Blog Assignment #1

    Over the course of the summer, I chose to read two books: Frankenstein, a novel written by Mary Shelley during the 18^th century, and A Clockwork Orange, a novel written by Anthony Burgess and published in 1962.  As I stared blankly at the two books that rest beside me on my nightstand, I thought about the stories that these two novels held.  I had not done any background research on the material of these two books, so I was in for a surprise.  And so, with this curious attitude, I picked up the first book.  I stared at the cover in confusion. The title glared back at me in large letters: FRANKENSTEIN.  Thus began my journey in to the mind of Mary Shelley and through an 18^th century world.

    The story begins with a Captain Robert Walton embarking on a journey to explore the North Pole.  Through his correspondence with his sister, Margaret Walton Saville, we learn that Captain Walton is on a mission to achieve fame through scientific exploration.  Unfortunately, the Captain’s ship becomes trapped in a barrier of broken ice.  During their “captivity,” the crew notices a man on a sled in the distance.  Later, a man is found floating on a raft near the boat.  The crew rescues this man and brings him to the Captain’s attention.  As Frankenstein begins to recover, he begins to talk to Captain Walton.  It is through this encounter that we learn of Frankenstein’s tale.  At first, I was confused with the many transitions that took place.  The book travels from the letters of Captain Walton and then to Frankenstein’s narration of his journey.  Although at first confusing, this transition proved to be extremely clever.  Through Frankenstein’s tale, we learn that he, like Captain Walton, embarked on his own journey to achieve fame through scientific exploration.  His mission was to create a being that he could share his desires and feelings with.  After months of preparation, Frankenstein succeeded, however, his creation was disastrous.  Built from a collection of bones from charnel-houses, Frankenstein’s creation was a hideous catastrophe.  Frankenstein, fearful of what he has done, flees the scene of his creation.  The rest of the novel explains Frankenstein’s later encounters with his horrid creature and the revenge plots that ensue.  After Frankenstein’s monster wreaks havoc on society in an attempt to find a companion, Frankenstein vows to destroy his creation.  Through a plethora of events, we are taken back to the place of the beginning.  Frankenstein is travelling the North Pole in hopes of finding his monster and destroying it.  After Frankenstein’s narration, we are taken back once again through a transition to Walton’s narration.  Walton concludes with Frankenstein’s unfortunate death, due to an illness gained from the long journey to find his monster.  At the end of the novel, Walton goes to check on Frankenstein and finds the monster mourning over his master’s body.  After confronting Captain Walton, the monster leaves in sadness, never to appear again. 

    Personally, I think this was a well-written novel.  Once I was aware of the transitions that Mary Shelley was using, I enjoyed her clever storytelling and her use of frame story.  I thought the ending was kind of abrupt – with the monster’s brief appearance and disappearance.  I hoped for more of a conclusion – possibly with Frankenstein and his monster coming face-to-face and finding some sort of agreement.  I hoped for Frankenstein to be freed from the guilt that ensued his journey (due to the death of his friends and family by his monster’s hands).  I hoped for the monster to gain a companion and friend and live like he wished.  Shelley really personalized the character of the monster.  I felt his pain and sadness, living in a lonely world that judged him by his appearance and not his true character.  Therefore, due to the themes and characters that Mary Shelley utilized in her novel, I found Frankenstein to be a very worthwhile and pleasing novel.

-           -  JABDO

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