/lit/ - Literature

Are you in honors English with professor k*****n ?

It didn’t seem to fluffy to me

>>14214425
Try earlier gothic literature like the monk.

>when the creature tries to approach the family

>>14214487
Respond to me op

>>14214487
No, it but you're close. We were supposed to read it out loud during class for senior year but we were behind on our work, so our teacher summarized the book for us. I thought it was a cool concept so I added it to my list.

>>14214425
Great analysis, king. I think what you’ve identified with the contradictory nature of Victor’s life and his speech to the crew has to do with the abandonment of humanity for the sake of something greater; this could be glory, heroism, or even a type of Godhood. Victor’s drive to create and master the substance that forms him, to transcend and manipulate life and flesh, results in something inhuman while simultaneously robbing him of his own life (metaphorically and literally). There’s room here for a Platonic analysis of the degrees of separation from truth; God makes man, man makes monster, and with degree of distance the thing is further from the original beauty (Republic, book 10)

I hope you keep digging into it and continue to recognize interesting contradictions like the one you’ve pointed out.

>>14214425
I don't know if it's a contradiction but more of a change in character. The arctic expidition is about growing knowledge, like what Victor did by creating the Creature. I think he is warning them of the mistakes that he made and how it could cost them everything

>>14214425
So Mary Shelley intends for us to thoroughly dislike Victor, right? At every turn he's shown to be an irresponsible brat who can't let things go.

I think the Monster is entirely correct to despise Victor, considering Victor essentially brought him to life and then abandoned him because he was so ugly. I think the book itself goes out of its way to portray Victor in a negative light and the Monster in a positive one, even though all the characters that encounter the Monster thoroughly dislike him because of his appearance.

>>14216443
That's the problem though. He sought knowledge to become something greater, "as if he were destined for some great enterprise," and tells his story to Walton to warn him about how it costed him everything he loved. Yet when Waltons crew wants to turn back from the expedition, Victor criticizes them saying they should return as heroes instead of cowards even though it could cost them their lives.

>>14216487
I agree, he wanted to control life but not take responsibility for it.

>>14214425
Love the style, hate the concept.

>>14216774
Ok I misremembered