Relazione libro Frankenstein, Appunti di Inglese

Scarica Relazione libro Frankenstein e più Appunti in PDF di Inglese solo su Docsity! FRANKENSTEIN-BOOK REVIEW TITLE: Frankenstein AUTHOR: Mary Shelley COPYRIGHT DATE: 1985;1992;2003 GENRE: Gothic science fiction HISTORICAL, CULTURAL, SOCIAL BACKGROUND: Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus is a gothic novel, a narrative fiction that takes place during the second half of the 18th century. This age was full of innovation and changing in the world. Between the various important events of that period the most significant historical facts were the American Revolution and the French Revolution. The first occurred from 1775 to 1783 and was a conflict between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the thirteen North American colonies, who claimed their independence from the mother country. This conflict led the thirteen colonies to achieve their independence and to approve, in 1789, the United States Constitution. The French Revolution stemmed, instead, in France between 1789 and 1799. Founded on the three principles of liberty, equality and fraternity, brought, among many changes, the abolition of absolute monarchy, the proclamation of the republic with the abolition of the so-called Ancient Regime and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen that is the base of the modern constitutions. Social background is ruled by The Enlightenment, which was a social, political, cultural and philosophical movement that took place in Europe during the 18th century and that had as fundamental principles liberty, reason, progress, tolerance and fraternity. At the end of the Eighteenth century it developed in Europe an other movement, the Romanticism, which had, among the main themes, eroticism, individualism, subjectivism and the negation of Enlightenment reason. Finally, regarding the social context, in this period it was very important the Industrial Revolution, a process of economic development or industrialization of the society that began in England in the late Eighteenth century and that led the society to become from an agricultural- crafts-commercial system to a modern industrial system composed by innovative technological machines. However, despite these innovations, the conditions of women and children, being exploited in the work of the factory, did not change. NARRATION: Frankenstein is written in first person, called for this reason a narrative genre, with an introspective view of the narrator. In the book there are two main narrators: the first it’s the mariner Robert Walton, where he writes the letters to his sisters and the second is Victor Frankenstein that tells the story of the monster. Then we find other two narrators, Elizabeth Lavenza and Alphonse Frankenstein, they, through their letters to Victor, recount pieces of the story. Finally we have The Monster as a narrator where he tells his story in first person. SETTING: The setting of the letters is the Arctic, while the story told by Victor is set in different places. This story in fact at first it is set in Geneva, Switzerland, his hometownthen ; in Inglostadt, upper Bavaria, where Victor attends the University and later creates the monster; in the valley of Chamounix, France, where Victor meets the monster again ; in Great Britain and finally in the North Pole, where he meets Robert Walton. MAIN CHARACTERS: Victor: son of Alphonse Frankenstein and Caroline Beaufort, is born in Naples but he grows up in Genovese. Reserved and introvert, he can not relate to his classmates, except with Henry Clerval with whom he will build a strong and sincere friendship. Growing up, Victor, thanks to a book by Cornelius Agrippa, becomes interested in natural philosophy, but when he discovers that his myths, on which he based all his knowledge, were not true, he decides to devote himself to the study of mathematics and science. Taken by a relentless thirst for knowledge, after the death of his mother, he decides to go to the University of Ingolstadt, where he goes back to his studies of natural philosophy and becomes an expert. He wants to give life to a creature made by human parts, entirely inanimate but the achievement of this objective requires to Victor hours and hours of hard work and isolation to the points that he becomes ill. When his work is finished, Victor understands that he has created nothing but a monstrous heap of muscles and limbs and when he realizes that the monster is a vicious murderer he feels a strong remorse. He is then killed by the grief when the monster kills, during the wedding night, the cousin and wife of Victor, Elizabeth. Finally he dies in the North Pole, after meeting Robert Walton. The monster: created in Ingolstadt by Victor, it has a "gigantic stature; That is to say, about eight feet in height, and proportionably large" with yellow eyes, where a yellow and wrinkled skin barely covers the muscles and arteries , the hairs are black and shiny, and it has white teeth with black and straight lips. It is abandoned by its creator shortly after being "born" because of its appearance. This minter it is not familiar with the world, it is like a new or baby in needs of love and approval from his creator. Unfortunately because of his scary appearance he is rejected by the creator himself and the society making him angry to the point he will kill William ( the creator’s brother)., Justine and his friend Clerval. To put an end to this sad and difficult situation murders its creator thinks initially to make an another creature who can keep company to the first monster, Frankenstein, but fearing that two monsters can procreate, decides not to do so and, so, the monster kills Elizabeth, the wife of Victor. Robert Walton: he is eighteen, English and, after losing his father prematurely, was raised with his sister by his uncle. His passion was exploration and, despite the ban of his uncle, he decides to follow his dream and to reach the North Pole, where no one has ever been. He is a generous man and we can notice that when he takes care, after meeting him, of Victor. Henry Clerval: only true friend of Victor and son of a Genoese merchant, is described by Victor as a talented guy, with a lot of imagination and fond of books of chivalry and adventure. When he was young his dream was to be remembered in history. He is tender, kind and caring, especially towards his friend Victor, who receives his care when he is sick. He will study ancient languages at the University of Ingolstadt and then he will be killed by the monster. Elizabeth Lavenza: prematurely adopted by the Frankenstein family, grows up in Genevese and falls in love with his cousin Victor. Her appearance is slim and she has a clear complexion, golden hair, blue and sweet eyes and almost angelic features. Victor describes her as a "beautiful and adored companion", a gentle, tender and sweet girl that, with her Love she helps him and his friend Clerval to perform good deeds. Grown up, she is able to obtain the consent of his uncle to marry his cousin, but, during the night of the wedding, she is killed by the monster. PLOT AND SUBPLOT: The book begins with four letters written by Captain Robert Walton that tells his sister his journey to the sea around the North Pole and his meeting with Victor Frankenstein. The second part of the book is focused on this last one.