#enl3notes2

[melissaashleybrooks]

Notes 2

Appendix B: The education of Victor Frankenstein: Darwin and Davy

The author of the Discouse, Sir Humphry Davy, talks about science (chemistry in specific) in a creative way in these notes. Here is a short overview of

In Discourse 5-9 Davy credits many scientific discoveries- "production of rain,hail,snow..the conversion of deaad matter into living matter by vegetable organs"- to chemistry. He explains the significant role that chemistry plays to the scientific community as a whole.

Discourse 14-17:

In the name of science, man has used nature out of self satisfaction and personal desires. He says that man harnessed parts of nature, such as heat and light, under his control for "instruments of...enjoyment, or of...destruction." He argues that science has given man "powers which may have been called creative." He basically says that men use these powers for a sense of control rather than to gain knowledge. Then he mentions that science has so much more to offer and there are new discoveries to be made. He calls upon future generations to build upon what was known before them and to continue to expand what is known in the science world.

Discourse 18-19:

In short, this section discussed the idea that new discoveries (during the time) have emerged and replaced old ones. For example, electricity, the composition of the atmosphere, and gas properties. He even refers to the discovery of electricity and its ability to make dead matter, animal and human, move.

Discourse 23:

New discoveries in the "external world" give people enjoyment and because ideas in this subject are always changing, they constantly change our "habits of thinking."

Discourse 24-26

Davy says that the most powerful ambitions of the soul are never satisfied with knowledge. And that scientific discoveries may only cause happiness in solitude because the rest of the world may be "indifferent" toawrds them.

Many of Davy's beliefs about the relationship that men have with science are apparent in Frankenstein. I found a few examples in Volume I of the text regarding Victor and his practices.

"..loathsome in itself, but which had taken an irresistable hold of my immagination. I wished..to procrastinate all that related tp ,y feelings of affection until the great object, which swallowed up every habit pf my nature, should be completed (82)."

"..I believed that exercise and amusement would soon drive away such symptoms; and I promised myself both of these, when my creation should be complete (83)."

In both of these examples from the text, Victor admits that he is consumed by his project. He must complete it in order to feel satisfied. Its these symptoms that Davy warns man about in his notes.

I found from a few sources online that Mary Shelley was reading works by Davy while writing Frankemstein. It is evident in the way she writes about science that she drew a lot of inspriation from Davy's ideas. She makes some sexual references to science and talks about the power that men have- almost like creators (referncing religion)- just as Davy does.

[maddyd4204-blog]

ENL3 Notes 2

In Frankenstein, there is a quote on page 82 that references the editorial Political Justice 2: 502-04; VIII.viii.appendix that talk about the scientist's need for society. Victor talks about how he knew his father would not necessarily approve of his endeavors to create human life, but he knew that he would not be able to satiate this vision he had until was completed and he is feeling some guilt about not being able to do what his father truly desires of him. "I knew well therefore my father's feelings; but I could not tear my thoughts from my employment...I wished as it were to procrastinate all that related to  my feelings of affection until the object, which swallowed up every habit of my nature, should be completed" (pg. 82). It seems as though Victor feels as if he is letting his father and the rest of his family down for going out on his mission to create life, which seems impossible, yet it is something that he must do - this insatiable need to create life from something completely dead. Relating this to the editorial, Godwin talks about how although a scientist is someone who goes out and makes discoveries and tends to go against the grain of what society says are true about life, they still have a need to be part of a society, because without that, what motivation do they have to go and find out new things about the world and prove people right or wrong? I think this also ties into Victor's need to be accepted by his family - especially his father. His father's disapproval of reading science books as well his professor laughing at him for reading Albertus Magnus and Paracelsus, subconsciously fueled Victor's fire to go out and do something so close to impossible just to finally gain some approval once he succeeded.

[secretlyoptimistickingdom-blog]

Notes No. 2

NOTES 1/13/15

After completing the book, I began to reflect on certain passages and their significance to the book. The only passage, however, that really caught my attention was the monster’s story about his time with the De Lacey family. When looking back on this, I began to realize there were major similarities between these side characters along with Victor Frankenstein. The similarities to Victor that I saw were that both were part of a close-knit family; most interestingly, even each man’s future wife (Safie and Elizabeth) were once seen to be with their respective adopted families and performing the function of taking care of their family before even being married into the family. Another similarity can be seen with their fathers, in which they are “blind” in different aspects to their sons’ situations. For Felix, his father is literally blind and thus cannot see how he is doing when coping with their poor situation or be able to help out; for Victor, is father is blind in the sense he is clueless to his son’s real dilemma and tries to help out but ultimately fails to do so (ex. have Victor marry Elizabeth in the hopes he will recover from his depression). Despite these similarities, however, what caught my attention was the one major difference between Felix and Victor: that of how they deal with their responsibilities.

Felix is seen as a very responsible person when it comes to actually doing something to help others. This, however, may just be because he was a soldier who felt his honor was being corrupted by the French government’s decisions. On the other hand, Victor is mostly seen as an irresponsible person—or at least, fails to take any form of action until it is too late. He failed to destroy the creature and in fact, when he the creature first came alive and he realized his mistake, he was so overwhelmed that he went to sleep rather than take advantage of the monster’s weak state and destroy him. With Felix, we see him actually trying to help the people surrounding him (but one could argue that because of his actions of trying to free Safie’s father, he actually was irresponsible for placing his family in danger and not expecting any consequences for doing so). With Victor, we see him pursuing his dreams or seeking revenge while not even thinking about any of the consequences that it might place on him or to all of “mankind.” The De Lacey story made me believe it was more important that I first realized. It was then that I concluded it was told because it was to show how Victor’s life was similar to theirs because they both share the common theme of performing their responsibilities and protecting their family bonds, yet having the opposite effects that they each wanted whenever they did do something.

In light of my fascination with the De Lacey story, I have chosen to take upon the similar theme by understanding Richard Peake’s, “The Fate of Frankenstein,” in Appendix E (285). In this play, both Felix and Victor are together and are seen fighting Frankenstein, Felix to protect his family while Victor is seen rejecting his creation. I believe this play helps to complicate the responsibility and family relationship issues while also clarifying their roles in the novel. Felix’s immediate duty is protecting his family, in which he does, but he does not help the situation by aggravating the monster who in turn, eventually burns their house; therefore, it is really Felix’s fault for leaving his family homeless. For Victor, we see him rejecting his creation’s pleas for protection and failing to own up to his responsibility of being his protector; therefore, the monster seeks vengeance of mankind for abhorring him and see it is really Victor’s fault for eventually protecting not only Felix’s family in the play, but his own family in the novel.

I believe the chosen characters for this play are important. For the monster, both Felix and Victor were the ones he wanted to feel familial love from; he wanted to be part of the homey feeling Felix’s family induced and wanted the care of a father figure in Victor, his creator. Both what he received from both of them was rejection and for feeling such a betrayal based on his appearances, it is apparent to see why in this play, we see both characters become the victims of the creature’s violence towards them. This play highlights how when one feels betrayed by someone they felt they could trust, the betrayed turns towards destruction upon those who betrayed them.