Frankenstein

“I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart.”

Frankenstein is a dark and tragic novel and this quote is the start of Victor Frankenstein’s tragedy.  He was so consumed with creating life that he neglected everything else and just focused on that. It’s like us being consumed with facebook or texting that we don’t pay attention to anything else. Though he wasted many years trying to create life that he was blinded by his newly gained knowledge. Once the monster was animated, Frankenstein’s eyes finally opened and he saw the creature he created for what it was. Even though it had life, it was still a bunch of disproportional body parts that wasn’t even close to looking or being like a human. I think Frankenstein having the option to create was what destroyed him. So far this novel is really interesting and I can’t wait to find out what the monster is thinking.  I wonder how much knowledge the monster and what he would be capable of besides terrorizing Frankenstein.

-Pavneet K. 

SHPAM's Literary Theatre

Welcome to Literary Theatre with SHPAM. Today’s lesson will be Figurative Language: Why the Written Word Speaks to Every Level. In other words, it says whatever the heck you want it to. Who knew Six Degrees of Separation was also for analyzing writing?

Think about it: “You have 20 minutes, class. I want a full response, several paragraphs, on images or metaphors in this piece of work and what they mean.” You’ve heard it before. And maybe once, twice if you’re stretching, you actually had an idea that you believed in while you were writing the paper. Odds are, you’re like me, making it up as you go along. I keep a little checklist of likely suspects. Sooo… Animals? Colors? Names? I can always find something to say about one of them. I don’t know about you, but when the teacher gives us one of these, I pray the author mentioned water or snakes.

OK, that didn’t work. It’s some random poem on why kitchens are cool. Dang. Time for a game of “Six Degrees”! Kitchen…. Kitchens have food…. Hey, wasn’t food a symbol of community? In How to Read Literature Like a Professor, way back in sophomore year. Yes! One paragraph down. Next you move into what happens in a kitchen. You already talked about food, so it’s onto what happens next. Washing dishes happens in the kitchen, right? There you go! Water! Your favorite topic when “responding” to literature. You’ve made it back to your safety zone. The work is obviously about rebirth. Come to think about it, every work you’ve ever analyzed somehow connects to water and rebirth. Must be a popular topic.

You’ve got the deeper levels down, or at least your English grade says you do. And the surface level seems crystal clear, but is there more? Here at SHPAM’s Literary Theatre, we support the third level of Literature: Confounding Your Classmates. Try it sometime. Pick the randomest line you can find, and think of a really strange topic. Then see if you can convince a classmate next to you to believe that the line clearly supports that topic. If your English teacher catches you, tell her that you’re trying to help them think deeply about the poem by analyzing to the Third Level of Literature. Just don’t blame us if she hasn’t heard of it.

That’s it for Literary Theatre with SHPAM. Tune in next time to hear SHPAM say:

“Did you know that Edgar Allen Poe’s poem, “The Bells” argues that students should have naptime in class?”

-Shannon D.

"One can only save oneself — and whatever else happens, one can still always do that. But it takes a willingness to be unpopular."

Solitude is still around

            Though it may not be as extreme as Thoreau’s or Emerson’s view of solitude, solitude is still around.  How many times do you beak plans so you can spend a little time at home by yourself?  Sometimes we need that alone time.  For example, sometimes it’s nice to spend a Friday night alone to slow down time and recognize what is really important.  Without a little time alone humans tend to get cranky and unpleasant to be around.  This time is to save ourselves from the realities of the world every once in a while.  Like William Deresiewicz said in his article, “One can only save oneself- and whatever else happens, one can still always do that.”  As much as we hate to be alone sometimes we demand it to just let life cool down and make time stop.  We use the time to release emotions bottled up and find away to relieve some of the pressures we are under.  Solitude never left us.


Alicia M.  

Literature

     Our class's ongoing study of allusion, archetype, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and the different literary periods has reinforced my belief in the emotional power of literature. Specifically, our latest in-class project, in which we compare and contrast Victorian society to modern day society through our Alice squares, further supports my belief. Despite decades and centuries of separation, contemporary readers possess the ability to relate to the emotions and lifestyles of people in past centuries. Literature may be categorized into overlapping time periods, however, its effect on readers is just as powerful today than it was then.
     What kind of power does literature have? In short, it has the ability to connect to an individual's personal morals, values, thoughts, experiences, and knowledge. From my personal experience, I always finish a book with a different emotion than I had when I started reading. I found myself consistently confused as I read Alice because of Wonderland's strangeness. Contrary to what one might think, my confusion added to my understanding of Alice's experience in Wonderland, allowing me to experience what she does. When I reflect on my own life, I can relate to the fear and confusion that Alice experienced on her adventures through Wonderland. My first day of high school may not have been as extravagant and bizarre as Alice's discovery of Wonderland, but I can connect with Alice's curiosity, astonishment, and cautiousness from my experience walking through the school's unexplored hallways. The strength of my emotional response varies from novel to novel, but I always end with a different emotional response: anger, satisfaction, confusion, content, inspiration.
      Although I've discussed literature broadly, literature can be interpreted in many ways and impact people differently. Looking back at all the novels I've read, I realize that each literary work I've encountered has attributed to my growth in maturity and development as a better person.
    
Which novels or other literary works have left you with strong, memorable emotional responses?

-Matt A.