Category: ENG 420 Blog (Page 2 of 2)

“In the deep shade, at the further end of the room, a figure ran backwards and forwards. What it was, whether beast or human being, one could not, at first sight, tell…”

Brontë, pg 380

Comment: In this passage, Jane is describing the appearance of Mr. Rochester’s first wife, Bertha Mason, who has been locked away in his attic due to her madness. From the beginning of the novel, we can see Jane does not fit under the Victorian standards of how to act as a woman. Bertha in many ways can be seen as an interpretation of Jane’s mental state as she prepares for the commitment of confining aspects marriage. Marriage for a woman in Victorian times carried high expectations which Jane does not seem fit or ready to carry. Earlier in the novel, Jane also dreamed of Bertha tearing apart her wedding veil which could also symbolize her internal struggle of trying to accept the idea of marriage.

Question: Does Bertha represent the Victorian marriage? Will Jane allow herself to be confined to Mr. Rochester, eventually falling into madness as Bertha did or escaping the situation, or maybe even finding herself more stable with him and living a happier life?

“It is in vain to say human beings ought to be satisfied with tranquility: they must have action; and they will make it if they cannot find it. Millions are doomed to a stiller doom than mine, and millions are in silent revolt against their lot.”

Brontë, page 178

Jane Eyre has recently arrived at Thornfield, finding it surprisingly comfortable. She has been on the receiving end of harsh punishment her entire life. Both her family and school teachers have treated her in unkind ways- yet she continues to push for what she believes is right and what will show she is not the bad child she is made out to be. From being locked in the red-room to being called a liar in front of the entire school, Jane has been exposed to various forms of punishment both physically and mentally. However the treatment she has received has no doubt made her capable of handling further hardships and will make her capable of handling more in the future. With the combination of previous harsh treatment as well as her Christian values, Jane has been able to able to cope fairly well with her unfortunate situation.

Question: Jane’s upbringing has greatly influenced her strong personality- would her strength still be as strong if she had not had the harsh treatments from her aunt? How do Jane’s Christian ethics play into how she may view and forgive those who have wronged her? How would Jane handle her current situation if she had more of a “tranquil” upbringing?

 “I afterwards found that these labours, performed by an invisible hand, greatly astonished them; and once or twice I heard them utter the words ‘good spirit, wonderful’…”

Shelley, pg 104

C: In this passage, the monster is explaining the good deeds he has done for a family overcome with poverty. He will collect wood or shovel snow, even rationing the bread he had been taking from them so they could have more. The family believes that these simple actions are done by a good spirit- but how would they react if they knew what the monster looked like? It is only his physical appearance that the people are so afraid of, as his morals seem to be in a good place for how much he has experienced since being reborn.

Q: At what physical appearance would the people have shifted their first opinions on the monster? Where would they draw the line between normal and abnormal- how would that differ in todays world?

“Accursed creator! Why did you form a monster so hideous that even you turned from me in disgust?”

Shelley, pg 117

C: The monster has just learned to read, and goes through the journal of his creator- dating the four months that preceded his creation. Through this the monster learns of his creators feelings for him and questions why he was made the way he was. 

Q: Why did Frankenstein not notice the horrid appearance of his monster until it had come alive, or why would he make one like this in the first place? Does it mirror how he was not able to see his own morals?

In Stephen Kings horror novel It, Pennywise the clown is an evil shapeshifter who has been terrorizing children with his powers. The shapeshifting capabilities of Pennywise make it easy for him to embody what his victims may fear most. This allows for him to change his appearance in order to fit with the changing fears of the culture over time. Many children in the 21st century are afraid of clowns, so it would make sense that this would be his primary form. This fits in with Thesis I: the monsters body is a cultural body, as Pennywise’s appearance is purely based upon the current culture of fear. We are unsure of how old the creature really is, or for how long he has existed, but one can assume that overtime he has updated his appearance many times to keep up with the modern ideas of fear. 

Pennywise is different from any creatures known on earth with his shapeshifting powers and ability to go unnoticed by adults. His powers and appearance may lead some to believe he may come from another world or place unknown to us, making this creature also fit in with Thesis IV as well as Thesis V. The dissimilarity from humans is another aspect which is made to make us fear Pennywise as he is something we are incapable of understanding. Cohen brings in the example of some of the first monsters- giants described in the Bible. These creatures are humanlike in many aspects besides their size, so they may not be seen as something so scary because of our alikeness to them. Fast forward to the 21st century, many of the fictional monsters in our world are extremely dissimilar  to humans. The exaggeration of this difference between Pennywise and humans would install fear into anyone, especially with his supernatural-like powers we are unable to understand. In this way, Pennywise also border the edge of what we believe to be possible. His ability to manipulate his own appearance as well as what others may see around him makes him capable of almost anything. 

Cohen states how the monster may be pushed away but then come back stronger, bringing better knowledge of humans and how we operate. When Pennywise was temporarily defeated, he would use the opportunity to learn from it and grow stronger so he can win. This is how the creature is able to stay culturally significant with his victims, by learning what the current children would be afraid of. Pennywise asks how children perceive the world, each time coming and going gaining a better understanding of how they think and operate. By learning to understand how children think, he learns how to draw out and embody what any child would fear most, therefore increasing his strength. This is what makes him grow stronger and capable of living, so it makes sense Pennywise would be an extremely intelligent being.