Frankenstein Reading Journal: Volume One ^ Chapter 8

Letter I:

• The address of the letters show of a foreign setting; unfamiliar, alien, mysterious gothic setting.
• "evil forebodings" - gothic convention.
• "breeze play upin my cheeks...fills me with delight" - joy of the unfamiliar is naive "ever presents itself to my imagination as a region of beauty".
• Repeated reference to solitude; foreshadows Frankenstein's lose of family/friends and the creation's loneliness.
• Much talk of his fascination - more romantic than scientific. Walton was a failed poet, now turned explorer.
• Walton has an obsession for knowledge, knowledge is power; conformity to the gothic 'power-hungry tyrant'.

Letter II:

• "I have no friend" - emphasises the importance/recurring theme of companionship in the novel. Romantic.
• My best years under your gentle and feminine fosterage" - Like Victor, Walton has lived a sheltered life.
• "if I should come back to you as worn and woeful as the 'Ancient Mariner'" - reference to Samuel Coleridge's epic poem of ambition.

Letter III:

• "Why not still proceed over the untamed yet obedient element?" - Reference to Walton's perceived power of man over nature.
• Outlines the ambitions of Walton and his endearing passion to succeed.

Letter IV:

• Trapped and surrounded by ice, Walton's ship is found by Frankenstein who is ill and nursed by Walton.
• "'we are unfashioned creatures," - Frankenstein speaks of wisdom and nobility as a trait of only born humans rather than 'fashioned' ones i.e. the creation.
• Frankenstein's condition foreshadows Walton's future if he continues on his path of ambition and glory.
• Narrative changes at the end of the chapter to Victor's voice being written down by Walton.

Chapter I:

• Like Walton, Victor describes a blissful and tender childhood. Both were captured by the thirst for knowledge.
• Suffering taking place before and during Victor's childhood e.g. Beaufort's death and Elizabeth's life pre-adoption. Juxtaposes suffering alongside joy as a natural part of life. Emphasises the creation's suffering as he lives a sad life, but without the joys that Frankenstein is afforded.

Chapter II:

• The character Henry Clerval contrasts Victor's character as a boy with an objective to study science and pursue knowledge. Henry is a romantic, he finds bliss in literature and is more a man of the arts. Similar to the young Walton.
• The thunderstorm not only inspires Victor over the possibilities of science and electricity but demonstrates the power of nature in its destruction of the tree.
• The perfect and sublime nature of Frankenstein's childhood elevates the severity of his loss when it is contrasted with his current state in the ship.

Chapter III:

• Victor's mother dies from contracting scarlet fever as a result of caring for Elizabeth, the death of Victor's mother shows the harm that can come from trying to do good and misguided intents i.e. Victor's losses from creating life. It also shows the harm of that comes from loved ones Victor essentially causes the death of his family.
• "I felt as if my soul were grappling with a palpable enemy" - Mention of soul; romanticism.
• Victor's pursuit to further knowledge in the sciences is mirrored by Walton's pursuit to reach the North Pole.

Chapter IV:

• Victor's immersion in his studies takes over and shrouds him from all else; including his beloved family whom he ignores for two years. His obsession introduces the theme of insanity, synonymous with gothic concepts.
• "but was engaged, heart and soul," - Ties the soul with Victor's passion for enlightenment. Through devoting his 'heart and soul' to his quest in the name of science; Shelley, like Romanticism, is criticising the Age of Enlightenment by depicting Victor as taking his heart and soul away from the focus of his loved ones to his new obsession with knowledge.
• "then drive away incipient disease;" - Victor's toils clearly show a negative impact on him; may be interpreted as nature trying to stop Victor from creating this unnatural creation.

Chapter V:

• "Dreary night of November." - eerie pathetic fallacy; gothic setting
• "I had selected his features as beautiful." - Victor like God fashions his creation to be perfect and imagines it to be wonderful, but the reality of his creation is disgusting and detestable. Like Adam, it was unrealistic to imagine a being without perfection.
• During Victor's childhood in Geneva, he was innocent and pure and this is replicated in the mountains and rivers (all natural scenes) but having carried out his dark pursuits in Ingolstadt, the streets (man-made) are 'black' and have a 'comfortless sky' on the eve of his success.
• The security that comes with the arrival of Clerval amongst such distress gives the reader a false sense of safety, furthered by the fact the monster is no where to be found.

Chapter VI:

• Under the influence of Clerval, Victor once again appreciates all the beauties of nature, this is amplified by his own failure to replicate it and witnessing the hideousness of man-made creation.
• Victor's character may be argued as selfish; after not having returned home for 6 years, he delays further by going on a walking tour.
• Justine is referred to as a servant with rights; this shows the equality that may come from mankind, an equality that is lacking with the monster who shares similar concepts with Justine.
• The mood of the chapter is nostalgic with appearances/voices of characters from Victor's past and Victor is quite queasy; as if he has woken from a nightmare and is reminded by its details through minor details such as seeing scientific instruments in the university.

Chapter VII:

• The effect of finding out William's murder changes Victor's overwhelming by creation into an overwhelming by loss. There are contrasts in the polars of emotion.
• The heavy use of letters that is becoming apparent in the novel undermines the reliability of the narrator as Victor could not have remembered that accurately the details, it brings in to question the potential for bias narration.
• Henry's character is also very pure, this is contrasted with Victor's ill health and immoral conducts.

Chapter VIII:

• The recognition of Justine's isolation and suffering by Victor demonstrates his irrational denial of his creation's misery as he can see it but chooses to ignore it because of the creation's monstrosity.
• Victor may have such detail of the trial out of guilt from causing Justine's situation; as he cannot liberate Justine out of fear for being labelled insane (a gothic theme), he must do her justice and seek liberation from within himself by being able to account the entire truth of Justine's case.
• "How shall I ever again believe in human goodness?" - Justine, like the creation and like God, loses faith in humanity.
• Justine puts her faith and devotion to religion "God raises my weakness and gives me courage", her character plays the role of showing dedication to religion and God "Learn from me...to submit in patience to the will of heaven!" - Victor should not have tried to go against God by creating life and defying death.
• Justine also tried helping Victor's mother on her deathbed but now she is condemned to death. There is a motif that those who try to help others will pay a price. Victor pays his price through helping science in creating life.
• Justine very clearly outlines the gothic character of the weak and submissive female; she admits to her crimes even though she knows she is innocent and the only one that can save her is a man losing his sanity.

Macbeth Reading Journal: Act Five

Scene 1:
Lady Macbeth brings great distress as she sleep walks and talks in her sleep about the treachery her and Macbeth have committed. "Out, dammed spot! Out, I say!" She hallucinates of the blood on her hands from her murders showing she is perpetuated by guilt. All these occurrences show she has clearly gone mad from guilt. "The Thane of Fife had a wife; where is she now?" The Thane of Fife being Macduff and his wife having been murdered, it may show Lady fears for her own safety by the tyrannical Macbeth asides from feeling guilt.
Scene 2:
The Lords and the English Army march on towards Birnan Wood and make their battle plan against Macbeth. Macbeth's treacheries are clear to the Lords "His secret murders sticking on his hands;" and they denounce his followers "Those he commands move only in command, Not in love." They have the impression that Macbeth has swum out his depth "Now does he feel his title Hang loose about him like a giant's robe Upon a dwarfish thief."
Scene 3:
Falsely confident from the prophecies told by the apparitions, Macbeth courageously prepares for battle, unwavering at the oncoming battle; whilst also showing little concern towards Lady's worsening condition.
Scene 4:
At Birnan Wood, Malcolm discusses battle plans; they will carry shrubbery as they advance to hide their numbers...they are moving Birnan Woods.
Scene 5:
Macbeth rallies his forces showing he is still a fierce soldier. After hearing a woman cry, Macbeth claims to have forgotten the feeling of fear and that to hear a scream in the night would have shaken him once before but he has seen so many horrors now, nothing stirs him; lines 9-16. These few lines make the following remarks on life less shocking. Macbeth ultimately calls all his actions in life pointless and brief because death is the final result of everything "To the last syllable of recorded time;" Macbeth calls life a walking shadow, possibly the shadow of death in accordance with the idea that death is the true face of everything. "a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage" may suggest that Macbeth believes he has been a tool of the Witches. The last line of Macbeths mini-speech "Signifying nothing." fully encompass the message by Macbeth, life, his deeds and even the speech he just gave are summarised as nothing. Macbeth is informed the woods are moving. "There is nor flying hence nor tarrying here. I 'gin to aweary of the sun." this is a direct reference to the Greek myth of Icarus who flew too close to the sun and suffered for it, Macbeth knows there is no escape and is tired of his reign.
Scene 6:
Macbeth kills Lord Seyward's son reinforcing his belief he cannot be killed by a man woman-born. Malcolm and Seyward enter the castle. "Why should I play the Roman fool and die" this line spoken by Macbeth may refer to Julius Caesar who was brutally murdered by his followers. Macduff finds Macbeth and reveals to him he "was from his mother's womb Untimely ripped.” they fight and Macbeth is killed. Macduff meets with the other Lords carrying Macbeth's severed head. Malcolm proclaims a new reign and grants his Thanes the title of Earls, an English term; symbolising a new era and prosperity between once enemies.

Macbeth Reading Journal: Act Four

Scene 1:
Rather than the Witches coming to Macbeth, Macbeth has chosen to seek the Witches for knowledge on his future. The Act begins with the Witches enchanting another spell like they did at the beginning of Act 1, which signalled the dawn of a new King brought about by bloodshed, with hindsight, it is possible to deduct the chanting in Act 4, Scene 1 is bringing about another King's downfall: Macbeth's. This is reinforced by the Witches response to Macbeth when he meets them "A deed without a name", they will not disclose their plans for they spell his death, like Duncan's death was kept secret from him. From the second apparition, it is also revealed that Macbeth cannot die at the hands of a man born of a woman; which logically would grant Macbeth immortality but it is clear the apparitions are telling the truth but not the whole truth as from Act 3, the Witches have turned on Macbeth. Macbeth is also fooled into an untouchable status that his castle will not fall till the woods themselves of Birnan move. Through conversing with the Witches, it is revealed Macbeth should fear Macduff and after learning Macduff has fled to England; Macbeth plans to kill Macduff's family and house.
Scene 2:
Macduff's wife and son are warned of their imminent murders by Ross, Macbeth's own man; which shows even Macbeth's own followers are wary, concerned and beginning to turn against Macbeth. Wife and Son also have a conversation concerning Macduff as a traitor "What is a traitor?" which may foreshadow Macbeth's betrayal of country and their betrayal of Macbeth. Son and Wife are killed.
Scene 3:
Macduff finds Malcolm in England. Macduff having seemingly lost hope in Scotland is tested by Malcolm who pretends to not care for Scotland until Malcolm is confident Macduff's loyalty is still tied to Scotland. They speak of the deterioration of Scotland and Macbeth's tyranny "Bleed, bleed, poor country! Great tyranny, lay thy basis sure,” Notably, the King of England is praised as being a most prosperous and caring King. Ross meets the pair and tells Macduff of his murdered family. Malcolm tells Macduff to turn his grief to anger as they head to Scotland to overthrow Macbeth with English forces backing them.

Macbeth Act Three Reading Journal

Scene 1:
Banquo fathoms the Witches prophecy that he and Macbeth shall be Kings and the subsequent fulfilment of Macbeth's fate begs him to consider what will happen to his own fate. So too does Macbeth begin to consider the very same idea, beginning to fear his own betrayal by Banquo "a barren sceptre in my grip, Thence to be wrenched by with an unlineal hand," resulting in his decision to have Banquo murdered. Macbeth feels as though his betrayal of his King has been in vain because it is just a step for Banquo’s lineage to take over "For them the gracious Duncan have I murdered,” Macbeth's murderous tendencies have manifested that he begins to become indifferent to more bloodshed.
Scene 2:
This scene is a pivotal moment for the characters Macbeth and Lady Macbeth as Macbeth becomes the bolder and more malicious of the two, having to carry their dark deeds as Lady had done. It's as if they have switched roles which is reinforced by the way Macbeth stirred the murderers in Scene 1 by questioning their manhood as Lady had done to Macbeth in Act Two.
Scene 3:
Banquo is murdered by Macbeth's employed murderers but his son Fleance escapes.
Scene 4:
Upon report that during the murder, Fleance escaped, Macbeth fears that the boy will persist as a problem "The worm that's fled Hath nature that in time will breed,” As the dinner arranged by Macbeth with several Lords continues, Macbeth envisions the ghost of Banquo, causing much alarm for him, Lady and the guests. The vision of a bloody and dead Banquo shows Macbeth's guilt for the murder of his friend. The fact that Macbeth fully believes Banquo is present shows his deeper descent into madness whereas in Act Two Macbeth was able to question his apparition of the dagger "Avaunt, and quit my sight! Let the earth hide thee!” Macbeth's lust for power have taken over him and all his previous morals, he shows little to none hesitation in acting upon the murders of yet more people "We are yet but young in deed."
Scene 5:
The Witches are visited by Hecat, the goddess of witchcraft. Though Hecat denounces the Witches for acting without her consent, she orders the witches to create visions for Macbeth that will make him doubt his security. The presence and intervention of Hecat, an entity more evil than even the Witches, foreshadows that greater sins are to come.
Scene 6:
The lord, Lennox speaks with another lord over the deterioration of Scotland It is revealed there is suspicion for Macbeth to be the murderer of Duncan and Banquo and that Macbeth is unloved by his peers, contrary to Duncan.

And more Mini Lesson Notes on Macbeth

Knock, knock! Never at quiet! What are you? - But this

place is too cold for hell. I'll devil-porter it no further.

I had thought to have let in some of all professions that

go the primrose way to the everlasting bonfire.

The repetitive knocks coincide with the Porter naming all the characters that are going to Hell e.g. the farmer who committed suicide, the equivicator that could not make it to Heaven and the counterfeiting english tailor. The line "Never at quiet!" may refer to the eternal inferno and torture that is Hell.

Notable is the use of the word "What" rather than "Who" on the first line, this gives way to the idea that the people coming to Hell are no longer human and now possibly monsters and this again infers the concept of the supernatural.

The line "I had thought to have let in..." suggests that the Porter is the gatekeeper to Hell and as the Porter works for the house of Macbeth, this further suggests that Macbeth is the Devil himself and his castle, Hell.

More Mini Lesson Notes on Macbeth

Act Two, Scene 3: The Porter, Fool or the Devil's Gatekeeper?

• Lots of reference to the gateway of Hell and people going to Hell.
• Could simply be for comic relief and entertainment.
• Porter contrasts the nobleman Macduff as a drunkard peasant.
• The repetition of the 'knocks' may represent the knocking of each person that the Porter describes as they make their way into Hell.
• 'The Fool' is often comical, but isn't a fool at all, only playing the part and actually aware of future plot twists and clever. The character of 'The Fool' could have been developed to attract lower classes of society to the theatre and allow them to relate to the play.
• Macbeth's castle could be interpreted as Hell with him as the Devil. Reinforced by the strangeness of the events taking place.
• The Porter's lines are not in iambic pentameter, but in prose, distancing himself from the play's other characters and convention.

Animal References:
Act Two, Scene 4, Lines 10-20. A falcon, an animal recognised as strong and a top predator (Duncan) is killed by an Owl, an animal of lower recognition and power (Macbeth). Horses, a symbol of servitude and loyalty rebel and break free of their bonds, like Macbeth, they served Duncan and like Macbeth, they are now going against his will aggressively. "'Tis said they ate each other." the peculiarity and vulgarness of this line reinforces the interpretation Macbeth's castle is Hell.

Mini Lesson Notes on Macbeth: The Murder of Sleep

Methought I heard a voice cry, 'Sleep no more!

Macbeth does murder sleep - the innocent sleep,

Sleep that knits up the ravelled sleave of care,

The death of each day's life, sore labour's bath,

Balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course,

Chief nourisher in life's feast.'

Still it cried 'Sleep no more' to all the house;

'Glamis hath murdered sleep, and therefore Cawdor

Shall sleep no more, Macbeth shall sleep no more.'



The fact Macbeth believes he is hearing this voice supports the idea that he is guilty over his murderous deed, he feels judged and not only this, he is afraid.

The belief he will never sleep again stems from how hurt his mind is from having killed his King. The line "innocent sleep" does not just state Macbeth is not innocent but it may be referring to the innocence of Duncan and the innocence of sleep itself, the very innocence Macbeth has violated and killed "Macbeth does murder sleep". Macbeth goes on to list the good things of sleep "sore labour's bath,", 'sleep' is a thing of nurture, healing and warmth and this accentuates Macbeth's sin in "killing" it. Macbeth has killed sleep and through doing it, he will never experience again all the good things to do with it "Macbeth shall sleep no more." this line can also be interpreted as Macbeth now becoming paranoid and an insomniac through fear of being murdered in his own sleep.

The human necessity for sleep and Macbeth's proclaimed inability to have it makes Macbeth seem inhuman, as if the murder of Duncan has transformed him into a monster, similar to Lady Macbeth's desire to transform sexes. The idea of supernatural transformation is reinforced by the musical pace of the lines that likens Macbeth to making a chant which would make the link that he is now an otherworldly being like that of the evil Three Witches.

Macbeth Act One Reading Journal

Act One, Scene 1: The introductory scene is short, involving solely the introduction of the Three Witches, Shakespeare uses pathetic fallacy to demonstrate the evil and maliciousness of the witches through their entrance alongside 'Thunder and lightning'. The scene foreshadows conflict in the play "When the battle's lost, and won." and language such as 'fog and filthy air' insinuates acts of deceit and corruption. The witches present the Gothic element of the Supernatural through their chants e.g. "Fair is foul, and foul is fair" which incite that magical forces are at play. The scene uses many short, single lines by each of the Witches, this creates a rhythm and quickening  pace likened to that of a witches chant.
Act One, Scene 2: The scene takes place at a Scottish military camp after a battle between the Scots against the Irish and Norwegians. Macbeth is ironically glorified for his prestige and courage during the battle by his fellow captains. Stemming from a battle, there are numerous references to blood, which may foreshadow bloodshed that is to come. Macbeth's ascension to Thane of Cawdor signals a rise of power and this coupled with the other nations fighting against Scotland may give the impression that Macbeth is rising to power against the King, this betrayal is reinforced by the betrayal by the previous Thane of Cawdor.
Act One, Scene 3: There is a recurring association of Thunder with the entrance of the witches, asides from the opinion that the thunder may represent their evilness, the thunder may also express the witches as a Godly power, this coincides with the possibility of the witches being past, present and future making them supernaturally omnipresent. The evil of the witches is emphasized when they meet and mention their own recent activities and each one has been 'killing' or 'plotting'. The rhyming chant of the First Witch which may be interpreted as like that if a nursery rhyme is contrasted to the reality that these characters are dangerous and sinful. This is also the scene where it is revealed to Macbeth that he will be King of Scotland by the witches and that he is the new Thane of Cawdor by Ross, confirming the Witches' prophecy. Macbeth contemplates whether the crown will come to him or whether he will have to do a deed.
Act One, Scene 4: It is revealed that King Duncan "built An absolute trust." with Macdonwald foreshadowing again that a future betrayal by the Thane of Cawdor is at the midst. This is the first time Duncan and Macbeth speak together and being after the prophecy, Macbeth's words to the King may be interpreted as half-hearted  or tongue-in-cheek "the loyalty I owe, In doing it, pays itself.". With attention to Macbeth's last portion in the scene, his line's assume the rhyming pattern of the Witches placing him alongside their devious ranks, this is shown further by the line "that is a step, On which I must fall down" which symbolises his fall from grace in betraying the King; the word 'must' here may also mean that Macbeth has already decided his course of treason. Duncan's decision to make Malcolm his heir to the throne also poses another obstacle for Macbeth, will he have to kill Malcolm in addition to Malcolm?
Act One, Scene 5: This scene places heavy focus on the character Lady Macbeth (LM) who is heavily stirred by the notion that her husband is to be King. She may be interpreted as the raw and brash incarnation of Macbeth himself, this interpretation however goes against the previous proceedings that Macbeth is a valiant and honourable man. Shakespeare's decision to introduce LM through her reading a letter may illiterate that LM is not acting upon her own accord entirely in the scene, where she behaves much unlike a typical woman of her time, spewing words such as "Come you spirits....unsex me here," which is supernatural and goes against God much like Frankenstein with his Creation and that met dire consequences. LM believes that to go forth with her merciless plan, she must "uneffeminate" herself, to have strength and no remorse like a soldier. She dominates Macbeth and criticises his hesitancy.
Act One, Scene 6: This scene shows Lady Macbeth's (LM) other side to her persona, she gives the impression of utter gratitude and dedication to the King, whilst simultaneously plotting against him; showing her cunning and ruthlessness.
Act One, Scene 7: This scene entails Macbeth's procrastination and resultant decision to act upon his and Lady Macbeth's (LM) constructed plan. In the dark and left alone to his thoughts, Macbeth begins his long soliloquy, considering and procrastinating his plan to kill the King save the consequences that could follow. His sentences are short bursts; like a train of nervous thought. Macbeth's values the King's good virtues and see's only his own ambition as a factor pushing him to do commit treason. Macbeth attempts briefly to regain his honour "We will proceed no further in this business:" but like Eve tempting Adam, LM, almost representing the woman of sin, soon enters to quell his hesitation and steal his remorse. It seems as though Lady Macbeth acts as the voice in the back of Macbeth's mind, doubting him and pushing him to carry out his dark deed; she does this by attacking Macbeth's manhood and dignity "live a coward in thine own esteem?". The scene is very sexual with LM likening Macbeth's desire to become King like his desire for a woman "Such I account thy love...To be in the same in thine act...As thou art in desire?" There is a strong theme of betrayal here as Macbeth ponders the betrayal of his King and country and LM betrays her womanly virtues "while it was smiling in my face, Have pluck'd my nipple from his boneless gums,". With all this switching of gender roles; Gothically, it plays out as if Macbeth is the '"woman" at threat from a tyrannical male' (LM). Macbeth ends the scene with two lines "Away and mock the time....what the false heart doth know" that are of striking similar fashion to the ending two lines from Act One, Scene 1 by the Witches, these two lines follow up on the themes of deceit and forthcoming sin.

Gothic Elements in Macbeth: Act One

The story of Macbeth takes place around the backdrop of the Scottish royalty so presumably this gives us a Castle belonging to the Monarchy, affording us with already one element of the Gothic; a castle setting.
In addition to this, the atmosphere of Act One is undoubtedly mysterious and suspenseful with the revelations of Macbeth's future by the unearthly Three Witches.
The element of an ancient prophecy connected to the Castle or its inhabitants is partly fulfilled by the Witches prophesising Macbeth's rise to Kingship.
Again, the Witches help provide another element of the Gothic through their visions of the future and at the beginning of the play, the thunder and lightning upon the entrance of the Witches gives an omen. There is another omen in the setting in which we first read of King Duncan, it is upon a battlefield which may signal the conflict and death that has been prophesised to come his way.
There are portions of the supernatural most clearly represented by the Witches who deal in witchcraft and prophecies.
From Lady Macbeth, we see high, overwrought emotion, her reaction to Macbeth's fate is outrageous and over-the-top, her blood boils and she itches at the oppurtunity to make her husband King.
In Act One, we don't see a woman in distress so much so in a manner that she needs someone to protect her but in fact someone needs to be protected from the fiery Lady Macbeth.
As of yet, we are short of female characters threatened by a tyrannical male, however it would seem with Macbeth and Lady Macbeth's plot to kill the King, she could soon have her fortunes reversed and be at threat herself.
Metonymy of gloom and horror is present, as mentioned earlier, with the entrance of the Three Witches where they are accompanied by lightning and thunder; pointing to their sinister and dangerous role in the play.
Gothic Vocabulary has been used in association with the characters introduced where the Witches have a lot of 'mystery' in their lines, Macbeth and Banquo are in 'surprise' and Lady Macbeth has much anger in her words "And fill me from the crown to the toe, top-full Of direst cruelty:"

Marxist Analysis on The Tale of Two Cities

'It is not the consciousness of men that determines their existence, but their social existence that determines their consciousness.'


To my understanding Karl Marx depicted a life that is thoroughly deterministic, depending upon which social circumstance you are born into, be it a peasant like those a plenty in the streets of London and Paris or a Parisian Marquis, your lifestyle would be fitted around that social class.
Marxism argues for a socio-economic existence of the individual where their social existence is largely determined by the organisation of the state’s economy, they cannot change their social existence through their own efforts much like the peasants of France cannot change their fortunes, for the feudal system affords the Marquess and Monarchy with the state's wealth. Born a peasant, always a peasant. Born an aristocrat, always an aristocrat.
There is a character in The Tale of Two Cities that entirely undermines the key idea being touched here and that is Charles Darnay. Born into the French aristocracy, it was his consciousness that determined his existence and decision to exile himself from his pre-determined social existence and not his aristocracy that determined who he was.
The claim that writers and their stories are 'divorced from socio-economic circumstances' is not true.
It is clear to see that Capitalism is not far from the economic organisation of 18th Century France, where it has turned generations of the French working class into functional objects to allow the aristocracies to profit from their efforts. Built from this socio-economic example of 'working class' and 'poverty' is the alienation of the French peasants to their fury in the revolution against those that hold the chains to their social existence.

September Blog on TOTC Chapter Summaries

New characters that have been revealed since, include the old and well-respected Doctor Manette, the self-destructive but talented young lawyer Sydney Carton who is defending Charles Darnay a man acused of being a spy for the French; the two share a striking resemblance.

Upon finally meeting Doctor Manette, his many years in prison appear to have instituionalised him; he speaks or rhater murmurs little and is pre-obssessed with shoemaking, a profesion he learnt during inprisonment. After recognising his daughter through the same blonde hair she shares with her mother, some life is restored in him and a emotional reunion ensues. They make their way back to England.

The story shifts forward five years later back in London, to the prosecution of Charles Darnay. Here witnessing the trial is Doctor Manette and Lucie who seem to have developed a very close bond over the years. Lucie and Darnay see each other for the first time, both taking much interest in the other. After the trial in which Darnay is proven innocent with Carton's help, a scene takes place where a drunken Carton insults Darnay's newfound infatuation with Lucy and a hostile Darnay reponds that Carton is drunk. Carton shares a moment with himself to contemplate his visual likeness with darnay who reminds him of what he has “fallen away from.”

The next chapter reveals much of the persona of Sydney Carton as he drinks with his Boss Mr Stryver, the two are a successful solicitng duo having been freinds since school. Carton is accused of having no goal in life and Carton agrees that he has no other choice but to live his life “in rust and repose.” When the subject changes to that of Lucie, Carton dismisses her as a “golden-haired doll,” but Stryver wonders about Carton’s true feelings for her.

Four months later, family friend of the Manettes, Mr Jarvis Lorry arrives at their home inquiring as to the whereabouts of the Doctor and Lucie, he is met with the hostile Miss Pross, Lucie's dedicated and absolutely loyal Maid. Apparently, Lucie is garenering many suitors for her these days. The character Solomon Pross, Lucie's estranged brother is introduced as a man lamented for his dissapearance but Lorry knows apparently that it was he who in fact stole all of Miss Pross' possessions and left her in poverty. Lucie and the Doctor return, shortly followed by Charles Darnay and begin a conversation that reveals the secret of a note buried in a cell in the Tower of London, stratling the Doctor. Sydney Carton joins the group and listens to the footsteps on the street below that make a terrific echo. Lucie imagines that the footsteps belong to people that will eventually enter into their lives. Carton comments that if Lucie’s speculation is true, then a great crowd must be on its way.

A Tale of Two Cities - Tuesday 5th July

Have since begun A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens and progressed about 40 pages into the book.

Introduced are the characters; Lucie Manette, the young and beautiful girl who has been made to believe both her parents were dead, she lives in England and has been informed that her Father is in fact alive and under care in Paris, France. Monsieur and Madame Defarge are the burly and hardened French carers of Mr Manette and own a wine shop. The mysterious Mr Jarvis Lorry who took it upon himself to travel the dangerous path to and fro England in the bid to bring Lucie back to her Father.

There seems to be a great deal of care and attention taken in affording Lucie that she is not too shocked by her revelations, she seems to be a gentle and prone girl; but who wouldnt be when they're finding out their father is alive after eighteen years. My favourite character so far is Madame Defarge, she stands on level if not higher ground than her husband and has this aura about her that she will kick someone's ass if they push the right buttons, yet she maintains her femininity such as her knitting.

Dickens has painted a very dark and grim scene of the late-18 century world "we had everything before us, we had nothing before us,". He doesn't touch upon the time's brutality but throws himself into it like the reader were another peasant giving thier baby wine to drink that has spilled and burst onto the mud-meandered cobblestones of Parisian streets. There are amounting tensions in the French people, a revoultion is on the verge. A harsh and intriguing read.

Themes Emerging:

Social Class. Crime. Captial Punishment. City and Countryside. Fear. Distrust. Truth. Desperation. Madness.

Dorian Gray 1.2.3.4 Blog

Key Characters:

Dorian Gray. Poisoned by the influence of the hedonistic Henry Wotton, Dorian’s innocence is lost when persuaded that ‘beauty’ and ‘youth’ is the only thing truly worth having. On the surface of diving into sin and corruption, he is kept afloat by the pure Sibyl Vane and her awe-rendering acting skills, but when she finds true love in Dorian and denounces and abandons her previous portrayals of love, Dorian is torn apart by her new outlook and throws away their engagement. Sibyl’s suicide that follows is viewed through warped eyes as Dorian convinces himself it is more ‘art’ than ‘tragedy’. What follows is Dorian’s complete and utter descent into the sin and temptations of London’s underworld, guided by the ‘yellow book’ handed to him by Henry. Dorian’s sin climaxes in the remorseless murder of his long-time friend Basil Hallward in spite of his creation of the portrait that taints and clings to Dorian’s mind and conscience. The younger brother of Sibyl Vane, James Vane, stumbles upon Dorian in the opium dens of the east-end trying to purge himself of Basil’s blood and sets about taking vengeance for the death of his sister. James dies unexpectedly and the event sparks Dorian to renounce his sinful ways and begin anew in hopes that if his soul could be ruined, it could also be repaired. Again, from the influence of Henry, Dorian is made to believe his new ways are not from true self-reproach but just another way in which he can explore and manipulate his own soul. With confirmation from the introspective portrait of him, Dorian is convinced repentance is futile and stabs the portrait, killing himself.

Lord Henry Wotton. The enigmatic and highly-influential upper-class Lord changes little throughout, serving as the story’s voice of narcissism, hedonism and aestheticism from beginning to end. Ever controversial, he seeks to plant the seed and spectate how it will grow, he opens the door of the maze to Dorian and lets Dorian close the door behind him.

Basil Hallward. If Henry was the devil on Dorian’s shoulder, Basil is the angel. Distanced from Dorian after Dorian finds more entertainment in sticking close to Henry, Basil sinks to the background of the story, hardly talked about and talked about unimpressively. But when chance brings Basil and Dorian together again, Basil acts as Dorian’s last voice of good and reason, before meeting a gruesome end drawn from the hatred of his greatest work.

Sibyl Vane. A young and tender girl working a modest acting career in one of London’s less glamorous boroughs, her naivety of the world around her brings a purity and truth to her acting that entices and enthrals Dorian into falling recklessly in love with her. But upon finding real love, she realises the superficiality of her work and the genuineness from that is moved to her love for Dorian.

Character Motivation:

Dorian Gray. Like an untainted child, Dorian has little direction or conception of the world at the beginning of the novel, his concerns are that of getting his portrait taken by the equally unadventurous Basil. Having met Henry however, he is disillusioned with the fear of his mortality and decay; so much so he wishes to that his portrait take the burden of years in place of him. Upon realising the portrait will do just as he desired and act as the visible symbol of his soul, he seeks about relishing in every delight and temptation that his body takes. A puppet to Henry and the ‘yellow book’ he receives from him. When by chance, he escapes a vendetta, he is driven to cleanse himself but finds in that the futility of living a moral life when he threw morals to the ground years ago.

Lord Henry Wotton. Henry is motivated by little but the simple satisfaction of his interests, the main one being the observation of Dorian under his direction. He views life as something to experience from the outside than the in. Little impacts Henry as his fulfilment of being a bystander to life leaves him impervious to its events, those that surround him are left to be his audience whilst Basil is the only word of good around him and is the only one shocked by his ideas and lifestyle.

The Plot:

Oscar Wilde realises his introspection on morality and retrospection on the 19^th century aristocracy wonderfully in the plot. It’s difficult to say whether the story was as I thought it would be because I’ve read it previously and even then, had some knowledge of its story before that. The plot takes us from the early days of a developing Dorian straight to fifteen or so years later, after his accumulation of sin and material goods has given him an infamous reputation of scandal and moral misconduct around London’s upper class. The story develops from the realisation of one’s gifts to the entertaining of every temptation on an immoral encompass to the reproach of these sins and the emptiness in trying to walk back down the path of time and degradation on one’s soul.

Key Themes Emerging:

Hedonism. Aestheticism. Narcissism. Vanity. Sin. Purity. Moral. Art. Social Class. Love. Hate. Temptation. Crime. Youth. Supernatural. Corruption. Soul.

Gothic Presentations

Gothic Settings:
Decaying and serious locations surrounded by awa and mystery which encapsulates anxiety in the readers and sometimes characters. Buildings often have a history but have since sunken into decay and evil. Dark and eerie tones dominate the scene.

Origins of the Gothic:
'Goth' derives from the barbaric tribes that invaded the Roman Empire. The first novel was published in the 18th Century. The supernatural was a main theme. Motifs; haunted, dreams, visions, blood, madness, blessed objects.

Male Gothic Protagonists:
Selfish needs. Sinful. Break the rules and go against the natural such as Dr. Viktor Frankenstein or the Prince from The Masque of The Red Death.

Gothic Novels, Short-Stories, Poems:
Dracula, Frankenstein.
Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, The Fall of the House of Usher.
The Raven.

Irony has been key to the Gothic genre, incorporating underlying messages of Humanity's flaws.

Gothic Women

Early Gothic women were presented as weak, foolish, helpless, lost and treated badly by their male counterparts. They were submissive and oppressed under a strong patriarchal dominancy.

Women were often placed in distressful situations and threatened by a powerful and implusive male character or in need of a powerful male to protect her.

In contemporary gothic, women are depicted in two extremes, either the submissive of old or a new position that see's them as the dominant character in the story. The revolutionary change was seen strongly in Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' where the naive and innocent Lucy was transformed into a lethal, voluptuous and seductive vampiress. This new persona given to women undermined the foundations of male-dominancy seen prior.

Dorian Gray

I've decided to read The Picture of Dorian Gray first, unless I'm meant to read them simultaneously?

Going through it this time, the experience is much more relaxed, rather than reading for the sake of getting to the book's climax which I ended up finding out through the recent film version of the novel - disappointment. I'm able to take in the characters: the reserved and seemingly camp Basil Hallward - architect of the infamous drawing of Dorian Gray itself. Dorian Gray, the story's protagonist, initially naive, turned horribly sour by the bad man that is, Lord Henry Wotton, the closest person to the story's antagonist if you exclude Dorian Gray himself. Whey hey, how is that possible? A character that doubles up as protagonist and antagonist? Wilde loved paradoxes, oxymoron (one of the two) so it would be fitting his lead character embodies hero and villain, a juxtaposition present in many forms in the novel, forms such as the immoral and moral, the pure and the sinful.

(Caroline, does this make sense to you, or do I sound unanchored?)

Got the literature

Have the two books I shall compare:
A Tale Of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde.
I'm a sucker for anything pre-1900.

Both books I've read previously but I don't think my ten year-old self had the emotional capacity to comprehend  Dickens' take on the French Revolution or even my 15 year-old self to have the patience with Wilde's weaving of irony, morals and mock-wit for that matter. Nonetheless, here I am, ready to soak in the words of these old school powerhouses.

Books?

Started a bit later than everyone else so still on the decision of which books to read. Leaning towards the gothic area too but do Edgar Allan Poe's short stories count? They're not really fully-fledged novels..

Let's do some blogging!!! Woohoohoooo

Right, just started the beggining of my Blog for A2 English Literature C/w; have to read and compare two novels of our choice.