Frankenstein (3)

1. Frankenstein (3) The Monster’s Education and Rejection by Humans

2. Outline • Starting Questions • Education and its Implication • Allusions • The story of De Laceys’ • Rejection and Regaining Hope in Nature

3. Starting Questions • Is the monster human? How do you characterize him? How is he educated? • If Victor rejects him because he is ugly, what about the others such as De Lacey’s family, the little girl and Williams?

4. The Monster’s Education: From Nature to Human Civilization Human Mind as a blank slate; noble savage (with natural goodness and without the pollution of civilization) • Physical Responses and Survival (fire, food, shelter)  continued appreciation of nature(moon 103; Spring 115, 116) • Sensual appreciation of music and feeling emotions (103 birds singing, music108-, pain+pleasure) • Observation: 1) He chooses to learn from the good but not the barbarous (chap 12: 110--) • Language (112-)  learning the language like Safie (117, 118-19)  Reading (later)

5. The Monster’s Education (2): Society Self and Other:a) observation of and sympathy for the others helps and attempts to understand and them help (115) • housekeeping—the use of wood and tapers; human interactions and connections; • Two kinds of human beauty [108-109]; • human sadness and the motives behind (e.g. poverty) (110-111) • Human kindness – Felix and Agatha’s serving the father food while they eat nothing. • Helping them carry wood (111), clearing their paths (114-15) ; sympathy (112)

6. The Monster’s Education (2) Self and Other (2): • b).Self-Knowledge: Sees himself (114) bitterness  efforts in self-improvement  more self-understanding and questions (120-21) (next)

7. The Monster’s Self-Doubt (p. 120) And what was I? Of my creation and creator I was absolutely ignorant, but I knew that I possessed no money, no friends, no kind of property. I was, besides, endued with a figure hideously deformed and loathsome; I was not even of the same nature as man. I was more agile than they and could subsist upon coarser diet; I bore the extremes of heat and cold with less injury to my frame; my stature far exceeded theirs.

8. The Monster’s Views on Knowledge and Virtue in Isolation • Of what a strange nature is knowledge! It clings to the mind when it has once seized on it like a lichen (青苔) on the rock. I wished sometimes to shake off all thought and feeling, but I learned that there was but one means to overcome the sensation of pain, and that was death--a state which I feared yet did not understand. I admired virtue and good feelings and loved the gentle manners and amiable qualities of my cottagers, but I was shut out from intercourse with them…

9. For your Reference:Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in Human Development • Physiological - The need for food, drink, shelter, warmth and relief from pain • Safety and security - The need to feel safe and secure • Social and affiliation (with the family of De Lacey) - The need for friendship and interaction with others • Esteem - The need for self esteem and the esteem for others • Self-Actualization (source)

10. The Monster’s Self-Improvement: Finding Company • c) connections and natural benevolence: hope destroyed and re-built several times • “I cherished hope, it is true, but it vanished when I beheld my person reflected in water or my shadow in the moonshine, even as that frail image and that inconstant shade.” (131) • Makes plans to approach them.

11. The Monster’s Self-Improvement: Readings • [“ardent” learning of language as a “godlike science applies his whole mind to it.”// Frankenstein but with different purposes 112, 113) • The Sorrows of Werter & Plutarch's Lives “I learned from Werter's imaginations despondency and gloom: but Plutarch taught me high thoughts; he elevated me above the wretched sphere of my own reflections to admire and love the heroes of past ages”(128-29) • The Sorrows of Werter –individualism and sentimentalism • Plutarch's Lives –heroes, wealth and social status

12. The Monster’s Education (2) –Paradise Lost • (first page) The monster as Adam, or Satan. Did I request thee, Maker, from my clay To mould Me man? Did I solicit thee From darkness to promote me? (Paradise Lost) • chap 10 (pp. 100) "Remember that I am thy creature; I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel, whom thou drivest from joy for no misdeed."Chapter 11(106)"...and it presented to me then as exquisite and divine a retreat as Pandemonium(地獄 ) appeared to the demons of hell after their sufferings in the lake of fire.",

13. The Monster’s Education (2) –Paradise Lost • Chap 15 (129) Reading Paradise Lost  the beginning of rebellion and revenge. “[…] Like Adam, I was apparently united by no link to any other being in existence; but his state was far different from mine in every other respect. [Adam] had come forth from the hands of God a perfect creature, happy, and prosperous, guarded by the especial care of his Creator; […]. but I was wretched, helpless, and alone. Many times I considered Satan as the fitter emblem of my condition, for often, like him, when I viewed the bliss of my protectors, the bitter gall of envy rose within me."

14. The Monster’s Education (2) –Paradise Lost • Chap 15 (129) Reading Paradise Lost  the beginning of rebellion and revenge. (p. 131)"...to ramble in the fields of Paradise, and dared to fancy amiable and lovely creatures sympathizing with my feelings and cheering my gloom; their angelic countenances breathed smiles of consolation. But it was all a dream; no Eve soothed my sorrows nor shared my thoughts; I was alone. I remembered Adam's supplication to his Creator. But where was mine? He had abandoned me, and in the bitterness of my heart I cursed him." ,

15. The Monster Rejected By the marginalized and the weak De Lacey Family

16. The Story of De Lacey’s Exile • Influences on the Monster: • similar positions of being marginalized; • the lack of justice (// Justine, Frankenstein when Cherval is murdered) • Parallel to the main story: • The “rescue” motif; Safie as a gift to Felix • her mother’s absence; • examples of Orientalism

17. The Monster’s Need for Companion • A human need expressed by • Walton  Victor, • Felix  Safie • Elizabeth  Frankenstein • Part of his attempt to make peace and solve his own problems when being rejected.

18. Rejection and Regaining Hope 1) The villagers and discovery of his appearance  learning the language to approach De Laceys’ 2) De Laceys’ rejection 135  declares war (136)  tranquility gained in sunshine decides to return (137)  the family gone  has the feelings of revenge (138) 3) To search for his creator (139-)  travels in autumn and finds pleasure in nature (again 140) 4) Rejected by the little girl he saves and a rustic (141)  vows eternal hatred and revenge to all mankind  fails to appreciate nature (141-42) 5) Tries again to approach William (142) -> rejected  kills the 1st victim  attracted and softened by the portrait temporarily (143)  in rage again and seeking revenge with Justine (143-44)

19. Frankenstein’s Respones To the Monster’s Request

20. Next Week • Revenge and the Learning of and in Nature • The contrast between Henry Clerval and Victor Frankenstein in their responses to Nature and natural philosophy • Is Victor justified in breaking his promise?