...Frankenstein as a Gothic Novel Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein is considered as a Gothic novel but it can be seen as a compilation of both Gothic and Romantic because of the significance of the sublime. Certain events and settings in the novel present the gothic themes. Shelley uses the different themes in her novel to evoke feelings of horror and terror in the reader. Frankenstein engages in a quest in pushing the realms of science to their limits which leads him to playing god and creating an unnatural being using science. One of the themes Shelley uses in the novel to create the gothic presence is the theme of Forbidden Knowledge. Mary Shelley introduces the ideas that science is capable of being very dangerous and has consequences through the character of Victor Frankenstein. Shelley’s time was described as the age of unprecedented scientific discoveries, which influenced her in writing of Frankenstein. The process of the creation of his creation was influenced by the Italian physician Luigi Galvani who discovered “animal electricity” which manifests with the twitching of nerves and muscles when an electric current is applied. Frankenstein seeks to find “the secrets of heaven and earth” to fulfil his quest. He calls them secrets; he is aware they are not to be known and should not be found. Frankenstein knows that acquiring such knowledge would not be easy as he states “how dangerous the acquirement of knowledge”. Frankenstein is aware of the uneasy task of seeking...
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...men seem to take a back seat to the characters of scientists played on Broadway and on the silver screen. The portrayal of scientists in the media, at least in fictional platforms of media; i.e. prime time television shows, movies, books, plays, show eccentric and often deranged, disheveled men franticly working away, mad with power and playing god. In the animated comedy “Futurama”, created by Matt Groining, the “Professor”, whom is a scientist, is portrayed as a senile old man on the verge of death and/or dementia. The “typical” media portrayal of fictional scientists is exploited in the animated series, and serve as a good reflection, and a small truth on how society sees our scientist. Other characters that come to mind are Dr. Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll. All three fictional characters share the odd characteristic of reckless abandon in the pursuit of a greater good, only to loose control and overstep their bounds with dire consequences. The characteristics that I see in my vision of a scientist are 1.) A desire to contribute to human progress. 2.) Highly educated and intelligent. 3.) Stylish hair. I...
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...scientists in fiction and reality is only a few fields of the sciences would fit this image. With The technology of today I believe more scientists and engineers to be common household names. The media also often portrays a scientist as nerdy or comical such as, Sheldon and Leonard. One common photograph is of Albert Einstein sticking out his tongue. Einstein was not just a great scientist, he was also a philosopher, politician, and activist. In this regard, he published several books about scientific divulgence, Hitler ordered his death, he was offered the presidency of Israel, and he urged President Franklin D. Roosevelt to build the first nuclear weapon. Nevertheless, some people remember Einstein as the “comical old man". Another classic example for the comical aspect would be the infamous Rube Goldberg Device for engineering. Although spoofing, some of the contraptions are actually amazing to watch the events unfold. I see people of science as very intelligent but not in nerdy fashion. I still remember a time I sat with several NASA engineers at a retirement party. Indeed a very interesting conversation on rocket...
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...Tawsif Alam June 9, 2016 Ms. Kalick English Essay Prompt 1 It is certain that the experience that one gains is what ultimately influences the actions that he or she will take in their present and later life. The most common motivator for evil deeds committed by a person is their history of cruel events. Such examples can be seen in the novel “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley. In this novel, the unexpected creation of a creature, made by Victor Frankenstein, is exposed to a countless number of harsh attacks in which he was left scarred and mentally destroyed. These events were what caused the creature to commit unforgivable crimes that impacted the life and the family of Victor Frankenstein. Victor Frankenstein was a science enthusiast that dreamed of doing something none other can do. He finally achieved his goal when he created a “superhuman” that was 8 feet tall with extraordinary strength and abilities. However, because of its distorted and ugly appearance, the creature was shown no love whatsoever by anybody that he had encountered. This can be seen by the actions that the cottagers took on the creature when he decided to reveal himself to the family that he had been observing and silently helping for so long. He did not mean any harm but he was still forced to leave this place also. The book states (97)”Felix darted forward, and with supernatural force tore me from his father, to whose knees I clung: in a transport of fury, he dashed me to...
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...Throughout history, pride has blinded even the most brilliant people, leading to extreme anguish for themselves and others. A classic example is the main character, Victor, in the novel Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley. Through Shelley’s development of Victor Frankenstein, an intelligent man who is driven by hopes of achieving, she demonstrates how excessive pride and hopes of success can ruin a person and lead them into a path of despair. Throughout the story Shelley continues to develop the character of Victor Frankenstein, unveiling the intensity and vastness of Victor’s pride. During the beginning of the story, Victor indulges in his success at the University of Ingolstadt and becomes overcome by his knowledge, as he states that he “succeeded...
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...In Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Frankenstein, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, McCormick believes that the real villains, or monsters, are Dr. Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll, and Claude Frollo. These characters are usually not considered monsters, but are in fact, the creators of monsters. McCormick explains that these characters do not “abide their own humanity” or “show any compassion for those whose disfigured humanity has made them outcasts.” Since these characters do not see their individual faults and are incapable of mercy, responsibility, and pity towards their creations, they are the real monsters of their...
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...Julia DeWitt SC250-05: Science for Everyday Life Unit 9 Assignment August 05, 2014 When I hear the word “scientist” there are multiple things that run through my thoughts. I picture someone in a lab coat trying to discover a cure to a disease like cancer or the next plague that comes along. There is this image of dry ice coming out of test tubes and beakers surrounding them. Maybe even a bunch of stressed out yuppie looking guys who had way too much coffee, desperately trying to find the vaccine to stop the zombie apocalypse. I also picture Beaker from the Muppet show. He did a wonderful job forming an image of what a scientist probably was to me as a child. He was insecure and he made a mess. My cousin is a scientist so then there is an image of this very stern but sarcastic guy testing and testing and retesting. That image sounds so boring but I’m grateful there are brilliant minds like him out there. Scientist come in many different forms. They study and discover many different things. Over time there have been many types of scientist and they weren’t all wearing lab coats. Leonardo da Vinci was one I found interesting due to my love of art. He combined art and science in his sketches. He has amazing futuristic designs and even envisioned flight. Sadly he was a chronic procrastinator and had frequent disasters with his experiments of new techniques (Leonadoda-Vinci). Galileo Galilei was an Italian scientist who developed the telescopes and started to observe...
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...A famous scene from one of the first notable horror films, Nosferatu (1922) Horror is a film genre seeking to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's primal fears. Horror films often feature scenes that startle the viewer; the macabre and the supernatural are frequent themes. Thus they may overlap with the fantasy, supernatural, and thriller genres.[1] Horror films often deal with the viewer's nightmares, hidden fears, revulsions and terror of the unknown. Plots within the horror genre often involve the intrusion of an evil force, event, or personage, commonly of supernatural origin, into the everyday world. Prevalent elements include ghosts, aliens, vampires, werewolves, curses, satanism, demons, gore, torture, vicious animals, monsters, zombies, cannibals, and serial killers. Conversely, movies about the supernatural are not necessarily always horrific.[2] Contents [hide] 1 History 1.1 1890s–1920s 1.2 1930s–1940s 1.3 1950s–1960s 1.4 1970s–1980s 1.5 1990s 1.6 2000s 2 Sub-genres 3 Influences 3.1 Influences on society 3.2 Influences internationally 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External links [edit]History [edit]1890s–1920s See also: List of horror films of the 1890s, List of horror films of the 1900s, List of horror films of the 1910s, and List of horror films of the 1920s Lon Chaney, Sr. in The Phantom of the Opera The first depictions of supernatural events appear in several of the silent shorts...
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...Reading Between the Lines: An analysis of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, or, the Modern Prometheus, using Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto as an example of male discourse about women Louise Othello Knudsen English Almen, 10th semester Master’s Thesis 31-07-2012 Tabel of Contents Abstract ................................................................................................................................................ 3 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 5 Historical Context .............................................................................................................................. 10 The View on Women and Their Expected Roles in the late 18th and 19th Century ....................... 11 - Mary Shelley disowns herself .................................................................................................. 11 - Mary Shelley’s Background .................................................................................................... 12 Women’s Role in Frankenstein ..................................................................................................... 13 Men’s Role in Frankenstein ........................................................................................................... 13 - Women in Society and Women as Writers .........................................................
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...that Gothic architecture was created by Germanic tribes and regarded it as ugly and barbaric. This erroneous attribution continued through the eighteenth century.” (http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/gothic/gothic.html) Horace Walpole first introduced this genre of literature in The Castle of Otranto in 1764. In the following years, successful gothic-inspired novels were published such as The Monk (1796), Frankenstein (1818) and Dracula (1897). Gothic stories often involve: - Gloomy weather - The appearance of the supernatural - The psychology of horror and terror - Spooky structures (castles, abbeys) - A sense of mystery and dread - The appealing hero and its villain - The heroine in danger - (Usually) a strong moral closure. The Gothic element in Jane Eyre emphasizes the mystery and the supernatural through the dark, gloomy settings and violent events, which raises a horrific atmosphere. Mr. Reed's ghostly presence in the red-room, Bertha's mysterious laughter in the attic, and Rochester's dark and brooding personality are all examples of gothic conventions, which add to the novel's suspense, entangling the reader in Jane's attempt to solve the mystery at Thornfield. According to Robert Harris, the elements of Goth includes: 1. Setting in a castle. The action takes place in and around an old castle, sometimes seemingly abandoned and sometimes occupied. Inside the castles, there are secret passages, trap doors secret rooms, hidden staircase and sometimes...
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... Romero’s Night of the Living Dead (1968) was initially poorly received, but is now regarded as a landmark film. Please discuss some of Romero’s aesthetic choices (lighting, camera work, casting) and the ways in which they reflect the reallife horrors of the time. Night of the Living Dead (1968) by George A. Romero was heavily criticized at the time of release for its uncensored content, but it revolutionized the horror film genre while influencing many horror directors. When this transitional film first premiered in 1968, renowned film critic, Roger Ebert found it as “an expression of acute nausea”. Ebert was disgusted and wondered how someone could make such as horrifying movie (Hoberman and Rosenbaum, 1991, p. 123). In 1960’s, the scary monsters or evil villains such as the Frankenstein were typical in the horror films but this Romero cut has been associated with the term of “splatter film” used to describe horror genres that depict graphic violence and gore for many years (Williams, 2003, p.21). After the end of Civil War, 1968 was the most violent year in American history (Hoberman and Rosenbaum, p.125). It was in a time of very high tensions in both international Cold War politics and social turmoil; domestic racism, gender stereotypes and patriarchal nuclear family. Also the civil rights movement was beginning to blossom along with the protestation of the Vietnam War, which many believed was unnecessary and entirely avoidable. Romero has successfully delivered a “message” in this political film, highlighting...
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...1 - Character must be of noble/high stature 2 - Hubris (tragic flaw) - pride blinds them 3 - Downfall 4 - Enlightenment (near the end of the play) 5 - Their death Someone of high position; in this time period, that meant royalty. He is 'universal,' meaning that everyone everywhere can relate to the kinds of problems or sufferings or emotions that the hero experiences. He has a 'tragic flaw' - this could be a personality trait (like greed, lust, ambition, jealousy, etc.), OR an error in judgement (a bad decision). This 'tragic flaw' leads to his downfall - usually ruins his career, reputation, power, etc. He is enlightened at the end of the story, meaning he realizes where he went wrong, he is humble, and he accepts the consequences . A tragic hero is a character in a work of fiction (often the protagonist) who commits an action or makes a mistake which eventually leads to his or her defeat. The idea of the tragic hero was created in ancient Greek tragedy and defined by Aristotle (and others). Usually, this includes the realization of the error (anagnorisis), which results in catharsis or epiphany. Aristotelian tragic hero Characteristics Aristotle once said that "A man doesn't become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall." An Aristotelian tragic hero must have four characteristics: Nobility (of a noble birth) or wisdom (by virtue of birth). Hamartia (translated as flaw, mistake, or error, not an Elizabethan tragic flaw). A reversal of fortune(peripetia)...
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...Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Key facts full title · Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus author · Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley type of work · Novel genre · Gothic science fiction language · English time and place written · Switzerland, 1816, and London, 1816–1817 date of first publication · January 1, 1818 publisher · Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, & Jones narrator · The primary narrator is Robert Walton, who, in his letters, quotes Victor Frankenstein’s first-person narrative at length; Victor, in turn, quotes the monster’s first-person narrative; in addition, the lesser characters Elizabeth Lavenza and Alphonse Frankenstein narrate parts of the story through their letters to Victor. climax · The murder of Elizabeth Lavenza on the night of her wedding to Victor Frankenstein in Chapter 23 protagonist · Victor Frankenstein antagonist · Frankenstein’s monster setting (time) · Eighteenth century setting (place) · Geneva; the Swiss Alps; Ingolstadt; England and Scotland; the northern ice point of view · The point of view shifts with the narration, from Robert Walton to Victor Frankenstein to Frankenstein’s monster, then back to Walton, with a few digressions in the form of letters from Elizabeth Lavenza and Alphonse Frankenstein. falling action · After the murder of Elizabeth Lavenza, when Victor Frankenstein chases the monster to the northern ice, is rescued by Robert Walton, narrates his story, and dies tense · Past foreshadowing · Ubiquitous—throughout...
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...The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe (add the year yourself!) [pic] TRUE! nervous, very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why WILL you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses, not destroyed, not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How then am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily, how calmly, I can tell you the whole story. It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain, but, once conceived, it haunted me day and night. Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye! Yes, it was this! One of his eyes resembled that of a vulture -- a pale blue eye with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me my blood ran cold, and so by degrees, very gradually, I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye for ever. Now this is the point. You fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing. But you should have seen me. You should have seen how wisely I proceeded -- with what caution -- with what foresight, with what dissimulation, I went to work! I was never kinder to the old man than during the whole week before I killed him. And every night about midnight I turned the latch of his door and opened it oh, so gently! And then, when I had made an opening sufficient for my head, I put in a dark lantern...
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...A Brief History of Music in Film Going to the movies is one of America’s top favorite pass times; and no movie-going experience would be complete without the accompanying sound tracks. The music in movies often heightens the suspense and deepens the drama. The right background music can make us fall in love with a character, be terrified of the villain, or even adore an unlikely hero. Starting with Silent films and continuing until today, music has been an important part in the movie industry. In the beginning, movies had no sound and eventually the studios figured out they needed something for their movies to be more entertaining. Very quickly they figured out music would supplement and go along well with the action on the screen. Music has always been able to affect people emotionally, so it made a perfect accompaniment for movies. In the early theaters, pianos quickly became a well-recognized fixture. Organs quickly followed and music became a permanent part of the movie-going experience. At first, it was up to musicians to choose what music they would play during the films; but the music still didn’t have a true designated purpose, other than used as filler. Eventually the studios began producing music for the musicians that was more suitable for the film. The music became more and more specialized based on what the studio wanted, until music was specifically written for each film. In fact, Charlie Chaplin composed his own music for some of his films...
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