Who is the monster? Where does the reader's sympathy lie? -- Due NOV. 3, 2010

So sorry for the date mix-up.  These questions are due on Nov. 3, not Dec. 3.  The questions will follow the same weekly due date schedule as we have had  all throughout the rest of the semester, excluding holidays.

Scholars have debated for many years over two very fundamental questions about this the novel, Frankestein.  Have fun joining in the discussion.

1. What is a "monster"?  Who is the "monster" in this book?
2. With whom does your sympathy lie?  Why?

Meeting the Creature -- Answers Due Oct. 27, 2010

1. On page 361-362, Victor says "Alas! Why does man boast of sensibilities superior to those apparent in a brute; it only renders them more necessary beings.  If our impulses were confined to hunger, thirst, and desire, we might be nearly free?"  Do you agree with this statement?  What significance does this have in terms of Victors actions and the experiences of the creature?  Is the creature free? Victor?
2. Beginning on Chapter 10, the creature is introduced.  What, if any, evidence is there that the dialogue between the creature and Frankenstein could be a statement about creation and God? How might Darwin's theories be reflected in the argument? Examples.

Frankenstein: Creation of Presence in Robert Walton

I am interested in how the idea of presence is constructed on many layers in the first section of Frankenstein, particularly with the narrator and how he affects the theme of the book in any way.  Also, how does his function in the novel parallel the "presence" of the other characters in the book, and is the way the narrator function in any way tied to the "creation" and "presence" of the monster?  We must consider: Why is Robert Walton Important?

1.  How do Robert Walton's letters at the beginning the novel get us ready for the story that he about to tell us?  Would the novel be any different without the letters, especially in the way that the reader perceives and reacts to the events that take place?

2.  What kind of person would you say Walton is in terms of his personality and character? Is he anything other than a story teller in the novel, or does he merely serve a mechanicanistic function as narrator?  Does he play any part in thematic development?

Freedom and Chains -- Response by Oct. 6th

1. The final few chapters in The Monk have left me with questions about Ambrosio. In chapter nine, do you think that he still believes that he can be saved?  Does he, at this point, have any remaining virtues?   By the end of the book, does he believe in salvation.  Do you think, as in Macbeth, that there may be some redemption for him at the end of the novel?
2. Rousseau said that man is born free, but exists everywhere in chains. How is this idea illuminated through the character of Ambrosio? Also, through the characters of Matilda and Antonia? Is this a theme that we can apply to this novel as a whole, and is this theme consistent with the Romantic aesthetic?