Post #6

Why have all of these stories of knights and kings have lasted so long? Was it because of the "fairytale" kind of story? Maybe it was the fact that it was about battles and who was going to win the Lady's heart. Personally, i love these stories because of their fairytale substance and vibe they have. I also love the fact that love is incorporated throughout all of these stories. In Sir Gawain and Lady Ragnell, i loved how he let her choose to be however she wanted to appear and whenever she wanted to appear at her choice."Whatever you choose to be-fair by day or fair by night- i will willingly abide by it." He wanted to make her happy and let her have the power of choice.

Another reason why i believe these stories have lasted so long is because of the subjects they talk about. All the knights and Lady's are somewhat easy to keep track of and when they talk about the battles it really draws your attention in. First they start naming all these knights that were involved and then they get the battle started and you don't want to take your focus off of it. In Monty Python and The Holy Grail, they have small (fake) sword fights and yes, they might be amusing but they also show how confident and strong these knights believed they were. In one part of Monty Python, the black knight who guards the bridge won't let King Arthur pass and he eventually gets all of his limbs chopped off just to keep Arthur off the bridge. Obviously this was a fake thing but it just shows the dedication these knights had towards their name.

To conclude, i believe that all of these stories have been passed down mainly because of the content they have. They have love and lust and hatred for one another but it draws the attention in. Personally, i believe that that is what really counts.

5th? post

Personally, I love the Medieval romantics. The stories are very interesting and so much like a fairy tale that it makes you want to jump right into them and be apart of them. My favorite story was the one about Lady Ragnell and how the power of choice and allegiance to keep a promise was portrayed. I love how loyal Sir Gawain was to his uncle and was so sweet to his "hag" of a wife. he gave her the power of choice and it broke the curse it had over her having an ugly body and she became beautiful. It all ended in good measures and i think thats what i good romantic story should be like.

I think Beowulf's quest for fame is not selfish. At first, you think to yourself and say hm maybe he is selfish because he talks about himself A LOT. But in reality he lives for fame. Some people are like then and need attention because it's what they rely off of. I think Beowulf boasts so much because he has accomplished a lot and i think everyone has a right to boast, not necessarily brag but at least boast about their accomplishments.One quote says, "For the glory of his name; fame after death is the noblest of goals," (67). I think that this quote is saying that once Beowulf dies he wants to be known for his courage. His fame is what defines him.

Fame is a reputation and normally it's a positive thing. Beowulf killed Grendel. Grendel has been attacking and feasting on Geats for a while and I believe that Beowulf has a right to want the fame and the "spot on the wall" for his name to be respected and known for generations. His quest for fame is not selfish but smart. he wants to be remembered and by killing Grendel i think he will be.

3rd post

For this post, I have chosen the cover with the shadow of Ben on the wooden beam looking out over the window. I think this cover is perfect for the story because it resembles Ben. Ben is a monster child and is described on page 48 as "not a pretty baby" (Lessing 48). On the cover, the Ben is crouching down and looks like he is ready to jump onto someone or something. In the book, Ben is abnormally strong and does not get along with pretty much anyone. He is a "devil child" and this picture resembles a "devil child" very well.

I personally think that Schildt was right in what he was saying about how Mary Shelley was writing about "suffering and loss and pain, the feeling of being ostracized...". This story, and what Schildt is trying to tell people is that most people have felt like an outcast and have felt alone before. When Schildt says " And i think people have always felt that, and so they can feel for the monster too...There's a bit of the creature in all of us." We have definitely felt left out before and for basically the creature whole life, he is an outcast. People don't give him a chance because of the way he looks. On page 123, the creature is brave enough to go to the old man that is blind and talk to him because he figured he wouldn't be judged by his appearance. The creature tells Victor," At that instant the cottage door was opened, and Felix, Safie, and Agatha entered. Who can describe their horrors and consternation on beholding me? Agatha fainted, and Safie, unable to attend to her friend, rushed out of the cottage." The creature was telling Victor that once people actually saw him, they were so appalled that they fainted or ran. I think Schildt is saying that everyone has felt like this before.

I think Mary Shelley may have at first had the intention of writing a horror story but came upon the fact that the monster was an abomination to people unlike his kind. People now-a-days feel that way all the time. They may not be the fact that some people faint or run from the sight of them but the definitely have gotten looks and sneers. I think Schildt made a very good theory that Mary Shelley was not trying to write about the "evils of science and progress" (as he quotes in the article) but about people relating to the creature about being an outcast at times. The book Frankenstein has some very good values to learn in every day life as well as being one of the most popular horror stories of all time.

Frankenstein-1st post

My reaction to Frankenstein so far is that it's interesting. It's very messed up and twisted how the creature is created but it's fascinating as well. Victor Frankenstein actually got bodies from grave yards and "chopped" them up and made a living being out of it. I think Mary Shelley's idea of creating a horror story about a man-made being is cool in its own way. The fact that this being understands and learns to speak and read and write in matter of two years is pretty amazing. He also has emotions and has a craving to be wanted and loved by people. On page 120 in, the 3rd paragraph, the creature says to Victor," The more i saw them, the greater became my desire to claim their protection and kindness; my heart yearned to be known and loved by these amiable creatures;to see their sweet looks directed towards me with affection was the utmost limit of my ambition." This shows how the creature longs to be wanted and loved.

As far as what's been happening in the book, I think the story is going along pretty well so far. It still captures the attention of its reader. Where I am in the book so far, the creature is asking Victor to create him a companion. He wants someone to be friends with and accept him the way he is. If the companion creature is created just as the first creature is, there would be no problem with the creature feeling like an outcast. On page 133, in the 2nd paragraph, the creature demands, " My companion must be of the same species and have the same defects. This being you must create." He is begging Victor to create him a companion that is just like him so he would have "backup", you could say. He wouldn't be the only creature, so his self-esteem would be a little higher rather then low. Now I want to know what Victor is planning next. Will he create this 2nd monster or will he refuse?