Sunday 14 November 2010

Developing a comparison linked to the effects of the Gothic Novel

These are the two task started in lesson time that should be complete by next Monday as your Milestones:

Task 1

'Gothic novels should not deal so much with the ordinary lives of the protagonist but should terrify the readder with elements of the supernatural.'

Compare this statement to the three texts you have been studying. It should be no longer than 500 words

Task 2

'I beheld those i loved spend vain sorrow upon the graves of William and Justine, the first hapless victims to my unhallowed arts.'

Using this quotation in you opening, write Victor's confession to the same Roman Catholic confessor as Justine. Review Chapter 8 for any other religious references to support your response.

Each task should be no longer than 500 words. The combined tasks will be used to form your milestone assessment.


Mr. D

15 comments:

Guess who! said...

I'm not enjoying this milestone just so you know, I don't like the phrasing. May I request that next time we have a milestone we get an essay on something far more inspiring and interesting... such as yourself! For example, something on your performance last Friday night on Children in Need :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLRlqk2WybY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeTS3l-g31M

Thanks!

Anonymous said...

hi sir.
i forgot if you mentioned this or not. but was is optional to mention childe roland in this milestone ?

daisyyy

Frankie. said...

Task 1.
The majority of Gothic novels delve in the supernatural, using this element as an authoritative force to evoke specific emotions in a reader, such as fear. Whilst the events in Gothic texts such as Frankenstein and Childe Roland are used for symbolic reasons (to criticise society and human nature), it leaves analytical readers asking why the authors chose the supernatural over realistic, relatable events.
Shelley uses the creation of a monster in order to terrify her readers, though the creation itself is described in a literal sentence, she requires the reader to use their imagination and taps into humanities deep-seated fears in both the historical context of her book and in modern society. Religion played a major part in society when Frankenstein was written, and transgressing was not supported by the majority for fear of playing God and now, the fear of being substituted for a more efficient race and immorality. Victor’s life is incredibly normal and consequently irrelevant, before he undergoes the quest for knowledge, in creating the monster, Victor’s life is twisted and he is punished for his actions through his ‘son’, which causes his life to spiral into the paranormal.
Whilst Childe Roland doesn’t use the supernatural to the lengths that Frankenstein does, Browning takes a seemingly natural realm and plagues it with death and decay. Although this landscape does seem realistic, where rules that people commonly accept are used (i.e. grass grows), Browning makes it quite surreal where he dedicates an entire stanza to a horse with ‘every bone a-stare’. There is indication, that Roland is a new arrival to these empty plains and that he steps from a fairly ordinary life into a realm that is terrifying to him as a character and quite possibly to readers of the Victorian Era. This normality isn’t important and it is indicated by the fact it isn’t mentioned in the poem very often. This transition from normality into the surreal appears in both Frankenstein and Childe Roland and is used in many other works of Gothic Literature.
In both these texts, the ordinary (whether that is events or the life of the protagonist) isn’t viewed as importantly as supernatural events, as it is the latter that allows the reader and the author to explore the outcome of humanities over-arching reach and decaying morality. In these Gothic texts the supernatural foreshadows the consequences of transgression, which in its turn, terrifies the reader with these symbolic possibilities. Arguably, the Gothic depends on its supernatural elements in order to sell itself as a genre due to the fact the points these texts make could not be illustrated as effectively (or subtly, in terms of Browning) in normal context.

Frankie. said...

Excuse the lack of indicated paragraph's - I don't know how managed that.

Frankie. said...

“Confess your sins, child.”
“The God of heaven forgive me! As well as you and your fellow man, I cannot be counted as one of you, so treacherous am I! I have walked through hell’s fires and how they have burned! What am I to do?! I beheld those I loved spend vain sorrow upon the graves of William and Justine, the first hapless victims to my unhallowed arts. But yes, you know me now, Sir, wretched as I am, I plead for your patience though it is not what I deserve, hear me. Life and death appeared to me ideal bounds which I should first break through; I see you do not understand: I collected bones from the channel houses, it was with this idea, I began the creation of a human body.
Do not ask me how, lest you may spare a thought on it! I have past many a sleepless night since, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open, since it breathed hard and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs. How I foresaw beauty in my creation, in my ungodly acts, I do not know now. I have lost everything and cannot begin life anew; it is not mercy enough that I should be struck where I sit now whilst they have all suffered!
Do not interrupt me father, let me speak whilst I still have the courage to do so! How it tears my heart to think that they may suffer more, my beloved Elizabeth, my beautiful cherub, I believe she cannot suffer any more misery or it may harm her further, irreversibly even. I, not in deed, not in effect, am the true murderer; I knew it and could not confess! I would be taken for a mad-man, I wonder about my own sanity. Must I have been insane to create man? To bring a dead body back to animation?
I expect no comfort, father, and I know my fate, and you must pass judgement, I need to hear it. Will you condemn me? Tell me of my horrors, I shall not prepare myself further, I cannot. I ask only one thing: that should I die before that daemon, that man shall rally and bring the wretch to its end! My soul shall not rest ‘till then!”

Anonymous said...

Task Two

I beheld those I loved spend vain sorrow upon the graves of William and Justine, the first hapless victims to my unhallowed arts. Alas the guilt is overpowering, I must confess my crimes in order to escape the darkest pits of Hell set apart for the truly heinous crimes. How could I have stood in Justine’s prison room knowing I deserved the punishment and yet not uttering a word. One can not imagine the tortures of my own heart seeing my poor Elizabeth wretched with such pain and suffering. If only I was not such a fool, if only.

Please do not think I was born with such an idea to create such a beast, it all started when I began at the University of Ingolstadt. Philosophy and chemistry became my only occupation. It took over my mind and soul with I alone being reserved to discover such a astonishing secret that is the creation of life. Me pouring a torrent of light into a dark world when so many men had failed before me. I was to learn that they were the better men, the acquirement of knowledge is deeply dangerous. I shut myself away until my cheek grew pale with study. I could not stop, a frantic impulse urged me forward. My limbs now tremble and my eyes swim with remembrance yet I was a fool for thinking myself better. Forgive me Father for I disturbed the peace of the dead, I dabbled among the unhallowed damps of the grave for my work. Will they be the ones to help seal my fate?

After two years of hard work, I beheld the accomplishment of my toils. I saw the dull eye of the creature open and immediately my heart was filled with horror and disgust. He was a wretch, Dante could not have conceived it. I was the creator of a monster! I ran and did not see the monster before that was until I was on my way home having found out about poor little William. He was such a dear little child and to die in such a way, it torments my every thought. Could he be, my creation the murderer of my brother. I resolved to remain silent and that is why another was to pay for my crimes. Justine was to die a murderess accused of a crime no human being could have committed. I had to tell all Father for while it is paining me now, it would pain me more if my father or my dearest Elizabeth was to suffer anymore. It was my doing all at the work of my thrice-accursed hands. It must stop, I confess my crimes. Stop the pain and suffering I cannot survive anymore. Please God forgive me.

Hannah

Anonymous said...

Task Two

I beheld those I loved spend vain sorrow upon the graves of William and Justine, the first hapless victims to my unhallowed arts. Alas the guilt is overpowering, I must confess my crimes in order to escape the darkest pits of Hell set apart for the truly heinous crimes. How could I have stood in Justine’s prison room knowing I deserved the punishment and yet not uttering a word. One can not imagine the tortures of my own heart seeing my poor Elizabeth wretched with such pain and suffering. If only I was not such a fool, if only.

Please do not think I was born with such an idea to create such a beast, it all started when I began at the University of Ingolstadt. Philosophy and chemistry became my only occupation. It took over my mind and soul with I alone being reserved to discover such a astonishing secret that is the creation of life. Me pouring a torrent of light into a dark world when so many men had failed before me. I was to learn that they were the better men, the acquirement of knowledge is deeply dangerous. I shut myself away until my cheek grew pale with study. I could not stop, a frantic impulse urged me forward. My limbs now tremble and my eyes swim with remembrance yet I was a fool for thinking myself better. Forgive me Father for I disturbed the peace of the dead, I dabbled among the unhallowed damps of the grave for my work. Will they be the ones to help seal my fate?

After two years of hard work, I beheld the accomplishment of my toils. I saw the dull eye of the creature open and immediately my heart was filled with horror and disgust. He was a wretch, Dante could not have conceived it. I was the creator of a monster! I ran and did not see the monster before that was until I was on my way home having found out about poor little William. He was such a dear little child and to die in such a way, it torments my every thought. Could he be, my creation the murderer of my brother. I resolved to remain silent and that is why another was to pay for my crimes. Justine was to die a murderess accused of a crime no human being could have committed. I had to tell all Father for while it is paining me now, it would pain me more if my father or my dearest Elizabeth was to suffer anymore. It was my doing all at the work of my thrice-accursed hands. It must stop, I confess my crimes. Stop the pain and suffering I cannot survive anymore. Please God forgive me.

Hannah

Anonymous said...

Task Two

I beheld those I loved spend vain sorrow upon the graves of William and Justine, the first hapless victims to my unhallowed arts. Alas the guilt is overpowering, I must confess my crimes in order to escape the darkest pits of Hell set apart for the truly heinous crimes. How could I have stood in Justine’s prison room knowing I deserved the punishment and yet not uttering a word. One can not imagine the tortures of my own heart seeing my poor Elizabeth wretched with such pain and suffering. If only I was not such a fool, if only.

Please do not think I was born with such an idea to create such a beast, it all started when I began at the University of Ingolstadt. Philosophy and chemistry became my only occupation. It took over my mind and soul with I alone being reserved to discover such a astonishing secret that is the creation of life. Me pouring a torrent of light into a dark world when so many men had failed before me. I was to learn that they were the better men, the acquirement of knowledge is deeply dangerous. I shut myself away until my cheek grew pale with study. I could not stop, a frantic impulse urged me forward. My limbs now tremble and my eyes swim with remembrance yet I was a fool for thinking myself better. Forgive me Father for I disturbed the peace of the dead, I dabbled among the unhallowed damps of the grave for my work. Will they be the ones to help seal my fate?

After two years of hard work, I beheld the accomplishment of my toils. I saw the dull eye of the creature open and immediately my heart was filled with horror and disgust. He was a wretch, Dante could not have conceived it. I was the creator of a monster! I ran and did not see the monster before that was until I was on my way home having found out about poor little William. He was such a dear little child and to die in such a way, it torments my every thought. Could he be, my creation the murderer of my brother. I resolved to remain silent and that is why another was to pay for my crimes. Justine was to die a murderess accused of a crime no human being could have committed. I had to tell all Father for while it is paining me now, it would pain me more if my father or my dearest Elizabeth was to suffer anymore. It was my doing all at the work of my thrice-accursed hands. It must stop, I confess my crimes. Stop the pain and suffering I cannot survive anymore. Please God forgive me.

Hannah

Rosie Nelson said...

Task 2

Forgive me father for I have sinned. I beheld those I loved spend vain sorrow upon the graves of William and Justine the first hapless victims to my unhallowed arts. My arrogance in thinking that I could play god and create life, which led to an abomination being let loose on mankind, who will now forever threaten society as long as it shall live. Instead of repenting my sin, I shied away from responsibility and instead blamed the daemon, who had no hand in my ignorance towards my actions. I was cowardly and put myself before the rest of man kind, believing my quest for knowledge was just. The victims of my creation, are mine also. Their blood’s on my hands. My main sin is being able to repent and save lives, yet instead I saw myself as the victim and did nothing. Justine an innocent woman, doomed by gender and status paid with her life because I didn’t do a simple thing and speak up about her innocence and declare my guilt.
I lied to family and friends to hide my lapse in morale and tried to convince myself that the only evil was my creation. I now realise that my actions towards man and the creations itself were evil.
I now realise nature can’t be replicated and that misusing science can be catastrophic. I believe my soul is dammed due to my rebellion against religion and faith in science, the equivalent to evil. God save my soul.

Yuliya, innit. said...

t1.

In the late 17th century, the Gothic novel was produced to terrify the reader with the elements of the supernatural still unfamiliar to the audience. Yet moving through gothic novels through time the gothic novel had to deal with the ordinary lives of the protagonist in order to terrify, as the supernatural was becoming a folklore tale unlike the ordinary life that the reader could relate to having a supernatural element added on to make the novel a realistic novel that would terrify the reader. Robert Brownings ‘Childe Roland...’, deals with the supernatural elements through his vision of the past, psychological complexity and the mystery behind the ‘Dark Tower.’ Although this poem is a metaphor for the critic Browning gives the transgressive Victorian society, the mystery surrounding the quest whether psychological or exaggerated one to the ‘Dark Tower’ remains a gothic element of the supernatural. For some, the mysterious journey to the unknown full of ‘cripples’, voices or sights of the dead would have been terrifying, bringing the moral issues such as life after death and the question of what does the ‘dark tower’ represent for one or what is waiting inside this tower, meaning the protagonists story of ‘why’, ‘how’ and ‘for what reason’ he takes this journey to the dark tower is unimportant. Yet for the growing society that looses it’s fear due to the gruesome every day stories, a gothic novel in order to terrify had to contain an element of a protagonists ordinary life narration for it to then introduce the element of the supernatural in order for the reader to relate to see that this could happen to any everyday person like them. Shelley’s Frankenstein does exactly that by introducing a normal life of a boy seeking for knowledge (intelligence being the key to life at the time of the book being published), but by challenging the protagonists life by the element of the supernatural he creates himself, showing an everyday individual being challenged by a supernatural occurrence, which makes the novel more terrifying as the reader could relate to something so real that turns gothic and supernatural gradually to an everyday human being, through an everyday interest and societies growing transgressive intellect and needs.
Overall, in the early years of the Gothic novel, it did not have to follow an ordinary life of a protagonist in order to terrify with the supernatural elements, due to this subject being a new, undiscovered and unknown topic, too great for a traditional mind to process and critic. Instead it terrified the reader as this was a new strategy in a new genre of writing, never before seen starting in the 17th century. But as the theories and intellectual abilities started to progress, it was harder to shock an ordinary reader with what came to be known as folk tales. The gothic novels had to give an everyday account in order for the reader to feel like it can happen to them and challenge it with monstrosity, brutality and the issues of the society like women etc.

Yuliya, innit. said...

t1.

In the late 17th century, the Gothic novel was produced to terrify the reader with the elements of the supernatural still unfamiliar to the audience. Yet moving through gothic novels through time the gothic novel had to deal with the ordinary lives of the protagonist in order to terrify, as the supernatural was becoming a folklore tale unlike the ordinary life that the reader could relate to having a supernatural element added on to make the novel a realistic novel that would terrify the reader. Robert Brownings ‘Childe Roland...’, deals with the supernatural elements through his vision of the past, psychological complexity and the mystery behind the ‘Dark Tower.’ Although this poem is a metaphor for the critic Browning gives the transgressive Victorian society, the mystery surrounding the quest whether psychological or exaggerated one to the ‘Dark Tower’ remains a gothic element of the supernatural. For some, the mysterious journey to the unknown full of ‘cripples’, voices or sights of the dead would have been terrifying, bringing the moral issues such as life after death and the question of what does the ‘dark tower’ represent for one or what is waiting inside this tower, meaning the protagonists story of ‘why’, ‘how’ and ‘for what reason’ he takes this journey to the dark tower is unimportant. Yet for the growing society that looses it’s fear due to the gruesome every day stories, a gothic novel in order to terrify had to contain an element of a protagonists ordinary life narration for it to then introduce the element of the supernatural in order for the reader to relate to see that this could happen to any everyday person like them. Shelley’s Frankenstein does exactly that by introducing a normal life of a boy seeking for knowledge (intelligence being the key to life at the time of the book being published), but by challenging the protagonists life by the element of the supernatural he creates himself, showing an everyday individual being challenged by a supernatural occurrence, which makes the novel more terrifying as the reader could relate to something so real that turns gothic and supernatural gradually to an everyday human being, through an everyday interest and societies growing transgressive intellect and needs.

Ivan the terrible (Yuliya) said...

t1 part 2.

Overall, in the early years of the Gothic novel, it did not have to follow an ordinary life of a protagonist in order to terrify with the supernatural elements, due to this subject being a new, undiscovered and unknown topic, too great for a traditional mind to process and critic. Instead it terrified the reader as this was a new strategy in a new genre of writing, never before seen starting in the 17th century. But as the theories and intellectual abilities started to progress, it was harder to shock an ordinary reader with what came to be known as folk tales. The gothic novels had to give an everyday account in order for the reader to feel like it can happen to them and challenge it with monstrosity, brutality and the issues of the society like women etc.

A good example of terrifying one in the modern society is by picking a middle aged man wearing tan chino trousers with an unflattering brown velvet suit jacket and placing a female student in a cupboard, under desk etc etc etc. This is horrifying to a middle aged man as he is not used to being in a class full of females, or in his life. Yet what makes this situation more supernatural is that his fiance is a beautiful woman.

..........Donovan....Frankly your my favorite teacher.

Mr. D said...

Thank you Yuliya, I feel complete now that I have your approval. Mind you, I write this before viewing the youtube links you've posted.

The real Yuliya. said...

That is where your wrong.
That was not me. I, in a great way inspired someone else in the class to confront you, 'The Donovan', if that is your real name.
But I knew you would think it's me...Unfortunately I do my work last minute therefore did not post that particular post at 04.56pm.
I hope this great joker comes forward and takes the 'unusual blame' from me.
Kind regards.

An A2 Literature Female said...

It amazes me how your movements echo those of Louis' as he prowls across the floor, much like you do across the classroom. Looking closely you also have questionably similar footwear ... to the first video anyway although in all fairness it wouldn't me too shocking if you had the pair from the second video stashed away somewhere too .. The hairline is also incredibly similar ... Is there something you're failing to tell us here??