Frankenstein, Mary Shelley and Poignant

WORD OF THE POST: Poignant POI-yuh-nt
(1) Invoking a keen sense of sadness or regret
(2) Pungent to smell
Originates in circa 1350 and comes from Middle English Poynaunt meaning to prick.

I have truly (and finally) finished Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Yay!
It begins with Scientist Robert Walton exploring isolated and somewhat picturesque landscapes to satisfy his undesirable appetite for knowledge. However, after saving a mysterious man, who is later identified as Victor Frankenstein, he (and we as his audience) are subjected to a tale of science, abominations, nature and the consequences of playing God.
It effectively created an ominous feeling through constant foreshadowing, while also allowing you to feel a remorse for the way in which Frankenstein and his monster both conclude.
It was mostly readable, however towards the end where Frankenstein searches for his monster, I found myself lagging. Other then that, it was a exceptional story that made me question my own humanity and whether it is possible to become more holistic as a community. I particularly loved the constant visual imagery of nature, which highlights the importance of natural landscape in contrast to the sinister tone when illustrating the way in which Frankenstein misused his scientific knowledge and destroyed the order of the natural world.

Some key points to be aware of;

• Context; Shelley was writing in a time that was quite formal.
• She was strongly influenced by the Romantics of the Time; such as Lord Byron and Percy Shelley (her husband).
• She was trying to demonstrate that with ambition comes consequence, especially if that ambition goes unchecked.
• Along with the liberation of European revolutions came high ideals and a strong belief in man's influence over his environment. She attempted to depict how nature is indomitable and 'playing God' creates chaos.

I would recommend others to read this book and perhaps skip the movie. Also this will not be the last of Frankenstein for me (and you dear readers). I am to study the book for Advanced English so I'll probably post a lot more later. Lucky us.

In Other News;
I have done large vasts of study and I am beginning to feel fatigued. However I will continue.
I also got The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and 1984 and will read them after Paul Auster's The New York Trilogy.
My Advanced English Oral of the importance of relationships in fabricating a sense of belonging is really going nowhere. However I do believe one text to use would be Dirt Music by Tim Winton, and the movie The Road.
Have a lovely holiday and a Merry Merry MERRY Christmas :)
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