Briefly summarize the main events in these chapters. Make sure you give textual evidence in your response. Choose one of the following questions:
1.) Mary Shelley spends a lot of time describing Victor's childhood and his relationship with his parents. Do you believe Victor's parents were good parents? Give examples.
2.) Under what circumstances does Elizabeth come into Victor's family? What does Caroline say to Victor about Elizabeth? Notice the focus on physical appearances. Do you believe a person's physical appearance is important even in today's day and age?
3.) In these early chapters we start to see Victor's personality. How is his personality contrasted with Elizabeth and Henry? Can good friends have opposite personalities? Explain.
4.) In Chapter 2, Victor picks up a book written by Cornelius Agrippa, but his father calls it "sad trash". Out of curiosity and rebellion, Victor continues to read this book. Do you believe parents can have a positive or negative influence in what a child studies? Give examples from the text and your own observations.
5.) In Chapter 3, Victor's family is struck with tragedy. Explain what happens to Caroline. Knowing Mary Shelley's tragic life, what similarities can you find.
Elizabeth is the niece of Victor Frankenstein's father. She comes into his life when he is only five years old because her mother had passed away. Her mother's only wish was for Alphonse to take her in and "consider her as [his] own daughter" (Shelley 30). Thus, indicating that Alphonse and Caroline had adopted Elizabeth. At the time of Elizabeth's arrival, Caroline told Victor that Elizabeth was "the most beautiful child she had ever seen" (Shelley 30). She even became determined to make Elizabeth his future wife. I think it wrong of Caroline to determine who will marry her son based on the characteristics of outer beauty. Not only is the young age a problem, but the lack of emotional compatibility. It is wrong of Caroline to do this because it is evident that Victor and Elizabeth do not possess the same interests. Victor even says, "she did not interest herself in the subject, and I was left by her to pursue my studies alone" (34). If Victor was willing to be alone to pursue his studies, it is evident that beauty goes beyond a surface level, but it is skin deep.
ReplyDeleteWith that being said, I believe that physical appearance is important to a certain extent, but it is not everything in today's world. You could look good and dress well, but it does not mean that you will have the necessary skills to be good at whatever you wanted to be. There are also situations when the most beautiful people become ugly to the public eye because of their disgusting personalities. So physical appearance is important to get you places, but emotional connections are what leave long-lasting effects.
Hello Yadira!
DeleteFor me personally, despite your argument, I would say that physical appearance isn't important. I think we can come to a consensus that what's truly important is what's in the inside. I do however would like to point out the quotes you used to support your claim. Your response shows sophistication. Good job!
Karina Perez
I also believe that we are reading different editions of Frankenstein. The 1818 edition talks about how Elizabeth is his cousin however in the 1831 edition, Elizabeth is rescued by Caroline.
DeleteKarina Perez
Karina Perez- Question 1
ReplyDeleteI wouldn’t say that Victor’s parents were ideal due to the fact that they gave Victor, as a present, Elizabeth. Victor's mother, Caroline, had one last dying wish which was for him and Elizabeth to be married. Was this her goal from the very beginning? Yes because although her actions of giving Elizabeth to Victor seems very strange, she did it out of the love she had for her son. I’m not saying that Elizabeth was unhappy because she came from nothing to having a family that loved and cared for her. There’s no question as to how much Caroline loved her family. Victor’s father was respected by many and tried providing his family nothing but luxury. You can feel the author emoting how much they all loved each other. Like I’ve mentioned before, although his parents aren’t ideal, they gave him love that they believed was the best kind of love.
Hey Karina!
DeleteI agree with your idea that Victor's parents weren't ideal, but the one thing they succeeded at was being a united family. Aside from including things that support the idea that they were loving, I suggest you include moments where the parents are flawed. The inclusion of their flaws will strengthen your argument, as you will show how their strengths outweigh their weaknesses. If I were you, I'd mention Caroline's judgment on physical appearance. For example, when she wanted Elizabeth to marry Victor just because of her beauty. She didn't even care that they were cousins. I would also include details about the father and his discouraging words towards Victor about reading whatever he was reading. These are just suggestions, but once again, I agree with you.
-Yadira Soto
I agree that Victor's parents were not ideal nor the stereotypical. However, they do love their children unconditionally and it shows throughout the book.
DeleteIf you look towards the end, I do mention the amount of love they had for each other! Thank you for your feedback! :)
DeleteI agree that Victor's parents were not ideal. They did Love their children very much even if they treated Elizabeth as object and wanting to give her to Victor as gift/wife. I think that they did their best in trying to show her that they loved her even though she wasn't her biological daughter like the rest of their children.
DeleteDrexler
ReplyDeleteQuestion 4
I believe that parents can have both positive and negative effects when it comes to their children’s studies. When Victor was choosing which institution he wanted to pursue his higher education, his father pushed for him to attend the University of Ingolstadt because he “thought it necessary for the completion of my education that I should be acquainted with other customs that those of my native county”. In this, Alphonse is setting a good example for Victor because wants his son to have a broader knowledge about the world that he lives in. He merely does not want Victor to know the superficial meaning of life but rather the different points of view each culture and demographic holds.
Furthermore, Alphonse does clown on Victor because of his interest in studying chemiral science instead of “real” science. However, Alphonse does not go further and interfere with Victor’s plan with his college major. He is letting Victor’s curiosity drive his learning and guide him into places in which the unanswerable questions become answerable with time and dedication. In contrast, I have seen many parents interfere with what their children should study. For example, in Asian American households, becoming a doctor or a nurse is the ideal way to live. It is a profession in which the money flows frequently and has the most job stability. Often enough, people like my cousin is forced into professions that they are not interested in thus affecting not only their free will but also mental health.
So in conclusion, parents can affect their child’s education in both a positive and negative manner. It all boils down to how it affects the child’s being and whether or not it limits who tehy truly are.
Hello Drexler!
DeleteYour response on how a parent could both positively and negatively affect a child's education is insightful and informative!
Karina Perez
I like how you pointed out that Alphonse does judge Victor for reading certain book yet did not meddle any further. I think that it all comes down to how far parents take certain things. Sometimes, they are best left alone.
Delete-Citlaly
Elizabeth entered Victor’s family when her mother had passed away and her father was remarrying. Before remarrying, Elizabeth’s father told Alphonse Frankenstein about who he was marrying and requested he took care of Elizabeth. When Elizabeth arrived in her new home, Caroline would say “she at the moment was the most beautiful child she had ever seen” and desired for her and Victor to one day marry. Although judging Elizabeth and deciding she were to marry Victor does not seem ideal considering their young age. Even though it was a different time period and things functioned differently, she could have waited to get to know Elizabeth better as a person rather than settling for her looks. Although time has passed, I do believe that a person’s physical appearance is important in today’s day and age for a lot of things. Someone’s physical appearance is important for many jobs today. Taking modeling for example, you have to be a certain height, weight, and sometimes even race depending on what they are looking for. Another example would be the dating world. Since a lot of people have moved to a digital world of choosing their partners, they usually pick people based on their looks. Although these are not all the scenarios where a person’s appearance is important, physical appearance is still important to a lot of people today.
ReplyDelete-Citlaly
I agree that Caroline should have waited to get to know Elizabeth better as a person because settling for looks does not mean happiness. Someone can be good looking, but their personality can be bad. In the novel they mentioned that everyone "loved Elizabeth" because she was a beautiful girl and Victor could not wait to be hers only. I really like your example of modeling. In order to become a model you have to meet a certain criteria which is not fair. Everyone is beautiful in their own way. However, that is why I think appearance is important to many people today.
DeleteAlexander Sanchez
DeleteTwo things, firstly I think we're reading two different versions of the story because I don't remember marriage being discussed or maybe I just didn't get to that part, regardless I like the examples you used and I agree with you. I think whilst for a lot of people appearance doesn't matter for some it does and it's just the way of the world, for better or for worse.
On a trip to Italy, Elizabeth is discovered by Caroline. Caroline was visiting a poor Italian family and she was “fond of the sweet orphan..Her presence had seemed a blessing” (Shelley 30). Elizabeth is the orphaned daughter of a nobleman and a German woman and they were not able to afford food for her. Victor’s parent’s thought it would be unfair for Elizabeth, “A creature who seemed to shed radiance from her looks..” (Shelley 30) to be in poverty. Therefore, they consulted their village priest and Elizabeth became the inmate of the Frankenstein house. From the moment of the adoption, Caroline was determined that Elizabeth and Victor would marry each other. Caroline tells Victor that Elizabeth is his promise gift. The fact that Caroline wanted her son and Elizabeth to get married already from a young age, shows that physical appearance is important to her. I personally believe that physical appearance should not be important in society because what matters is the inside of the person. However, to society physical appearance is important, there is a lot of “pretty privilege.” An example would be social media. Many people are praised because of their appearance and many girls feel like they need to look a certain way because of society's standards.
ReplyDeleteI can partially agree with your statement because although I believe that the character of a person should be the main factor, physical attributes still slightly matter even if it is in the back of our minds. As humans we are drawn to what we see on the outside before we actually get to know the person. On the topic of society's view of beauty, it is terrible that so many young women and men are taught they they have to look a certain way to be liked which is why it is important for there to continue to be pushed larger diversity of appearance to the public in the media so young people may see representation and be taught to love themselves and others no matter what they look like. (I hope I made some sense)
DeleteAlexander Sanchez
ReplyDeleteUnder what circumstances does Elizabeth come into Victor's family? What does Caroline say to Victor about Elizabeth? Notice the focus on physical appearances. Do you believe a person's physical appearance is important even in today's day and age?
In my version of the story, Elizabeth is living with a group of other kids in a “poor cot”, her mother died whilst giving birth and her father was a “Milanese Nobleman”. One day as Caroline and Victor took a stroll through the “shores of Lake Como”, Elizabeth stood out amongst a group of kids to Caroline and is described by Victor as “ a distinct species, a being heaven-sent, and bearing a celestial stamp in all her features.” She was fair, blonde, and had blue eyes. It is precisely at this point that Caroline finds out Elizabeth’s backstory via the woman who is raising her and the other kids, what happens next is that Caroline adopts Elizabeth. Elizabeth informs Victor of this by referring to Elizabeth as Victors, “Pretty present”. In this story it’s clear that the basis for Elizabeth's adoption was her looks, thus looks in this story are very important. For me, a person's physical appearance can only get them so far and whilst it is important to a certain degree, it’s not the determining factor on if I choose to interact with this person because if I can’t get along with them, there’d be no point in going any further past the initial stage. That being said, I think it’s undeniable that if a person is physically attractive, they are going to get more attention than someone who is not. Physical appearance morally shouldn’t matter but in reality of course it does, it matters in today’s age, and as far as I know it’s always mattered.
Hey Alex!
DeleteI certainly agree with your sentiments that a persons looks can only get them so far. You made a good point in saying that looks mean nothing if you can't get alone with said person. Especially in the day and age that we live in, it's very hard to overlook someones apperence.
Linda Brand
ReplyDeleteQuestion 2:
Elizabeth comes into Victor's family after his mother and father stopped to on the shores of Lake Como. Caroline, Victor's mother, felt it her obligation to help the children in that area since she too had faced the painful yet similar situation of living impoverished and losing family at a young age. Caroline's stumble of finding Elizabeth and adopting her was done not only because Elizabeth's "celestial stamp in all her features" but also because Caroline possibly saw a young version of herself in Elizabeth. Around the time this Novel was written, it was the norm for a woman to be given to a man based entirely on physical appearance since people wanted their grandchildren to grow to be strong and good looking. The latter would allow for the family lineage to continue on which was of significance to many at the time. Although many cultures and people still follow similar values till this day, most have moved passed it and have began putting love before physical attributes.
Although, physical appearance should not be the only thing considered when meeting someone, it still remains a deciding factor whether it is thought of or not. For example, if person A has yet to be introduced to person B, or person A merely catches their attention from afar, it is commonly the physical features they will use to determine their interest since they have yet to figure out one another's character. Luckily, pretty does not necessarily look one way in today's world since we have gradually moved away from the strict skinny blond to a more diverse world of beauty in television, the fashion industry, and even social media. Overall, I believe that although physical features should not matter or be the over arching factor in love, they still hold a slight importance and varies from person to person.
You make a good point that Caroline might see herself in Elizabeth. I didn’t think of it that way. Now I see another reason for Caroline to wanting to adopt Elizabeth into their family. I also agree with you that beauty does not have a standard. There are many definitions of beauty that have been present in many accepts of the media. It encourages people to find beauty in everyone.
Delete1. Victor’s parents are good people because they have given homes to kids that have a hard life like Elizabeth her mother died and her father is said to be dead or captured, she was an orphan but Victor’s mom took her as family. They showed an immense amount of affection towards victor because it was the amount of love towards each other that created this being that was there to love and take care of. His mother had a good heart because she made it a duty to give back to the poor because she had also felt pain and sorrow. They taught victor patience, charity, and self-control. After having another son they decided to find a more permanent home so they are not moving their family around. They gave up their life of exportation and fun to build their family so their kids could have a normal and stable life. Even victor boasts that his family was better than any other kid in his neighborhood. Also, the mother sacrificed her life to take care of Elizabeth from scarlet fever. She knew the risk but she could not let Elizabeth deal with this sickness all alone.
ReplyDeleteHi Esmeralda! I completely agree with you. I think that you made some very valid points as to why Victor's parents are good, one of the points being that they opened up their home. I do question Elizabeth's intentions sometimes but overall I feel that both parents want what's best for their kids. Good job!
DeleteI totally agree with you Esmeralda, if Caroline wasn't a good parent, she wouldn't have bothered on adopting Elizabeth but the fact that she did means more than her care for appearances.
Delete-Samantha Serrano
Question 1
ReplyDeleteI wouldn’t say that Victor’s parents are the “perfect” parents. (But then again what parents are?) We see Caroline’s (Victor’s mother) judgement on the physical appearance of Elizabeth. Caroline was very set on Victor marrying Elizabeth solely because of her beauty and did not care that she was raising them as cousins. We can also see Victor’s father’s flaws when it comes to his reaction to Victor reading “Cornelius Agrippa.” His father was very discouraging due to the fact that it did not align with his field of study. Although Victor’s parents were not ideal, I do believe that they loved their children unconditionally. An example of this is when Elizabeth is on her deathbed, the only reason she is there is because she sacrificed her well being in order to help Caroline. Another example of this is the fact that Victor’s father did send him away to the University of Ingolstadt. It is very apparent that his father loves and cares for Victor because he is sending him somewhere that he thinks will benefit him the most considering his field of study. I believe that this shows his father’s “tough love” because Victor did not want to leave his family but in reality he will be benefiting from going to a college that caters towards his field of study.
Hey Clara!
DeleteI totally agree with you when you say that Victor's parents are not the "perfect" parents because in reality what is the perfect? I think that parents make mistakes with their kids, however that does not mean that they love them any less. I really enjoyed how you were able to look at both sides on how they are good and bad towards their kids. In my eyes, this shows a true understanding of the question and I really liked the way it was organized. Victor's parents do love him and his siblings unconditionally, however at times I feel that they can make the wrong decisions.
-Brandon Boyd
I completely agree with you when you say that Victors parents are not ideal. When you think about it, no parent in this world is ideal, but they do love their children unconditionally and i think thats what matters most.
Delete-Samantha Serrano
Brandon Boyd
ReplyDelete5.) In Chapter 3, Victor's family is struck with tragedy. Explain what happens to Caroline. Knowing Mary Shelley's tragic life, what similarities can you find.
In chapter three, Caroline is exposed to a deadly disease known as scarlet fever, which she ends up dying from. We can see that Victor and his family is heavily affected by her death when he describes how he feels after she passes. "It is so long before the mind can persuade itself that she whom we saw ever day and whose very existence appeared a part of our own, can have departed forever" (Shelley 51). Upon doing some research, Shelley had faced tragedy from two people who she loved dearly. Her half sister commits suicide due to an overdose, and two months later her lover's wife threw herself into a river and also committed suicide. This was in the year 1816, and Frankenstein was written the year after. I feel that Shelley is using the death of Caroline as a way to cope with the death of the two people who she was close with. The death of an individual can take a toll on an individual's health, and everyone has a different way of coping through this pain. Caroline was an innocent woman who was loved by her entire family. Shelley loved her half sister and her lover's wife as well, which they were taken away from her by death. These deaths all correlate with one another because it exemplifies that you never know when someone you love is going to be gone forever. You can be with them all the time, and in the blink of an eye they are gone forever.
Victor's parents love their children unconditionally and would do anything for them which in a way makes them good parents. For example when Elizabeth had scarlet fever and was very contagious, Caroline made sure she was by her side until she was better even though it risked her getting the fever. On the other hand, Caroline only chose Elizabeth by her looks and to be Victor's future wife which is horrible but then again, Caroline was doing it in the best interest for her son Victor.
ReplyDelete-Samantha Serrano
2. When Elizabeth first appears she is with four other hungry looking babies. She looked the most fragile and different from them all. It was later known that she was not related to them but she had become the peasant’s charge after her parents had fallen from wealth and died. Her beauty immediately captures Victor’s attention. He describes her as “heaven-sent”. Before arriving with Elizabeth, his mother calls her a “pretty present”. And as any child would, he takes her seriously. He considered Elizabeth a possession. In today’s day and age, physical appearance is important, as much as it pains us to admit it. When meeting somebody, we are judged on the way we dress and our stance and vice-versa. Appearance is usually important for first-impressions. But over time, as we get to know someone and begin to care for them, we begin to lose sight of the outward and begin to focus on other traits.
ReplyDeleteBrenda Zepeda
ReplyDelete4.) In Chapter 2, Victor picks up a book written by Cornelius Agrippa, but his father calls it "sad trash". Out of curiosity and rebellion, Victor continues to read this book. Do you believe parents can have a positive or negative influence in what a child studies? Give examples from the text and your own observations.
Parents are some of the most influential people when it comes to kids education and careers. We're obviously surrounded by our parents since a young age and are more often than not we hear about their careers or jobs. Some may be extravigant and others more mundane. Regardless of their standing, those jobs fuel our aspirations, whether it's to follow in their (parents) footsteps or to run in the opposite direction.
Victor's father in this scene impacted Victor. He called one of his interests 'sad trash' and of course Victor would pursue it out of spite. He ignited a fire of curiosity and spite within him and Victor kept it burning with pursuing natural sciences. Although his father went about it unknowingly, he caused his son to pursue science, which he would later truly fall in love with after meeting his new professors.
Question 2
ReplyDeleteElizabeth comes into victors life when she comes in as the family care taker once the picked her out from the group of children. Caroline describes her as "the most beautiful child she had ever seen," with an affectionate and gentle disposition ".Elizabeth is characterized as an angelic, beautiful woman from a young age. In my opinion i think that someones physical appeariance says something about them but not neccessarly everything, Yet i believe that it is not important because you cant really tell who a person in the inside by just looking at them, and even though that maybe my opinion that physical looks shouldnt matter, it still happens today and i feel like even more in this generation since alot of kids are all over social media which i feel isnt right at the end of the day because someones looks can only say so much until you get to meet them and then really see what type of person they are.
I agree with you, pictures are altered most of the time to be more appealing to the eye. One can look a certain way in a picture but in person everything can change, whether good or bad.
Delete^^^
DeleteLeilani Colin
I agree with you but I also disagree because there at times when people post a picture they are being confedent enough for the interent to see and essentially they are sharing a glimspe of who they are and how they dress.it can be used as a way to express themself.I understand that some people lie and fake their apperance but there are some genuine person who share who they are
Delete-jasmin.s
DeleteLeilani Colin
ReplyDelete- The circumstances in which Elizabeth comes into Victor's family, is rather welcoming and not forced. Elizabeth is Victor’s cousin, the daughter of Alphonse’s sister, Elizabeth’s mother dies and Elizabeth is adopted into the Frankenstein family. Elizabeth is then discovered by Caroline, on a trip to Italy, when Victor is about five years old. While visiting a poor Italian family, Caroline notices a beautiful blonde girl among the dark-haired Italian children. Caroline adopts Elizabeth and brings her back to Geneva. Victor’s mother decides at the moment of the adoption that Elizabeth and Victor should someday marry. Caroline describes Elizabeth as "the most beautiful child she had ever seen." This indicating that she has always been a beautiful women, with perfect facial/physical feature that make her attractive. I believe that physical appearances shouldn't be of that level of importance in today day-to-day life but unfortunately they are. Social media plays a big role in this because we are constantly comparing ourselves physically to idols, models, and professionals. This harsh comparison damages society mentally, that they can sometimes develop eating disorders in order to look a certain way, to be seen as more attractive. We also have to take into consideration that many of these images on these social platform are tempered with. Whether it is photoshopped or lighting of the image has changed.
1.) Mary Shelley spends a lot of time describing Victor's childhood and his relationship with his parents. Do you believe Victor's parents were good parents? Give examples.
ReplyDeleteI believe victor's parents were gopod parents.As his father was a busy man he cared about his family.In the chapter 1-3 it clearly says he left his strong job which was he had many affairs for the country.As well his wife was not described to much , but victor does not complain or stay negative connotations of her.Eventually victor father marries his while and leaves his public day to day life.In addition it says the moment victor was born he was showered with attention and with love.As mary says this it reveals she knows that victor was well taken care of and loved.I understand that theirs relationship is strong , but the more i read i notice victor's parents were good.Although it does not reveal his parents admiring victors intelligence.As victor was being described that he had a passion for technology and his love for learning but it said nothing about the parents congratulating victor or praising victor.Victor seems he is a quiet person and a person who likes to be alone.The question is victor's parents good. I think they were good because they did not mistreat him or hurt him.Although Victor did not have mean parents he was still having to do things on his own.Mary shelley shares the interest of victor , but the parents are not shown as excited for victor.
-jasmin.s
DeleteParents have a positive influence on their child’s studies. In many cases parents are the pillars that drive children to achieve success and educate themselves with Universities and colleges. In Victor’s case he’s in an environment where education is engraved in him. Just as the prompt states when Victor picks the book up his father calls it “sad trash.” In the rebellious nature that all teens go through in their life Victor reads this book. The way I saw this was everyone has different opinions on everything and everything happens for a purpose. Victor’s father saw this book as worthless nothing but trash. Maybe if this did not happen to Victor, he too would have found this book to be nothing, but trash. My point is due to his father not complying with his reading selection this drove Victor to further peak his interest in the book and develop a liking to science. Even when Victor’s mother died without a moment to fully grieve he immediately took off to his University. This almost seemed like a safe haven to where Victor’s worries had completely evaporated and the only thing he was focused on were his academics. Ultimately this just goes to show how substantial his parents were in the educational standpoint. Yes a child can build the drive by himself and maybe it’s completely his doing, but to have that motivation to continue with the misery he was going through demonstrates how parents put education before everything, even themselves. -David Lopez
ReplyDelete5. Victor is a 17 year old who is planning in being an understudy at the University of Ingolstadt in Ingolstadt, Germany (close to Munich), however an episode of red fever doesn't allow him to do so. His mom and "cousin" both battle the infection; Caroline Beaufort Frankenstein passes away, and Elizabeth recuperates. Before Caroline passes on, she uncovers her hidden secrets for the marriage of Victor and Elizabeth by saying, ""my firmest hopes of the future happiness were placed on the prospect of your union". Elizabeth turns into the family overseer upon Caroline's passing. Victor thinks that its difficult to bid farewell to his family and dear companion, yet he sets out for Ingolstadt to start his investigations in science. Mary Shelley's life was reflected in her novel Frankenstein, set in different areas like Geneva, the Swiss Alps, Ingolstadt and England. Adventitiously, these setting all have an extraordinary association with her life. The tale presents Geneva as the primary setting and Geneva was the place where the hero was conceived.
ReplyDelete^^ Romina Ruiz
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