankenstein is more linked to Napoleon  Represents the ‘heroic over-reacher’

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Monster – benevolent intentions of the revolution, increasing violence and loss of control as it turns on itself

What values are presented? What values are endorsed? What are criticised? -

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MS values humility, she values a father who care/parental guidance o MS criticises his She values respect for the natural order, responsibility, family structures, feminine power/ value of the woman in nature and society, respect for God, Victor values his own success/ambition over the natural course, intellectual power, reputation/respect, aesthetics and beauty o Utilitarian values o Values the greater good over the good of the individual; the progression of mankind rather than the individual or the minority o Values progress over traditional Christian values Monster values love and human connection; knowledge and literary (initially)

How does the text represent the predicaments, aspirations, motivations and ideas of individuals and the collective? -

Multiple narratives that you can draw parallels between; collective experience that are shared, people who are so different have so many things in common

What is Shelley saying about the natural world?

What is she saying about the power of the imagination?

In what ways do individuals in the novel seek unity, certainty, solace, justice or restoration? Does this have implications for the wider community? -

Seeking solace in the natural world

How might the text have potential to activate change? -

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Fear in response to the book; first science fiction novels; first time people had seen this type of effect of technology/science  negative effects encapsulated MS stimulates these feelings is through highlighting the danger of mans potential and how we can lead to destruction The monster symbolises FR and how it starts good but ends terribly  uncontrolled development o Reflect on the irresponsible reaching of revolutionary power, the dangers of people who genuinely believe they are helping society but are truly motivated by self interest MS wants how people can view revolution; go about things in different ways than they have been in the past Change the public perception of science and the responsibilities of a science o Uncontrolled scientific experimentation o Through looking at Frankenstein’s irresponsible creation of the creature; it pressures those involved in science too look at the potential/risk of what they are doing

How does the text represent diversity of ideas, attitudes and perspectives?

How do language forms and features contribute to the effectiveness of representation? What is the effect of the gothic genre?

Why are literary representations important in times of upheaval? What is the particular significance of this novel? (Be really specific) -

Illustrate peoples worries; creates history Creates support system; something that they can create Understand the world they are in; insight into key ways of thinking at the time Form of solace in times of upheaval for people to have an outlet for concerns and worries Escapism Warning against the upheaval; or could be written in support of the upheaval o Propaganda, promotion of the ideas,

In what ways has the novel led you to reconsider your own values and assumptions in relation to these representations? -

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Values that are abstract nouns o Something you cannot touch: social class, money are not values, you can value them o Opposite of normalisation o Turn the noun to the verb; values  people value Honesty, integrity, compassion

Are there aspects of the novel that you might like to develop in your own writing?...