Walker Percy

The Monster Versus the Sand kings We live in a world where we are forced to face monsters every day. Somedays we fight the monsters inside our head, while other days we battle the monsters that lurk in dark corners. In today’s society, when one thinks of their version of a monster they usually visualize a cruel human or a devastating disease. Often times, we forget about the monsters of immense size with animalist traits. In Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelley, most view ‘the monster’ that was…

Gothic romance in literature combine elements of horror, death, and gloom, but also incorporate components of love, nature, and individuality; these aspects all play an important role in turning a fictional work of literature into a gothic romance. Nature specifically plays a significant role in gothic romance because it temporarily takes death or horror away from the story and greatly changes a character’s mood or emotion. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, nature significantly changes both Victor…

Stephanie Kuehn is a clinical psychologist and author best known for writing several freestanding psychological thrillers. She debuted her writing career with Charm & Strange, which won the William Morris Award in 2014. Stephanie Kuehn raised in Berkeley, California, a quirky sort of place full of bookstores. As an infant, she was adopted by a father that was an editor and journalist for the San Francisco Chronicle. As such, hence she spent a lot of her childhood with persons that had a passion…

In Marie de France’s lai Bisclavret, one has to accept the challenge of breaking previous perceptions and stories of a werewolf. She also confronts the themes of chivalry and courtly love that again go against what the reader might expect. Marie focuses on telling a story that is based on peoples expectations, but then reverses the savage roles within the beast and other individuals within in the story. She creates a lai that clearly defines the human experience by highlighting the potential for…

In “Embodying the Monster,” Margrit Shildrick defines the word “monster” using the different representations present throughout human history. The dilemma of concern is how humans identify monsters, as well as what these definitions reveal about humans themselves. Humans have repeatedly developed binaries in order to separate the human from the nonhuman. However, monsters blur these binaries. As stated by Shildrick, “And yet time and again the monstrous cannot be confined to the place of the…

Called, "The Mother of Dance", Isadora Duncan was one of the most influential dancers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Her technique was a precursor to modern dance and she became very popular in Europe for her naturalistic approach to dancing and performances to classical music. She faced many struggles throughout her lifetime, with her children dying after their nanny had accidentally driven into the Seine River and her husband committing suicide. Then, not much later, Isadora died…

1) Mary Shelley's classic book, Frankenstein has been a staple in popular culture since the book was first published but many people fail to grasp the overall meaning. This tour guide was built with the intention to help others understand Victor Frankenstein's journey as he travels. This understanding will be essential to understanding the theme that Shelley was trying to portray. 2) Victor Frankenstein, the eldest child of Caroline and Alphonse Frankenstein, was born in Naples Italy. 3) When…

This rejection of the creature by Victor can be viewed as a self-reflection on the part of Mary Shelley on her life and the struggles she faced. Mary’s mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, was a strong and forward-thinking woman, one of the first modern feminists with her book A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, and quite influential in her legacy. However, her life was cut short with the birth of Mary Shelley, dying only days after her new daughter was born. Mary Shelley’s father, William Godwin, was…

Fatal Deception in Frankenstein Knowledge is a powerful weapon that can help or destroy a person; plunging them into darkness.From the start Victor was a humble, shy young man. However, his awestruck interest with philosophers and their ideas later lead to a dark path. He created his own deception without trying and fell into his own invisible barrier. He realized far too late what was happening until it was at the point of no return,where only destruction laid. His alter-ego, obsessions control…

Mary Shelly was an English novelist, short story writer, dramatist, biographer, and travel writer. She was born August 30, 1797 in Somers Town, London in the United Kingdom. She was well-known for her Gothic novel Frankenstein: or The Modern Prometheus. Shelly spent time in Geneva to get inspiration for the novel Frankenstein. Shelly focuses on the influences of history, the elements of the Gothic theme, and the theme of Modern Prometheus. The history of Frankenstein started when Mary Shelly…