Finale of Franky

"...but trust him not. His soul is as hellish as his form, full of treachery and fiend-like malice. Hear him not; call on the manes of William, Justine, Clerval, Elizabeth, my father, and the wretched Victor, and thrust your sword into his heart. I will hover near , and direct the steel aright." (153).

Poor Victor...he has gone through such turmoil in such a short amout of time and he still cannot seem to win in the end. I kind of wish he got to his creation so he could confront him again instead of the mocking game that the creature created. At this point in the novel, the main story is over and we are on to Walton's frame story again as it began. The frame stories were extremely important in this novel because it gave the differing perspectives of the three main characters involved in the creation whether directly or indirectly. It gave the monster's point of view on how he lived and was treated, it gave Walton's view on Victor, and it gave Victor a chance to redeem himself for creating such a terrible monster. It was important to have every aspect in this novel because without the monster's story we would not have any remorse whatsoever and we would see him merely as an evil being with no conscience and no chance of goodness inside him. I find it interesting that he claims that he was good and that the toils of mankind turned him evil, but at the same time it annoys me because if he was so good, why couldn't he stop with the whole killing thing? He committed the ultimate sin, not once, but multiple times. Something I wonder after reading this novel is how does he receive redemption after he dies since he is not a mortal being? Does he go straight to hell or does nothing happen? I know it's not real but it would be interesting to hear someone's take on what would happen to him. In the end, he still has humanlike characteristics that cause his anguish and his regret for his actions, but he turned out to embody evil more than good throughout the course of events.

Ein andere Frankenstein entry

8:18 PM Posted by Emily Looney 0 comments
"In the mean time I took every precaution to defend my person, in case the fiend should openly attack me. I carried pistols and a daggar costantly about me, and was ever on the watch to prevent artifice; and by these means gained a greater degree of tranquility." (page 142).

Once Victor decides it is time to wed Elizabeth before he is killed or before she finds another man, he takes every single precaution to ensure that he will be alive before their ceremony and hopefully they can then get away before the monster can find them. It amazes me that he was so concerned about keeping himself safe but he didn't stop to think that the monster was killing everyone close to him so to make him suffer but to not yet kill him. It reminds me of a horror movie because after they are married and are residing in Evian, Victor tells Elizabeth to go to sleep and he will be there soon after he checks the perimeter. Soon after, he hears the screams from her room and realizes the mistake he has made. He has made many fatal mistakes in this story and it is a wonder he hasn't realized the implications of them yet. It's amazing to me because he is such a smart, well-educated man and yet he doesn't seem to think ahead. I think the anger, fear, exhaustion, and revenge has been clouding his vision for many years since the monster was created and it has completely altered his life and well being. Victor basically doesn't have a well-being any more and he has given up on anything and everything in his life except for hunting down his creation and destroying it. The only thing I wonder in all of this...and maybe I missed it...was where is Ernest his brother now?

Franky continues..

7:57 PM Posted by Emily Looney 0 comments
"Ay, sir, free enough for honest folks. Mr. Kirwin is a magistrate; and you are to give an account of the death of a gentleman who was found murdered here last night." (page 127)

Frankenstein at this point has already decided that he is finished with dealing with this monster situation. He has toiled over this new creation for many many hours and days, but he has realized that he would be more of a monster if he created another being. His problem is that he could not handle the grotesqueness of this new monster and he would not be able to tell if the new creation would like the original creation and vice versa. The female creation could even hate the world more than the male creation and he would not be able to tell what the outcome would be then. Also, Victor must have given them reproductive organs because he mentions them having more demon babies...which would just be wonderful of course. The dead would be reproducing...hm....

So the monster is at it again. One of the themes my group has been studying is depravity, or sin, and the monster who claims that he was once good has only been showing off his evilness. He has apparently killed again and he is framing his creator once again. He threatened Victor with the fact that he is more powerful than his creator and he will be with him on his wedding night because Victor destroyed his second creation and broke his original promise. The creation has zero remorse anymore. He does not care what repercussions could occur and he does not care about his creator and his well being. Basically, he is sick of being treated like a monster...but well...he is a monster. He is almost making the situation worse by actually acting as a monster now. The theme of depravity is prevalent in the story, but as I continue reading the end of this novel, I can see that sin will become more prominent and prevalent in the main ideas.

Frawnk-en-shteen

7:28 PM Posted by Emily Looney 0 comments
If you were wondering, yes that is the legitimate German pronunciation of "Frankenstein." :]

"It was a place fitted for such a work, being hardly more than a rock, whose high sides were continually beaten upon by the waves. The soil was barren, scarcely affording pasture for a few miserable cows, and oatmeal for its inhabitants, which consisted of five persons, whose gaunt and scraggy limbs gave tokens of their miserable fare." (page 119).

As Victor is touring Europe with Henry Clerval, he realizes that it is important for him to get this monster business out of the way and just create the "bride" for the creature so he doesn't have to toil and slave over it anymore. Remembering the anguish the creation took on his body, mind, and soul before, he is having a difficult time bringing himself to making another monster. He can barely handle himself just thinking about the horrendousness of the monster, and yet he is willing to put himself through pain again so he can try to save his family and humanity from this awful infestation. He sends Henry off and then retreats to this sad little place where no one else lives. He seriously has some depression issues or something because he puts himself in situations in which he will be hurting himself or depriving himself of his basic needs. He needs to have people in his life...not monsters....who he can be happy with and not have to worry about making some creation that would ruin his life. The description of the new setting he is planning on working in is even miserable and decrepid sounding. There is one thing to say for Victor though. When he is determined, there is not much that will deter him.

Frankenstein part deux

6:29 PM Posted by Emily Looney 0 comments
"....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." (99).


The creature shows that he is actually a round, dynamic character in a way. He is present throughout the entire story and he ends up being well developed even though he has only been alive for a year. He has excellent speech, he is literate, and he knows the ways of mankind. Not many people who are fully developed and are real even have his knowledge that he portrays. At the same time though he is very contradictory at times because he cannot make up his mind about his feelings. He has very real, humanlike emotions, yet he cannot control them as easily as other humans can. The creation has a difficult time realizing what feelings are rather than concrete words, but he figures out anger and hatred pretty quickly. He also ends up learning about love and connection as he felt like he had with his "friends" that he spied on for a year. He realizes that he can never be like them and it puts him in a deep depression and extreme anger toward his creator because he was abandoned and absolutely no one wants him. This makes him turn to anger and malice. It portrays almost a disgusting view of humankind because the fact that he was able to learn mischief so easily in less than a year from humans shows the values of society today. While the monster has not had the same "upbringing" so to speak as humans do or should, he has learned valuable lessons about what he should or shouldn't do. Unfortunately, he has been acting in ways he should avoid because of his lonely nature.

Franky 5

"I had admired the perfect forms of my cottagers-- their grace, beauty, and delicate complexions: but how I was terrified, when I viewed myself in a transparent pool! At first I started back, unable to believe that it was indeed I who was reflected in the mirror; and when I became fully convinced that I was in reality the monster that I am, I was filled with the bitterest sensations of despondence and mortification. Alas! I did not yet entirely know the fatal effects of this miserable deformity." (page 80). The creature is incredible eloquent for only being alive for a year or so. He learns the way of the world quickly by learning how to act, eat, breathe, and speak, but he cannot speak to many people since he is so horribly ugly. He had watched a family for a long time and he wanted to be friends with them and look like them. However, when he looked in the pond, he could not even stand the sigh of himself. He hated himself and his creator for giving him life that he abhorred so much. He scared himself and his deformities made everything worse. I think he resembles a person with terrible self esteem because of his looks. Now I fully understand that he is in a different situation because...well..he isn't real and he was randomly given animation, but he still has developed humanly feelings. He feels self conscious and quite honestly he hates himself because of how he looks. He has developed so many human characteristics that it amazes me. I don't understand how he can become like a human, but this is one of those things I think I just need to accept because it's not a real situation. The creature has a long way ahead of him though and Frankenstein also does because he has to deal with everything the creature makes him put up with.

Franky 4

10:24 PM Posted by Emily Looney 1 comments
"I expected this reception," said the daemon. "All men hate the wretched; how, then, must I be hated, who am miserable beyong all living things! Yet you, my creator, detest and spurn me, thy creature, to whom thou art bound by ties only dissoluble by the annihilation of one of us. You purpose to kill me. How dare you sport thus with life? Do your duty towards me and I will do mine towards you and the rest of mankind. If you will comply with my conditions, I will leave them and you at peace; but if you refuse, I will glut the maw of death, until it be satuated with the blood of your remaining friends." (page 68) So Frankenstein now meets his creature again, but this time the creature can talk and basically fully function. He speaks of his misery as this ugly spawn and how he scares all of hte people he meets. His anger spawns from the fact that his creater left him immediately when he realized the horrid mistake he made. He makes a deal in this quote with Frankenstein which adds foreshadowing to the plot. As we find out later in the plot, Frankenstein is being asked by his creature if he could make another creature like him in a woman form so he may have a companion (Bride of Frankenstein maybe? :)). If Frankenstein refuses or does not follow through, the creature will destroy more of human kind, focusing on Frankenstein's family and friends. This brings foreshadowing because Victor had such a hard tim emaking the creature then stomaching it. I don't think he could make another one because he nearly died of sickness trying to make the creature which he worked for so ridiculously long on. There is no way he would be able to remain healthy and sane by making another creature. Therefore, it is going to be interesting on who the creature kills that is close to Victor. He has already killed William (I think) which then caused the death of their servant, and Victor's mom is already dead. Currently the death tole is rising for the Frankenstein family. His creature sure is a bargainer...

Franky 3

9:55 PM Posted by Emily Looney 1 comments
"It's Alive!!!!!" (The depressing realization that this quote is not actually in the book. Awesome.) "How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavoured to form?" (page 35) Frankenstein is a rather complex character. His characterization so far is peculiar because we first meet him in the north where he is near death. Then, he decides to tell the story of his misery the last few years to a complete stranger. I suppose when you are sitting around on a ship for 24 hours a day for several days, you're going to learn a lot about the people with you though. This quote from chapter five when Frankenstein finally breathes life into the inanimate body brings on more complexity of his character. Why would Frankenstein be so disgusted and caught up by his creation after he obsessively worked on it for two years? The creation took over his life and even his health and then he just ends up throwing it to the wind and making it fen for itself. I realize that he did not understand the gravity of his creation until the moment it tremored and woke up for the first time, but the fact that he put every single ounce of himself into the creation until the very last moment is just confusing. How can he be so enamored with his project, knowing the beautiful and horrific features of it, and then just let it all drop? I feel like he doesn't exactly think things through. Rather, he is impulsive and goes more on intellect than common sense.

Frankenstein 2

9:18 PM Posted by Emily Looney 0 comments
"Elizabeth was saved, but the consequences of this imprudence were fatal to her perserver. On the third day my mother sickened; her fever was accompanied by the most alarming symptoms and the looks of her medical attendants prognosticated the worst event. On her death-bed the fortitude and benignity of this best woman did not desert her. She joined the hands of Elizabeth and myself. 'My children...my firmest hopes of future happiness were placed on the prospect of your union.'" (pages 23-24) This quote establishes the reason that Elizabeth was brought into the Frankenstein family so many years ago. She was adopted by Victor's parents with the intention that she would end up marrying Victor. This is extremely different from our society hundreds of years later because we would never consider adopting someone so they could marry another person they would then be related to. In this case, a brother and adopted sister would be an extremely odd pairing. Nevertheless, Victor seems to be madly in love with his Elizabeth from a very young age and he speaks about her in beautiful terms. I suppose it's better than being blood brother and sister and wanting to get married. That just plain freaks me out...and probably the rest of society as well. Even though I haven't gotten through much of the story yet, I have a feeling Elizabeth will be an important character in many ways but especially because she is Victor's love and she will somehow be affected by the newly created creature.

Frankenstein 1

9:09 PM Posted by Emily Looney 0 comments
"This expedition has been the favourite dream of my early years. I have read with ardour the accounts of the various voyages which have been made in the prospect of arriving at the North Pacific Ocean through the seas which surround the poles." (page 2) Frankenstein is set up as a frame story so we begin with the first narrator, Robert Walton, who is an explorer and a scientist looking to reach the North Pole. At one point he mentions his goal is to find the reason why needles point North and another goal of his is to find a safer and quicker passageway to Asia and other continents on the other side of the world. Walton seems almost pretentious in a way because he has a hard time making friends since he is so involved in his explorations, but at the same time he is afraid that he is not smart enough to be friends with the type of people he would like to be friends with. He speaks about being a "romantic" because he wants someone to share in his triumph if he reaches the North Pole or someone to console him if he doesn't reach the North Pole. He has been working very hard to get to this point, and he needs someone to share it with. Walton speaks so highly of his dream that he doesn't speak much about his life otherwise. We know that he has a good relationship with his sister since he is writing her multiple letters, including all of Frankenstein's journey, but he doesn't mention much about the rest of his family or keeping in contact with them. He does mention, however, that his explorations and his project has been such a big part of his life that he hasn't had time to make friends or strengthen relationships. Until Frankenstein comes along....

Even more death...

"He had reached an age where death no longer has the quality of ghastly surprise, and when he looked around him now for thefirst time and saw the height and splendor of the hall and the great rooms opening out from it into other rooms, his grief began to be mixed with awed pride. " (168) Our perceptions of people after they die tend to be skewed in many directions. Some people end up hating people more after they die, but many people tend to focus on how great the person was, even if they were...well...terrible. Gatsby's dad, now granted he was his dad so that changes the perspective even more, was in complete awe of what Gatsby had made with his life. He always knew that his son would reach great heights, because that's what parents do. They think of the best possible situations for their children and when disaster strikes, it's the other person's fault or the other person is "a madman." Parents are really good at that though, no matter how mean or rude their children were to them. Gatsby completely cut ties with his parents, yet his dad was so proud of him for everything he became. He also didn't question how Gatsby became so rich, so he ignored that fact that there were possibilities of illegalities in the way his son got his money. He also ignored that there were no people at his funeral even though he was apparently so well liked and so popular with his parties. Death skews everything and throws it out of proportion, especially with our relationships and views on others.

Gatsby's tell-all...sort of

9:39 PM Posted by Emily Looney 0 comments
"Through this twilight universe, Daisy began to move again with the season; suddenly she was again keeping half a dozen dates a day with half a dozen men, and drowsing asleep at dawn with the beads and chiffon of an evening dress tangled among dying orchids on the flood beside her bed." (151) The motif and symbol of death resounds in this work but in a subtle way for the most part until the end of the novel. This quote is embedded in the story that covers the majority of chapter 8 when Gatsby tells Nick more of his life story, focusing on the times when he met Daisy and was trying to keep her to himself. This quote tells when Daisy began to stop waiting for Gatsby because he was still poor, he was at Oxford for a few months, and apparently she cannot wait for her "true love" for six months to get back home. She began to drift back into her old habits and eventually found Tom Buchanan to marry. She told Gatsby in a letter while he was still at Oxford, and that one of the reasons she was marrying Tom was because he was somewhat of high stature in society and he was wealthy enough to keep her secure and give her what ever she wants. Back to the symbol of death, this quote speaks of the dying orchids on the floor when she fell asleep. The orchids are a reminder of the short-lived "loves" that she had that came and went as quickly as the flowers bloomed and died in her household. I feel like Daisy never really had "love" with any of these men, not even Tom nor Gatsby because she could never be satisfied. In the end, Gatsby, her longest standing orchid, died too without so much as her showing up to give her condolences.

Death in Gatsby

9:27 PM Posted by Emily Looney 0 comments
"Myrtle Wilson's body, wrapped in a blanket, and then in another blanket, as though she suffered from a chill in the hot night, lay on a work-table by the wall, and Tom, with his back to us, was bending over it, motionless." (138) At this point, Myrtle has been killed because she ran out in front of a yellow car which so happened to be Gatsby's car. Previously, Tom had been driving the car and told George that it was his car, so at first George suspected him until Tom told him that it was really Jay Gatsby who the car belonged to and he didn't even stop to see if Myrtle was okay when he ran her over. I believe Tom was really just nervous because he didn't want George finding out about his affair with Myrtle. He wanted it to remain mysterious who the man was that she was having an affair with because he was a coward. I think he was afraid that if George found out then he would kill Tom...because...well he ends up killing Gatsby. And people do crazy things for love. I find it interesting that Tom was so upset over Myrtle's death because I don't think he truly cared about her like he thought he did because men who hit their wives or mistresses...that is just shady to me. I don't feel like a man should ever, ever hit a woman who he claims he loves because if he loves her, he would never want to physically harm her. I think Tom is so shocked and upset because he feels like he just lost his wife and his mistress so he is really striking out when he thought his life was progressing perfectly. Tom is a man of pleasure and self-satisfaction, so once his satisfaction was dwindling, he had no where to run to but right back home.

The Great Gatsby...even more plot thickening!!!

8:23 PM Posted by Emily Looney 0 comments
"She had told him that she loved him, and Tom Buchanan saw. He was astounded. His mouth opened a little, and he looked at Gatsby, and then back at Daisy as if he had just recognized her as some one he knew a long time ago." (119) At first I thought the climax of the novel was when Daisy and Gatsby met each other again for the first time in five years, but then when I came upon this part, I quickly changed my mind. The moment that Daisy commented on how "cool" Gatsby always looked, even in the most heated of situations, it dawned on Tom that the wool had been pulled over his eyes, so to speak, about Daisy and Gatsby's relationship. They obviously were lovers, and he was getting beat at his own game. When Tom realized that he could be losing his wife, he nearly went crazy at the thought and immediately tried to pin something on Gatsby that would drive him away from his wife and his family. This part of the novel is basically when all hell breaks loose and all the secrets come out because shortly after Tom realizes Daisy's affair, George realizes Myrtle's affair, and the plot continually thickens. The events spiral down from here and the scandals become well known. The question is, who will Daisy pick? Her former lover who has recently acquired enough wealth to be considered a millionaire, or her safe husband who cheats on her yet still offers her financial security and safety? I'm glad I'm not Daisy...

The Great Gatsby...the plot thickens...

7:13 PM Posted by Emily Looney 0 comments
"So he invented just the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen-year-old boy would be likely to invent, and to this conception he was faithful to the end." (98) This quote has an element of foreshadowing to it because it brings up the point that there could be an ending to Gatsby's life within the story, which actually ends up happening! The second half of the book as we divided it up begins with Gatsby slowing unveiling his previous life before he became rich and famous in upper class America at that time. He still is able to maintain his air of mystery though because we never actually find out his exact line of work, which makes it seem like he is into or has been into some shady business. Not to mention the fact that he is good friends with Meyer Wolfsheim who is notorious for having controlled the World Series scandal in 1919. Gatsby has such an intriguing character because he is reserved and taciturn in the first half of the novel and then begins to come out of his shell more with Nick as his friend. Gatsby, in the end, is just suffering from a lost love that he never truly got back because he died before Daisy and his relationship could have been decided. He spent five years building up his wealth and his prominence to win back Daisy, when in the end, he died alone and remained alone in his mansion and at his funeral.

The Great Gatsby 5

Then wear the gold hat, if that will move her;
If you can bounce high, bounce for her too,
'Till she cry "Lover, gold-hatted, high-bouncing lover,
I must have you!"
-Thomas Parke D'Invilliers

This quote shows up on the title page of the book and it intrigued me. This kind of sets the theme for the rest of the book because it speaks of people always wanting more and especially lover's wanting something that looks or seems to be impressive. It shows how the characters in this book are very attached to their material items and have a problem with giving them up. If they see something they like such as a "gold hat" or something that interests them, they must have them. They must have the things that interest or entertain them the most. They seem to believe their sophistication stems from the size of their paycheck, or rather, their husband's paycheck. This poem seems to emulate the feeling in the air of the wealthy because they just want more and more. Eventually they are going to get to rock bottom because no matter how much they get, they are never going to be satisfied because material items cannot replace physical people or the feeling of love.

The Great Gatsby 4

9:04 PM Posted by Emily Looney 0 comments
"And I like large parties. They're so intimate. At small parties there isn't any privacy." (page 49)

This is a paradox and a quote from Jordan Baker to Nick Carraday when they are at Gatsby's party. Carraday was specifically invited by Gatsby and he is searching for him to meet him. I find this quote interesting because at a first read I was thinking why would a larger party be more intimate? But a large party would be intimate if there were only a select few people that one would want to be around because people are so engrossed with their little groups that they wouldn't bother others. On the other hand, smaller parties are somewhat more private if the people aren't trying to be away from anyone at the actual party. Jordan seems to drop hints often about being alone with Carraday or something of the like. Even Daisy says that she will "arrange a marriage" between the two of them at some point. They seem to have a budding love that is starting out very slowly but when Jordan and Nick go out so she can explain what Gatsby would like, they begin to forget about their friends and focus more on each other. I love this book so far!!! :]]

The Great Gatsby 3

8:58 PM Posted by Emily Looney 0 comments
"They drifted here and there unrestfully wherever people played polo and were rich together." (page 6)

This quote embodies much of the wealthy society of the '20s because they were all sort of lost souls. They were searching around for something that they didn't have but they weren't finding it because they basically had everything they needed material wise. Yeah, they would take expensive vacations around the world and own multiple houses, but they could never really find what they needed. For instance, Daisy seems to be very happy on the outside or on the first impression, but as we get to see Daisy more in the story, we see that she is upset with her life and her husband. We can see that her husband is cheating on her but she doesn't know what to do about it because without him she would be a social outcast and would not have any fortune to her name. These people were like lost, diamond-clad souls who would wander around looking for adventure, or something to spend their money on. Gatsby I think is still one of those souls as he is searching for his love or someone to be his lover, but until then he throws parties hoping to meet her and then stands outside to watch the night sky when the party comes to an end.

The Great Gatsby 2

8:33 PM Posted by Emily Looney 0 comments
"The younger of the two was a stranger to me, She was extended full length at her end of the divan, completely motionless, and with her chin raised a little, as if she were balancing something on it which was quite likely to fall. If she saw me out of the corner of her eyes she gave no hint of it-- indeed, I was almost surprised into murmuring an apology for having disturbed her by coming in." (page 8)

Ahh characterization...the backbone of literary analysis, in my personal opinion of course.

Nick Carraday
Carraday is the protagonist and narrator of the story who is the sense of realism because he is not focused solely on riches and getting richer. He lives in a simple house in the midst of mansions [i.e. Gatsby's and Daisy's mansions] and he lives in a part of New York, though somehwat "less fashionable" as he put it, that is centered around fame and luxury. He is an intelligent man who graduated from Yale and now feels the calling to learn about bonds in NY much to his family's chagrin. He ends up being a matchmaker between Gatsby and Daisy by chapter five, and he seems to have found a love for himself in Jordan Baker.


Jay Gatsby
Gatsby is the most mysterious character so far because he is so famous in the wealthy world yet no one actually knows him. Everyone assumes these stories about him, like he "once killed a man" or he is "actually a criminal," when in reality, he was a man from North Dakota who didn't fit in with his family and decided to get away. From there he plunged himself into his new identity and his dream...he went from James Gatz to Jay Gatsby, and began to make a name for himself. We do know that he was and is desperately in love with the beautiful Daisy Buchanan who he met many years ago when he was in the armed forces.


Daisy Buchanan
Daisy is the cousin of Carraday who is married to Tom Buchanan. Tom is basically...a cheating scumbag who has had a mistress for many years, who might I add is also married and cheating on her husband. The sad part is, Daisy knows of his adultery and yet she refuses to divorces him because "she is religious" according to Tom's mistress's sister. Daisy is the kind of woman who is beautiful yet focused on social status and luxuries. She believes because she has had experiences and has traveled much that she should be happy with everything. On the other hand, she is is miserable and seems to be looking for a way out. Finding her former love I think is going to help her get there.

Jordan Baker
Jordan Baker is another interesting character who is somewhat mysterious. She is a famous athlete and friend of both Gatsby and Daisy. She was not well acquainted with Gatsby though until Carraday came into her life and she realized they were neighbors. Jordan has begun to be a love interest for Carraday, and something about her makes me like her. I hope things work out :]

The Great Gatsby 1

8:20 PM Posted by Emily Looney 0 comments
"Whenever you feel like criticizing any one," he told me, "just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages you've had. " (page 1)

This quote starts off The Great Gatsby with an immediate theme and tone. The protagonist and narrator, Nick Carraday, is told this quote by his father. As the first couple paragraphs continue on, we find out that our narrator believes his father to have been quite snobbish but still had great advice every once in a while and this is some of that advice. He taught Nick how to listen and reserve all judgments, but mostly to be a gentleman in a world full of people who are rich and poor. One of the themes of The Great Gatsby definitely revolves around the lifestyles of the rich and famous [ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-jC3H_8Dk4 <-- yeah that's a clever little Good Charlotte video Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous :]. The story takes place back in the "Roaring '20s" when the rich were richer than ever and the poor weren't getting anywhere. Leading up to the Great Depression, this story focuses on people like Carraday, his cousin Daisy, and of course the infamous Jay Gatsby who seem to have no problems because they are born from money and basically made of money. As I am currently only halfway through the book, I am curious to see more action take place and see how their social statuses are going to evade their lives.

The American Dream

I am still unsure about how I feel toward the entire family. They're trying really hard to be the perfect American Dream-- Biff is supposed to go to college and has been the golden boy all his life, WIlly us supposed to bethe almighty successful salesman, Linda is supposed to be the perfect house wife who never disturbs the "peace" of the family, and Happy is supposed to be...well...happy. Happy is kind of left ouf of the perfect American dream because he is just in the background to the rest of his family's lives. The funny thing is that this perfect family is one of the most dysfunctional I have ever heard of or read about. I feel like they are so focused on success and perfection that they cause their own dilemmas. No one cares enough or love senough in the family. This is apparent by the funeral when Linda cannot cry and Biff seems angry at his father. The irony in this "American Dream" is that this is probably more typical of American families than we think. There are many, many families in the world and in America who just do not have enough love in their lives and it is what causes evil in the world.

Dramatic Suspense -- Death of a Salesman

9:38 PM Posted by Emily Looney 0 comments
Dramatic suspense is subtly created in this story through the progression of the story. It is very difficult to follow at times trying to figure out if it is the presenet or not. I feel like this story is modeled after Willy's mind because of the chaos in his life. The audience though has littler insight into Willy's mind and future events. There is a lot of foreshadowing and connections to death within the story. This includes the title and Linda point out to Biff that Willy has been attempting suicide. The audience can figure out that Willy will eventually meet his demise because of this foreshadowing. While Willy's death is expected, it is never fully explained because in the requiem we must assume that he killed himself in a car wreck. The ambiguous ending adds to the chaos of the whole play. Either way, this all story points back to what I said in my last blog post about Willy not having a strong enough support system to help him sustain his life and get help for whatever issues he was having. It all comes down to family support when someone is truly struggling.

Tragedy - Death of a Salesman

9:26 PM Posted by Emily Looney 0 comments
This play is a tragedy because in the end of the story Willy's pain eventually kills him. He is also the protagonist in this story but he is also the antagonist. He drives himself to his own death because he drives himself crazy in his job. The whole time I read this play I imagined everything dark and chatoic because it switches back and forth among reality, the past, and Willy's crazy mind. It's very imminent that this play is a tragedy because of the title, but until one begins reading it, it is difficult to figure out if it is the death of his mind or physical body. It ends up that both ahve occured and Willy has been out of his mind for quite a while. In the end, his hubris, himself, brings him to his demise. I don't think he could have saved himself though sadly enough. If anyone could have helped him it would have been his family but he did not seem to have a good enough support system to try to look past all of the crazy things in his life and actually help him out.

The Glass Menagerie tres

So when it comes down to it, Amanda is annoying as heck. She is stuck in her yester-year and she just can't seem to get out of it. In a way I think she is very similar to her daughter because she kind of has social problems as her magazine subscription job shows. She tries way too hard to be social though and her daughter cannot begin to be social.

Amanda chooses to ignore her daughter's ailment and simply dismisses it as a defect constantly which personally I think sounds worse that cripple. She constantly uses euphemisms to make it sound better for her benefit. The most annoy part about her though was when Jim O'Connor came over and she was trying to act like a teenager again. I feel as though she was trying to make him fall for her because she doesn't receive any male attention anymore besides her annoyed son. She is controlling and manipulative and she demands that attention be on her.

On a nice note though, Amanda really does love her children. She seems to want to do all she can for them even though she isn't too great at providing for them since that's all on Tom. The problem is that when she has a heartfelt moment with her children, she immediately turns it around and says something annoying or rude or nagging to her children. I can see why Tom is driven crazy and wants to get out. I know that if I had Amanda as my mom I would want to get out too :/

Themes of Glass Menagerie

9:24 PM Posted by Emily Looney 0 comments
There are many motifs and themes in this play along with symbolism. I read that Williams enjoys symbols and making things particularly obvious that they stand for something else. Some major themes in the play are glass, distortion of memory, and reluctance to accept the truth.

Laura basically is the glass that she handles every day. She is so socially inept that she cannot hold a conversation with a boy without feeling like she is going to puke. Now, granted, she is crippled so that causes some problems, but I think the main source of her insecurity is from her mother. Her mom always makes it sound like Laura isn't good enough because she doesn't have male suitors. Her mom doesn't approve of her or even think she is pretty when she speaks to her because when Mr. O'Connor comes over, her mom tells her that this is the prettiest she will ever be. Laura is simply fragile...just like the glass she deals with...and one day she is going to break.

This play is all told from memory which makes time very distorted and things very biased. Since Tom is telling the story, his mother may seem more harsh than she actually was because he was so suffocated by her presence. She definitely never changes throughout most of the story though so that makes it hard to believe he was exaggerating too much when he speaks about her. Memory's are often selective so we may not be getting the entire picture from the story either. This theme of the distortion of memory is indirectly shown through the play because sometimes there are things that just don't add up--a.k.a. the nonrealistic components.

Then comes the reluctance to accept the truth--basically Amanda's entire character. She lives vicariously through her daughter's life, but her daughter is not all she wants her to be. Amanda wants her daughter to be the most beautiful girl in the world with all of the confidence that comes along with that, but Laura is just too shy and too insecure to "live up" to her mother's expectations. Amanda also doesn't want to accept that she settled for a man who up and left her without a question. She is not good at accepting the truth if she doesn't like it, and I'm afraid that will cause her much pain toward the end of the story.

The Glass Menagerie

8:44 PM Posted by Emily Looney 0 comments
Just so no one would be worrying, I finally figured out what menagerie is the other day...I suppose I should have looked it but...but hey I found out so that's all that matters!

First of all, this play is incredibly boring compared to Othello. I'm not going to lie, I would much rather read another Shakespeare play than this once.

This play displays both realistic and nonrealistic conventions. Some realistic conventions include the shyness of Laura because of her insecurities and her physical ailment, Tom's need for adventure, and the father skipping town. Laura has had a difficult life because she is crippled and her mother refuses to acknowledge it. She doesn't seem to understand why her daughter doesn't have boys lining up at the door every night for her. Laura is very similar to her glass menagerie in that she is fragile and must be taken care of or else she will fall apart. She is just as breakable as the glass she collects which is common for people with such insecurities.

Tom is the man of the house but at the same time he is the youngest person who lives in the house. He has a hard time dealing with his mom because quite honestly...anyone would have problems dealing with her. He seeks adventure and a way to get out of the "coffin" of a home that he lives in. All he wants is to get away and see the world without someone constantly nagging him.

Broken parental relationships are the norm it seems like in today's societies. It is very realistic that there is a single mother raising her two children looking back on the days when she had many suitors. She laments on the times when she could do whatever she wanted because of her beauty, but since she chose the man she married, she gave away much of her freedom. The father's disappearance is very real in that there are many people who are not in touch with their fathers anymore once their parents divorce. Unfortunately these children have to also deal with their psychotic mother.

The play is unrealistic in that Tom speaks many soliloquys and asides directed at the audience since he is also the narrator. The music that plays in the background along with the comic timing of things such as a spotlight on the dad's picture are very unrealistic characteristics of the show. Both of theses elements combined add up to a dramatic yet somewhat boring show because of its realism. Personally, the treachery and killing was intriguing compared to this.

Othelloooooo

Yeah, I just didn't know what I wanted to title this, so that looked appropriate.

So I must say that overall, I enjoyed Othello...but that doesn't come as too much of a surprise to me because I like most of Shakespeare's works that I have read. This one in particular is very different though because of the evil character. It is not told in the evil character's point of view, but it definitely is more objectively limited to Iago. Iago's plans are often spelled out for the most part in his asides and he is the focal point of the story since he is making the story flow. Without Iago, as annoying and cruel as he is, Othello would not even be a story. Well, I suppose it could be a story but it would be kind of boring since Othello and Desdemona are basically the "perfect couple" who "ran away together because they were so in love" type thing, but Iago definitely spiced things up a bit. It kind of ticks me off though just because Iago should have gotten what's coming to him. Cassio pretty much can do what ever he wants with Iago but that is all open for interpretation after the story ends. Overall, Othello has a huge lesson about jealousy and how it can be provoked if the facts aren't checked and the right people are not listened to. If Othello could have listened to his wife and figured out what was going on, he may not have made the rash decision to kill her and then himself. If he would have seen through Iago's deceit then he may not have ended up dead by the end of the story. Othello is a pretty good story and I'm glad we read it :]

Othello- Dramatic Suspense

10:08 PM Posted by Emily Looney 0 comments
Number 4: How is dramatic suspense created?

Dramatic suspense is created in multiple ways in this play. Iago is a huge proponent of the dramatics because he soliloquys and asides always tell the reader what he is plotting to do next and how he plans on ruining someone else's life. He does not always tell the entire plan of what he is going to do, but he says things like "remove Cassio" (IV. ii.179-220) and the like which provides suspense for the audience and the reader because they do not know how it will turn out. There is much dramatic suspense when the audience or the reader realizes that the story is a tragedy but no one has died yet. Also, the bad guy has not gotten anything that has been coming to him yet. All of Iago's plans have been working perfectly for him and nothing has gone wrong until Desdemona is killed in Act V and Emilia realizes that her husband is even more of a criminal than she thought. The audience has much more information than the characters do mainly because of Iago's asides. Without the inside information about Iago, audiences would be confused because he is such a good actor that he can put on a straight face and lie to anyone to make them believe him. The audience knows that Desdemona never cheated on Othello and Othello never slept with Emilia. The audience also knows that Othello is a good man who does not turn bad until he is provoked by evil. The same applies for Cassio when he is pressured to get drunk and get in a fight with Roderigo. Since the audience has so much information, the audience is able to predict more things that are going to happen but they just cannot figure out exactly when or how these tragedies occur.

Othello- tragedy

9:54 PM Posted by Emily Looney 0 comments
Question 2: Othello is a tragedy.

The way this story even started out with Iago plotting against a bunch of random people who we had barely been introduced to proved that the play was not going to be a comedy and end happily. Iago is too cruel and impassive to simply let go of something and let the people he is jealous of live a happy life. In the end, basically all of the main characters and supporting characters die: Othello, Desdemona, Emilia, Roderigo. Of course though the worst guy (Iago) doesn't die in the play. Cassio is commanded to do what he pleases with Iago since he is the governor. I imagine that Iago will not live too much longer, but maybe Cassio wants to keep him alive and in jail. You never know how Iago will smooth talk his way out of things.

It is very important to know that this story is a tragedy while it is being read because no one dies until the very last act. Then it's like an explosion of death and killing. This story could very well end up being a comedy until the last act, but it would not be fulfilling to an audience to all the sudden see Iago turn and become a good guy who admits his wrongs and everyone lives happily ever after. Plus, Iago's just not that kind of a guy. He's a plotting, conniving, jealous, and angry man who is not about to change himself in any way. He is the antagonist while also the flat character because he does not change in any major way over the course of the play unless him becoming more evil counts as a change. If this play was anything else but a dramatic tragedy, it would not be appealing to an audience or to a reader.

Emilia's Character

Emilia is a very interesting character to me. While she is obviously not a very important character, she still aids her husband Iago often whether or not she realizes it. She is very close with Desdemona as is portrayed but she is not upset when she gives her husband Desdemona's handkerchief that he will use against her. She is a very weak character altogether because she cannot express her opinions without being shot down or belittled by her husband. She obviously does not have a good realationship with Iago because I'm not really sure if anyone can. This is most obvious when Desdemona and Emilia are talking and Iago tells them about all the different woman and how they use their tricks to get what they want. He also says to Cassio that his wife gives him so much lip he wishes she would shut up every once in awhile (II.i.100-103). He has very little respect for women and it is even worse that he is married and treats his wife like that. Emilia does not help the situation in that she doesn't speak much so she doesn't defend herself or anyone else. It doesn't say if Iago ever asks her if she slept with Othello but she has never inquired as to why he is acting odd lately or trying to take down Othello. Emilia so far is a very flat character who is more of an accomplice to Iago than a wife.

Themes of Othello

4:32 PM Posted by Emily Looney 0 comments
"Oh, beware, my lord, of jealousy!
It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock
The meat it feeds on. That cuckold lives in bliss" (III.iii.165-170)
These words spoken by Iago to Othello are both ironic and true because jealousy can tear a person apart and Iago can attest to that. It is a very ironic statement coming from Iago because the only reason why he is messing with Othello and Cassio is because of his uncontrollable jealousy. Jealousy, along with maniacal planning, and light and dark, are a few of the many themes of Othello
Iago never stops planning. At the end of nearly every act he is planning through his soliloquy what he is going to do next. He planned to plant the handkerchief in Cassio's room so that Desdemona and Cassio looked guilty (III.iii.322-325), and he managed to plan many other things like Cassio's fight that made Othello suspect him in the first place. Now Othello's life is being torn apart because everyone who he respects and trusts he can no longer keep his faith in them.
The theme of light and dark occurs often especially sinace Othello is a black man and everyone else seems to be white. There are multiple racial slurs that are backhandedly cruel to Othello and some are just how they speak. When Iago is speaking to Desdemona and Emilia, they reference ugly people as "black" and how they will find someone that is "white" (II.i.141-142).
The most important theme of all though is jealousy. There wouldn't be a story without Iago's planning but his jealousy is what takes its toll on him and the other characters.

Othello- protagonist/antagonist

4:21 PM Posted by Emily Looney 1 comments
Othello is definitely the protagonist in the play named after him. He is the hero type who has everything going for him-- the woman, the job, the fancy lifestyle. Unfortunately he has the fatal flaw of jealousy and he begins to distrust people because of word of mouth. On the other hand, Iago is the antagonist who is trying to bring down Othello and his wife because he believes Othello once slept with his wife Emilia and he is upset because Othello chose Cassio as his lieutenant instead of Iago who has more experience (I.i.35-37). Iago is the bad guy, the person that no one likes because he goes to great lengths to make life terrible and screwed up for Othello even though there is no proof that he ever slept with Emilia. Iago also suffers from the same jealousy problem as Othello. When it comes to foil characters, Iago and Cassio foil one another. Iago's planning and deceit show how terrible of a man he is and that he would do anything to get his way. Cassio on the other hand is simple a victim in this story. He is pressured to drink by Iago even though he claims he is not a drinker and then he ends up getting in a fight with Roderigo (II.iii.129-134). Then Iago tells Montano that "drink rocks his cradle" and he gets like this every night in order to get to sleep even thought this is a complete lie (II.iii.110-113). Finally, the minor characters move this story along because they are the messengers or accomplices of Iago even if they do not realize it. They do his will and his bidding because they believe him to be an honest man, but he is actually so deceiving that they do not notice his treachery.