Isolation in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay -- English Literature M

Isolation in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein, has several themes imbedded in the text. One major theme is of isolation. Many of the characters experience some time of isolation. The decisions and actions of some of these characters are the root cause of their isolation. They make choices that isolate themselves from everyone else. However, other characters are forced into isolation for reasons that are not in their control. The actions of another cause them to experience loneliness. The story begins with Robert Walton writing to his sister, Margaret, about his voyage to an undiscovered place. In these letters, as the voyage gets underway, he writes of his loneliness. Letter II states, ?I have no friend (Hunter 16; ch 1). He describes how his ?enthusiasm of success? will be experienced alone and also how he must suffer his disappointments alone. He states, ?I desire the company of a man? (Hunter 10; ch. 1 ). In another letter, Walton is telling his sister about a conversation he had with Frankenstein about friendship. Frankenstein tells Walton, ?I once had a friend (Hunter 16? ch. 1), implying that he no longer has any friends. Isolation is evident from the very beginning. Robert Walton chooses his isolation. He chooses to take this voyage. Walton has planned this trip for six years. He states in his first letter, ?I am required not only to raise the spirits of others, but sometimes to sustain my own (Hunter 9; ch. 1). He understands exactly what he is getting into and he chooses to continue anyway. George Levine states in his critical essay, ?Frankenstein and the Tradition of Realism,? that Walton is ?isolated from the rest of mankind by his ambition (... ...t is to come before he forces himself and his crew to experience this isolation and eventual death. Bibliography Hunter, J. Paul. ed. Frankenstein: Contexts, nineteenth century responses, criticism. By Mary Shelley. Norton Critical Edition. New York: New York. 1996. Levine, George. ?Frankenstein and the Tradition of Realism?. A Forum on Fiction, Vol. 7, no. 1 (1973): 17-23. Rpt. in Frankenstein: Contexts, nineteenth century responses, criticism. By Mary Shelley. Ed. J. Paul Hunter. Norton Critical Edition. New York: New York. 1996. 208-14. Poovey, Mary. ?My Hideous Progeny: The Lady And the Monster.? The Proper Lady and the Woman Writer. Chicago: U of Chicago P. (1984): 121-31. Rpt. in Frankenstein: Contexts, nineteenth century responses, criticism. By Mary Shelley. Ed. J. Paul Hunter. Norton Critical Edition. New York: New York. 1996. 251-61.

Baroque Music: Speech And Debate

Speech and Debate 8. October 2009 Baroque Music Hello, my name is and thank you for listening to my speech. Have you ever thought about how music got to the way it is today? Baroque music may seem boring or useless, but is a very important part of music history. Today I am going to talk about the basics of baroque music, the main instruments used during the baroque period, and the influences on baroque composers. So, to give you some background of baroque music, here are the six eras of music. As you can see, baroque is towards the middle, from 1600-1750. Baroque music is easily recognizable from different eras of music because of its distinct qualities. According to essentialsofmusic. com, the baroque era produced very dramatic music. In a baroque piece, there are many switches in dynamics, which means that the music would be soft then all of a sudden loud, or vice versa. This is because the instruments at the time weren’t capable of medium volume. There are also many switches between solos and ensembles, so there would be one person playing, then suddenly the whole group would join. According to baroque. com, baroque music was also very repetitive. The same rhythms were repeated multiple times throughout the piece. Also, the mood was kept the same throughout the piece. For example, when a song began sadly, it ended sadly. The instruments used in a piece of music have a lot of impact on the sound. There were many different types of instruments used during the baroque era. According to thinkquest. com, there were about thirteen main instruments used. The first three, the clavichord, harpsichord, and organ are keyboard-like instruments. The harpsichord is the most popular out of the three and is a factor that makes baroque music unique. The three main string instruments used were the violin, double bass, and lute. The violin was the most popular in the Baroque period whereas the lute and double bass were used more in the Renaissance. The three main wind instruments used were the bassoon, oboe, and flute. The trumpet, trombone, and horn were used in larger groups but not for solos. The only percussion, or drums, used was the timpani, which is a set of five drums that can be tuned to different notes. When a composer is writing music, they are influenced by the things going on around them in the world. During the baroque period, there were many major events occurring. According to Catherine Schmidt-Jones’ article â€Å"Music of the Baroque Period† on cnx. org, the Age of Reason was going on during the baroque period. This meant that many brilliant scientists like Galileo ad Henry Bacon were making discoveries. Also during the Age of Reason, churches had less power than they did in the Middle Ages or Renaissance. So, musicians didn’t rely on them as much to buy their music which led to more diverse and creative styles. According to eh. net, the Age of Crisis was also occurring during the baroque period. This consisted of a very long recession and a war between France, England, and several other small countries, which controlled two of Europe’s biggest economies. Now that you know more about baroque music, here are a few composers from this time. Bach is the one that will be familiar to most of you. Now I am going to play a selection of Baroque music. At the very beginning, you can hear the string instruments, mostly violin, playing very softly. If you listen closely you will hear the counterpoint as many different parts are played at the same time. Then, suddenly the music gets very loud and forceful but still keeps the same mood. The brass instruments are playing in the background but are not the main part. This song is called â€Å"Water Music† and is by George Frideric Handel. In closing, I hope that you can see that baroque music is an important part of musical history. The basics of baroque music, instruments used during the baroque period, and influences on baroque composers are all an important part of what makes up baroque music. So, the next time you hear some older music, instead of tuning it out, listen for the different parts of the piece. Thank you again for listening and I hope you enjoyed my speech.

The Supreme Court Extends 2nd Amendment Rights to the...

The Supreme Court ruled on June 28th that the 2nd Amendments protection of the right to bear arms applies on state and city levels. The 5-4 decision along ideological lines echoed 2008s decision to strike down DCs handgun ban, citing the 14th Amendment as a major factor in the decision to extend the federal right to own a hand gun for personal protection down to local levels. Though it officially returned McDonald v. City of Chicago to the lower courts for a decision, it is expected that Chicagos 28 year old handgun ban will be overturned, and that legislation against handgun restrictions in other states will be legally challenged for years to come. During this project, I watched and reports about the Supreme Courts decision from†¦show more content†¦That clip was then followed by a quote from Justice John Paul Stevens dissenting opinion as well as a short statement by Congresswoman Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) which was made during Elena Kegans confirmation hearing. The reporter drew attention to the fact that the court did not strike down Chicagos hand gun ban, but rather sent it back to a lower court noting the fact that legal analysts expect lower courts to overturn the law in light of Supreme Court decision. Smith then drew attention to the fact that the right to own handguns does not, in the estimation of the Court, overturn restrictions on waiting periods or assault weapons. The Supreme Courts 2nd Amendment Decision, Correspondent James Rosen, June 28, 2010 After this initial report, Smith introduced James Rosen a reporter in Washington DC. Rosen equated this case to Brown v. Board of Education and Roe v. Wade, in that it is a momentous victory for 2nd amendment advocates. Mr. Rosen then discussed the majority opinion written by Alito balancing it by showing a clip of Paul Helmke from the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, in which he said that this ruling does not affect the things which they are fighting against. 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