Over the last month we have read Frankenstein as well as several articles that correlated with our reading. Like I have said before, I really enjoy reading the articles as they open my eyes to different ideas I would not have considered prior.
The first article we read and annotated was titled "Introduction to Romanticism." Before reading this I really did think that the Romanticism movement had something to do with romance, when in fact it does not. Some of the main ideas of Romanticism include imagination, nature, and symbolism. The hero in this era is individualistic, alienated, and devoted to their own ideas. Frankenstein is without a doubt a Romanticism era novel. Second, we read "Shelley's Literary Influences." This article discussed five different novels that shaped the way Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein. While comparing the plot and characters of Frankenstein to these different works, it was apparent what elements she pulled from each piece. Next, we read "A Psychological Analysis of Shelley's Frankenstein" which examined the idea that Victor Frankenstein is a pathological narcissist. The article also provided some background information about Mary Shelley's life. I learned that Percy Shelley was married when the two of them started their relationship . The idea for Frankenstein came to Mary Shelley in a dream while she was away with Percy in Switzerland. It amazes me that she was so young when she wrote the novel. With this articles assistance, I can easily observe why someone would think that Victor Frankenstein is a narcissist. Then, we read "An Analysis of the Theme of Alienation in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein." This article was interesting as it pointed out many examples of alienation in the novel such as borderlines and meeting places. The idea that stuck out most to me was that loneliness equals craziness. Last, we read "Frankenstein and Childbirth." This article argues that Frankenstein is about childbirth. I learned that Mary Shelley faced many child deaths and was even pregnant while writing the novel.
I am looking forward to spring break soon!
Hunter, nice work! I had the same misconception as you about the Romantic era, so I'm glad that was cleared up in the articles we read. I'm glad you found all these articles helpful in understanding Frankenstein. I know I always love seeing different view points. You may want to include something about the AP questions and practice essays we have been doing. I know for me they have been really helpful, the more I write the easier they are getting. Also, what did you think about the prezzies we viewed and the kahoots? I know a lot of people in my class found the information to be review but I did not. I liked how your post focused on what you learned, not just a recap of what we have done in class, overall great job!
ReplyDeleteHunter,
ReplyDeleteI thought you did a really nice job on analyzing Frankenstein and how our class has handled it, especially how Frankenstein clearly had ideas pulled from other notable literary works. I also found the article regarding narcissism to be particularly fascinating because I hadn't studied it before. I do think, however, that you could add some things about the essays we write in class and the Prezis we had to look over, as those were big parts of our class as well. Nice job on the post!