Thursday, October 24, 2013

    The sad ending of Frankenstein tells us a truth that revenge cannot help people get satiation, love, happiness and friendship from hatred.
    In the midst of the book, the monster witnesses the love, propinquity, and harmony among people in the cottage. He urges to get the same things as people do. However, his ugly appearance makes people feel horrible and expel him. The eager of seeking for such a happiness, love and harmony, he starts to begrudge and envy Frankenstein. So he decides to fall himself into the infernal of revenge and make Frankenstein have the same feeling of having nothing. First, he kills the cousin of Frankenstein, then imputes to Justine, so that the harmony and peace of Frankenstein's family are annihilated. Next, he murders Henry in order to break the friendship of Frankenstein.  Finally, he commits the crime of killing Elizabeth to destroy Frankenstein's love. However, the ridiculous thing is that the monster feels sorrowful and weeps over the dead body of Frankenstein. In the end, he jumps down into the dark ocean to terminate his life.
     Therefore, the process and the sad ending demonstrate the truth that revenge cannot help people get happiness, love and harmony.

                                                                            Jack Liu, Harrison, Ashley, Emma, Tanner

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

       Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey is the poem full of during Romantic age. In the poem, Wordsworth tries to recapture a feeling about living as a recluse in the countryside that he visited several years ago by recalling the memory and retrospect what he saw around the countryside. Through the poem, we can know that he has feelings of peace, tranquility, and beauty of rustic life. From “Knowing that Nature never did betray”, William Wordsworth regards this scene of pastoral environment as the purest form. To a certain extent, the poet describes the Tintern Abbey as a falling paradise, which has myth of Eden. Frost at Midnight is also the poem with mysticism. Coleridge grew up in the urban city, so he was more familiar with the constant noise associated with a more urban location. He reminisced the memory of childhood in the countryside. Then he decided never to send his child off to the city as he was. Coleridge knew his son would be able to wander through nature at his own pleasure, which may bring his son inspiration and happiness. In addition, the Mont Blanc is also the poem with mysticism.

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Comparioson between two poems

    Mont Blancs, written by Percy Shelly and Mary Shelley, are related to Romanticism. At first, Percy recounts that "the everlasting universe of things", which uses the word "everlasting", showing the imagination of author that the mountain is like immortal and celestial heaven. This point is similar to Mary's description that the Mont Blanc has a aerial summit, fulling with imagination. From "the wandering spirits" and "the soul in sleep", we can also easily see the using of imagination, which is the feature of Romanticism. Obviously, two poems connect with nature. But within two different poems, independent thinkings show incisively and vividly. Mary's shows the sublime majesty of mountain and grandiose landscape, which deserves people's veneration and reverence. Furthermore, perception is also showed here. Percy's shows his own philosophy that connects the landscape with life, death, and humanity. Finally, the emotions of veneration can be seen in two poems as the main element of Romanticism.

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Relating the creation of monster to Romanticism

Frankenstein is a science fiction written by Mary Shelley. It is a story about the eccentric scientist, Victor Frankenstein, who creates a grotesque creature in an unorthodox scientific experiment, and it includes many motifs related to romanticism. Romanticism is always about conflicts between science and spirituality, the imagination over reason, emotions and etc. Frankenstein is an individual who went beyond society's norms to bring enlightenment back to us poor mortals. Creating a grotesque creature is an unreasonable and unimaginable thing for that moment of society. Here, we can easily see the conflict between science or social norms and spirituality from this eccentric scientist. Also, the techniques of creating monster seem to be impossible for that moment, so that the creative experiment of grotesque giant is the imagination over reason. After Frankenstein has created the monster, his emotions change a lot. He has worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body. For this he has deprived himself of rest and health. He has desired it with an ardor that far exceeded moderation; but when he has finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled his heart. From the above, the change of emotion of Frankenstein proves that there are signs of romanticism, which are related to emotions.