Frank Assignment #2:

Due Sunday Midnight, Oct. 5th, 2008.

1. Describe and discuss the portrayal of families in Frankenstein

. One or two well-developed paragraphs, please. Originality is a PLUS. You would do better NOT to read anyone else's post until after you have posted your own, original entry.

2. Comment on the creature's speech in Kaplan page (411) and starting with "What do you mean? What do you demand of your captain?" And ending with..."Return as heroes who have fought and conquered, and who know not what it is to turn their backs on the foe." Is this speech persuasive? Why or why not? What are some rhetorical devices used? 1-2 paragraphs. Be concise.

3. Comment on one person's commentary: DO NOT just say "I agree with ......" Please give a thorough and thoughtful commentary that demonstrates that you have read, synthesized, and analyzed another person's analysis.

Comments

[Christine Farmer]

In Frankenstein, families are portrayed as strong units that depend on each other. The Delacey family was a group of poor individuals, who lived in the middle of a forest. Seperately, they wouln'dt have been able to accomplish much, especially the blind man. It is hard to make a living when you are physically handicapped. But together, the family was able to work as one to achieve a somewhat stable living environment. Even the creature couldn't help feeling attached to the family because they appeared so unified. The creature wanted to feel a part of their family, so he got up the courage to introduce himself.

The passage on page 411 is very persuasive because of its extra emphasis of appealing to the audience's pathos. Throughout the entire passage, the speaker uses uplifting and emotionally charged diction to motivate the audience. For example, the speaker highlights and repeats two important words: glorious and brave. The word "glorious" serves as an emotional igniter that places a common goal in the audience's hearts. Glory is now the mindset of each individual on the ship. The word "brave" serves to set the character standard on board. Most working men want to feel that they have noble character. By stating the men as brave, the speaker "pumps up" the men and molds them into willing individuals that are more likely to act on what the speaker has to say.

Also, the passage on page 411 uses many rhetorical questions to get the audience in the right mindset for the speech and emotionally charged to take on the task at hand. The speaker emphasized five rhetorical questions at the beginning of the passage to indirectly install his point of view into the audience. After hearing the questions, the audience starts to believe that the true purpose of their expedition is glorious. The mission is not a waste of time. The question "Are you then so easily turned from your design?" appeals to the conscience of the audience in addition to changing their mindset. By saying the men are easily turned, the speaker is claiming that the men are weak. Not wanting to feel weak, the men feel an obligation to do what the speaker says. Thus, the speaker's argument was effective.

[Robby Ashley]

Families appear to be very close in Frankenstein; the members of a family are strongly tied to one another. When someone is lost from a family, it is like a bicycle losing a screw or a bolt. After so many are lost, it just falls apart. Of course, the perfect example of this is the Frankenstein family. As family members are slowly lost, the family functions less and less normally and eventually falls completely apart. Even when one family member is threatened or sad, the whole family reacts to it. The Delacey family moved from their cabin because Felix thought the monster was threatening his disabled father.

The Delacey family is another good example of family members being close to one another. This family might be poor, but the members still feel happy when they are around each other; it is the same case with the Frankenstein family, except they are not poor. Walton is even able to express how his family is close through his letters to his sister. He always writes to her using a sincere and loving tone.

Frankenstein's speech on page 411 is persuasive because it is able to connect with the men and make them think. What makes it so persuasive is the fact that Frankenstein is able to connect with the sailors' emotions and convince them to think twice. By calling them cowards, he is able to bring out some courage in them, if not just the desire to prove him wrong(not many people like being called a coward). He is almost daring them to continue their journey. It is also a matter of honor. Frankenstein is able to persuade the men by describing them returning to their families in disgrace as cowards, or returning as heroes if they go on and survive.

Many rhetorical strategies are used to make this speech effective. Frankenstein starts off is speech with a series of rhetorical questions which elicit thought from the men. He is also able to connect with the sailors' emotions and use similies to make comparisons. It may not quite qualify as an anaphora because the phrase is only repeated twice, but the repetition of "for this" at the begining of two clauses also contributes to the effect. All of this combined creates a very compelling speech.

[Kelsey Pollard]

The families portrayed in Frankenstein are all very close knit. They support each other and obviously love each other. What is interesting about these families is that they are all broken in some way. The Frankenstein family, for example, has experienced the loss of a mother (Caroline) at the beginning of the story. Then they later lose William to the monster and Justine to wrongful execution. Throughout these losses however, they continue to band together and support and grieve with each other.

Also, the Delacey family that Frankenstein’s monster observes is another example of one of these families. They live in poverty in the middle of the woods and have experienced much hardship. They were exiled from their native country, yet they somehow find happiness in the company of each other especially after Safie arrives. They give Frankenstein’s monster a desire to be a part of a family like their’s.

Frankenstein’s speech to the sailors on Walton’s ship on page 411 is very persuasive. The sailors had come to Walton to ask to turn back and go home. They were afraid that they would be trapped in the ice if they went any further. Frankenstein steps in and addresses them at the beginning of the passage with five rhetorical questions. He appeals to their emotions (pathos) with these questions by asking them things like “Are you then so easily turned from your design”? He uses diction like courage, bravery, and glorious to remind them that they are on the expedition for a reason. Then he goes on to use diction like danger, death, peril, shame, and disgrace. He explains to them that they will be disgraced and shamed if they return now just because they were afraid of death. However, if they continue on their journey, they will “Return as heroes who have fought and conquered, and who know not what it is to turn their backs on a foe.” Frankenstein renews the sailor’s courage and convinces them to stay on track.

Christine did well in analyzing the passage on page 411. She recognized the repetition of words and explained in depth their effect. At the end of her analysis she brought both of her paragraphs back together by saying “Thus, the speaker's argument was effective.” I also liked the point she made about the Delacey family about how they would not have been able to accomplish anything as separate units.

[CD Skehan]

The idea of "family" in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is that of a close, unified whole defined not only by blood relations but also by adopted children and marriages. Shelley uses several different family units in the novel to express certain views of the world. This use of family also compares her human characters to the creature – Frankenstein’s creation has no family, despite his desire for someone like him.
The book's beginning is Robert Walton, writing to his sister who is a member of his family. Even across seas, the siblings are close and Walton confides in these letters all of his secrets - even when he believes that his sister may never read his letters he continues to write to her. Mary Shelley's use of epistolary prose means that she requires another, unseen character in which the narrator places complete trust. Indeed, Walton trusts his sister completely with not only his own story, but with Frankenstein's. Frankenstein himself has a family that functions as a single unit. When one of Frankenstein's family members suffer, they all suffer and there is no lack of suffering in Mary Shelley's novel. The family is also large, and not limited to blood or first-marriages. Justine and Elizabeth are both not a part of the first Frankenstein generation. Frankenstein's family is also a place in which "family" and "marriage" are synonymous - Frankenstein marries Elizabeth, who was an adopted child of his family. Again, the ties between human and monster become clear in terms of family. The monster kills Elizabeth (and thus, Frankenstein's father) because he can not have a "wife" of his own. The Delacey's are the other significant family in Shelley's novel. They also evolve to adapt Safie into their family – again through marriage. The monster again is juxtaposed with this family. Despite the fact that they are poor they are not unhappy because they have an ability to support one another and even the blind family member is taken care of. In comparison, the monster sits outside, alone.

Frankenstein’s speech on page 411 is particularly passionate and provides for a very effective argument. Frankenstein appeals to his audience, sailors, by an appeal to their sense of pride (by calling them cowards) and to their sense of adventure (with his mention of danger, honor and glory). He begins the speech with rhetorical questions, asking the men to reconsider, before stating his opinion as fact and then appealing to their human characteristics of greed and a desire for fame by calling the sailors “benefactors of your species”. The implication that turning back now makes the men cowards is also effective – these men are brave to even have considered the voyage, but Frankenstein calls them to do more when he says “Be men, or be more than men”. Walton also writes that Frankenstein delivers the speech well, which would have amplified its passion.

Clever analogy, Robby! "When someone is lost from a family, it is like a bicycle losing a screw or a bolt" - I thought it was very effective for your point. And I like Kelsey's point that the families in Frankenstein are all somehow missing something - dead relatives or poverty make the families "broken". I also thought Christine's analysis of the rhetorical questions was very interesting - I liked the point that she made and her direct look at the passage's use of words.

[Amanda Warner]

The families in Frankenstein are very close, they care for each other a lot. Walton and Margaret constantly send letters back and forth keeping each other informed on how they are and Walton chooses her to tell Frankensteins story to. The Frakenstein family is very close also. They were heart broken when Mrs. Frankenstein and William died, and they were even more heart broken when Justein died even though she wasn't family. They also treated Clerval and Elizabeth like family. The De Lacey family were very close too. The two children stayed with the father and took care of him. They all stayed even though times were rough.

Victor's speech on page 411 was very persuasive because he uses different phases to remind them what their purpose was for; for adventure and fame and danger. And then he calls them coward for wanting to run away at first sight of danger. He uses rhetorical questions to make them think about why they are there and what they are doing.

I agree with Kelsey, she pointed out the use of diction in the speech on page 411.

[Robby Ashley]

I found Kelsey Pollard's description of the families in Frankenstein interesting. I had not thought about them this way. All of the families had been "broken" in some way, but they still stuck together throughout the hardships. For instance Victor's father kept writing to him and even visited him in jail even though he appeared to be going mad. I also like CD's comment about the speech on page 411 when she said Frankenstein appealed to the sailors' "human characteristics of greed and desire for fame". I had not thought about that when I read it.

[Katy Ebert]

In the novel, Frankenstein, families are portrayed as a one cohesive unit that depends on each other to survive. While Victor was away at school, his family became increasingly worried about him when he was not responding to their letters. They wanted him to come home, because they knew that he will then be around people who will care for him. Elizabeth, Victor’s potential wife, is constantly there for him and is concerned about his health, even when he is off at school. After the creature killed William, the family came even closer together to get through a hard time. This idea that family is soul support of a person life contrasts greatly with the idea that the creature will never have a family because of his hideousness. This reinforces the creature’s hate for Victor and why he chooses to kill people who are closest to Victor. The Delacey family is the creature’s first example of a family. This family is much like Victor’s in the idea of sticking together and working as one to survive. I believe that Mary Shelly choose the Delacey family because it creates all of the monster’s rage throughout the rest of the novel.

I believe that the speech Victor gave was persuasive because uses effective rhetorical devices which appeal to pathos. The rhetorical questions he puts at the beginning of his speech instill a sense of guilt into his audience. It makes them feel bad that they asked their captain to abandon his mission. He uses diction to make them feel like failures when he uses words like “shrink away” and the phrase “do not return to your families with the stigma of disgrace marked on your brows”. The context is also very effective. Victor is lying on his death bed, telling the men that he knows what it is like to be a failure and that they do not want that same felling on their conscience. It is hard to not take a man’s advice when he is wasting what could be his last breaths of air on telling them what they should do.

I like how CD realized that the word family constituted for not only blood members, but also included friends and marriages. She also stated that if one person was hurt or feeling some way, that the others would also be affected. This reminded me of how Victor’s father health declined because of Victor’s absence. His father had been put though his son’s trips so many times in the recent years that it eventually lead to his death in Victor’s arms.

[Megan Walsh]

The portrayal of family in this novel is what holds the Frankenstein family together. Through thick and thin each member of the family is there for one another. They worry about each other and hope each other is feeling happy about the day ahead. The Frankenstein family, mainly Elizabeth and Alphanse, were worried about the wellbeing of Victor through out the whole novel. They were always by his side whenever he was depressed about the monster. Alphanse even went to go retrive his son from Ireland when he was being accussed of the murder of Clerval. Elizabeth wrote Victor letters of her love for him and that she hopes his countanence is a joyful one. The portrayal of the Frankenstein family is one that is strong for love of one another and they only have the best interest of their family at heart.

It is Victor that is persuasive not the monster on page 411. Victor is speaking to the crewmen on the ship in which is was rescued. Many of the men want to return home because the ice and storm up in the North terrifies them. Victor though is quick to change their minds with his appeals to pathos and use of rhetorical questions. Victor tells them "Do not return to your families with the stigma of disgrace marked on your brow [, but][r]eturn as heroes. . ." He makes the crew feel like they are superior and that they have done so much for this voyage to abandon it now. His rhetorical questions make the crew think about their purpose and why they came on the ship in the first place. Victor's speech was persuasive because his rhetorical questions and use of pathos made the crew stay on board and continue their voyage.

I enjoyed Katy's piece because she related the portrayal of the Frankenstein family to the family that the creature does not have. The explaination behind this gives reasoning to why the monster wishes to kill the ones that are closest to Victor. And the way that she told her audience that it is hard to not find Victor's speech persuasive because he is on his death bed and he has dealt with failure before. Katy ties in the whole book in her analysis which makes it enjoyable to read.

[CD Skehan]

I completely agree with Katy in that the Delacey family "creates all of the monster’s rage throughout the rest of the novel" - an excellent point and completely relevant to the novel. I feel like without the Delacey family to show the creature how beautiful a family could be in times of hardship, he would not have felt the loss of a "family" of his own. I also like her idea of guilt in the 411 passage. It's a excellent observation of an emotion the passage conveys.

[Emily Law]

Families are portrayed as a very important part of life in Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein”. The Frankenstein family was always there in support of the other members and is always there for each other. For example, when Frankenstein went away, they were worried sick about him when they had not heard from him because they wanted to be there for him and be a part of his life. Also, the Delacey family as we know was the monster’s source of learning most of what he needed to know about life. He observed how to talk, read, write, and interact with other people from watching them. I believe that Shelley used this family in this way because it represents in importance of families, showing that without them, one will not know how to go through life.

In Frankenstein’s dialogue on page 411, he is convincing the men on the ship to continue on in their journey and not give up now. He begins the passage with a series of rhetorical questions which are effective and appeal to the emotions. The use of rhetorical questions makes the listener think and analyze the situation to answer the question and often points their opinion towards that of the speaker’s because the way the speaker worded the questions. Frankenstein also uses emotional diction that appeals to pathos and makes the listener feel like they should be doing what he is telling them to because they feel connected to him on an emotional level. The words that have this effect are: terrific, poor, dragged, disgrace, fought, conquered, adored, glorious and honorable.

I also like Robby’s analogy “When someone is lost from a family, it is like a bicycle losing a screw or a bolt” and I think it applies well to this novel. For example, as I stated before, when Victor went away the family seemed to not be able to function properly unless they had a communication with him and Robby’s analogy depicts this situation perfectly.

[Abbie Novak]

The families portrayed in Frankenstein are typical of families who are close in today's world. While on an exploration in search of a northwest passage, Robert Walton wrote his sister detailing his journey and told her Victor Frankenstein's story. I think this is typical of family members who travel on unsafe journeys or to war. Writing family members makes the traveler feel more connected with family and makes the family worry less about the safety of the traveler. The Frankenstein family adopted Elizabeth Lavenza into the family and later, she married Victor Frankenstein. The Frankensteins viewed and treated Elizabeth as one of their own as adoptive parents do today. The Frankensteins really cared about their children and Mr. Frankenstein always put his family first: "When my father became a husband and a parent, he found his time so occupied by his duties of his new situation, that he relinquished many of his public employments and devoted himself to the education of his children" (Shelley 37). Another example is, "My improvement and health were their constant care" (Shelley 37). As today, many families are composed of a variety of members, not just blood-related family members. When Caroline Beaufort Frankenstein, the mother of the family, dies Elizabeth, the oldest daughter, takes over as the mother figure of the family. Families of today have to take similar action to ensure the well-being of the family when tragedy strikes. When Frankenstein goes to the University of Ingolstadt and becomes involved in making his creature, he does not keep in touch with his family. I think this is typical of college students today. Later, when Frankenstein learns that his brother has been killed he immediately returns home to his family to mourn their loss. Then Justine's death occurs; although she is a family friend, her death is mourned as a loss for the family. A loss for any family member is a loss for the entire family.

The Delacey family 100% depends on one another. They work together to accomplish daily tasks insuring the survival of the family. When the monster spies on this family, their closeness and caring manner for each other makes the monster crave a family of his own.

A very persuasive speech is given by Victor on page 411. The passage begins with multiple rhetorical questions to set the mood. He appeals to the emotions or pathos of the sailors and uses forceful language which is motivating. The questions that are asked and the statements that are made, make the sailors feel guilty in a sense and think twice about the situation. The speech is like a dare for the sailors to contiune their journey. Shelley also uses a simile for comparison at the beginning of the speech.

I like Robby's analogy of a family and a bike. It perfectly describes the components of a family. Like a family, a bike has many different parts and in order for them to operate like "a well-oiled machine" they must work together to support each other. Amanda's statements about the speech were true and to the point. I like it.

[Rachel Scala]

In Frankenstein, the importance of family is strongly displayed and is an important factor in the growth and development of the creature. The closest family in the novel is the Frankenstein family. As each of the members face a new challenge, the other members of the family backs them up as much as possible. But as the novel progresses the Frankenstein family slowly loses members (William to the monster and Justine to execution) and the family become less and less functional. Another important family in the novel is the Delacey family. This family also is a very close family and that is how the creature learnt the importance of family and why he wanted one so bad.

The speech that Frankenstein gave on page 411 is extremely convincing because of the use of repetition, rhetorical questions, and it appeals strongly to pathos. In the very beginning Victor uses multiple rhetorical questions to get the audience (sailors) thinking. He then continues to repeat the word brave, which appeals to pathos because that word is so emotional charged.

I personally like Robby’s analogy of the bike to the family. It is very true because as each family member is knocked off, like a bolt on a bike, it slowly falls apart and becomes dysfunctional, like a broken bike.

[Rebecca Payton]

Families are portrayed in "Frankenstein" as loving and giving and not self centered. This may be because most of the families are middle or lower class families and depend on each other to make a survive in the world. The Delacey family had to work together every day to maintain a stable life, even if it was very little to live off of. She had families showing compassion for each other by the letters that they would write back and forth between each other. The letters to Frankenstein, when he was sick, from his family are filled with concern and adament worry. Families were overall very close in this novel, except for the fact that Frankenstein has kept this hideous secret about creating the monster from his family.

The passage from page 411 was indeed persuasive because it has all the elements that make you question yourself into doing what the person persuading wants. He had rhetorical questions and unknowing threats. The unknowing threats were when he says what would happen to the men if they chickened out because in fact he has no idea what would happen to the men. This tactic works well because it induces courage from the men. He compares the mens hearts to unbreakable ice because it helps in making the men feel guilty about leaving Victor on his own.

Abbie Novak's post was very intriguing because it pulled out several key points from the passages themselves. Quoting Mary Shelley also gives a developed answer to the question.

[Philip Brock]

In Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein," families may not seem to play an extreme role at first, but it becomes evident after some careful analysis that they are very important. Just as a baby needs the love and care of a mother, so does Frankenstein's creature- babies who are cared for and loved by parents do far better emotionally and socially than babies who are raised in orphanages with no one to love and support them. The creature's lack of a familial basis led to his warped regard for human life.

Robby's analysis of the family was awesome! I have personally witnessed the "destruction" of my family, beginning with the deaths of my great-grandparents who were the glue that held everyone together. Even before that, extended branches of the family tree had been hacked away when one member died and the rest couldn't figure out how to react to the loss, and ended up alienating themselves from the rest. Families are vital to proper development, but when members pass away, sometimes the results of human nature cause tragic events that wound the souls of many- people say and do things they can never take back.

Moving to another subject, Frankenstein's speech was a paragon of persuasive excellence. He appeals to the crewmen's pathos by making them feel as if they were cowards for wanting to turn back; he uses past explorers as examples for the men to follow. Just as they forged on with no regard to their own safety or comfort, so the crewmen should. No one likes to be called a coward, and it usually makes us defensive and want to continue on.

Of course, Frankenstein's purpose for the speech was not to aid the men's willpower. It was for his own gain as he wanted to pursue the evil creature, hoping to dispatch the beast once and for all.

[Alex McGill]

In Frankenstein families are shown as the strongest link back to a normal life. Victor's family is a great source of security and happiness. When Victor is overwhelmed or stricken with despair, a reference is made to his family. His family is supportive of him and they do not criticize his work. They feel the grief that Victor feels and sympathize with him, and Victor gains back his health and confidence when he is around them.

The monster that Frankenstein creates longs for the love and support that his creator possesses. Once the monster gains self-awareness and can interpret the world, he sees that he lacks this aspect of life and is out to discover it. He asks Frankenstein to create him a partner so that he will not be alone, and when Frankenstein does not follow through the monster destroys his creators wife. He also harms other members of Frankensteins family because he knows of the strong bond and love that they have for each other. The monster searches the world for acceptance and sees all that he lacks by observing other people, including the Delacey family. They are a small, tightly-knit family who depend strongly on each other. Without much knowledge of the author, one could guess that perhaps her family was supportive and loving because of the strong emphasis on family in the novel.

The passage on page 411 is indeed very persuasive. Coming from Frankenstein, who has been through a life filled with so much despair, this speech is nothing but inspirational and thought provoking. After hearing this speech, the sailors had to think about what direction they truly wanted to go. The rhetorical questions the Frankenstein are strong and are the most persuasive part of the speech. He asks them what the point of beginning an expedition is if you are to cowardly to finish. The sailors would either quit and disgrace their families, or come home successful and confident. Also, the diction that Frankenstein uses is for lack of a better word motivational, persuading them to complete the task. They are spoken with much passion. "Be men, or be more than men" (Shelley 411).

I enjoyed reading Kelsey's analysis. She brought up a topic that I did not even think about, that both families in this story are broken and have suffered some sort of loss. This further exemplifies the closeness of the families because it shows that they are able to stay together and be there for each other through hardships. Her examples of diction that Shelley uses in the book are also good. These words all describe the feeling and thought that were going through Frankensteins mind. All of these words have specific purpose and emotion.

[Katie Phillips]

The Families shown in Frankenstein are closely knit, and you can tell that each member truly loves each other. You can see this when Frankenstein's creation murdered Victor's youngest brother, William. When this happened, Victor was devastated. Also, you can see the bond between the family whenever Victor's dad wants him to come home. His father was always there to support him in whatever he did.

The passage on page 411 is defintely a good use of persuasion. It gears you up in the begining with the use of rhetorical questions. The questions get the audience thinking about what they would answer. After the last question that Fankenstein asks to the sailors, he answers why it wasn't glories, and then states why it was glorious. This makes the sailors think aout what they would say, and puts them in the right state of mind. The speech is also very wholehearted and you can tell that it is comming straight from his heart which is a good use of pathos. He uses charged words to persuade the sailors not toturn back such as, disgrace, firm, courage andhonourable. Fankenstein also uses analogies to persuade the sailors not to go back. I personally like "This ice is not made of such stuff as your hearts might be; it is mutable, cannot withstand you, if you say that it shall not." By using this simile the audience realizes that they must do what they have to and not what there hearts want them to do. The ice will always be there and it won't break, but their hearts may.

I really enjored Kelsey's explanation of the persuasion on page 411. I like that she stated what was going on in the book before she stated the rhetorical devices in it. Also, she intertwined the qoutes and her commentary very nicely. I like her statement "He explains to them that they will be disgraced and shamed if they return now just because they were afraid of death" because it sums up how the sailors feel and it shows how Frankenstein persuades them by telling them the reality.

[Courtney Sands]

The portrayal of family in Frankenstein is that it is a very strong, connected group of people. When there is something wrong with one person, it affects all of them. All of the members of a family work together to accomplish everything. A family was not just the immediate members, it was everyone who was adopted and those who got married into it. Everyone in a family had a role and with all the roles working together, everything worked out. The time when Frankenstein was written was when families were so much more unified than they are today. The marriages were stronger and they were all in touch with each other. The Delaceys all helped and cared for one another. Their happiness was radient enough for even the creature to notice and want to be a part of.

Victor Frankenstein's speech to the sailors was very persuasive. His rhetorical questions made them think about what was really important in their situation. He made them remember why they were even there in the first place. Frankenstein used strong words that appealed to their emotions of glory, courage, and fear.

I liked Emily Law's analysis of the speech because she listed the actual words that were the most effective and Robby Ashley's because his analogy about families was really creative and made a lot of sense.

[Sarah Stover]

Mary Shelley's portrayal of families in Frankenstein is that they are close-knit and care a great deal about eachother. There are three main families that are portrayed in the novel, Walter and his sister, the Frankenstein family, and the DeLacey family. Walter corresponds with his sister throughout the novel in the form of letters, which shows that they are close and want to stay connected even when he is half way around the world on a boat. The Frankenstein's are a very close-knit family as well, and this is shown through their reactions to one anothers emotions and predicaments. Victor's father dies of grief when Elizabeth dies, and he learns of the monster. They all feel eachother's pain and rejoice in eachother's happiness. The DeLacey family is one who is not very wealthy with material possessions, but whose wealth is their family bond. They worked hard for everything they had, but loved eachother and stayed strong because of that. I am somewhat reminded of the Addam's Family when I read Frankenstein, maybe because of its gothic elements. Although the Addam's Family is a dysfunctional creepy family in the eyes of outsiders, they love eachother and function smoothly in their home because they have one another. I feel like today families are very dysfunctional, and have somewhat lost the sense of closeness that is portrayed in Frankenstein and even in the Addam's Family, but there is still an unbreakable bond between families that cannot be explained.

The passage of speech on page 411 was very persuasive. His use of rhetorical questions and loaded words helped Frankenstein appeal to his listener's emotion. Words such as "bravery", "glory", and "courage" make the listener feel triumphant and hopeful, and rhetorical questions make them think about what he is saying and what they need to do next.

Courtney and Robert's response to family reminds me of my own thoughts on the subject and I liked too liked Robert's analogy about the bike and bolts.

[McKenzie Smith]

Family ideals are emphasized greatly with in the book Frankenstein. Mary Shelly writes about family life, such as that of the de lacy family, where the family sacrifices for each other. The family works hard in their humble home and tries there best to help their poor father who is blind. Even the narrator’s family ties are portrayed. Walton takes the time out of his busy day as a captain on board a ship to write his sister of the crew’s everyday occurrences. If that is not love and devotion, I don’t know what is. Even the Frankenstein family highlights the important qualities that most families strive for. They love each other with out hesitation and are even ready to forgive each other at the drop of a dime in the case of Justine. It is obvious that Shelly was attempting to instill her own ideas of how families should act towards each other through the contents of this book.

The rhetorical questions stood out to me the most in this section. Victor’s speech is filled with questions that make the sailors second-guess what their intentions were. Also his uses of emotional language really causes a person to sense the urge in his speech and the use of point blank confrontation makes you feel just as the sailors would in this situation. My personal favorite is when he calls them out as cowards. No man wants to come home to his family being a coward. By using language and name calling such as this, he appeals to not only the sailor’s pathos, but also the readers.

I never thought about how the families portrayed in the book are also the things that the creature longer for. Thanks for pointing that out for my Phillip!

[Mary Beth Barfield]

The portrayal of family in Frankenstein is that of an ideal, strong, and loving one. Alphonse Frankenstein, Victor's father, is a very kind and generous person. For example, he rescues his wife, Caroline, from poverty after the tragic death of her father. Together Alphonse and Caroline provide a beautiful home with much affection for their children. They even bring Elizabeth and Justine into the comfort of their own home which further exemplifies their kindness and sincere generosity. Victor even says that "No human being could have passed a happier childhood than myself. My parents were possessed by the very spirit of kindness and indulgence..."
The passage on page 411 is one of power and conviction. Victor cleverly begins with the use of rhetorical questions. These questions convict the shipmates of their actions and gives Victor the opportunity to present his own perspective. He also incorporates charged diction which impacts the men on board and reminds them of their duty. Victor's overall word choice is highly effective and powerful which, in turn, makes his speech persuasive. In addition to these rhetorical strategies, I particularly liked the way Victor ended his speech with a goal: "Do not return to your families with the stigma of disgrace marked on your brows. Return as heroes who have fought and conquered, and who know not what it is to turn their backs on the foe." He organizes his words in such a way that he first incorporates rhetorical questions to get the men "thinking," then he uses examples as evidence to back up his questions, and finally he provides the men with an incentive and drive to be heroes.
I absolutely loved Robby's example of the Frankenstein family being closely tied together, and when someone is lost, it is like a bicycle losing a screw or a bolt. It is a perfect analogy for this novel because as family members are killed by the monster's actions, the family literally falls apart like the bike.

[Mary Hampton]

The love found between family members is one of the central themes in “Frankenstein”. The strength of the Frankenstein family, although broken, is shown throughout the novel. Unconditional love is shown when Victor strays from the family during his years of work on the creature. His family becomes very worried and loves him no less even though he rarely contacts them. Even at Frankenstein’s worst moments before the trial of Henry Clerval’s murder, his father travels from Gevena to support him. Family is also portrayed as a hodge-podge of people, not necessarily blood relatives. Justine Moritz and Elizabeth were both adopted into the Frankenstein family, yet were treated as if they had been born into it.

VICTOR’s speech here is very persuasive. Using all the strength he could muster up, Frankenstein appeals to the pathos of the crew. His accusative manner and the use of rhetorical questions allow him to make a personal attack on each of the crewmen. He calls them out, deeming them cowardly and cold-hearted. Frankenstein encourages them to be courageous and carry on with the “glorious expedition”. Had I been there, I would have gone to hell and back for him! Unfortunately, it wasn’t persuasive enough, as the crew turned southward within a few days. I think that the men aboard the ship weren’t too affected by the speech because they didn’t understand the depth of Victor’s situation.

I like Alex the One-Armed Wonder’s explanation of the creature’s desperate yearn for love. I was thinking along the same lines, but lacked the skill to put it into words. The monster was born without the innate ability to love another, and he suffered deeply for it.

[Margaret Bickley]

Throughout the book Frankenstein, the framework for family is built love and supporting one another no matter what the circumstance. In the Frankenstein family, Victor cherishes the nourishment that his parents provide through the life lessons they teach him about education, wonder in what the world has to offer, and cherishing the people placed in your life. He learns how to be a true friend through his father’s example of taking in his niece as a daughter when his brother was remarrying an Italian lady after Elizabeth’s mother’s death. Victor’s father could have left Elizabeth in the street or told his brother to take care of his own daughter even if it meant jeopardizing Elizabeth’s safety and proper nurture. Victor lived out this lesson on loyalty and kindness through his relationship with Henry Clerval. He treated Henry like a brother, and the Frankenstein family basically adopted him as their pseudo-son. He was at their house constantly. Victor’s life at home effected his adulthood. After he created the monster, he longed for home and his loving family. Even when he was delusional and not himself, Henry Clerval supported him and nursed Victor back to health. Similarly, Caroline had nursed Elizabeth when she had the scarlet fever even when her own health was threatened.

The Delacey family supported one another and loved each other to the same extent as the Frankenstein family. Felix and Agatha took care of their blind father in their poverty-strickened life. They were both young and could have go away to establish their own new identity and wealth; however, they decided to take care of their father.

This speech on page 411 is persuasive because he delivers his speech with a modulated voice and excitement filled eyes. His passion is then transferred into eloquent words and emotionally charged diction. By starting out his argument with rhetorical questions, he pulls in the sailors’ attention. He makes them think about both sides of the argument- the pros and cons of returning to England or moving forward to their original destination. He appeals to their sense of manhood by comparing the sailors to cowards if they retreat after the first true test of their courage: “. . . the first mighty and terrific trial of your courage, you shrink away, and are content to de handed down as men who had not strength enough to endure cold and peril; and so, poor souls, they were chilly, and returned to their war fire-sides” (Shelley 411). In this portion of his speech he manipulates his audience using a sarcastic tone and calling them ‘sissies.’ Victor also uses commands (the sentences that start with ‘Be’) which contain an infer you. This type of imperative sentence makes his argument more personal and action based. Victor ends on the point explaining in a harsh tone would they rather return home as heroes or cowards. Over all, his emotionally charged diction is what persuades the men to take in account his view point on the issue.

CD, I thought your argument about the human characteristic of greed was an important point. I didn’t catch that thought when I was reading Victor’s speech. But that is so true that as humans we desire to be acknowledged by others and are greedy for approval. We are also greedy for adventure and fame.

[Chris Hamrick]

In Frankenstein, the concept of family ties seems to be a very important aspect to everyone. Families are very close even though it seems as though many of the members go years without seeing each other. For instance, Victor was away in college for years on end, and hardly knew William at all. Nonetheless, he was greatly saddened by his death. A family is also the one thing that the creature desired most. He spent a long portion of his life watching a family and learned to read and speak from them. Also, his one request of Victor was that he create a family for him.

The passage on page 411 is very persuasive piece because of its appeals to pathos and logos. Frankenstein reminds them of why they were there in the first place and what would happen if they turned back now. They were brave for going on the journey, but if they gave up they would go back in defeat and disgrace; all of their previous bravery would be in vain. He uses the logic of "if you turn back now it was all for nothing" and appeals to their emotions by telling them how brave they are and how their families would be disgraced if the quit. He also made it more effective by including rhetorical strategies such as parallelism and rhetorical questions. He uses parallelism when he says "because it was full of dangers and terror... because, at every new incident...because danger and death surrounded..." (Shelley, 411). His use of rhetorical questions at the beginning are effective because they make the men think of the reasons why they are there in the first place.

I also thought Robby's example of the bike was very good. It explains perfectly the situation with Frankenstein and how he just broke down after losing so much. Without his family he was consumed by rage and had no reason to live.

[Paul DeMerritt]

In a novel that is extremely bleak and depressing, the only source of happiness to the distraguht characters of Frankenstein is the family. In almost every instance in the novel, Victor is mollified from the aftermath of a tragedy by his friends and family. One example is in the fear and anxiety that Victor has after refusing the creature a mate. Victor is constantly paranoid and almost neurotic yet he is calmed and even has a sense of optimism in the prospect of a future married to Elizabeth. The family also acts as a source of joy to the De Lacey family. The entire family is engulfed by poverty and is trapped by unfortunate circumstances yet they find solace in the compassion and companionship that they share with each other.

Victor's speech on page 411 is particularly effective becuase he exploits the emotions most passionately clung on to by the sailors. They desperately wish to be remembered as man who could face any danger, overcome any hardship, and defeat any foe. By testing their pride he attacks the very core of their being which forces them to either take up his challenge or look like cowards. Becuase Frankenstein wastes no time in going straight for the heart, his speech is clear, consice, and to the point.

I thought Robby's metaphor was excellent in describing the Frankenstein family becuase it showed how the tragedies affected every member of the family. This ripple effect of tragedy shows how intensely unified and connected the Frankenstein family is.

[Diana Evans]

In Frankenstein, the families are portrayed as strongly knitted circle that takes care of each other. The Delacey family work and depend on each to survive each day. The family memebers stay close to each other and help in anyway they can. In the Frankenstein family, they too are very connected with each other.There were times when Victor was in a depression and it was his family that cheared him up. They family bonds do not stop at blood members but goes to those who aren't related to the family by blood. Elizabeth is a example of this. She comes into the family and wins the Frankenstein family's love and later Victor's heart. Mary Shelly shows what she thinks a perfect family bond is in her novel.

Victor's speech in my eyes is very persuasive. The usuage of his rhetorical questions strikes at the crew's ego and makes them aware if their situation. Victor reminds them why they are their and the glory they would recieve if they go on or they could turn back and regret this moment for the rest of their lives.He uses strong diction to appeal to their emotions-glory, fear, and courage.

I thought Robby's thoughts on the Frankenstein and Delacey's family was very interesting. The bike thought was a great comparsion between the two. It was creative and I could inderstand what he was saying.