Letter of Appreciation

Dear Laura Cline,

This class has been extremely beneficial for me as a writer so far. I have always had a passion for writing, and I think that over the last few semesters, so full of  “read and respond”, “read and respond”, “read and respond”, I began to loose that passion, and replace it with indifference. With this class, I’m finally reading stories that I enjoy (I chose this class because of the book requirements), and I’m finally getting the opportunity to put my own opinions into my writing. My eagerness for writing came from simply writing down my thoughts and opinions anyway, so naturally this would restore its appeal for me.

Frankenstein was by far, the most rewarding book I have ever read. I was so scared of the language I thought I’d never be able to understand it. Finishing it got me over a hurdle this semester, and it didn’t event take as long as I thought it would. Once I had it, I devoured it, loved it, and would feel comfortable talking about my views on it with anyone in good conversation.  

My biggest challenge so far is only time (as always). Three boys and a husband don’t leave me with much, but somehow I make it work, and when it’s working, I really enjoy it. So frankly, the only thing I want out of the last half of this semester is for it to just keep going the way it’s been going. I get to read my most favorite author in the whole world (Chuck Palehniuk) for the final assignment, so I can only imagine how eager I’ll be to write down some opinions about him and his stories. This is my final English course for my degree, and I’m glad that it’s turning out to be the best one!

Thank You!

Nikki

Essay #3 Draft

Nikki Evensen

ENG102

Essay #3

Cause and Effect of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein

            Although it may have taken a hundred years for Mary Shelley to receive proper recognition as the author for her first novel, Frankenstein, it is one of the most important works of her time. She went above and beyond the expectations anyone had of her and created a story so full of emotion, turmoil and human emotion, that people doubted her ability to have created it. She was young but she was extremely educated. She was unknown as an author but her parents and husband were highly celebrated. While these may seem like reason to fill Shelley with confidence, and give her the strength to use her connections to her advantage, her fears stood in her way. This insecurity shines through in her characters. Victor Frankenstein was so afraid of upsetting his family that he kept all his turmoil inside. Victor’s monster longed so much for social acceptance that it made him commit crimes so horrific, that any kind of acceptance became unattainable. In “My Hideous Progency”: The Lady and the Monster, written by Mary Poovey, she exemplifies Shelley’s uncertainty in herself:

Frankenstein occupies a particularly important place in Shelley’s career, not only because it is by far her most famous work, but because in 1831, she prepared significant revisions and an important introduction, both of 

which underscore and elaborate her initial ambivalence. By tracing first the contradictions already present in the 1818 edition and then the revisions she made after Percy’s death and her return to England, we can begin to see the roots and progress of Shelly’s growing desire to accommodate her adolescent impulses to conventional propriety.” (252)

Although Shelley was unable to overcome her own troubles, she shows through the characters of her story, how perilous these thoughts can be to mankind.

            In the very beginning of Victor’s tale, you see that he has always been adjusting things in his life to meet the requirements of others, in order to feel accepted and valued by his family. He grew up with his cousin Elizabeth as his best friend and companion, yet knew all along that his mother and father had plans for them to marry; drastically shaping their relationship as they matured. He then leaves his dearest friends to attend a university far from home, despite his deeply rooted concern for being part of a regular society, solely to please his father. Upon departing for school, Victor says:

I threw myself into the chaise that was to convey me away, and indulged in the most melancholy reflections. I, who had never ever been surrounded by amiable companions, continually engaged in endeavoring to bestow mutual pleasure, I was now alone…I believed myself totally unfitted for the company of strangers. (Shelley 26)

From childhood, to college, to his late nights spent in the laboratory creating his genius creature, Victor knew little more than that of trying to impress the people around him. He wanted his father’s approval as a family man, and his peer’s approval as a scientist. 

Frankenstein’s monster is also consumed with the fear of rejection. Ironically, he wants social recognition so bad, that the idea of not ever receiving it brings him to the point of violent, murderous acts of revenge; even suicide. The monster says to Victor, “Shall each man, find a wife for his bosom, and each beast have his mate, and I be alone? I had feelings of affection, and they were requited by detestation and scorn. Man, you may hate; but beware! Your hours will pass in dread and misery as soon the bolt will fall which must ravish from you your happiness forever…Man you shall repent of the injuries you inflict. (Shelley 116)

            This lesson being taught by Shelley, although it seems rather dramatic and complicated, it is quite simple. The bare bones of this story are based on very simple human emotions. Love, hate, family, happiness, misery and so on. One of the most accurate criticisms of Frankenstein belongs to Percy Bysshe Shelley, Mary Shelley’s husband and editor. He says, “This novel rests it’s claim on being a source of powerful and profound emotion. The elementary feelings of the human mind are expose to view; and those who are accustomed to reason deeply on their origin and tendency will, perhaps, be the only persons who can sympathize to the full extent, in the interest of the actions which are their results.”(185) Percy is saying that only readers who have questioned these things in themselves; who have taken time to analyze the cause and effect of their own human emotions will be able to understand Shelly’s paradigm. If you’ve ever done something against your own wishes, only to be seen as a success to your peers, if you’ve avoided personal interaction to hide your insecurities, or if you’ve wanted to be part of the socially privileged so bad that you would stop at nothing to get it, you will truly be able to appreciate the trails and tribulations of Victor and his monster throughout Frankenstein.

            The relationships that Shelley had during the time she wrote Frankenstein would have caused anyone to have anxiety over his or her success. Her parents were well known in the literary world, as well as her husband. She was only 19 years old, and she wanted so badly to live up to the accomplishments of her family. This pressure made her so scared of the rejection of her writing, that she had it published anonymously. Like Victor, she wanted to be successful, but was nervous of the social interaction it would bring her. In her later years, she was so agitated by the initial rejection of her novel that she went back and made changes to it for a second printing. Sandra M. Gilbert and Susan Gubar reiterate in Mary Shelley’s Monstrous Eve:

For of course, the nineteen-year old girl who wrote Frankenstein was no ordinary nineteen-year old but one of England's most notable literary heiress. Indeed as “the daughter of two person of distinguished literary celebrity,” and the wife of a third, Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin Shelley was the daughter and alter the wife of some of Milton’s keenest critics, so that Harold Bloom’s useful conceit about family romance of English literature is simply an accurate description of the reality of her life,” (226).

            Victor alienated himself from the people he loved the most in order to give life to his creation; Shelley alienated herself from her family while writing Frankenstein. Victor despised his creation once he was finished with it; Shelley wouldn’t even put her name on the first edition. The monster’s social elimination created enough resentment to retaliate; Shelley was so disturbed by the novels initial success that she went back and changed it. Sadly, Shelley did not live to see the recognition she now receives for her novel. She lived in the shadows of her parents and husband, and was considered a one book writer; nothing more than Percy Shelley’s wife. She never got to read that Frankenstein:

…is not only appreciated in it’s own right, but often regarded as more sophisticated in outlook and more accomplished in craft than anything of Percy’s. Contemporary criticism is almost unanimous now in regarding Frankenstein as not only canonical, after years of academic neglect, but paradigm breaking and exemplary; it is required reading for anyone who wants to understand the nineteenth century or the making of the modern consciousness. (Hunter xi)

Perhaps if Victor, the monster, or Shelly herself would have stopped striving so hard for acceptance, and being so terrified of rejection, things may have gone differently for them all. Little did Shelley know that Frankenstein, her first novel, her juvenile little ghost story, would become an educator in the causes and effects of human emotion for centuries to come.

Work Cited

Gilbert, Sandra M. and Susan Gubar, “Mary Shelley’s Monstrous Eve,” taken from, Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. Ed. Paul Hunter. A Norton Critical Edition. New York: Norton & Company, 1996. Print. 226

Poovey, Mary, “My Hideous Progeny,” taken from, Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. Ed. Paul Hunter. A Norton Critical Edition. New York: Norton & Company, 1996. Print. 252

Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. Ed. Paul Hunter. A Norton Critical Edition. New York: Norton & Company, 1996. Print.

Shelley, Percy Bysshe, “On Frankenstein,” taken from, Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. Ed. Paul Hunter. A Norton Critical Edition. New York: Norton & Company, 1996. Print. 185

The End of Frankenstein

Reaching the end of Frankenstein made me feel more accomplished than I ever have from simply finishing a story. It took me a couple chapters before I really fell into the groove of Shelley’s writing style, particularly the vocabulary from such a long time ago. Yet once I was able to get absorbed in the story, it was so different from anything I’ve read, and I’ve since lost the anxiety for reading “classics”. Therefore, I wanted to stick with the time, and chose to read the criticism written by Shelley’s husband Percy Bysshe Shelley in 1817. 

http://www.carondelet.pvt.k12.ca.us/frankenstein/MaryShelley/Second%20Page%20%28mary%20Shelly%29.htm

He is immediately enthusiastic about it. He explains the wonder (not to be confused with discrimination) that Shelley has created in the people that know her. They now wonder what could possibly have been going through her brain to come up with such unusual characters and grotesque situations when writing Frankenstein. Though unusual, he claims that the moral of the story is strongly based on simple human emotions, and a good understanding of these emotions will allow the reader to be deeply effected by the tale. He ends with declaring a doubt that any reader has ever read anything as powerful or more creative than Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.

I’ve been curious about what Percy would say, considering many critics have claimed that he must have helped her considerably. After reading this I do not think that he helped her much at all. It’s as if he’s saying that he wrongly underestimated her, and hopes that no one else will make his mistake. I loved Frankenstein, and I couldn’t agree more. Shelley, as a woman, was ahead of her time. Her ability to capture readers with such literary creativity exceeds that of her fellow scholars. I will definitely be using quotes from this piece for essay #3. I don’t have the language to explain Shelley’s achievements as beautifully as Percy did!

So here is a link for ten ways to improve my vocabulary. Technically, that's the only difference right?

Revisions

While I sometimes wish that I had a concrete, never fail way to revise my papers, it seems to differ with each attempt. I think this happens because I also do not have a specific way that I write my papers. Depending on what it is about, what class it is for, how passionate I am about the topic, or many other reasons usually change how the writing process plays out. Sometimes I write an outline, sometimes I don’t. Sometimes it takes me days of frustration and sometimes I’ll sit down, and an entire essay just flows out. So these variations are what ultimately determine my revision process. 

 http://www.drewsmarketingminute.com/2008/03/age-of-conversa-4.html

  

I think everyone always needs to revise. The differences that you see in your writing once you’ve taken a step away from it, preferably for a couple days is enormous. That one ending line, or the thesis you spent so much time on might not even make sense once you’ve taken a break from it. So while my process may change, I always do it with every single paper. One thing that I do each time is read the paper out loud. If I can’t speak the words like an oral presentation than I make changes accordingly. It helps to find the voice of your paper, and to keep that voice consistent. With this particular essay assignment I was lucky during the writing process, and it all flowed out pretty effortlessly. I found the voice I wanted very quickly, and knew exactly how I wanted the paper to end. Even though I got a decent grade on the draft, there are quite a few things I’m going to change. For some reason I can’t stop using the phrase “you”! It’s driving me crazy! So I’m changing things around, and making sure that all the “you” words become “the reader”, or even rearrange to remove them completely. I’m going to substantially beef up my thesis. I chose to analyze the imagery of a poem, but I’m lacking a reason. I captured the images, now I have to determine what those images mean, and why the author would want to portray them. After these few things, I will hopefully be satisfied with the outcome, and more importantly, so will our Professor.

Here is a link to a great website on revising a paper. 

Monster or Mastermind?

“All men hate the wretched; how then must I be hated, who am miserable beyond all living things! Yet you, my creator, detest and spurn me, thy creature, to whom thou art bound by ties only dissoluble by the annihilation of one of us. You purpose to kill me. How dare you sport thus with life? Do your duty towards me, and I will do mine towards you and the rest of mankind. If you will comply with my conditions, I will leave them and you at peace; but if you refuse, I will glut the maw of death, until it be satiated with the blood of your remaining friends.” (Shelley 65).

These are the first words spoken from the lips of the horrible monster created by Victor Frankenstein. It is surprising to hear the same beautifully spoken language coming from this creature, that has been spoken from the other characters throughout the first volume. As this “thing” was descending down from the mountains towards it’s creator, the reader anticipates a growling, spitting, uncivilized being, seeking revenge against his merciless maker with blows and violence, not with a request for negotiations. This paragraph serves as a very important passage, as it immediately alters the perception of the monster himself. The spitting, growling tyrant is capable of speech, and evokes the idea that he is in fact, intelligent. This idea in itself changes everything.

It is here that a tone is introduced, and this particular tone will carry itself throughout the remainder of the second volume. The monster states his ultimatum immediately, and has not since eased his requests. He wants something from Frankenstein, and while he may be more intellectual than previously perceived, he reiterates time and again that he will shed blood to whatever horrific lengths necessary to get what he wants. He is still a monster, capable of far greater physical damage than that of his creator, which he reminds Frankenstein later when he says, “Remember, thou hast made me more powerful than thyself; my height is superior to thine; my joints more supple.” (Shelley 66). Yet he shows compassion for the man who gave him life. As much as he wishes to immediately destroy Frankenstein, there is something he desires so badly, that he spares his makers life and begs for an opportunity to tell his tale, in hopes that they can come to neutral ground. In this tale, you learn of his slow and tortured education of the inner working of mankind through distant observation. He learned mans language, mans struggle, mans cruelty, and mans compassion all within a short time, under depressingly lonely conditions. So what does this creature want from his father? What would save Frankenstein’s life and the lives of his family and friends? Why a woman of course. 

 Here is the link to this artist, Original Nick, who has some amazing depictions of "monsters". There is one of Vampira that I LOVE. Enjoy!

Essay #2 Draft

 A Marvelous Freak Show

          Lady Lazarus, a fascinating poem written by renowned author Sylvia Plath, is full of emotion and rawness that few other authors can expose through such small pieces of literature. With this poem, you are instantly heaved into a world of passion, anger, and resentment. Towards the end, these emotions are beautifully transitioned into wonder, oddity, and compassion, all within a mere 28 stanzas. In order to create such a powerful effect on her readers, Sylvia Plath uses exceptionally, authoritative voice. In doing so, she creates a world of imagery through this poem that almost manifests right before your very eyes. By the time you’ve reached the ending, you are in a vintage circus tent eating peanuts, while watching the incredible Lady Lazarus bust into flames.



         Imagery in literature is simply evoking an emotional response within a reader. Whether it is visually, emotionally, texturally, or aromatically, an author’s use of adjectives and descriptive language will result in imagery throughout any poem. Plath doesn’t waste any time before she begins her use of vivid descriptions in Lady Lazarus. By only the second stanza, she begins to explain (through a first person point of view, of Lady Lazarus) a few physical traits in the following way,

             

            “A sort of walking miracle, my skin

            Bright as a Nazi lampshade,

            My right foot

            

A paperweight,

My face a featureless, fine

            Jew linen.” (4-9)

         While significantly unpleasant, there is undeniable imagery here. “Bright as a Nazi lampshade” (5), leaves you with a picture in your mind of translucent human skin, tightly stretched into the shape of a lampshade. An emotional reaction of unthinkable cruelty is simultaneously created in this one line with the use of the word Nazi, and is carried on throughout the remainder of the poem. She ends a stanza with, “My face a featureless, fine/ Jew linen.” (8-9). This line creates the image of a face inside that horrifying, tightly stretched layer of skin. We now have a visual of this poor creature Lady Lazarus, with sunken eyes, a pale skin. In addition to our emotional responses, the use of the word Jew after the use of the word Nazi, really makes sure that just in case a reader missed the unthinkable cruelty allusion, they’ve got it fresh in their minds now.

In the ninth stanza, we begin to get visual cues as to where Lazy Lazarus is, “The peanut-crunching crowd/ Shoves in to see// Them unwrap me hand and foot/ The big strip tease.” (26-29). Now the reader can easily start to put several different metaphors together. This unwell, undistinguished woman is the center of attention at a showcase. The careful use of the words “peanut-crunching” is a dead giveaway that this showcase is a circus of some kind, and considering that emotionally, we know that there is some form of wickedness in Lady Lazarus’ life, it is safe to visualize this circus as something a little more like a merciless freak show.
 
         Now that we’re at the middle of the poem, the reader can envision the main character in her pitiable form, brought on stage so that a crowd can watch her. But what have they come to watch her do? What is Lazy Lazarus’ big theatrical gift? Plath writes,

“Dying
Is an art, like everything else.
I do it exceptionally well.

I do it so it feels like hell.
I do it so it feels real.
I guess you could say I’ve a call.” (43-48).

          This takes a minute, and possibly another reading to let it sink in that this is the remarkable, stage worthy talent of Lady Lazarus. She does not swallow swords, volunteer herself to be cut in half by a magician, she isn’t a bearded woman, or a fire dancer, or freakishly tall. She dies. She dies on stage where people have come to watch her, and it feels like hell for her. Yet we do not yet know how exactly she performs this daunting task, which Plath gives the reader in another line of great imagery, “The pure gold baby// That melts to a shriek/ I turn and burn/ Do not think I underestimate your great concern.” (69-72). A very powerful image is created here. An image of a woman being burned to death, while a mob of spectators is not only watching, but also paid money to watch. The unfortunate Lady Lazarus burns until, “Out of the ash/ I rise with my red hair/ And I eat men like air.” (82-84). The last image formed is by far the most spectacular. This woman that the reader feels so sorry for, is now miraculously resurrected, and given an incredible power that would have seemed impossible for the individual that was pictured in the beginning. Undoubtedly, the most compelling form of imagery in the entire piece is the beautiful image of Lazy Lazarus, with her dazzling, fiery red hair.

         Sylvia Plath takes her readers into a place they don’t necessarily want to go, but cannot help themselves. The imagery that she created in Lady Lazarus is eerie and sinister, Lazy Lazarus herself is disheartening and odd, yet the freak show, the creature, the crowd, and the scorching red hair are all harmoniously combined to paint a beautiful mural of Plath’s well know dark side.  

Work Cited

 Plath, Sylvia. "Lady Lazarus." Poetry Foundation . n. page. Web. 17 Sep. 2011. <http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/178961>.

Poetry

The poem, “Fairy-tale Logic” by A.E.Stallings, fit so well into the frame of mind that I have been attempting to put myself in for this semester. During our first assignment, while discussing how to be a good reader I came to the conclusion that I would carry with me a sense of openness, and a completely genuine, limitless approach when reading a story. I would not come into any piece of literature with any preconceptions, and I would see it as it was truly meant to be. I also believe that this is the most difficult when it comes to fairy tales. As adults, or more significantly, as college students, we are submerged by logic, by facts, and by reason. So what better poem for me to have read than a poem about the importance of keeping an open mind, and immersing yourself in a world of dragons and invisible cloaks?

http://www.layoutsparks.com/pictures/nature-fairy-0

At the beginning of the second stanza, Stallings write, “You have to fight with magic. You have to believe.” (Stallings 9) In all honesty, I don’t believe that he was writing this poem in an attempt to make his readers “better readers”. He was simply painting a picture of fairy tales throughout time. He was portraying how impossible the tasks are in a fairy tale, and how the only way to be successful in the end, is to use the same impossibilities to your benefit. Yet the beautiful thing about poetry is that everyone interprets it differently. My own personal interpretation of this poem was to just let it go. Go with the impractical, believe that anything is achievable and you will be triumphant. I mean really, if you can, “Marry a monster. Hand over your first born son.” (Stallings 14), than you can pretty much do anything right? 

Here is a great blog post about the importance of continuing to believe in fairy tales throughout your life. While there's a fine line, I think that keeping this king of upbeat mentality is rewarding. Especially if you have children!