Frankenstein appunti, Appunti di Inglese

Scarica Frankenstein appunti e più Appunti in PDF di Inglese solo su Docsity! Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus 1818 is the date of composition of Frankenstein, which is considered an early-romantic and gothic novel, even though it’s quite the end of romanticism. It was written by Mary Shelley, who was the wife of one of the most important romantic poets of the second generation. Narrative structure Robert Walton writes a letter to his sister in which • he tells the story narrated by Frankenstein. While narrating his story, at one point, Frankenstein says that he met the monster, that asked him to listen to his story. We have a series of chapters that are the monster’s story narrated to Frankenstein, who narrates that to Walton, who writes it to his sister and we read. This is an embedded narrative structure.◦ Walton writes, so he is an internal narrator, but Frankenstein and the monster are internal narrators too. • We have three degrees narrators and they are all internal. This implies that each one of them tells the story from his personal point of view. We have multiple narrators and points of view.◦ Reality is not one - as we have different realities according to the number of persons who perceive it - ◦ in fact it is subjective. This is a very modern approach (also used by Pirandello). If we believe Frankenstein, the monster is an awful and fiendish creature who destroys everything. ◦ However, when the monster tells his story, we see a completely different image of him and we change our mind and think that maybe he is right. Letter 4: Frankenstein and Walton Setting and atmosphere We are in a ship, travelling to the North Pole, stuck in the ice in • the northern seas. There are iced seas, thick fog and mist and huge plains of ice.◦ This setting creates an atmosphere of danger, anxiety and ◦ mystery, which is increased also by the strange figure that the crew sees at the distance of half a mile: a figure of gigantic stature with the semblance of a man. The setting is not the same as the one of a gothic novel, ◦ although it is likewise frightening and misterious. As a matter of fact, Frankenstein is often considered a gothic novel. The sublime This is a beautiful landscape, but at the same time it is very dangerous, which suggests the idea of the • sublime. The unseen, linked to the unknown, also creates anxiety and uncertainty. The fog is an element that could be associated to the febile light described in a passage from the ◦ Mysteries of Udolpho, in which Emily is in a room enlightened just by a candle that allows her to see something but not too much, just the shape of a figure. The situation here is the same, as the mist shows just the outline of a giant man. We can see references and influences both of the sublime and of the gothic novel.◦ Coleridge’s poem: the land of ice Samuel Taylor Coleridge is one of the most important English romantic poets. Mary Shelley was the wife • of Percy Shelley, who belongs to the second generation, while Coleridge belongs to the first generation togheter with Wordsworth, as they wrote the lyrical ballads, which are the manifesto of English romanticism. Coleridge’s main poem is the Rime of the Ancient Mariner, which is a long poem and, at the end of the ◦ first section, we see exactly the same situation in which we find Walton and the ship. As a matter of fact, the mariner is onboard the ship that is stuck in the ice in the southern pole. Mary Shelley lived in a family in which both her mother and father were very educated people, and ◦ their home was attended by a lot of artists and intellectuals. She writes that she was a child and Coleridge had been invited for dinner at her parent’s home and, after dinner, he read the rime of the ancient mariner to the other guests. Mary was sent to sleep, but, unseen, she went to the room in which the adults were gathered and, hiding, she heard Coleridge’s poem. She was very fascinated by this, and so, when she wrote Frankenstein, she remembered this landscape. The quest for forbidden knowledge Walton is trying to explore lands that are not meant for humans, overcoming the boundaries, as it was his • dream. This is a sort of challenge for nature. The crew wants to go back and mutiny because they are afraid, however the captain wants to go on.◦ One of the main themes of this passage is the quest for forbidden knowledge, which is one of the key • themes of the entire novel because of the creation of a new life. Frankenstein tries to behave like God, who is the only one to have the power of creation.◦ This is why the subtitle of this novel is “the modern Prometheus”.◦ The overreacher The overreacher is a typical romantic feature.• Frankenstein and Walton want to overcome the human boundaries, for this reason they are ◦ considered overreachers. Faust, the prototype of the overreacher, is punished just like Frankenstein. As matter of fact, before ◦ dying, the monster, as a revenge, kills Frankenstein’s wife, friends and family members. The doctor devotes his life to chasing the monster, but he is so sick that he dies on the ship. He is punished for being an overreacher and for having looked for forbidden knowledge. Characters: Frankenstein and Walton Walton and Frankenstein can be seen as a double.• They are both overreachers: Frankenstein wants to create a new life and Walton wants to explore the ◦ North Pole. They are both engaged in a quest for forbidden knowledge. Walton is very stubborn, but, after talking with Frankenstein and listening to his story, he sees ◦ himself in Frankenstein and realises that he has to give up. He stops, gives up his dream of exploring the North Pole and goes back. Frankenstein is totally isolated, at first when he studies, always closed in his laboratory. He never ◦ shares his experiments with anybody and he is so devoted to his studies that he isolates himself. Later on he also isolates himself in the mountains. Walton, on the contrary, has a grip on reality also in terms of love, as he writes to his sister. They are both very proud and certain of their success. This obsessive self-confidence becomes pride.◦ Chapter 5: the creation of the monster Frankenstein puts togheter parts of dead bodies and he gives life using electricity. He calls his creature “the monster” as he has no name. Setting It’s night (1 a.m.), so it’s dark.• It’s also November, which is a rainy and cold month.• The only source of light is an half-exstinguished candle.• DIFFERENCES Despite his 'mad schemes' Walton keeps the bond of affection with his sister by always thinking of her and writing to her. Frankenstein, on the contrary, neglects his loved ones and fails to write to them. Walton has a sense of responsibility, of concern for others, whereas Frankenstein does not consider the effects of his experiments on others. Walton tends to be more prudent, as in his decision to turn south at the request of his crew. SIMILARITIES They want to acquire dominion over nature, explore new "lands" and penetrate the mysteries of the world. They are ambitious, but fail and lose their dreams. Both are overreachers.