Riassunto e appunti prof Squeo Frankenstein, Appunti di Cultura Inglese I

Scarica Riassunto e appunti prof Squeo Frankenstein e più Appunti in PDF di Cultura Inglese I solo su Docsity! Cultura inglese Squeo The experiments of Galvani must be included among those that form the scientific background of Frankenstein’s genesis . We have no prove that Mary Shelley was influenced by all this experiments but of course it can be related to all the social context. revolution , typical of the historical and political background, it’s a keyword in the novel of Mary Shelley . But of course she was also influenced by the literature context, in which was important the novel in order to talk about individual experience/truths just like in Pamela , and the scientific context with the belief that movements of corpses mean life. There are two interpretation of the Myth of prometheus but she was particularly influenced by the romantic version . Frankenstein è animato dallo stesso amore per l’umanità ( lo dimostra volendo superare il limite tra morte e vita ) di Prometheus La ragione più importante che porta alla centralità dell’individuo = radicale trasformazione dell’assetto sociale . Borghesia sta emergendo e sta cercando una nuova collocazione . Ideali classe borghese = money making, self reliance , social climbing . Narrative structure = Chinese box A narrative level includes another one. • The external epistolary frame. Letters of Robert Walton about his metaphorical journey: it is both real and imaginary, inspired from the The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. • Autobiography by Victor Frankenstein. - principle of representation of the individual (truth of individual experience) • Narration of the monster that responds the genre of the compte philosophique, a narrative record of philosophical ideas (references to Rousseau: the monster was born as innocent and he was conducted to devil by experiences of life) From chapter 1 to chapter 5 ( volume I) = paradise condition From chapter 5 to the end = descent to the underworld ( hell ) punctuated by a series of tragic events . Rise and fall 1 Chapter iv is the most important turning point for the narrative structure and it anticipates/ prepares the ground some the climbing of chapter V (the creation of the master . Frankenstein’s most successful action ) The first part (from1-to 5 chapter) of the story is a sort of Paradise (Frankenstein’s life ) than a sort of fall. The monster doesn’t have a name, social identity. This means he’ll never be accepted by his creator . Confronto tra Adamo e Satana con victor : Victor and Adam for the same desire to overcome the limits , they are both particularly concerned for the knowledge. Victor and satan for the rising and fall . In the last part of the text, there’s a sort of acceleration . Than it ends with some letters written From Robert to his sister (cornice narrativa affidata alle lettere ) The same isolated condition of the monster is the same condition of the same Victor (Victor can’t tell the truth of his sufferance and this creates a sort of barrier of isolation . Questa condizione di sofferenza lo rende paradossalmente simile al mostro ) INTRODUCTION She wrote the introduction to the story in October 1831 because the publishers of the Standard Novels expressed a wish that she should tell them something about the origin of the story . She started saying she was always asked how she, a young girl, could ever be able to write this story. Well , she said that, as the daughter of 2 literary celebrity, she was thought of writing starting from her tender ages. Indeed her favorite pastime was to write stories beneath the trees of her house in Scotland . But, her dearest pleasure was the formation of castles in air 2 In the end, Walton deals with the condition of the weather and describes the steps of his voyage. Letter 2: the second letter is written in Archangel, the second stop of his voyage. This letter is quite different from the first one, in fact this one is rich of sadness and melancholy. Robert starts feeling the solitude and he misses a friend for many reasons: he needs someone to share the emotions and his plans with, someone whose eyes would reply to his. He tried to write all his feelings on paper but, as he said, it was a poor medium of the communication of feeling. (Walton has lost faith in the written word). Another interesting part is in the last part of the letter. Here, Walton shows new feelings about his voyage. This new emotion is the “trembling sensation, half pleasurable and half fearful”. Here we have the influence of the romantic poetry: Walton is feeling the concept of sublime, which is the astonishment and terror in front of reality. In this case, Walton is also starting realizing the risk of this adventure. Then there are some intentional references to “Rime of the Ancient mariner” by Coleridge. Walton says to his sister to not be alarmed for his safety because he shall kill no albatross. The reason why Shelley decides to put this reference is because she wants the reader to consider the mariner’s story as a way to interpret Robert and Frankestein’s story. Letter 3: the third letter is written on the 7th of July. Here, Walton gives a brief description of the voyage and he shows again a feeling of enthusiasm ; he said he was in good spirits. Letter 4: the fourth letter is constituted by different letters written in different days 5 1. The first one is written on the 5th of August. Walton writes about an incident they have had, caused by the ice. While they were waiting for the breaking of the ice, they saw something: “a being which had the shape of a man, but apparently of gigantic structure, sat in the sludge drawn by dogs”. This is the first time we see in the story the Frankestein's monster. In the letter, we also find some adjectives linked to this figure:”strange”, “daemon”. The appearance excited their wonder. Again, the theme of imagination: Walton and his crew still believe in the power of imagination and they’re guided by it, hoping to find “wonders” everywhere. When the ice starts breaking, the crew sees another figure, now a real and clear man, alone in a large fragment of ice. When they see him, they immediately help him, and the first thing the man asks was about the objective of their voyage. Thanks to this question we meet for the first time Frankestein. The kindness of Robert and of his crew leads them to help the man to get better and in particular Robert tries to create some kind of relationship with him, in fact he begins to love him as a brother. We have again the theme of friendship. He had finally find a man. Robert discovers that this figure is looking for a ‘daemon’. 2. The second letter is written on the 13th of August. This latter is based mainly on the speech between Robert and the strange man. It's quite important to notice that They’re similar in “sharing madness”, in fact Robert tells the man what he wants to do (going over the limits), but when the man discovers this, he's totally afraid because for the same reason he has lost everything. For this reason the man needs to tell Robert his story. He wants Robert to avoid to commit his same mistake. For this reason the narration of his life has two goals: a moral teaching for Robert and and a penance to him (Rime of the A. M) 6 3. The third letter is written on the 19th of August. The stranger explains the reasons why he wants to tell Robert his story: they're very similar because They’re both guided by the desire of knowledge but the man wants to tell him all the risks coming from this wish. The stranger is still not ready to start the narration, but Robert decides that he will report every word of this story. This letter opens Frankestein's narration in first person even if we have to remember that it's Walton to report it. Robert wants to write the story because he's very interested in it and he is very attracted by this man with “lustrous eyes”and “thin hand”. The description is similar the one of the Ancient Mariner, and also the action and the necessity to tell the story is the same of the one of the AM. VOLUME 1 I Chapter This first chapter is the first one told in the first person by V. Frankenstein, even if we have to remember that it is reported by R. Walton. 
 The structure of this part is the same for the part told by the monster. In this first chapter, as typical of the 18th biographical form, Frankestein tells us about his family. We can notice the typical form of biography at the beginning: ‘I am by birth...’. 
 There’s the description of his family. The description is very idealized, in fact everything seems perfect, even the worst thing ends in a perfect way. CHILDHOOD →HEAVEN (no one could have passed a happier childhood than myself ) . 
 The description starts from his ancestors: all counsellors and 7 The passage to the second part is underlined by a passage in which a mature Victor is aware that this desire will take him to his ruin. He uses the metaphor of the mountain river: at the beginning he felt very strong, coming from noble sources but, step by step , as the river becomes just a torrent, he felt that all his joys and hopes went away. 2. In the second part there’s the description of his studies. His best subject is natural philosophy. 
 At the age of thirteen they went to the baths near Thonon, but because of the bad weather they were obliged to stay at the inn. Here he had the possibility to have access to some volumes of science of Cornelius Agrippa, which immediately gave him enthusiasm. His father never sustained him. Once home, his interest went on with other authors as Paracelsus and Albertus Magnus. He became a real disciple of them, and his thirst of knowledge grew. 
 Another element he Adds is when he had his first contact with electricity: at the age of fifteen he saw a thunderstorm, and one of these thunder hit a oak, which modified the structures of the oak. This event produced interest on the subject of electricity and galvism, opening new horizons in his imagination. We have to notice that all these authors are also authors which clearly influenced Mary Shelley herself. 
 However, Victor has some specific objectives which push him to study: the glory followed by his discoveries on the elimination of disease to avoid a violent death . III CHAPTER In this third chapter Frankenstein continues to speak about his education, and in particular this is the moment in which he had to go to the University of Ingolstad. However, this move Was 10 interrupted by a negative event. It will be very important because it represents his first contact with death. When Frankenstein was seventeen, her sister (called cousin) caught the scarlet fever. All the doctors told her mother to stay away from her, but as every mother would do, she couldn’t and for this reason Caroline caught the fever too and after three days she died. 
 This situation causes two consequences: on one side Frankenstein felt indescribable feelings, and on the other this forced Elizabeth to take her mother’s duties After elaborating the feeling of sorrow, Frankestein left and went to the University. The second part of the chapter is entirely dedicated to the development of his studies at the university. 
 In particular here, he met two professors but only Mr. Waldman who will influence Frankestein in improving his studies. What he wants to do is actually to go over the limits and practically to follow what it’s forbidden. IV CHAPTER 
 The fourth chapter is quite interesting because it represents the last chapter of that feeling of heaven and the beginning of hell. In fact, here we have the beginning of his desire of creating a new life. 
 In the first part of the chapter Victor underlines the reasons which helped him wishing to create a new life, and the reason is mainly the fact that science has became his obsession. From this point of the chapter we have all the steps taking him to the building of the monster. In order to reach his objective, he does a lost of things: 1. He understands that in order to understand life he has first of all to get in contact with death (anatomy, 11 physical and emotional decay) ; 
 Than He finally discovers the secret of life but Victor tends to underline that this is not a story told by a madman because what he says is true like the sun shining in heaven . Following, he understands that Robert is involved in the narration (spectacularitation of science because there’s a focus , not only on the narrative event, but only of the emotions of Robert) and invited him to listen patiently and learn from him how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge . Some scholars think this means giving up and accepting the limits. According to others, this is an invitation to go beyond the limits. 2. Victor decides to build a new man. He projects a plan for this creature and starts collecting all the materials. He wants to build a gigantic creature; he collects bones from charnel- house, from slaughter house. 
 In planning his monster, he underlines his feeling as creator: on one side he feels like God, and on the other side he feels like a father. 
 In this part Victor forgets about his family and friends and also he forgets his feelings. He’s totally lost in his work. He cuts off every relationship he has had. When victor narrates this story, he is no longer animated by the same passion that led him to create this creature . V CHAPTER 
 This is the first page Mary Shelley wrote in order to play at the challenge they organized with Percy Shelley and Lord Byron. 
 The fifth chapter is the beginning of that state of hell in which Victor will live up until the moment he will meet Robert Walton 12 languages, and also he makes him love nature again and in fact they decided to do a pedestrian tour . VII CHAPTER This chapter breaks again the narration with the epistulary form. In particular here we have a letter from Victor's father. This letter is totally different from the previous one (full of joy and happiness), because it is full of sadness for William's death (Victors brother). The worst thing is that the boy was murdered (strangled) . For this reason, his father invites him to go back to Geneva. After reading this letter, Victor and Henry decided to go to Geneva. The next part of the chapter is based on the description of the journey. It is full of references to the romantic vision of nature, in fact his feelings corresponds to the scenery: • -  The placid water and the calm atmosphere firstly restored him but then he considered this calm atmosphere as a prognostic of peace or a way to make joke of his unhappiness 
 • Step by step, when he gets nearer home and fear and grief become greater and greater, also the scenery changes: dark mountains . He decided to visit the spot where William had been murdered and then the storm which becomes stronger and more violent (storm so beautiful and so terrific) . Victor associates this storm to the funeral for his little brother . nature reflects feelings; participates in human suffering (Typical conception of romanticism ) 
 15 •  When he sees the shape of his creature, he immediately thinks that it is the guilty for the crime (here there is a slow down of the narration to make us allowed to follow his thoughts) . This causes in him a moment of shock, which is reflected with the storm that immediately stops. Then he tried to follow the monster, but he moved to fast so Victor couldn’t follow him . 
 He finally arrives at home, and he would like to tell the truth and this discovery to his family, but he doesn't for two reasons: no one would believe him, and they have already found the guilty. In fact Justine is accused, even if no one not wants to believe it or can believe it. However , there are some proofs: they have found the miniature of Victor’s mother in her pocket. 
 The only thing they can do is waiting for the response of the trial. VIII CHAPTER 
 In this chapter Victor tells us the trial and the sentence of poor Justine. 
 All the chapter is built on a continuous contrast between the innocence of Justine and the sense of guilt of Victor (both for having created the monster and accusing Justine). The trail started and the judge asked some proofs in order to accuse Justine, and unfortunately a series of combination went against her: -  She had not slept at home that night; 
 -  Someone had seen her near the spot of the murder; 
 -  They had found the valuable miniature in her pocket; On the other side she tried to show her innocence , explaining how things really went and in particular: 16 -  She had passed the night at the house of an aunt; 
 -  She passed all the rest of the night looking for the boy, knowing he had disappeared and it was a causality if she had passed near the spot of the murder; 
 -  About the miniature in her pocket she didn’t have any reason; 
 Victor assisted to the trial, feeling a sense of guilt, which is put in evidence with the action at the end of the trial, when he ‘rushed out the court in agony’.  The next morning Victor went to the court and he discovered that Justine was condemned but mainly that she had confessed. He went back home in order to advice Elizabeth. Victor feels as he was living a torture.  Victor and Elizabeth went to meet Justine. Still again Justine shows her innocence to Elizabeth and she believed in her. On the other side, Victor felt guilty and this is represented by his action of ‘retiring to the corner of the prison too, where he could conceal the horrid anguish that possessed him’. Moreover, Victor defines himself ‘the true murderer ‘ Justine is condemned, even being innocent. From this moment, Victor will try to have his revenge. 
 VOLUME 2 
 I CHAPTER 
 This chapter is a sort of summary of the feelings felt after William and Justine’s deaths. 
 In this chapter Victor describes ,mainly his feelings, as if he was in hell. He feels: 
 -  Remorse (a weight of despair and remorse pressed on my heart. She rested and I was alive) 
 17 The monster has a sort of narrative authority. He tells his story from his point of view, from his eyes. We are allowed to understand the story seeing through the monster’s eyes. (overlapping of multiple perspective = we are allowed to see thing from point of view of Fr. And then it switches to the monster’s one.) 
 Everything starts from his birth: at this point we have to analyse two different points of view: 1. We have already read the birth of the monster from Victor’s point of view, but now we have the monster's point of view which can make us sympathize with him; 2. When he gets alive he’s already an adult but actually he has to learn everything like a baby and this is what he does. 
 At the beginning, as every little baby, he has confusion about his senses (I saw, felt, heard, and smelt at the same time), about the necessities of life (hunger, thirst, cold, fear). Many scholars thinks sensation is the first level of human knowledge . Then , in this context ,an importante role is given to the concept of darkness: exactly like a little baby closes his eyes when he gets alive because of the light, the monster does the same. 
 After leaving Victor’s house, he finds a refugee in the forest of Ingolstadt. Here, in a certain way he’s forced to grow up, and in fact here he understands his senses (he hears the birds and wants to imitate the same noises, but he can't = a baby who starts articulating noises), his ideas become clear. Then, there’s the moment in which it’s important to create relationship also with the rest of society. But even here, when the monster tries to create a contact he's immediately rejected and disgusted, just because of his physical aspect: the first man runs away, the children shrieked, the woman faints, all the village wants to kill the monster. He understands that maybe he should be alone. 20 This shows that at the beginning the monster is innocent, and just after the barbarity of the men he changes (Rousseau= natural instinct was good.). 
 He finds another refugee which is near a cottage in which there are three people: a young woman, a man, and an old man. The monster starts observing the actions of this family. The family will be the model for the monster. IV CHAPTER This chapter is based on the description of this family (the cottagers) and the effects on the monster. 
 The first thing he learns from this family is love and gentleness: the young woman and the man always helped each other, or tried to comfort the old man and so on; The second thing he discovers is sadness for poverty, and this causes in him a feeling of generosity: he leaves food for them, and take wood for them. 
 The third thing he learns is the capacity of communicating thoughts and feeling each other, by articulating sounds, which is the speaking. The monster wants to learn the speaking, even because he has an objective: to introduce himself to the family, but he knows that they would be just frightened by his aspect if he had not managed to speak their language. step by step he learns some important words. He also learns the name of the family, the father, Agatha and Felix and other words.
 V CHAPTER This fifth chapter has the same function of the fifth chapter in volume two: it represents the top of the hell, and the beginning of it for the monster. 
 In this chapter two are the main events which are related: the 21 arrive of a new character and the learning of the language by the monster. First of all, the monster decides to narrate this event because This will influence what he will be in future. 
 About the first event, one spring day, a woman arrives at the cottage and immediately everyone becomes happy and feels joy. The monster understands that this woman is called by Felix ‘sweet Arabian’ and her name is Safie. Thanks to this, the monster starts opening new horizons of knowledge, and going on with the lessons he also discovers the society, the human being and other elements who causes in him self a series of question about his identity. He can't answer to these questions and this causes sorrow. This is the beginning of his hell, because knowledge takes sorrow. VI CHAPTER In this chapter the monster narrates the story of the family and of Sofie.
 He discoveres that the father’s name is De Lacey and that they come from Paris. Here they were rich and well treated by everyone. The cause of their ruin was Safie’s father, a Turkish merchant, who lived in Paris. 
 We don't know why, but one day he became hostile to The government and it condemned him to death. Felix had assisted accidentally to the trial and he had felt that it was an injustice, so he decided to help Mahometan to escape and in change he would have married his daughter Safie and the Turk agreed.The previous night he escaped, thanks to Felix. However, the plans for the Turk were to not give his daughter in marriage, even because he wanted to take her in the Arabian society. 
 The Turks plan were simplified, because the French government started looking for the deliverer of the Turk. When they discovered that it was Felix, all his family was deprived of all 22 order to find Victor Frankestein. 
 However, during this journey, again There’s an event which is the symbol that actually he's innocent and good: a girl falls in the river and the monster saves her. But, the man who is with the girl sees the action and thinks that the monster is a real monster, and for this reason shots him by creating a great wound near the shoulder. From this moment, the monster decides that this little part of generosity of his soul will disappear forever. 
 After getting better from the wound, he continues his journey. 
 We arrive at the last part of the chapter in which therefore some very important event: • During his journey, he meets a little boy and he thinks that he’s too young to be intoxicated/prejudiced by the society and so he tries to create a contact. However everything is useless, because at his vision the boy is totally horrified. While he tries to escape from the monster, he pronounces the name of: Frankestein (because he said that his father is a syndic and he will punish him). That feeling of revenge gets alive again and the monster decides to kill the boy in order to create pain to his creator, because the monster understands that that little boy has some link with the Frankestein family, in fact he is Victor's little brother. • Then, he takes the miniature and puts it in the pocket of a girl who was sleeping near the spot. That girl is Justine. At the end of the chapter, the speech turns back to the present and the monster has just one request to his creator: to build a new monster of his same specie in order to not be alone any longer. IX CHAPTER 25 It's the last one of the second volume This chapter is based on the dialogue between Victor and his creature on his request. The request is to build a female being in order that the monster can have someone who accepts him. 
 At the beginning the answer is a clear no: Victor is too scared. 
 The monster continues in his request and starts uses also some arguments: • -  He would feel just love and would go away→no revenge, no hate • -  He would quit Europe and every place in the neighbourhood of men; 
 After these requests, Victor understands that he has some responsibilities because he is the creator and so he decides to build this female monster for him (he compassionated the monster) . 
 VOLUME 3 
 Three main themes: 
 - Revenge → as a necessity for both Victor and his creature 
 - Nature → the only source of comfort 
 - Traveling as a condition of life→it allows to obtain the revenge and to enter in contact with nature 
 I CHAPTER 
 This chapter describes the contrastive feelings in Victor about the monster ‘s request. On one side he would be happy of doing this because in this way he would be free from ‘his slavery’ (since the monster threatens to destroy his life ). But on the other side he is frightened because first of all this means that 26 he has to study a lot again and also because of the consequences. 
 However, he has some duties towards his creature, so he must accomply his promise. In order to do this he has to go to England, because there there are many philosophers who have done new studies. 
 His family notices this strange situation in Victor, but they think it s linked to the question of the marriage with Elizabeth. However, they accept that he goes to England as a restoring voyage, with the company of Clerval. 
 They start their trip, even if Victor would have preferred going alone: isolation and nature are his only comfort. 
 II CHAPTER 
 Victor and Clerval start their voyage to England. Here, Victor starts his work . Moreover he feels the necessity of being alone, but Clerval never leaves him. 
 During their permanence, they receive a letter from a visitator who invites them to go to Scotland, and mainly sustained by Clerval, they start this journey. It's important to notice that in this travel, Victor has the possibilities to observe nature and only in contact with nature he feels better, and sometimes also forgets of his fears. This is the romantic vision of nature. 
 However, even now Victor feels the necessity of being alone, in fact once arrive at the place where they have to arrive, the two friends take different roads. III CHAPTER It was one evening in laboratory , with moon light , that Victor started creating a female mate for his monster (theme of 27 against the monster. The revenge becomes a necessity also for Victor. Some scholars think this condition of imprisonment is metaphorical because it represents a condition of spiritual imprisonment . 
 He leaves with his father and he starts getting better, even if negative feelings are inside of him (he accuses himself of being the murder of Justin, William and Henry but his father doesn’t understand why). V CHAPTER Victor and his father continues their travel to Geneva. 
 The narration is broken again with the epistulary form: Victor receives a letter from Elizabeth, in which she askes some explanations about their relationship. She wants to be sure that Victor loves her. Victor would like to tell her the truth, which is linked to his fear of the revenge of the monster during their first night on wedding, and so he promises that he will tell her the truth after their wedding. 
 The day of the marriage arrives, they get married and they organise a very great party. However, they have to spend their night together, starting their journey by water. During this little journey Victor is conscious that probably this will be his last moment of happiness, and on the other side Elizabeth too shows some preoccupation (she has a presentiment of evil) , because she thinks of the secret she’ll discover. VI CHAPTER They land and they enjoy what nature can offer. In this particular situation, the romantic vision of nature is interesting: the apparent calm and joy of the day has been reflected in the calm of nature, but once the night arrived, which 30 is linked with the growth of fear in Victor, a storm started. (the natural setting provides a sort of natural frame to see what was about to happen). The night arrives and Victor starts defending himself from a possible attack. Nothing happens but immediately he hears a scream for her wife's room: the monster strangled Elizabeth. The monster is behind the window and he seems to jeer pointing the corpse of Elizabeth. This is his revenge. 
 A great suffering is in Victor, but he also thinks that Probably the monster could kill the only other two people of his life, his father and his brother Ernest, so he must go back to Geneva. 
 When he arrives they are still alive, but the sorrow for the death of Elizabeth kills his father. This is to be considered as a third revenge, even if an implicit way. 
 From this moment, he just wants revenge and the only way to feel fulfilled would be the monster's death. VII CHAPTER This chapter is divided in two parts. 
 In the first part, Frankestein's voice finishes his tale . he decides that he will take his revenge personally. Victor leaves Geneva and starts looking for some traces left by the monster, and he finds them because the monster himself leaves some traces, such as inscriptions: for example, the one in which he says that his reign is not yet over. Many times he has prayed for death but revenge has kept him alive. Victor follows his traces (travelling becomes a condition of life in order to gain the revenge), till he arrives in a place totally surrounded by ice. The ice is chosen because It reminds to the image of the Ancient Mariner. Here, Victor is totally lost and the situation starts becoming dangerous, but fortunately he sees Walton's vessel. 
 31 His narration ends with their meeting and his desire of completing his vengeance entrusted to Walton (Victor asks him to kill the monster. Walton is not simply a silent listener, but he’s a part of the story). 
 The second part is based on Walton's letters again, in fact Mary Shelley herself writes ‘Walton, in continuation’. 1st letter: Walton describes his feelings about Victor’s tale. Once again, he describes one of the last dialogue with his friend, in which Victor shows his strong feeling of revenge. 
 2nd,3rd,4th letter: this letter is detached from Victor’s story, because Walton describes their situation. They're in danger, because totally surrounded by ice, and Walton’s fellows ask him to go back if the ice should break. Walton is divided because on one side he would continue in his work, also in order to keep the promise to his friend Victor, which is take the revenge against the monster, (this represents his will of going over the limits and going towards inevitable risks), but on the other side he feels some responsibilities both for his fellows and her sister. It's obvious that the theme of responsibility comes from Victor’s lesson. The last letter: in this letter there are many important points. • First of all, the ice breaks and Victor decides to go back to England. • Then, when Victor discovers that Walton will not manage to finish his revenge, he feels the weight of his life, and his failure. This causes his death 32