Saturday, 3 June 2017

UPDATE ON ENGLISH

Hello!

Welcome to this blog filled with study resources.

I would like to take the time to say that I am aware of the numerous typos. Please bear in mind that these essays were written in a rush as a means of revising.

If the typos bother you, please let me know of the ones you find and I will, of course, take the time to mend the mistakes.

Love,

Melissa

Sunday, 21 May 2017

Mary Shelley presents justice in 'Frankenstein'

LANGUAGE
In 'Frankenstein', Mary Shelley presents justice as non-existent through the use of the past participle.

  • "I was benevolent and good misery made me a fiend"
  • "was" suggests he no longer has the characteristics of being benign and kind. The past tense the monster uses opposes the present nature of the layered narrative of the novel which may suggest how justice is being left in the past and is vanishing. Moreover, the quick change between the monster being nice and becoming a "wretch" is incredibly quick in the sentence which suggests how rapidly justice was destroyed thus creating an ominous effect and tension in the audience.The past tense suggests the change happened in one moment which creates an uncontrollable effect in the reader. The reader therefore, may feel as though they are lost in the past when the monster tells his tale. On the other hand, from the subtle and quick time shifts, Shelley may be echoing ideas from the Enlightenment Era and perhaps may be warning readers of following the Enlightenment belief of logic and scientific too quickly without remaining aware of the sentient nature of humans.
  •  As a Romantic writer, Shelley preferred a less controlled and strict lifestyle which is dictated by nature as opposed to science and therefore may be criticising the opposing contemporary movement which leaves the audience at an ultimatum. The ultimatum is Romanticism or just scrapped from the novel in its entirety.

LANGUAGE
The author presents justice as doubtfully present through the use of rhetorical questions.

  • In Volume II of the 1818 edition, the monster ponders "who was I?" and "what was I?". The use of rhetorical questions suggests the monster feels rather discombobulated as there is no one who would answer his questions. The monster's discombobulated state may be synonymous to Shelley experience as she had to conceal her real identity when publishing 'Frankenstein'. Young women were not often believed to have had sufficient logic to write a novel so she may have felt rather suppressed and confused, just like the monster. Societies view on women -
  • The monster's question of identity may be to induce sympathy from the audience as the monster is not given a name except insults, Victor having called him "daemon" and "wretch" in volume I as is similar with Shelley knowing she would have to remain anonymous when publishing 'Frankenstein'. Both characters suffer from identity problems and Shelley may be trying to address the stereotypes women held in Elizabethan society.She may have been inspired by her mother (modern reader may say she was a feminist) Mary Wollstonecraft who wrote a book based on women's role in her contemporary society called 'A Vindication of the Rights of Women'. The readers may therefore feel  sympathy for the monster thus Shelley as "daemon" suggests the monster is the opposite of all good and God which instantly alienates him from the characters in the novel as opposed to the readership. However, the audience may feel justice is absent in the novel as they may feel they should answer the monster's questions since none of the characters in the novel are.
  • Hence, the readers may feel as though Victor is the "creature" of the novel instead of the monster although this is not evinced which presents justice as scarcely, if not at all imminent in the novel. 
FORM

Justice is present in the novel.
  • Chinese-box form
  • Despite the monster having less leave way to speak, one might suggest the monster is the heart of the novel and is just as powerful as Victor Frankenstein.
  •  His box may be synonymous to Pandora's forbidden box which was mighty enough to unleash horror and turmoil into the world. The Chinese-box form may suggest Shelley is echoing ideas from Prometheus as Pandora's box was presented to him, like with Victor Frankenstein. The title of the novel being 'Frankenstein' and 'the Modern Prometheus' suggests Victor Frankenstein which further alludes to Prometheus.
  • Thus, she relies on the audience to draw their own prior knowledge of the Greek myth 'Prometheus' as the protagonist: Prometheus is punished for being overly ambitious (stealing fire from Zeus) and is eternally eaten by caucuses. Moreover, Prometheus' brother is also punished by Pandora's forbidden box, which arguably is the same for Victor (as he is presented with the monster's box in the Chinese-box narrative).
  •  The monster can be deemed as symbolic of Pandora's box as his narrative may be considered the darkness and depths of the novel which is synonymous to the darkness and horror Pandora's box unleashes. 
  • Therefore, the Chinese-box form, shows how the monster experiences Justice as Victor is punished (the "die is cast") by being overly ambitious as well, for he tries to master the "secrets" of the "bolt". "Secrets" suggests Victor's intentions are forbidden, like Prometheus' was as he stole fire and both characters experiencing punishment which is often believed to be a form of restoring justice. The audience may feel a sense of relief as punishment to achieve justice is universal.

MORE

YOU CAN TALK ABOUT WOMEN FORM. 
HOW VICTOR IS GIVEN MORE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK

How does Mary Shelley present power, ambition and knowledge in 'Frankenstein'?



LANGUAGE
  • In 'Frankenstein', Shelley presents power and ambition as deceiving through the use of figurative language. Victor frequently refers to the "yellow light" of the moon when nearing an accomplishment. The moon reflects the sense of power he feels at these climatic moments as the moon controls the waves of the sea. Thus, Frankenstein's ambitions of controlling nature and mastering it like God makes him feel as though he can control the world. 
  • The reader may feel as though Victor has become quite delusional as both a modern and Elizabethan audience may assume that God is omnipotent and perhaps transcendent which is unlike a human like Victor Frankenstein. Moreover, Shelley may be echoing ideas about Romanticism and how reason can not be found for everything. In Jean-Jacques Rousseau's 'Emile or On Education', the author says one must allow 'nature to work'. Victor assumes he can look at the moon with a "yellow light" when it is often seen as white by the entire readership which suggests Victor should not try to manipulate the image of nature. 
  • Shelley being a Romantic writer may have wanted to suggest how ambitions to twist nature is dangerous because Victor becomes delusional isolates himself in a "little hut" for "two years" for instance. Therefore, nature should be left 'to work'.
  • Moreover, the "yellow" may be referring to a trophy thus an award for his accomplishments. Turning a natural satellite (the moon) into an artificial object emphasises how Victor Frankenstein has become incredibly obsessive and blind to reality (power and ambition is not great to have) which suggests how power and ambition is deceiving.
STRUCTURE

Mary Shelley presents power and knowledge as destructive through the use of juxtaposition. Victor says he "kept his workshop of filthy creation" which contrasts with the "divine" nature of his ambition he initially held.

  • The juxtaposition between "filty" which connotes to dirt whereas "divine" suggests Victor's ambitions are pure and clean of sin. An Elizabethan reader may feel suspense as contemporaneously, many people felt fear from God. The juxtaposition may suggest Victor is rejecting God as he opposes the "divine" with "filthy". Moreover, the audience may assume ambition is terrible as they can see how rapidly and significantly Victor's ambitions became a positive to a negative quest. Shelley may be allowing both a modern and contemporary readership to see the rapid and extreme changes in Victor's mood and may be echoing ideas from the Enlightenment Era. Shelley opposed the Enlightenment movement as she found greater pleasure in the Romantic movement. The Enlightenment movement consisted of using reason to explain everything. The juxtaposition, therefore, may demonstrate how discombobulated Victor has become from trying to find reason through Enlightenment beliefs. A modern reader may feel as though Victor's attempt to use science to provide reason is unethical, for in Modern society, science can be used to create new organs through stem cells and even clone. Thus, his vocations seem dangerous and the consequences may seem destructive (creating a human by selecting their genes for instance is very controversial and may create a super species which is a threat to normal humans).


FORM

In 'Frankenstein', Mary Shelley presents knowledge and ambition as destructive through the use of the Chinese-box form. A01
  • The monster's narrative follows from Victor's which follows from Robert Walton's. Thus, Victor's creation may be considered as the heart of the novel or Pandora's forbidden box which was presented to Prometheus to punish his brother, Epimetheus (which could be symbolic of Robert Walton). Thus, Shelley may be echoing ideas from the Greek myth: Prometheus and may create an ominous effect to an Elizbethan and modern readership as they may draw their own knowledge of the myth and realise that both Robert Walton and Victor Frankenstein will be crushed for their ambition and knowledge. A03 and A01
  • Victor opens the 'forbidden' box in pursuit of knowledge and in turn releases horror and turmoil into the novel: his creation. The monster's box as portrayed through the form is the deepest and the darkest in the novel which suggests the horror and turmoil will affect not only Victor, but also Walton's narrative. He is powerful and therefore able to cause grave danger. Ambition and knowledge seems ruinous as the mosnter is a product of Victor's. A02 and A03.
  •  Moreover, the audience may assume Victor Frankenstein is 'The Modern Prometheus' as Victor 'Frankestein' takes the alternative novel name. Victor tries to achieve his ambition of creating life by the "bolt" by altering nature (creating the monster, the next box). He fails like Prometheus who was often believed to have stolen fire from Zeus in order to master the power of the divine. However, their knowledge and ambition lead to destruction as Prometheus is eternally eaten by a caucuses and Victor's "die is cast". Thus ambition and knowledge is presented as devastating.  A03 and A02 and A01

NOT DESTRUCTIVE to be critical
Juxtaposition between art subject and Victor's fondness of "natural philosophy" which was creating reason to matter although a modern audience would consider it a science. Art more about self-expression etc.
Find in extract
Well, Clerval's character - essay attached here. Clerval prefers to be the "complete master of the oriental languages" so he would like to "plan his life".

He is ambitious but not selfishly.

Saturday, 20 May 2017

How does Mary Shelley portray nature in 'Frankenstein'?

LANGUAGE

In 'Frankenstein', Mary Shelley uses pathetic fallacy to present nature as influential.

  •  During the scene of the creation of the monster in Volume I of the 1818 edition, the monster is created during a "dreary night of November" where Victor feels "anxiety". 
  • Moreover, the rain is described to have "pattered dismally against the panes" of the window. "Dismal" in Latin means "diesmali" which translates into 'evil days'. By describing the weather as evil creates tension in the reader and an ominous effect. One might suggest that the description of the weather has sealed the fate of the characters. Moreover, the "night" exemplifies the unknown as one would not be able to see clearly at night in comparison to day. The reader may feel a nervous effect in them and may suggest that the weather is the reason why Victor feels "anxiety". The audience may sense the weather's force as Victor's life collapses as he ignores the "anxiety" (may have been a warning signal from nature) and continues with his work. Shelley is echoing ideas of Romanticism which were found in Jean Jacques-Rousseau's 'Emile or On Education' which insisted the readership should "give nature time to work before you take over her business". 
  • Shelley being a Romantic writer, she may be insinuating that nature is influential as it determines how Victor feels and his mood. In addition, if Victor tries to take nature's "work" and outdo it, there may be consequences which creates an ominous effect towards the audience. In contrast, the monster feels natures movement as he "cleared" the De Laceys "path from snow" which suggests he has waited for "nature to work" as it releases "snow" and has thus acted afterwards which puts the monster in a favourable position as he acts kindly for the De Lacey family. 
  • The audience may feel as though nature is a moral compass and may feel its influence as positive like Shelley as she was a believer in the Romantic movement.


LANGUAGE

Moreover, Shelley presents nature as powerful through the use of a lexical field of violence. When Victor "visited the tree next morning [he] found it shattered" and "utterly destroyed". Frankenstein later on says he is the "blasted tree" and that a "bolt entered his soul"

  • He naturally embeds scientific language into his speech which suggests how influential and powerful nature is on his actions.
  • (clash between Romanticism and Enlightenment). However, Shelley may be more favourable towards the Romantic movement for she was a Romantic writer and she may expect the audience to draw on their knowledge of 'The Modern Prometheus'. One might suggest 'The Modern Prometheus' is Victor Frankenstein as takes the alternative title. 
  • Frankenstein tries to achieve the power of the bolt by altering nature but ultimately fails. A modern audience may feel an ominous effect towards manipulating nature due to the ethical issues surrounding scientific methods such as the use of stem cells. However, a contemporary audience may feel manipulating with nature due to religious beliefs as Victor may be challenging beliefs in the sanctity of life. Additionally, one might suggest that Victor is playing with God's creation. Moreover, an Elizabethan audience and modern audience may recall how Victor, like Prometheus fails in his attempt to achieve and share the power of the divine.
  •  Thus, the lexical field of violence suggests how nature crushed Victor's ambitions like how it did so to the tree and Victor can not master the power of the divine. Through Prometheus, the audience may feel a sense of tension and everlasting pain for Victor's future, as Prometheus was eternally crushed by Zeus. Shelley may have relied on the readership to draw their prior knowledge of Greek mythology to know that Victor may suffer a very dire punishment askin to the Titan if he attempts to overpower nature, for nature is too powerful.



STRUCTURE

Mary Shelley presents nature as powerful through the use of mirroring events.

  • Every time a subplot has occurred, nature arguably brings the two protagonists: Victor Frankenstein and the monster back onto an emotionally stable state as shown through Victor who goes through the "verdant fields" thus feeling "ecstasy"
  • A modern audience thoughts of ecstasy and drug.
  • An Elizabeth audience
  • Echoing ideas of Romanticism in 'Emile or On Education': "nature made me happy". She may be showing the plausible aspects of Romanticism against the conflicting movements: Neoclassicism and the Enlightenment. 
  • The mirroring events shows how nature is important for the monster's and Victor's sanity and even determines their fate. Nature acts before subplots reach their climax as the "dreary night of November" makes him feel "anxiety", he then creates the "daemon" which changes the direction of the novel.
  • An audience may feel an ominous effect from nature as Victor has officially created life. 
  • Romantics often felt awe from nature which provided them with serenity which is akin to the monster ("I was cold" and then "no distinct ideas occupied my mind") and Victor.
  • Nature is therefore able to manipulate the characters and brings the audience at a sense of ease as nature creates a peaceful impression. 


FORM

Mary Shelley presents nature as influential through the use of the epistolary novel.
- Moves the plot forward.
- Letters move to different locations through nature.
Shelley may be echoing ideas from Romanticism as Jean-Jacques Rousseau's 'Emile, or On Education' states that we ought to let "nature work" so it moves the plot forward.
-The letters inform the audience so they are emotionally engaged too. For instance, in Walton's letter to Mrs Saville, he creates an enthusiastic atmosphere for both himself and the audience as he describes the "icy climes". The letter coming from the "region of beauty and delight" may make the readers feel as though they are apart of those atmosphere which conveys nature as moving. Moreover, the reader may feel as though they are receiving the letters. Therefore, they may feel as though they are in the positive atmospheres of the "icy climes" that Victor finds himself in which suggests nature is influential to both the readership and audience. The influence of nature may evoke a sense of awe which is commonly felt by Romantics.
-

To be critical, you may argue:

STRUCTURE

As opposed to nature being seen as rather influential and powerful, nature is presented as conflicting through the use of juxtaposition.
- On one hand, Shelley exemplifies nature at its finest ("sublime", " wonderful" and "singular beauty"). On the other hand, the author presents a "thunderstorm" near Victor's house in Belrive. Thunderstorms provide electricity which can reverberate ideas of Galvanism from Luigi Galvani who caused a deceased frog to twitch as thought it was alive. The use of electricity here defies the divine as people, it seemed, successfully recreated life. An Elizabethan audience would have been rather distraught as they would have feared God. The finding of Galvanism created a great deal of controversy as many deemed that one should not 'play' with God's creation due to the sanctity of life. However, a modern audience may infer that nature was level with human's power and God's due to the creation of life from stem cells and by three parents for instance (to eliminate hereditary diseases from offspring). Thus, the contradiction between the "sublime" nature and "thunderstorm" nature suggests nature is conflicting. Shelley may have wanted the clash to be symbolic of contemporary clash between the Enlightenment era and Romantic era she lived in, Enlightenment ideas sought reason for everything whereas romantics prefer the importance of imagination and prefer nature over science. Shelley's intentions may have been to question the audience for answers as to which movement is more plausible. Therefore, the readership are not influenced by the weather, but instead shift in belief on their own accord because of the conflicting fashion of nature.


Similar event:

  • Nature is powerful 
  • Victor's relationship with nature is conflicting as he seeks comfort in nature, as he escapes to the "verdant fields" which filled him with "ecstasy" but he constantly tries to defy it.
------ 
 Frankenstein later on says he is the "blasted tree" and that a "bolt entered his soul" once he creates the monster.

  • He naturally embeds scientific language into his speech which suggests how influential and powerful nature is (the storm).
  • Clash between Romanticism and Enlightenment due the "storm" into "soul". "Soul" connotes to electricity and galvanism.
  • However, audience may recall Frankenstein also being called 'The Modern Prometheus' which suggests the power of nature. Frankenstein tries to achieve the power of the bolt by altering nature but ultimately fails. 
  • He like Prometheus fails in his attempt to achieve and share the power of the divine. Thus, the antithesis suggests how nature crushed Victor's ambitions like how it did to the tree. Moreover, the antithesis between "bolt" and "soul" suggests Victor can not master the power of the divine as it is too great to control and therefore powerful.

How does Mary Shelley present relationships in Frankenstein?

FORM
In 'Frankenstein', Mary Shelley presents relationships as dependent on each other through the use of the V form.
- Walton's narrative is on the surface and Victor's one goes beneath thus the monster's narrative goes on deeper in to a darkness.

  • However, the linear nature of the narrative allows the audience to acknowledge how Walton, Frankenstein and the monster influence each other. The monster is only given a single opportunity to reveal his tales  (he spends much of his time talking about the De Lacey family as he says "they made me what I am") but still has an impact on the rest of the narratives. 
  • From the monster's smaller narrative in comparison to Victor and Walton who narrative the novel twice, one might suggest that the monster is being treated with contempt by the other characters, However, Victor's narrative  depends on the monster's and the monster provides the foundations of the novel. 
  • Shelley may be alluding to the French Revolution as signs of people power began to seep through the political, economic and social systems of France and overpower them in its entirety. By Shelley associating the French revolution in 'Frankenstein', the monster who is treated with contempt, overpowers the novel as he changes the direction of the novel as shown through the V shape and offers another side of the argument. 
  • Hence, the audience may be forced to reconsider their views on the monster and see how the monster connects Victor to Walton as Victor is provided with a story to share with Walton.
  •  Victor's story which is created by the monster causes Walton to admire Victor even more which amplifies how their narratives have a domino effect on their relationships. 
  • As synonymous to the French Revolution, the impact of actions by Napoleon for instance shows that regardless of inherited power, each persons actions affects someone else and those who seemed most powerless in French society (the peasants) caused a change in direction as to how France was governed overall which suggests that everyone depends on each other.
LANGUAGE 


In 'Frankenstein', Mary Shelley presents relationships as materialistic through the use of the lexical field of physical elements.

  • In Walton's letter to Mrs Saville, his sister, he informs her of how he "desires the company of a man ... whose eyes would reply to" his. Moreover, Victor reflects on his past and says how his future was in his "hands". Additionally, the noun "eyes" may appeal to the reader as it may evoke a sense of intimacy between the characters and perhaps reflects Walton's desire to be physically close to someone as opposed to emotionally close. Moreover, one might suggest that the fact that '"eyes" can see suggests relationships are more appealing to him visually which echoes ideas opposite to Romanticism (a strong belief of Shelley's). The author felt more pleased by supernatural elements and therefore may have preferred an emotional experience. She may be creating an ominous effect as her father provided her with physical aid through work and education but he was emotionally distant from her. Thus, Shelley may be intent on making the audience experience the consequences of growing emotionally distant to loved ones and being more focused on objects and materials like Victor and Walton. Victor and Walton spend their time focusing on their ambition which for Victor, is to create life and for Walton it is too see life, both encapsulating physical elements. However, Shelley foreshadows the danger as Victor experiences the grief from his mother, and may be subconsciously and dangerously trying to heal himself using reason and science. Reason was a key belief in the Enlightenment era which opposed Shelley's belief in Romanticism so the lexical field of humans reminds the audience of the difference between Victor, Walton and the monster. The monster appeals to emotions as felt "impressed deeply" by the De Lacey family. "Deeply" suggested the monster was pleased beneath the surface which suggests he felt good on the inside  of his body thus emotionally. So the contrast and lexical field amplifies how materialistic Victor and Walton's relationships are.


STRUCTURE

In 'Frankenstein', Mary Shelley presents relationships as destructive and discombobulated through the use of juxtaposition and intertextuality.

  • Victor and Elizabeth's relationship and the Monster and Satan's relationship differ. 
  • Victor speaks of Elizabeth as having saintly features such as her hair being the "brightest living gold" and her "soft looks of compassion" which is synonymous to the benign natures of angels. 
  • "Brightest" connotes ideas of light thus heaven. An Elizabethan audience would have been deeply knowledgeable on religion and a modern audience would be familiar with heaven's association with light and angels. 
  • These heavenly ideas contrast with the monster's verbatim of Satan in Paradise Lost ("evil thenceforth became my good"). The juxtaposition between the angelic nature of Victor's relationship and the diabolical nature of the Monster's relationship with Satan may induce sympathy from the reader as John Milton's 'Paradise Lost' causes many members of the Elizabethan readership to feel sympathy for Satan. 
  • The audience may feel rather confused as Satan is often seen as a negative and dangerous person like the monster. Shelley may be challenging the audience to think in an open minded fashion as opposed to clinging onto traditional views that Satan was awfully bad. 
  • Shelley often defied traditional beliefs as women were often seen as inferior to men. She was an advocate egalitarianism between men and women  in particular, having suffered from the patriarchy society she lived in (in 1818, 'Frankenstein' was published anonymously).
  •  Additionally, the monster and Satan seem to be so akin that the monster may be perceived as destructive as Lucifer was in the epic poem by Milton. The contrast seems clear but the audience may have to reconsider their beliefs on the seemingly opposing relationships,

Friday, 19 May 2017

How does Mary Shelley present Robert Walton in 'Frankenstein'?

FORM

Mary Shelley presents Robert Walton is destructive through the use of the concentric ring narrative. Walton's narrative encapsulates Victor's and thus the monster's. This suggests that the relationships are inescapable and interactive between all of them. However, Walton is holding together all parts of the story which suggests his great responsibility and perhaps wayward nature. The concentric rings means there may have been a different direction of the novel which creates an ominous effect and perhaps a collapse in the story. The layered narrative is an element of the Gothic genre which means the story is more credible and darker. Typically, in a Gothic novel, there would be a hero which may be Robert Walton who bears the brunt of the story and may be a representation of what Frankenstein used to be before his terrible confrontation with the monster, appearing as a younger, 'innocent' doppelganger of the  hero. However, the concentric rings could suggest a sense of self-destruction as his actions come back around. This is synonymous to the Ancient Mariner of 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner' where he shoots an Albatross (unnecessary cruelty) which curses the ship. Robert Walton puts his crew in "grave danger" as they are surrounded by ice which may suggests he is experiencing the consequences of his actions. The audience may feel as though they have a lack of control as Walton paves the way to his own collapse which is foreshadowing through 'a Rime in the Ancient Mariner' and the concentric rings thus exemplifying his pending collapse.

STRUCTURE

Moreover, Shelley presents Robert Walton as a doppelganger of Victor Frankenstein through focuses.
Both men focus on their ambition and risk ambition over lives. Victor creates a monster and makes a "misery" out of him whereas Walton goes on a voyage towards the North Pole and puts his crew in "grave danger". Thus one might suggest that Shelley is channelling her ideas on Romanticism as Romantics often believed that people should not distance themselves from nature and ought not to assume that there is reason for everything. Robert Walton becomes a representation of the Enlightenment era which opposed Romanticism. Doppelganger's suggest that one of the characters are a much more darker form of the other which may be Victor. Thus, Shelley may be trying to show the nuances of danger caused by being overly ambitious and creating a distance from nature which may influence an Enlightenment audience to shift away from their beliefs and to see the righteous nature of Romanticism. Moreover, Victor may be the more darker double as he completely isolates himself from nature in a "little hut" whereas Robert Walton focuses his narrative in a "ship" meaning he is exploring nature and is being supported by it (the sea). Although both end up dying, Victor Frankenstein leaves danger in the world (the monster still remains alive) which makes the audience leave will a sense of terror and contempt for engaging with reason and science.

LANGUAGE

Lexical field of nature

STRUCTURE

Mary Shelley presents Victor as emotionally volatile through the use of juxtaposition. The passionate and joyful way he opens the novel, for he tells the audience how he imagines the North Pole ("region of beauty and delight")  which is offset by his claim that "his spirits are often depressed". 
CONTEXT
EFFECT
EXPLAIN FURTHER.

How does Mary Shelley present De Lacey?

STRUCTURE
Mary Shelley presents the De Lacey as unprejudiced and benign through the use of characterisation.

  • The Old Man says he is "blind" and will not be able to see the monster's "countenance". 
  • The adjective "blind" suggests the Old Man can not see and is therefore unable to judge the monster by his "hideous" looks. Therefore, the Old Man may not be considered as judgemental by the audience like William Frankenstein who let out a "shrill scream" when he saw the monster. Shelley may be suggesting that the poor were not prejudice and may be attempting to remove the derogatory image the destitute often held. Mary Shelley was an advocate for equal rights between men and women and would have known how poorer men did not have the vote which would have stopped women from gaining political equality. Wollstonecraft's influence on Shelley's ideas of what a modern audience would call: feminism was grand as she adopted a great deal of her mother's views on equality between the two genders and thus may have channelled her views through the kind and gentle nature of the poor man. 
  • Moreover, Felix De Lacey "kissed the hand of" Safie's who is described as a "Turk". The welcoming nature Felix evinces too, shows how he is unprejudiced and gentle which presents the De Lacey's as benevolent and unprejudiced despite being "deprived" from their "fortune". Thus the audience, like Shelley, would understand that the poor people of society were filled with kindness which opposes the contemporary view that the poor were poor as a result of their faults. 
FORM


Mary Shelley presents the De Lacey as powerful through the use of the Chinese-box form.

  • De Lacey is spoken of by the monster who's narrative follows from Victor's which follows from Walton. 
  • Thus, one might suggest the monster is at the heart of the novel and stabilises it. Moreover, one might suggest the Monster's narrative is synonymous to Pandora's box which Victor opens. The turmoil and horror unleashed could be the great truth of the monster's narrative. Thus, the audience may feel as though they need to reflect upon the bias of Victor's story and the monster offers an alternative side. 
  • The monster mentions the De Lacey family which makes them apart of the backbone of the novel. 
  • Shelley may have caused the monster to mention De Lacey and his family as  they were "deprived" from their "fortune" due to the long "trial" meaning they were poor. Their poorness may reflect the events of the French Revolution (1789 – 1799). Shelley may be addressing the 'people power' creating by ordinary working class families in France and their power to rid of the monarch. The De Lacey family influences the monster as they have "made me what I am". 
STRUCTURE

Shelley presents De Lacey as symbolic of hope through the use of juxtaposition. 
De Lacey is from "a good family in France" which opposes the monster's "solitary" state. 
  • The juxtaposition may cause the audience to feel a sense of hope and sympathy for the monster as the contrast of having companions and being lonely is made clear and allows the audience to compare his situation to other humans and Victor Frankenstein amplifies his loneliness. Victor Frankenstein also came from a "distinguished" family. 
  • The De Lacey family may be allusive of Shelley's support received from her friends: Lord Byron, Clair Clairmont and Percy Bysshe Shelley in Geneva. Her lack of parental support, for her mother died and father would not accept Percy Shelley as her love is synonymous to the lack of parental support the monster receives  from Victor Frankenstein. 
  • Thus, from Shelley experience, she may want the audience to feel as she did: hopeful that the abandoned monster will find decent companions. Thus, the juxtaposition shows that there is a wide range of possibilities and solutions to the monster's peril as suggested through the De Lacey's background which gives the audience and characters a good outlook to the monster's life and perhaps a sense of empathy for him, as Shelley's fame would have lead to great controversial views as to why she went abroad with her friends.

LANGUAGE
In the extract...