Paragraph Analysis

Y9 LANGUAGE A: LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
SENTENCE VARIETY
Obj:
To identify LOOSE and PERIODIC sentences in context.
To apply type of sentence structure in context.

Task: read the following extracts from MWS’s FRANKENSTEIN novel, chapter 16. Get in pairs. Carefully and comprehensively read all three extracts. Choose ONE and identify LOOSE and periodic sentences.
Discuss with your partner your choices and justify your reasons.
ANSWER the following question:
How do these sentences build the intended effect of the extract?
EXTRACT 2

"I continued for the remainder of the day in my hovel in a state of utter and stupid despair. My protectors had departed, and had broken the only link that held me to the world. For the first time the feelings of revenge and hatred filled my bosom, and I did not strive to control them; but, allowing myself to be borne away by the stream, I bent my mind towards injury and death. When I thought of my friends, of the mild voice of De Lacey, the gentle eyes of Agatha, and the exquisite beauty of the Arabian, these thoughts vanished, and a gush of tears somewhat soothed me. But again, when I reflected that they had spurned and deserted me, anger returned, a rage of anger; and, unable to injure anything human, I turned my fury towards inanimate objects. As night advanced, I placed a variety of combustibles around the cottage; and, after having destroyed every vestige of cultivation in the garden, I waited with forced impatience until the moon had sunk to commence my operations.”
purple=periodic
red=loose
The periodic sentence that is predominating in this paragraph try to kept the author reading because the main clause is at the end of the sentence, a good combination between the loose and periodic let the author keep interesed in what he is reading.

Frankenstein Questionary

1) In Frankenstein you can find many different elements of a horror story. What strategies and devices does Mary Shelley use to make the story scary? Use examples from the story.

Well the devices that Mary Shelley use is the diction and imagery, she also use literary figures to demonstrate what I am saying I will use some examples:

-diction: I was destined to become the most wretched of human beings. (Here we think that the is

-imagery: While I watched the tempest so beautiful get terrific.

-personification: Dear mountains! My own beautiful lake! 

2) How does Mary Shelley go beyond the usual horror stories? Think of other horror stories and their plot.

In the history that Mary Shelley creates is not like a common horror history because in the usual horror history the antagonist is bad you can’t change that but in the Frankenstein history the situation make you thing about the monster and how he evolve in the book. Also in the usual horror histories the monster tries to make suffer the person that he is trying to attack but in Frankenstein the monster is not in knowledge of what he is doing.

3) Who is the actual monster in Frankenstein? Why?

For me the monster in the story is victor and also the monster because victor don not take care of the monster because he scares of what he creates and he leave him alone with no knowledge about the world, but the monster also killed members of victor family and that make him bad.

4) What were the motivations for Victor to create the creature? Use examples from the story.

The motivation that victor Frankenstein has been the electricity because one day was a big storm and a tree near his house fell down. He was studying philosophy in the university but he suddenly change to anatomy because he was interested of creating life with the power of the electricity.

5) What responsibilities did Victor, as the creator, have towards his creature?

The responsibilities that victor have towards the creature is that he have to take care of him, feed , give him home, and teaching him all about what he have to know to leave in peace with the humans.

6) Why did Victor abandon the creature?

Victor abandoned the creature because when he a create it he scares because is not what he expect that is going to be.

7) Why do you think Shelley had Robert Walton tell Victor’s stor? Was this technique employed by Shelley as an effective way to tell the story?

Mary Shelley use Robert to tell the story because in my opinion she is trying to add more like a first person way to see what is happening in the book and adding personal feelings, definitely is a good way to tell the story.

8) To what extent is Victor’s story believable to Robert Walton?

9) Compare and contrast Robert’s and Victor’s goals and interests.

10) In the novel, Victor warns Robert that acquiring knowledge can lead to misery and destruction. What serious consequences might the acquisition of knowledge have?

Well everything have the good and the bad side if you acquire knowledge it depends on how you use it but just put in the case that you are attempt to create a new medicine that will help the people that have an X problem but let’s imagine that in the attempt only one thing go wrong you could create a new virus or other sick.

11) One of the novel’s conflicts is that the characters were unable to recognize the humanity of the creature. What qualities make us human?

What make us humans is that we have the ability of reasoning if someone put a human in a X situation you can reflect  and take care of what is happening, also that we have feelings.

12) What qualities make the creature human?

What make the creature human is that he have feelings the ones that are show in the book are that he says that he hates the humans and also that he fell alone.

13) Some critics use the story of Frankenstein as an argument against scientific technology that creates life forms; others argue that it is not technology itself but the use to which it is put that presents and ethical issue. What is your position?

The position that I will defend in this situation is the number two because I think that victor use the medicine in a wrong way he was trying to be like a god and that is not possible at least you are sure that the results are going to be what you expect, that type of medicine could be also with a big benefit if we studied well.

       14) Is the novel popular nowadays? Why?

      The novel is still popular nowadays because in the novel the author combine many aspects as the gothic literature, the science fiction(this is the first novel that is of science fiction genre), also that the novel has the creating life theme that is a theme of actuality.

15) How might you apply the story to today’s society?

Well we can apply the part that victor is a scientist and he is trying to create life we can apply that in the actuality that the biologist create new cells and change it with the old ones so they turn  normal again.

Frankenstein Analisys

Analysis Chapters 7-8-9

                                                                           Chapter 7

 On their return to the university, Victor finds a letter from his father telling him that his youngest brother, William, has been murdered. Saddened, Victor departs immediately for Geneva. As he walks near the spot where his brother’s body was found, he founds the monster lurking and becomes convinced that his creation is responsible for killing William. The next day, when he returns home, Victor learns that Justine has been accused of the murder because after the discovery of the body, a servant had found in Justine’s pocket a picture of William´s mother last seen in William’s possession. Victor proclaims Justine’s innocence, but the evidence against her seems irrefutable, and Victor refuses to explain himself for fear that he will be labeled insane.

Diction: in this chapter, to show the sadness caused by the death of William, the author used many different words and sentences referring the melancholy in the atmosphere.

Examples:

1) The anguish that was visible.

2) The cruel, miserable dead of her youngest darling.

3) Tears also gushed from the eyes of Clerval.

4) My journey was very melancholy.

Words: unhappy, grief, fear, wretch, misery, horror, terrible, disaster.

Also we have examples that demonstrate the choice of words of the author.

>Example:

1) It was already dusk (the author used the word dusk instead of dark, because dusk means partial darkness but dark means totally darkness)

2) I was destined to become the most wretched of human beings. (Here we think that the author did a choice of words unconsciously because she could also use the synonym miserable.)

Imagery: Mary Shelly use descriptive words for readers to get sad and dark images in their minds.

Examples:

1) Could hardly see the dark mountains

2) It was completely dark

3) While I watched the tempest so beautiful get terrific.

Also, to get images in our mind, some author uses similes, metaphors or personification. Mary Shelly, in this chapter use a personification:
-Dear mountains! My own beautiful lake!                                                                                                                

Chapter 8

Justine confesses to the crime, but she confesses a lie and tells Elizabeth and Victor that she is innocent. They remain convinced of her innocence, but Justine is soon executed. Victor becomes consumed with guilt, knowing that the monster he created have caused the deaths of two members of his family.

Diction: In this chapter, to show the injustice felt by Victor, Elizabeth, and Justine. And the guilt felt by Victor; the author used many sentences that demonstrate this.

Examples:

1) Rise, my poor girl. Said Elizabeth to Justine

2) I am truly miserable. Said Justine to Elizabeth

3) Where I could conceal the horrid anguish that possessed me. Said victor(narrator),(here we saw the guilt that victor felt).

4) I cannot live in this world of misery. Said Elizabeth to Justine. Saying that she would like to die with her.

Also we have an example that demonstrates the choice of words of the author.

>Example:

1) But do not mourn, dear girl. (In this sentence we think that the author made an unconsciously choose of words, because she could use cry or weep)

Imagery:  in this chapter the author uses two rhetorical devices to make us get images:

1) Personification: The fangs of remorse tore my bosom.

2) Metaphor: The daemon, who had murdered my brother… (Here we get an image of the monster as an ugly and evil creation).

CHAPTER 9

After Justine’s execution, Victor becomes increasingly melancholy. He considers suicide but restrains himself by thinking of Elizabeth and his father. Alphonse, hoping to cheer up his son, takes his children on an excursion to the family home at Belrive. From there, Victor went alone toward the valley of Chamounix. The beautiful scenery of the valley cheers him somewhat, but his desperation came again.

Diction: in this chapter, Mary Shelly chooses many words and sentences that demonstrate the desperation and the guilty of Victor.

Examples:

1) I was seized by remorse and the sense of guilt, which hurried me away to a hell of intense tortures, such as now language can describe.
2) Solitude was my only consolation.

3) I had an obscure feeling that all was not over.
Words: agony, anguish, bitterness, unhappiness.

Also we have an example that demonstrates the choice of words of Mary Shelly.

>Example:

- I threw myself on the grass, weighed down by horror and despair. (We think that the author made an unconsciously choose of words, because she also could use the word terror or dread)

Imagery:

Mary Shelly use descriptive words for readers to get images of the valley of Chamounix.

Examples:
-1) this valley is more wonderful and sublime, but not so beautiful and picturesque.

2) The high and snowy mountains…

Also in this chapter, the author uses a personification:
-Our house was the house of mourning. (Here we imagine that in their house, all were sad and desponding by the horror of the recent events)