Outline For Frankenstein Fact Sheet
CONTEXT: Frankenstein
Biographical Context: Mary Shelley * Parents renowned for their writing – intellectual philosophers of their day. * Mother was a feminist who argued against gender inequity * Father was known largely for his writings on the French revolution * Both experienced unhappy affairs * Shelley studied & published work of both her parents from a young age * Her literary background/parental influence encouraged her to act outside social expectations, ahead of her times, non-conservative & challenges prevailing social conservationism
Literary Context * Wrote during Romantic era. * References to ‘Paradise Lost’ lead to questions about the nature of identity * Typical conventions & styles of Gothic …show more content…
literature popular at the time * Idea of Frankenstein from a holiday in Switzerland 1816 with Lord Byron and Claire Clairmont * Idea of monster rose from a terrifying nightmare * Ideas produced when peak of creativity and exploration of their identity and values Enlightenment Era: 16th – 17th C * Education released the best virtues of humanity * Individuality was shaped by productivity, reason, philosophy and science * Application of reason to the understanding of humanity and society * An extension of science & mathematics eg. Newton: Gravitation/Laws of Motion * Revolutionary views of humanity, society, politics Romanticism: 18th – 19th C * Revolutionised the conventional theory, a focus & style of poetry * Shunned the world of cold logic, favoured imagination to gain access to our deeper senses or soul * Direct rebellion against Enlightenment * Nature was a main source of inspiration * A medium of visionary knowledge * Has explicit religious message that replaces traditional religion
Gothic: 18th C * Developed in response to main directions in culture and civilisation * Concern of the Enlightenment was accompanied by a new direction towards feeling, intensity, melancholy, wilderness, ruin and a new sense of sublime * Sinister & derelict settings, supernatural, stories of mystery, blood & gore. Novel has bloody murders, graveyards and charnel house * Revenge is a common theme * Doppelganger: Victor and the Creature * Explores darker side of humanity binary opposites: love/hate, justice/injustice, man/monster, villain/hero Science & Inventions: The Revolution * Galvanism: Galvani discovered that muscle and nerve cells produce electricity (phenomenon was dubbed) * Volta: physicist developed first battery, proved electricity could travel through wires * Growing interest in natural science, experiments electricity and alchemy * Start of Industrial Revolution ( new inventions, tools, machinery) * Expansion to exploration and discovery (quest for knowledge and adventure
CONTEXT: Blade Runner * Based on P.Dick’s novel ‘Do Androids Dream of Electric Sleep?’ 1969 what separated man from machines?
VN War: The moral issues it raised as soldiers were brutalised and desensitised after the killing. * Pessimistic view of future world explain by the dramatic changes the world was undergoing in the 80’s * Scott’s world is of a natural world devastated by technology, population explosions, pollution and consumerism. * Natural world is non-existent, the wealthy can buy it or flee. * Make dominated business rules the world, people struggled to survive.
The 80’s * Global Warming was discovered * Deforestation was a key issue * Gap beChtween rich & poor increased rapidly * Growth of multi-national corporations promoting consumerism * Technology began to invade people’s lives * PC’S in households in first world
countries * Scott’s vision is an extension of this world
CHARACTERS: Frankenstein
Creator: Victor Frankenstein * Narrator throughout most the story * A gothic figure, disillusioned * Desire to attain god-like power * Parents indulged him, their adored only child * Fascinated by the unknown, inspired by works of alchemists, natural philosophers & electricity * “Thirst for knowledge” & desire “to penetrate the secrets of nature/hidden laws of nature.” * Sympathy when hears the monster’s story “ His words had a strange effect on me.” But short lived * Guilt & hatred co-exists “I... but in effect was the true murderer.” “I felt I had committed some great crime” * Obsession left him a “shattered wreck” * Lacks moral integrity and wrongfully concludes that his mission is to destroy the creature was “assigned to me by Heaven” * Insensitive to anyone’s suffering but his own * The roles of creator leads to his own self destruction * Loss of control on creation – revengeful creation
Created: The Creature * Assembled from old body parts, chemicals and animated by a “mysterious spark” * Second half of novel: emphasise with creature * Victor’s inhumanity contrasts to the remorse of the creature * Through his eyes and feelings that we respond to his story * Man’s cruelty denied human companionship * Loneliness made him bitter * Did not ask for life. “Hateful day when I received life!” * Confusion clear by the rhetorical questions he asks as he seeks the meaning to his life “who was I? What was I? What is my destination?” * Share’s maker’s trait of determination: belief that language was a “god-like science” * Victor is blind while reader can see beyond outward appearance * Learns about family love, respect and the basic codes of morality and virtue broadens his understanding of human nature & relationships
CHARACTER: Blade Runner
Creator: Tyrell * Controller of the Tyrell Corp. * Proud of Achievements and Roy – “The light that burns twice as bright burns half as long” * Complete faith in his power * Loses control over his own creation because of their 4 year life span * Evidence of abandonment planted memories – doesn’t give life to them * Victim of his own overconfidence, creation and power * Shows no similar features that the replicants have eg. emotions * He is a concept of science and power gone too far * The temple-like buildings that house Tyrell seems as if he has set himself up as god.
Created: Rachael * Described as an ‘experiment’ * Has problems with coming to terms that her memories are not her own, realising that she is being terminated * Is in a dilemma over her identity. Tried to constantly prove she is human through photographs * “Did you ever take it Deckard?” – Doesn’t want to be alone * Loss of identity when truth is known * Her and Deckard’s relationship shows human side of Deckard emotion that Rachael shows reminds us that replicants are more human
Created: Roy * Given mental/physical levels above those of humankind * Trying it find a solution to his termination date survival is key * Uses his mind as well as his body * “Can the maker repair what he makes?” * Extremely intelligent beats Tyrell in a chess game * Shows more emotions & sensitivity than humans * Qualities of love & compassion but also hate & revenge
Biographical Context: Mary Shelley * Parents renowned for their writing – intellectual philosophers of their day. * Mother was a feminist who argued against gender inequity * Father was known largely for his writings on the French revolution * Both experienced unhappy affairs * Shelley studied & published work of both her parents from a young age * Her literary background/parental influence encouraged her to act outside social expectations, ahead of her times, non-conservative & challenges prevailing social conservationism
Literary Context * Wrote during Romantic era. * References to ‘Paradise Lost’ lead to questions about the nature of identity * Typical conventions & styles of Gothic …show more content…
literature popular at the time * Idea of Frankenstein from a holiday in Switzerland 1816 with Lord Byron and Claire Clairmont * Idea of monster rose from a terrifying nightmare * Ideas produced when peak of creativity and exploration of their identity and values Enlightenment Era: 16th – 17th C * Education released the best virtues of humanity * Individuality was shaped by productivity, reason, philosophy and science * Application of reason to the understanding of humanity and society * An extension of science & mathematics eg. Newton: Gravitation/Laws of Motion * Revolutionary views of humanity, society, politics Romanticism: 18th – 19th C * Revolutionised the conventional theory, a focus & style of poetry * Shunned the world of cold logic, favoured imagination to gain access to our deeper senses or soul * Direct rebellion against Enlightenment * Nature was a main source of inspiration * A medium of visionary knowledge * Has explicit religious message that replaces traditional religion
Gothic: 18th C * Developed in response to main directions in culture and civilisation * Concern of the Enlightenment was accompanied by a new direction towards feeling, intensity, melancholy, wilderness, ruin and a new sense of sublime * Sinister & derelict settings, supernatural, stories of mystery, blood & gore. Novel has bloody murders, graveyards and charnel house * Revenge is a common theme * Doppelganger: Victor and the Creature * Explores darker side of humanity binary opposites: love/hate, justice/injustice, man/monster, villain/hero Science & Inventions: The Revolution * Galvanism: Galvani discovered that muscle and nerve cells produce electricity (phenomenon was dubbed) * Volta: physicist developed first battery, proved electricity could travel through wires * Growing interest in natural science, experiments electricity and alchemy * Start of Industrial Revolution ( new inventions, tools, machinery) * Expansion to exploration and discovery (quest for knowledge and adventure
CONTEXT: Blade Runner * Based on P.Dick’s novel ‘Do Androids Dream of Electric Sleep?’ 1969 what separated man from machines?
VN War: The moral issues it raised as soldiers were brutalised and desensitised after the killing. * Pessimistic view of future world explain by the dramatic changes the world was undergoing in the 80’s * Scott’s world is of a natural world devastated by technology, population explosions, pollution and consumerism. * Natural world is non-existent, the wealthy can buy it or flee. * Make dominated business rules the world, people struggled to survive.
The 80’s * Global Warming was discovered * Deforestation was a key issue * Gap beChtween rich & poor increased rapidly * Growth of multi-national corporations promoting consumerism * Technology began to invade people’s lives * PC’S in households in first world
countries * Scott’s vision is an extension of this world
CHARACTERS: Frankenstein
Creator: Victor Frankenstein * Narrator throughout most the story * A gothic figure, disillusioned * Desire to attain god-like power * Parents indulged him, their adored only child * Fascinated by the unknown, inspired by works of alchemists, natural philosophers & electricity * “Thirst for knowledge” & desire “to penetrate the secrets of nature/hidden laws of nature.” * Sympathy when hears the monster’s story “ His words had a strange effect on me.” But short lived * Guilt & hatred co-exists “I... but in effect was the true murderer.” “I felt I had committed some great crime” * Obsession left him a “shattered wreck” * Lacks moral integrity and wrongfully concludes that his mission is to destroy the creature was “assigned to me by Heaven” * Insensitive to anyone’s suffering but his own * The roles of creator leads to his own self destruction * Loss of control on creation – revengeful creation
Created: The Creature * Assembled from old body parts, chemicals and animated by a “mysterious spark” * Second half of novel: emphasise with creature * Victor’s inhumanity contrasts to the remorse of the creature * Through his eyes and feelings that we respond to his story * Man’s cruelty denied human companionship * Loneliness made him bitter * Did not ask for life. “Hateful day when I received life!” * Confusion clear by the rhetorical questions he asks as he seeks the meaning to his life “who was I? What was I? What is my destination?” * Share’s maker’s trait of determination: belief that language was a “god-like science” * Victor is blind while reader can see beyond outward appearance * Learns about family love, respect and the basic codes of morality and virtue broadens his understanding of human nature & relationships
CHARACTER: Blade Runner
Creator: Tyrell * Controller of the Tyrell Corp. * Proud of Achievements and Roy – “The light that burns twice as bright burns half as long” * Complete faith in his power * Loses control over his own creation because of their 4 year life span * Evidence of abandonment planted memories – doesn’t give life to them * Victim of his own overconfidence, creation and power * Shows no similar features that the replicants have eg. emotions * He is a concept of science and power gone too far * The temple-like buildings that house Tyrell seems as if he has set himself up as god.
Created: Rachael * Described as an ‘experiment’ * Has problems with coming to terms that her memories are not her own, realising that she is being terminated * Is in a dilemma over her identity. Tried to constantly prove she is human through photographs * “Did you ever take it Deckard?” – Doesn’t want to be alone * Loss of identity when truth is known * Her and Deckard’s relationship shows human side of Deckard emotion that Rachael shows reminds us that replicants are more human
Created: Roy * Given mental/physical levels above those of humankind * Trying it find a solution to his termination date survival is key * Uses his mind as well as his body * “Can the maker repair what he makes?” * Extremely intelligent beats Tyrell in a chess game * Shows more emotions & sensitivity than humans * Qualities of love & compassion but also hate & revenge