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58 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Transgression Reference to his sisters Margret doubts about his quest... they are ignored as the Promethean drive is like an addition, very difficult to repress or abandon. Subtle way on Mary Shelley's part to criticize the over-reaching male ambition of glory and discovery. |
'evil forebodings'
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Transgression Reference to Robert Waltons transgression. |
'I shall satiate my ardent curiosity with the sight of a part of the world never before visited, and may tread a land never before imprinted by the foot of man’ |
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Isolation Highlights the idea of loneliness of isolating impact of transgression. Anticipates VF arrival - perhaps even highlights them as a doppelganger. |
‘I desire the company of a man who could sympathize with me whose eyes will reply to mine’ |
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Isolation
A reminder of the isolating impact of the Promethean quest - said by Robert Walton
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‘Ibitterly feel the want of a friend |
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Transgression Coleridge: The Ancient Mariner: unexplored Promethean - 'albatross' - links to the burden, the damage of Promethean transgression, you will have to carry the weight of your sins. |
I am going to unexplored regions , to the land of ‘mist and snow’; but I shall kill no albatross’
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Transgression Idea that the Promethean quest can make one morally blind. |
‘One man’s life or death were a small price to pay for the acquirement of the knowledge’
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Transgression Madness here is Promethean over - reaching it's mad as it will destroy your life causing intense mental turmoil. Not only has Victor relaised that his ambitions were 'madness', but he also intends to use his story as a cautionary tale. Ref- Freudian viewpoint (A03) |
‘Unhappy man! Do you share my madness? Have youdrank also of the intoxicating draught?’ |
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Transgression This highlights the idea of Victor using his tale as a cautionary tale; he knows that Walton is 'pursuing the same course' as Victor, he hopes that Walton can learn something from his tale. This allows Shelley to make use of the epistolary narrative. |
'deduce an apt moral from my tale' |
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Women/Taboos The only thing that set women apart in the Victorian society seems to beauty. We are not presented with an insight to her personality. |
' Her brow was clear and simple... bearing a celestial stamp in all her features' |
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Women/ Taboos Gothic feature of incest. Are women just a pretty ornament or an ownership? Sinister ref - doomed till death. Sexual Element present. Ref to Angel In House Concept (3 quotes) |
' my more than sister - the beautiful and adored companion of all my occupations and my pleasures' 'pretty present' ' my more than sister, since till death she was to be mine only' |
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Transgression Highlighting his Promethean drive. Reference to water (thirst) - needed to survive. |
‘deeply smitten with a thirstfor knowledge’ |
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Transgression/ Secrets Imagery of unlocking a part of the world that is forbidden. ( 2 Quotations) |
‘Itwas the secrets of heaven and earth that I desired to learn' ‘…theoutward substance of things, or the inner spirit of nature and the mysterious soul of man thatoccupied me’ |
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Transgression The hyperbole of Frankenstein Statement relying as it does on such terms as banish and invulnerable make its clear that he is not interested in the practical application. Promethean impulse is linked to personal celebration as opposed to benefit mankind. |
‘banishdisease from human frame and render man invulnerable too any but a violentdeath!’ |
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Transgression Symbolism foreshadows over- reaching quest to produce life will destroy Victor and he will be nothing but 'blasted stump' - metaphorically. |
' as soon as the dazzling light vanished the oak had disappeared, and nothing remained but a blasted stump' |
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Destiny |
'Destiny was too potent, and her immutable laws had decreed my utter and terrible destruction' |
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Women/ Taboos Gothic feature of women, young, vulnerable. women are known to express compassion and affection to everyone, especially family and this is not misplaced even after death. - Three quotes of Caroline Beaufort Death |
' Elizabeth, my love, you must supply my place to my younger children' 'She died calmly; and her countenance expressed affection even in death' 'She indeed veiled her grief and strove to act the comforter to us all' |
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Transgression/Secrets Finding out more that he already knows. Finding new ways, mysteries - foreshadowing a downfall |
' I will pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation'.
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Transgression/ Destiny Gothic concept of the clarification and moving between the mental to the physical realm of transgression. He found someone that understood him and guided him on his Promethean quest which helped him realize how real the quest was. - Meeting Professor |
'Thus ended a day memorable to me: it decided my future destiny' |
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Isolation He is almost consumed in being dynamic which is unhealthy. Any sort of obsession is unhealthy - as anticipated by Mary Shelley |
'the stars often disappeared in the light of morning whilst I was yet engaged in my laboratory' |
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Taboos/ Transgression/ The Abject He wants to create life; he's doomed from the beginning - no sense of moral compass. The idea of life to death and death to life provides opposing binaries that cannot be reserved. |
'To examine the causes of life, we must have first have recourse to death' 'Darkness had no effect upon my fancy' 'A churchyard was to me merely the receptacle of bodies deprived of life' |
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Transgression Creating a being through the means of a dead body - The Creatures features come as a shock to him. |
'I saw how the fine form of man was degraded and wasted' |
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Science/ Transgression/ Supernatural There's that lurking feeling that he is afraid of being judged for his actions. The fact he feels the need to remind RW or the readers that he is not mad several times could highlight his lack of confidence. |
' Remember, I am recording the vision of a madman' |
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Transgression Ref. to hardship of work but also pun on VF giving birth. |
'After so much time spent in painful labour' |
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Transgression Moral message often presenting Shelley views through the voice of VF - accept what you have, be humble and do not desire more. |
' Learn from me, if not by precepts, at least by example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge; and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, that he who aspires to become greater than nature will allow' |
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Transgression Victor becomes 'capable of bestowing animation upon lifeless matter. There is a fine line between good and evil purpose of knowledge. VF think he is doing good - gives an insight to VF state of mind. |
'A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me' |
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Women/ Transgression/ Taboos Semantic field of moon represents women. The moon is reflective of all stages of woman's life. |
'the moon gazed on my midnight labors' |
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Taboos/ Women/ Transgression Masturbatory Imagery: deliberate links to the notion that he is creating life without a woman, also creating life than solitary manner references masturbatory activity. Imagery close to masturbation than birth. |
'secret toil. Frantic, impulse... one pursuit... passing trance... profane fingers... solitary chamber... workshop of filthy creation' |
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Transgression Moral message: highlights the Doppler effect between RW and VF. |
'If you study can weaken you affections, and to destroy your taste for those simple pleasures... then that study is unlawful'. |
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Transgression/ Monster/ Abhuman/ Otherness Monster described with juxtapositions. ' Beautiful' yet repulsive with his yellow skin'. The beauty alludes to the scientific breakthrough, whereas the grotesque appearance shows what it literally physically looks like. Gods creation of Adam contrasts with VF creation of the monster highlights that he has 'played God' |
'dull yellow eye of the creature open... breather hard... convulsive motion agitated its limbs' 'hair was of a lustrous black' 'shriveled complexion and straight black lips' |
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Transgression/ Dream/ The Revenent The dream may suggest that to bring the monster to life is equivalent to killing Elizabeth, and in this way the dream is prophetic. This doe not however, account for Elizabeth changing into the corpse of his dead mother. On one hand, this hints to of unconscious incestuous desires; on the other, we must remember that Victor has just given birth himself. |
'Imprinted the first kiss on her lips... and I thought I held the corpse of my dead mother in my arms' |
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Isolation/ Transgression The joys of life slowly become hard to enjoy. |
' I felt the bitterness of disappointment, dreams that had been my food and pleasant rest for so long a space were not become hell to me' |
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Isolation/ Transgression/Sexuality reference to VF as being homosexual; joys don't last long when usurping the roles of women and taboos |
' I felt suddenly, and for the first time during many months, calm and serene joy' 'It was not joy only that possessed me; I felt my flesh tingle with excess sensitiveness, and my pulse beat rapidly' 'I loved him with a mixture of emotions' |
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Monster/ Transgression reference to the monster being a daemon |
'A flash of lightning illuminated the object... it was the wretch, the filthy daemon to whom I had given life' |
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Women Justines endurance - Angel in the House Concept |
'I do not fear to die... that pang is past. God raises my weakness and gives me courage to endure the worst' |
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Transgression The impact of transgression. VF blames himself for the death of Justine and William. |
'But I, the murderer felt the never dying worm alive in my bosom... allowed no hope of consultation' |
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Isolation/ Transgression The guilt that VF feels as a result of the death of William and Justine. This is repeated in Walton in Letter 4 to Margret in reference to Frankenstein. |
'Anguish and despair had penetrated my heart' |
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Transgression/ Deaths Impact of transgression. Victims explicitly mentioned in this quotation by VF. |
'I beheld those I loved.. upon the graves of William and Justine, the first hapless victims to my unhallowed arts' |
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Transgression/ Fear The fear that the monster will perpetrate more wickedness. Foreshadows the fear of creating a female companion. |
'I had been the author of unalterable evils, and I lived in daily fear lest the monster whom I had created should perpetrate some new wickedness'. |
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Fear Quotation said by Elizabeth. She observes the fake windscreen of the world. Ref. Justine and Williams death. |
Victor, when falsehood can look so like the truth, who can assure themselves of certain happiness?' |
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Women/ Transgression Highlights the VF sexuality; counter of homosexuality. He wants to protect whats his, can be countered through the Victorian society - idea of women being 'kept'. |
'Even as she spoke I drew near to her, as if in terror; lest at the very moment the destroyer had been near to rob me of her' |
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Transgression/Monster/ Isolation The monster expresses his struggle of never being accepted by humanity because of his physical appearance. |
'All men hate the wretched: how then, must I be hated, who am miserable beyond all living things!' |
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Isolation/ Monster/ Transgression The Creature presents itself as a victim. As if all forces of nature are against him. |
'Have I not suffered enough that you seek to increase my misery' |
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Monster/ Isolation Biblical reference to Adam and Eve. Deprived the joys of a creator that look afters him, highlighting the VF as an irresponsible parent. |
'Remember, that I am thy creature; I ought to be thy Adam, but I rather the fallen angel, whom thou drivest from joy or misdeed'. |
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Inhumane/ Monster Blurred boundaries shown. Murder and VF/Monster. Highlighting that VF is not all human if he wishes to destroy his 'child'. |
'You accuse me of murder, and yet you would, with a satisfied conscience destroy your own creature' |
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Isolation The Creature being isolated from birth, wretched, helpless and alone. |
'I was wretched, helpless and alone' |
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Monster/ Horror/ Terror The physicality of the monster. The monster recognizes that its appearance is hideous and questions what VF questioned to himself when he had finished making the monster. |
'Accursed creator! Why did you form a monster so hideous that even you turned from me in disgust?' |
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Monster/ Horror/ Terror That which ugly or alien always rejected as monstrous; the exterior is assumed to reject the inner being. Even William has already been absorbed by the prejudice in society. |
'Child is the meaning of this, I do not intent to hurt you, listen to me!' 'Monster! Ugly wretch' 'Ogre' |
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Transgression VF fears that if he creates another female companion they will create more and the whole species will desolate the world. |
'Shall i make another like yourself, whose joint wickedness might desolate the world? Begone!' |
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Isolation Monster has nobody, another quote where The Monster feels like an outcast. |
'I am malicious because I am miserable. Am I not shunned and hated by all mankind' |
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Revenge/ Transgression Revenge remarks from The Creature. |
'I will revenge my injuries; If I cannot inspire love, I will cause fear' |
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Transgression Ref. Light. Victor reflects that he was formed for peaceful happiness and has spent his youth in the enjoyment of nature and the contemplation of human accomplishment. Later he feels like he himself is a blasted stump. |
'I am a blasted tree; the bolt has entered my soul' |
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Power/ Transgression The monster holds more power over his creator. |
'I cant make you so wretched that light of day will be hateful to you. You are my creator, but I am your master - obey!' |
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Power/ Transgression Invokes fear. Being fearless makes one powerful - ref. Monster. |
'I am fearless and therefore powerful' |
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Transgression Victor calls him a Villain and threatens that he should make sure he is safe before he plans to kill him. |
'Villian'! Before you sign my death warrant, be sure that you are yourself safe' |
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Transgression The impact of usurping the roles of women and God. Even when something looks good and supposed you feel undeserved of it |
'The cup of life was poisoned for ever; and although the sun shone upon me, as upon the happy and gay heart, I saw around me nothing but a dense and frightful darkness, penetrated by no light but the glimmer of two eyes that glared upon me'. |
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Transgression The impact of transgression. Ref. to Icarus, destiny the sun and the fall resulting because of the heat of it. |
'High destiny seemed to bear on me, until I fell never, never again to rise' |
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Monster/ Transgression/ Murder Monsters illustration of Justine |
‘young…beautiful…bloomingloveliness of youth and health’ |
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Monster/ Transgression/ Murder Monsters illustration of Justine through jealousy. She almost symbolizes the companion he wished to obtain but could not. |
‘thy lover is near whom hewould give his life but to obtain one look of affection from thine eyes’ ‘I am forever robbed of allthat she could give me’ |
