The End.

"Fear not that I shall be the instrument of future mischief. My work is nearly complete. Neither yours nor any man's death is needed to consummate the series of my being and accomplish that which must be done, but it requires my own." (pg. 210)

Wow. The ending of this book was definitely eventful. I am almost positive that Waldon was quite relieved at hearing these words (the quote above) from the monster. Al least he knew that his life was not in anymore danger. Once Victor did not create a companion for the monster, i figured that his loved ones were going to die, but I figured that the monster would be out to get Victor too! I was surprised how compassionate the monster was at the end. He was sad to see that his creator had died and he just gave up on himself once he saw Victor had passed away. Since this was made as a "ghost story" or a scary story, I figured that at the end of the book the whereabouts of the monster would be left unknown so that people would be afraid of him seeking them out one day. Instead, the monster feels terrible about what he has done to his master and only sees it fitting that he takes away his own life in return.

Lastly, I just wanted to quickly point out the repeated action of the monster. When the monster was just created, he reached out to his creator while he was in bed. This is the action that scares Victor off and makes him run away. At the end of the story, the reader sees this action preformed by the monster for the second time, but Victor is already deceased, so no action is made in return.

Nature / Weather

"There were no horses to be procured, and I must return by the lake; but the wind was unfavorable, and the rain fell in torrents." (pg. 187)

Nature and the weather play a huge part in this novel. The quote above was taken from Victor right after his wife was murdered by his creation. He first longs to go to the lake because whenever he finds himself in emotional distress, nature is the best cure. Also, "the rain fell in torrents," shows that something terrible just occurred. When the weather is gloomy or it is winter, the scenes in this novel show depression. In contrast, when spring rolls around and nature is alive and blooming, the characters reflect this through their happy actions and good-natured emotions. The beauty of nature seems to heal Victor and the monster in a way that no other man ever could even attempt.

This isn't just a coincidence that Shelley thought would be nice to add to the book. I know that the weather and the seasons affect me and my emotions too. I have also witnessed this change in my peers too. It is always a better day when the sun is shining because hope seems to fill the air.

Reality Check

"... the strange system of human life was explained to me... Of my creation and creator I was absolutely ignorant, but I knew that I possessed no money, no friends, no kind of property. I was, besides, endued with a figure hideously deformed and loathsome; I was not even of the same nature as man." (pgs. 114 & 115)

Through out the monster's point of view, I think Shelley tries to convey a very important theme. This theme focuses on the way of human life and how ridiculous it actually is. Every person is born into this life so it is all they know and they take it for what it is, but we are given a reality check when an outsider sees the way we live and then proceeds to tell us how insane it appears. In the first half of the book, the monster learns about the world and hears about war and how awful it is. The monster sees how wrong it is, but since it has always been a part of life for everyone, it seems acceptable. Also, in the quote above, the monster takes another hard hit to the way of life. This new born creature realizes that humans only care about money, popularity, and property. Again, all the people see nothing wrong with it because that is just the way life works. I do think this is a very good message because it shows how our world is focused on the WRONG things. Also, it shows how we measure a human but what he/she has, not who he/she is. I love how Shelley put this hidden theme in here because sadly, she is conveying the truth about humanity.

Foreshadow

"Pardon this gush of sorrow; these ineffectual words are but a slight tribute to the unexampled worth of Henry, but they soothe my heart, overflowing with the anguish which his remembrance creates. I will proceed with my tale." (pg. 149)

Before the reader learns of Henry's death, Shelley makes the reader aware that something is going to go wrong. "His remembrance creates," proves that Victor is speaking in memory of him and Henry's life. The reader now realizes the rest of the book is destined to go downhill. Not only does Shelley show that Henry will die, she also shows that this second creation will fail. This is because the monster promised Victor that if a female monster was not created for him then he would destroy him emotionally. The only way that the monster could do this would be to destroy the few people that surrounded Victor in his life. So, if the reader then knows that Henry will be murdered, the reader can infer that the monster will not stop there. Victor's creation was very serious when he spoke to Victor about making him a friend of "his type." Who will be killed after Henry? ... Alphonse? Earnest? Elizabeth? This element also creates a great amount of suspense for the reader.

Motif

"Do not let this letter disturb you; do not answer tomorrow, or the next day, or even until you come, if it will give you pain. My uncle will send me news of your health, and if I see but one smile on your lips when we meet, occasioned by this or any other exertion of mine, I shall need no other happiness." (pg. 179)

- Elizabeth Lavenza

This is just one example of how Shelley makes every woman look. The novel does not give women much credit at all. From this book, one perceives that women are there to make men happy and wait for their presence no matter what. There are no determined strong females in the book; every female seems to be passive. I believe that all of the women in the story suffer in some way, but Shelley doesn't emphasize this suffering. Caroline, Justine, and Elizabeth all suffer to a terrible degree and then are killed by different means, but the story always revolves around Victor's and the monster's suffering. This emphasis on men might be because of the time period that the book was written. Back then, women were not able to experience the rights that women in today's world are able to.

Foil Characters

"I grasped his hand, and in a moment forgot my horror and misfortune; I felt suddenly, and for the first time during many months, calm and serene joy." (pg. 58) I know that I am going back to previous pages, but I believe that this is a very crucial point to hit. Victor and Henry are clearly foils of eachother and the reader needs to realize this. Ever since they met, they have been opposites, but I guess the cliche is true, "opposites attract." Henry is interested in ethics while Victor clearly is not. Victor pursues science without an ethical base. Also, Victor is all about moving away from his family to do his own thing and pursue his dreams. This doesn't really bother him because he is obsessed with reaching his goal. When Victor sees Henry for the first time in about two years, he says the above quotation. It is obvious that Henry represents all that Victor grew up with. Also, since Henry's presence brings Victor much joy, it it certain that Victor needs his family, but his want for his dream is still stronger.

The Benevolent Monster

" Believe me Frankenstein, I was benevolent; my soul glowed with love and humanity; but am I not alone, misrably alone? You, my creator, abhor me; what hope can I gather from your fellow creatures, who owe me nothing? They spurn and hate me." (pg.96) This "monster" speaks this whole passage. He doesn't grunt or threaten Frankenstein's life. The monster speaks full thoughts and just wants to talk to his creator and be wanted by someone. Here, the reader also sees the theme of lonliness again. I believe that this interaction with the monster is quite ironic. This monster has progressively become more and more human over time and as time passes, it is Frankenstein that becomes less human. Victor is the one who becomes a child and tries to run away from his problems while the monster is the one who simply wants to speak to Victor. The monster displays benevolent qualities while Victor is mean and harsh. Frankenstein never gives his creation a chance at living.

Justine Moritz

"Since you left us, but one change has taken place in out litle household. Do you remember on what occasion Justine Moritz entered our family? Probably you do not; I will relate her history, therefore, in a few words." (pg. 63) This portion of Elizabeth's letter kind of confused me. At first, I was wondering why she was explaining the history of their adopted sister to Victor. Later in the letter, she says, "Justine, you may remember, was a great favourite of yours." There are a couple ways that I am trying to justify why Shelly did this. First, the most obvious reason I could come up with is to give the reader information about Justine. Elizabeth gives her background and everything. Also, I can see this as Elizabeth truly believeing that Victor's illness has probably caused him to forget important thingsin his life. Well, things that used to be important. Lastly, I could aslo see Elizabeth telling this story to be sarcastic and rub it in that he hasn't been home in forever so he probably doesn't remember much of home and the people there. Personally, I think that Elizabeth cares about Victor too much and that she was seriously concerned about his health so she explained the story to him. I can't see her being rude to him.

Irony

"I closed not my eyes that night. My internal being was in a state of insurrection and turmoil; I felt that order would thence arise, but I had no power to produce it." ( pg. 47 ) Frankenstiein drove himself crazy over this goal of his. He had to find out so many things in so little time. Victor was discouraged by some but motivated by others and he became obsessed with this whole idea. One of my group's themes is health and we decided that it is quite ironic that when Victor creates a new life, he destroys his own. This obsession has literally killed the person he used to be. I believe that Victor was just so eager to do something that had never been done before, but he did not realize how it was going to affect his life. Not only was he physically ill, I think it is fair to say that he was quite mentally ill too.

Dialect / Romance Time Period

" I may receive your letters on some occasions when I need them most to support my spirits. I love you very tenderly. Remember me with affection, should you never hear from me again. Your affectionate brother, Robert Walton " (pg. 21) From this passage, one might believe that Robert and the one he is addressing the letter to are in a relationship. In out world today, this is the way we would speak to a significant other. Here Robert is speaking to his sister so we know that this is surely not true. I believe that the author is writing with the language of her time. People actually spoke like this to their family members out of respect and love. Our world has changed and the average person who might read this nowadays would probably be a little creeped out. This book was written in the romantic period of time so I would expect a language sounding like this one. Throughout the book this fluid language sets the time of the story and gives the story character. Seeing sentences arranged in this beautiful style often help me, as the reader, actually hear the words as they are being said.

The End.

" "For you a thousand times over," I heard myself say. Then I turned and ran. " (pg. 371) This quote is the one quote that stuck with me throughout the whole book. I underlined it in the first chapter because Hosseini starts out with this quote too and at the time, I had a feeling that it would play a big part in the book. My feeling was correct. This book starts off with Hassan saying this quote to Amir because he loved and cared about him. Hassan would do anything for Amir and saying this quote made him aware of that. In the same way, the book ends with this quote, but instead, Amir is saying it. He now wants to show that it is his turn to be the servant and he will now do anything for Sohrab. I love the ending to this book. Again, Hosseini uses a circle effect by starting and ending the book in the same setting. With all of the twists and turns in this book, it is hard to believe that one could make this happen, but he certainly did. The ending was very unexpected, but I feel that it was fitting. I wasn't disappointed nor did I feel the ending was too complicated. I felt like the ending was perfect and shouldn't have been done any other way. From this ending, the reader can imagine what will happen next because Amir ultimately is given the chance to redeem himself. I'mnot sure how Hosseini did it, but he took a bunch of random puzzle pieces and found ways to connect them that nobody else would dare to dream of. By doing this, he created my all time favorite book.

Climax

" "When it's done, only one of us will walk out of this room alive,"Assef said. "If it's him, then he's earned his freedom and you let him pass, do you understand?" " (pg. 287) This book is a masterpiece of suspense, but I feel that the climax of the book is when Assef and Amir meet in their adult life. When Assef said the quote above, I found myself on the edge of my seat reading as fast as I could because I could not find out what cam e next soon enough. I believe that this is the one true climax of the story because the outcome of this fight decides is Amir will ever get to redeem himself of his wrongs done as a child. If Amir gets past Assef and receives Sohrab, Rahim Khan's words, "There is a way to be good again," might come true. Once the reader finds out that this man is Assef, they become aware that nothing good is going to happen here. This scene is also so intense because the reader can see that Amir doesn't stand a chance against this man. I lost hope that Amir would make it through this fight and receive Sohrab in the end. I shouldn't have doubted the scene because Hassan steps in to save Amir even when he is dead. Hassan comes through for Amir through his son and all of the sling shot lessons he has taught him. Ultimately, Hassan created a smaller version of himself to watch over Amir now. Lastly, winning Sohrab gives Amir the opportunity to treat and take care of Sohrab like he sould have done for Hassan.

Making Up for the Past

"Earlier that morning, when I was certain no one was looking, I did something I had done twenty-six years earlier; I planted a fist-ful of crumpled money under a mattress." (pg. 242) This whole scene was ironic. It emphasized the growth that had occured in Amir. When Amir was younger, he recognized the harm he had done by not stopping Hassan from being raped. Once Amir realized that he could not get away from Hassan and the constant reminder of what he had done, Amir found a way to to make Hassan leave. This is when he planted his new watch and a handful of money under Hassan's mattress. The only way to get rid of his wrong was to do another wrong. Now, when Hassan leaves Farid's house, he plants money under a mattress and leaves Farid's sons with his watch. Amir does the same thing again, but this time it is for the good of these people. I believe that this is ironic, but also shows the change that has occured in Amir over time. Now, Amir is mature and wants to make up for the harm he has done instead of causing more harm.

Flashbacks

" Hearing Rahim Khan speak Ali's name was like finding an old dusty music box that hadn't been opened in years; the melody began to play immediately: Who did you eat today, Babalu? Who did you eat, you slant-eyed Babalu?" (pg. 214) Flashbacks are what drive this book. Chapters 2-13 are essentially flashbacks of Amir's life. These are the chapters where the reader learns about everything that has happened up until the scene in chapter one. When Hosseini brings the reader back to the present in chapter fourteen, he also uses flashbacks to Amir's childhood. These flashbacks help the reader relate to Amir more because the reader has read of these occurances before in the previous chapters. Personally, these flashbacks helped me connect to Amir when he returned to Afganistan because I knew his background. I also believe that the flashbacks Amir has in chapters 14 - 25 push Amir to do the right thing. Flashbacks like the quote above help Amir to remember what he allowed to occur when he was young. Remembering these instances reminds Amir why he is ultimately searching for Sohrab. Amir owes it to his past to make the future better and these flashbacks push him to do so.

American vs. Afgan

" "I see America has infused you with the optimism that has made her so great. That's very good. We're a melancholic people, we Afgans, aren't we?" " (pg. 201) One of the biggest themes in this book is the comparison between the American life and the way of life in Afganistan. The reader starts to see this comparison once Amir and Baba flee to America. First we see them compared when it comes to trust and way of life. This is when Baba freaks out because a man who has known him for two years asks for his ID when Baba tries to write a check. Baba even explains how they would carve notches in wood to represent the loaves of bread that one would owe in Afganistan. The way of life is extremely differentin the two countries. I feel that Afganistan was a place that Baba felt a part of a family and everyone there worked together to get along and they trusted their neighbor. On the other hand, the American life relfects more of a survival of the fittest theme. The quote above shows the difference of the attitudes of the Americans and the Afgans. Americans have more of a optomistic outlook on life and the Afgans believe more in flowing with the way life takes them and letting fate take the wheel. In the book we see Amir take on the American outlook of trying to control life when he tells his father that there is a way to make him better and doctors could give him treatments to help him. Baba goes along with his natural born Afgan ways and refuses treatment and lets whatever is supposed to happen to him, happen. Lastly, I feel that the Afgans are more stubborn and not subject to change on views. Baba and Rahim Khan always seem to stick to what they have always known and they seldom stray from their ways.