Mary Shelley's Frankenstein asks "Is it better to be alive and damned, or never to have lived at all?" Shelley offers an answer to this: no. She shows her answer through Frankenstein's Monster. The monster lives a life ostracized by society, eventually choosing to end his own life rather than suffer in a society that hates and fears him.
Frankenstein's Monster lives his life with people fearing him just by his looks. For instance, the blind old man accepts him, but then he is chased out when people who are not blind see him. Why live in a society that cannot move past your looks? Shelley makes a point about his intelligence as well. The Monster read classics such as Paradise Lost and is articulate, forming mature thoughts and ideas about the world.
The Monster also loves the world that he lives in, but the world will not love him back. He has a childlike curiosity about the world around him. He explores and learns by trial and error, like when he learns about fire. He has nothing but love to give. But then, he realizes that he has been abandoned by his creator and that the world is too closed minded for him to be accepted. His own creator would not even give him a companion to live with to lessen his pain.
The Monster eventually chooses to commit suicide by self-immolation so that no trace of his existence will plague the world. He lived a damned life that was so terrible, he saw no other way to stop the pain other than his own suicide. The Monster's life was nothing but pain. His damned life was horrendous in every way possible with constant suffering. Shelley says no to the aforementioned question, it is better to have never lived.
Shelley's Frankenstein displays a frightening image of the nature of man. The Monster's suffering was so much so that he took his own life to make the suffering stop. The Monster would have been better of if he had never been alive in the first place.
Hi Nick,
ReplyDeleteI would really rather you put the prompt at the top of your blog just so I know exactly what the question that you’re answering is. The other option is to restate your prompt in your thesis and that’s just not a good way to start. Your thesis paragraph also doesn’t much sense. I get what you mean, but you were given a choice “A” or choice “B” and then, and answered with “No”. See what I mean?
Your supporting paragraphs could use more information, also. I don’t mean summarize the plot for me, since I know that’s a problem I have, but they seem short, and after the first one, repetitive. I checked the list of prompts and found the one you seem to have chosen, and you never talked about how the central question Mary asked effected your understanding of the writing. Talk about some of the motifs the Monster represents, and connect them to a message you think Mary was trying to get across.
Nick,
ReplyDeleteIt would be great if you could include the prompt. That way, I could see what you're trying to do in your thesis paragraph. Right now, I'm a little confused. You are either quoting the book or quoting the prompt, both of which are essay techniques that are a little... different. Then you answer "no" to a question that isn't yes or no.
As far as your arguments and body paragraphs go, I'm not seeing enough analysis. Make this a focus for future essays, and I think you'll see a ton of progress!
Hi Nick,
ReplyDeleteyou might want to add the prompt at the top of the post just because it's easier for readers to know what you're writing about and it will be helpful for you when you come back to these to study for the test.
I liked your ideas for this prompt that I'm assuming answers the question in your intro. However I feel like you might need some more meat to these paragraphs. You probably should add some evidence like quotes to support your topic sentence and after finding those quotes, continue on explaining and creating your warrants. Also don't forget what Ms. Holmes said about every essay. They are always asking to explain the theme no matter what. So i would make sure you try and incorporate the theme to your argument and try to explain why and how the theme relates.
Nick--Your peer reviewers gave you some great advice, here. I'd have liked to have seen a revision based on their suggestions. (With the exception of what Sarah K says about quotes, as this is not really a viable option for the open prompt.)
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