importance of classic editions

For this blog I have decided to take a different approach.  Instead of talking about something that we have read, I want to talk about today’s class period.  Today we went to the MASC section of the library.  I previously never had been to this part of the school here.  I wasn’t expecting much, but when I got there I realized I was in a truly special place.

Yes, there was just a bunch of old books laid out on a table, but to me that is a very important thing.  It’s one thing to talk about historic greats in literature and all, but it is important to have examples of things of the past.  For me, if I have a standard new releasing of a Charles Dickens novel, I’m really not going to be all excited for it.  On the other hand, if I see the same novel just one hundred years older, I am going to be more interested.  Even if I can’t actually keep the older editions, which is fine with me because I am afraid of damaging them, I still feel a little more connected with the work.

This is an important tradition to keep up.  While classics are nice to read, to be able to see an actual classic version of it adds a little something extra for the student….at least I think so.  Right now I read books that have just came out.  The last thought in my mind is always, “is this going to be taught as a classical novel one day?”  The fact is we never know.  I think it would be good to always have a stock of novels just in case they become classics in later years.  In my experience I’ve noticed that more times than not a novel becomes popular after sometime, rather than later.

With the cinematic world taking over popular novels, most people will remember films over books.  I feel that as long as we keep classics and take good care of them, it will help them be remembered for a long time to come. 

Last bit on Frankenstein

So I know that technically, we were finished discussing Frankenstein last week; however, there was one thing that came to my mind during one of the discussion days that I wanted to briefly discuss. One of the things that we discussed in class that there seems to be a pattern between knowledge and grief. This kind goes with the lines “ignorance is bliss” and “with knowledge comes great responsibility”. The more Dr.Frankenstein learns the more mad he his driven and the more miserable he becomes. The reason why I am bringing this up one last time before we move on completely is that when we were discussing this, and Frankensteins troubles, the first thing that came to mind was Flowers for Algernon. Flowers for Algernon was first a short story that was published in 1959 that later became a novel in 1965 by author Daniel Keyes. The name “Algernon” refers to a small laboratory mouse that undergoes a brain surgery to enhance his intelligence. The novel is written, similarly to the beginning and end of Frankenstein, in a series of progress reports by the main character, Charlie Gordon, for he is the first person to receive the same experiment as Algernon. Charlie is a man with a mental disability, which therefore in the eyes of the scientists, is the perfect person for the experiment. The novel then shows the progression of Charlie’s intelligence as well as his unavoidable realization of his life and surroundings. The reason why I bring up Flowers for Algernon is because when Charlie was still handicapped he was happy and unaware of the cruelty and taunting around him by cruel people he considered his “friends”. Once Charlie’s intelligence starts increasing as well as his understanding of everything, he realizes that the people who he thought were his friends were really always making fun of him; he also realized that he had a horrible childhood which he never understood before the operation. Once Charlie realizes all of this he starts to become bitter with everyone around him with the exception of his love interest Alice. The other tragic element to the story is how his intelligence always separates him from society, first because people believed he was below them, then once his intelligence wouldn’t stop growing he was above them so he felt that he couldn’t relate to anyone but Algernon. Flowers for Algernon is a great book and I highly recommend reading it. Going back to my blogs point, along with Dr.Frankenstein, if not more so, Charlie is the epitome of the term “ignorance is bliss” and is a victim to the unhappiness that great intelligence and knowledge can bring.

frankenstein is no monster

Growing up, I was aware of the story, but I still pictured the monster being Frankenstein.  When I heard the name that is exactly what I thought.  Originally before thinking more critically, I would think that this judgment was incorrect, but now I think differently.  While the creature is named the monster, I believe that the true monster of the story is Dr. Frankenstein.  So by placing my original childhood thought into that context, I wasn’t necessarily wrong, more like making an early connection.
I feel like the story of Frankenstein exploits a key thing in human nature.  We all go against what isn’t the norm.  Look at the story.  When the monster was created, he was a masterpiece to the master behind the plan, Dr. Frankenstein.  Once the public found out of this creation, there was a huge uproar.  The public ended up being terrified of the creature.  Due to this, they acted out in such a way that just terrified the monster.  They came after him as a mob; attacking him with fire and pitchforks.  All of this was because they were afraid of him and his differences.  They did not understand the monster.  All they saw was someone, rather something that was a threat to their society.  All that the monster wanted was to be treated equally.  He wasn’t trying to cause any trouble.

Things like this do not just happen in story telling.  This also happens in real life.              Back in the day, slavery was bases on the fact that colored people were not the norm to our society.  Even after slavery was abolished, these themes were still found.  Even today traces are noticeable.

Little hung up on Manfred

So we had an interesting class today I believe. Personally, I really liked the scene from Manfred and it has inspired me to learn more about it. Also, it wasn’t necessarily discussed in class but I thought it had some gothic elements to it. From what I found online, some of the gothic elements that I found in Manfred a bit were as follows:

An atmosphere of mystery and suspense- This possibly could also be just because we only got one scene from Manfred, but it left people wondering (or at least me wondering) what happened to the girl he loved, why is he talking to a witch, and what powers does he have.

Supernatural or otherwise inexplicable events- This is easy, simply because I feel having powers of some sort and a witch being present is obviously supernatural. Also going into the fact that if you read the rest of Manfred, the reason why he is speaking to the witch is to find a way to possibly bring his beloved back to life. He also uses spells to summon seven spirits to discuss the situation with and find a solution.

High, even overwrought emotion- Manfred shows many overwrought emotions of guilt, despair, love, and contempt for people. He is so distraught he summons the seven spirits for the purpose of either forgetting his beloved or to die and escape his inner turmoil.

Women in distress+ Women threatened by a powerful, impulsive, tyrannical male- I felt that these two go hand in hand for the reason that Manfred’s beloved dies because of suicide caused by how overpowering and possessive Manfred is to her. He even admits that it was his fault when he says “I loved her, and destroy’d her!” then “Not with my hand, but heart—which broke her heart;/ It gazed on mine, and wither’d. I have shed/ Blood, but not hers—and yet her blood was shed/ I saw, and could not stanch it”. This indicates that he knows it’s his fault she committed suicide and that he could not stop it. Before this, he also discusses how she is so similar to him in many ways with the exception that she is kinder and gentler.

The metonymy of gloom and horror- The scene we get doesn’t describe exactly if rain is pouring, etc. to show gloom. But the way he refers to people as clay and that he is to breathe the difficult air of the icy mountain tops, is pretty gloomy.

Also, while reading Manfred and about it, the first thing that came to mind for some reason was The Child Thief. I don’t know who all has read this book or even heard of it, and maybe I’m wrong thinking they are similar; however, both protagonists in both books are very dark and gloomy as well as the setting. The premises of The Child Thief is a darker remake of Peter Pan, and the plot is that the world in which Peter lives is getting destroyed by deformed and ruined humans. Peter repeats his distaste for humans, especially grown men, and how much he loves the wilderness and nature instead. I know that isn’t much of a connection because many books have characters like that, but the way they both talk and think are just very similar. Another connection I made with Manfred is how similar he is to the Phantom of the Opera. Bothe love woman so much it causes dire consequences to them and cause them nothing but sorrow and pain. Both have a love that is twisted, almost as if their love for the woman is so incredibly strong they have no idea how to handle it and it becomes overwhelming and consuming.

Lastly, was I the only one who didn’t see Manfred’s beloved as his sister? I am aware of Lord Byron’s situation and desolation because of his affair with his half-sister, but I didn’t neccissarily picture Manfred’s beloved as his sister as well. I just pictured her as someone he loved. Not that I’m saying it couldn’t be his sister…