First Impressions: The main character, Emma Bovary, reminds me of the a lot of teen girls that go to my high school. They're so focused on obtaining that warm and fuzzy feeling that comes with infatuation, they forget that real love (past the honeymoon phase) doesn't feel like that at all.
Short Synopsis (I'm going to try and make these as short as possible from now on): Emma marries a man names Charles Bovary, but gets tried of him due to lack of sophistication. This results in her having two love affairs. Later, she begins splurging so much that she and Charles have no way of repaying the debt she (and partially Charles) caused. The only way to solve her problems is to kill herself, which she accomplishes by consuming arsenic.
Emma's Fantasy: Emma Bovary grew up reading romantic books with no one to tell her that those books didn't accurately describe how real love works. As a result, she became obsessed with finding "love," which wasn't really love at all. Charles is clumsy and undignified. Emma becomes repulsed by him. Leon leaves her because he doesn't think he can have a physical relationship with Emma (until later when he comes back and it starts all over again) and Rodolphe ends up being a ladies man who has had several mistresses and leaves her when she becomes boring. Charles is a genuinely good husband for her. He views her as flawless and would do anything to make sure she gets what she wants. But Emma doesn't want a husband. She wants a fling. At one point the book mentions how Leon was more of a mistress to her than vise versa. I agree, because she was the seducer and manipulator in the relationship. Not so much with Rodolphe, but he had had practice with plenty of women.
Modern Day Emmas: The reason I chose to read this book was because Emma reminds me of a lot of teen girls today. You know that whole theory that Nice Guys get stuck in the "friend zone" while the girls go and date jerks? I am now calling those girls "EBs" or "Emma Bovarys". Those girls don't want a relationship, they want the warm and fuzzy feeling. The Bad Boys are dangerous and cool.They are sometimes more attractive than Nice Guys. An EB would want to go on motorcycle rides and sneak out and feel dangerous. A non-EB would look for a boy that her parents would like (hopefully) and would treat her with respect. She would want a boy that could be a potential husband. Of course, EBs are confused as to why there are no nice guys out there. Emma was the same way. She was devastated when Rodolphe left her. In her mind, no one could beat him. She had forgotten about Leon completely. Then when he came back, she told him she was going to kill her self if she didn't get to see him again. Usually I am angered by EBs. But Madame Bovary was hilarious because Emma's thinking was exaggerated just enough to make it a little ridiculous, but still realistic.
Complete Failure: She failed, and failed hard. Everything she did went wrong because she was so stuck in her fantasy. Emma's marriage with Charles went horribly in her mind (Charles was too oblivious to know about either love affair until after she died so he thought their marriage was fine). Both love affairs ended. Being a mother wasn't all it was cracked up to be so she left her daughter with a wet nurse almost all the time and rarely mentioned her at all. She used splurging to make herself feel better and to buy gifts for Rodolphe, but that just launched her into debt. And finally, Emma tried to die with dignity by eating arsenic. She ended up having convulsions and vomiting blood, so even that didn't go the way she wanted to. But it was all her fault. She completely failed at life.
Humor: This book is really funny. My favorite quote is "Isn't it a man's job to know everything?" Anything that emphasizes Emma's ridiculousness made me laugh. And also the part about Leon basically stalking Emma and no one seems to care. And anything about how Charles is repulsive to Emma. She is even repulsed by his teeth at one point! But then when there's the possibility of Charles doing a breakthrough surgery that could make them a lot of money, she changes her mind and says he isn't as bad as she thought he was. Then the surgery doesn't work and she goes back to hating him. I thought I'd be so irritated with Emma's behavior, but I couldn't stop cracking up!
Final Thoughts: This book was heavily criticized for the realistic aspect when it was first published. It's interesting how the most controversial books are usually the best ones to read. I don't think Catcher in the Rye would be nearly as famous if it wasn't one of the most banned books in schools. If this is the case, I think there should be more controversy in books. Maybe then kids would read more.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Frankenstein: No, Not the Green Guy
First impressions: I predicted that I would finish this book and begin hating how Frankenstein’s monster is portrayed in pop culture. I was right.
Short(ish) Synopsis: Although the story is familiar to a lot of people, there are some details that are in the movies only, and not the books. But I’ll start from the beginning. Victor Frankenstein discovers the secret to life, but he will not tell you (the reader) what it is. He creates a monster, but is immediately sickened by it, so he makes the monster leave. Shortly thereafter, Victor receives news that his youngest brother, William, has been murdered (guess who?). He rushes home and catches sight of his creation, and becomes convinced that the monster did it (Spoiler: He’s right). Justine Moritz, a girl who had been adopted into the Frankenstein household, is accused of murdering William. Victor realizes that if he tells everyone a monster did it, people won’t believe him. Justine is executed and Victor feels guilty so he goes to the mountains for a getaway, to which the monster approaches him and admits to the murder. The monster begs for a companion as grotesque as he is. Victor refuses at first, but the monster tells him what he’s been doing after Victor banished him. He found a family and began to watch their interactions with one another. From them, he learned to speak and learned what love is. He was sure that this family would accept him for who he is. But they don’t. They are mortified and immediately move out once the monster reveals himself. The monster knows that no one will ever love him, so he wants a companion who is as grotesque as he is so he will be loved. Victor is persuaded and begins work on his monster’s “bride.” One night, though, Victor catches his monster grinning at him, and is overwhelm by doubts and destroys his work. The monster is furious, and vows to be with Victor on his wedding night. The monster kills Victor’s traveling companion, Henry. Victor is accused for the crime, but is acquitted later. Eventually, Victor marries a girl named Elizabeth and, true to his word, the monster kills her. Victor vows to find the monster and get revenge. He is found by Walton, a sea captain (who has been narrating the story the whole time). Victor becomes ill while on the ship, and one day Walton finds the monster weeping over the body. The monster assumes that his creator has died (he has) and says that because his creator has died, he can also end his suffering. After he says that, he departs to the ice to die.
Differences From Movies: There are symbols and motifs in this book, but I didn’t find them as interesting as how different this story is from how the movies portray the monster. After finishing this book, I’m always careful to note the difference between Frankenstein and Frankenstein’s monster. There’s quite a list I made mentally of all the differences I made between the book and the supposedly “accurate” movie Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein. Alas, I have forgotten some, but here is a list of the more obvious differences between the book and movies/TV shows (in general).
Monster’s Qualities in the Book Monster’s Qualities in Movies
Victor Frankenstein is different too. He actually has a story. He isn’t some crazy scientist. He has a love interest and does not have an assistant named Igor. He actually has no assistant at all. Igor wasn’t introduced until 1931.
Final Thoughts: Frankly, if Mary Shelly were alive today, I think she wouldn’t be very happy with what her beautiful novel has become. I thoroughly enjoyed the story. Well, I didn’t like the beginning because I had no idea who Walton was and thought I would immediately start out in Frankenstein’s narrative. Overall though, this is an amazing story. To think that such a young person could produce something so original is awesome. No, not “totally rad” awesome. Like, I’m-actually-in-awe-awesome.
If you come across any other differences between the “real” and “modern” Frankenstein story, let me know. I was literally yelling at the screen as I watched the movie. I strongly hope I’m not the only one.
Short(ish) Synopsis: Although the story is familiar to a lot of people, there are some details that are in the movies only, and not the books. But I’ll start from the beginning. Victor Frankenstein discovers the secret to life, but he will not tell you (the reader) what it is. He creates a monster, but is immediately sickened by it, so he makes the monster leave. Shortly thereafter, Victor receives news that his youngest brother, William, has been murdered (guess who?). He rushes home and catches sight of his creation, and becomes convinced that the monster did it (Spoiler: He’s right). Justine Moritz, a girl who had been adopted into the Frankenstein household, is accused of murdering William. Victor realizes that if he tells everyone a monster did it, people won’t believe him. Justine is executed and Victor feels guilty so he goes to the mountains for a getaway, to which the monster approaches him and admits to the murder. The monster begs for a companion as grotesque as he is. Victor refuses at first, but the monster tells him what he’s been doing after Victor banished him. He found a family and began to watch their interactions with one another. From them, he learned to speak and learned what love is. He was sure that this family would accept him for who he is. But they don’t. They are mortified and immediately move out once the monster reveals himself. The monster knows that no one will ever love him, so he wants a companion who is as grotesque as he is so he will be loved. Victor is persuaded and begins work on his monster’s “bride.” One night, though, Victor catches his monster grinning at him, and is overwhelm by doubts and destroys his work. The monster is furious, and vows to be with Victor on his wedding night. The monster kills Victor’s traveling companion, Henry. Victor is accused for the crime, but is acquitted later. Eventually, Victor marries a girl named Elizabeth and, true to his word, the monster kills her. Victor vows to find the monster and get revenge. He is found by Walton, a sea captain (who has been narrating the story the whole time). Victor becomes ill while on the ship, and one day Walton finds the monster weeping over the body. The monster assumes that his creator has died (he has) and says that because his creator has died, he can also end his suffering. After he says that, he departs to the ice to die.
Differences From Movies: There are symbols and motifs in this book, but I didn’t find them as interesting as how different this story is from how the movies portray the monster. After finishing this book, I’m always careful to note the difference between Frankenstein and Frankenstein’s monster. There’s quite a list I made mentally of all the differences I made between the book and the supposedly “accurate” movie Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein. Alas, I have forgotten some, but here is a list of the more obvious differences between the book and movies/TV shows (in general).
Monster’s Qualities in the Book Monster’s Qualities in Movies
|
|
Victor Frankenstein is different too. He actually has a story. He isn’t some crazy scientist. He has a love interest and does not have an assistant named Igor. He actually has no assistant at all. Igor wasn’t introduced until 1931.
Final Thoughts: Frankly, if Mary Shelly were alive today, I think she wouldn’t be very happy with what her beautiful novel has become. I thoroughly enjoyed the story. Well, I didn’t like the beginning because I had no idea who Walton was and thought I would immediately start out in Frankenstein’s narrative. Overall though, this is an amazing story. To think that such a young person could produce something so original is awesome. No, not “totally rad” awesome. Like, I’m-actually-in-awe-awesome.
If you come across any other differences between the “real” and “modern” Frankenstein story, let me know. I was literally yelling at the screen as I watched the movie. I strongly hope I’m not the only one.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Crime and Punishment: Not All Humans Suck
First Impressions: The book is written frankly and simply. The vocabulary, though, isn’t written as eloquently as, say, Madame Bovary. However, the reason is probably because Crime and Punishment was translated from Russian while Madame Bovary was translated from French. Still, I appreciated that I didn’t have to grab a dictionary every five seconds while trying to enjoy the book.
Simple Synopsis (Note- If you just read the synopsis and refuse to read the book itself, the analysis will not make any sense): Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov murders and old pawnbroker and her innocent sister. He is immediately struck with an illness because he feels so guilty. During recovery he runs into an old acquaintance, Razumikhin, who is eager to help out his sick friend. He also meets his sister’s fiance, Luzhin, who only wants to marry her so she can be forever submissive to him. Raskolnikov witnesses the death of Marmeladov, who spent all his family’s money on alcohol. Marmeladov’s daughter, Sonya, is the most innocent character in the entire book, but has to prostitute herself to support her family. Raskolnikov eventually takes quite a liking to Sonya, and promises to tell her who the murderer of the pawnbroker and pawnbroker’s sister is. By this time, Raskolnikov has almost confessed to Porfiry, the police inspector, twice. Meanwhile, another guy named Svidrigailov is watching him. Raskolnikov confesses to Sonya, and Svidrigailov overhears them and tries to sleep with Sonya. He fails and commits suicide. Sonya encourages Raskolnikov to confess to the police, which he eventually does and is sentenced to eight years in a Siberian prison. Sonya follows him there, and patiently waits for him so they can go off and rebuild their life. Of course, there’s much more too it than that, but you’re going to have to read the book for the details.
Raskolnikov’s Repentance: Currently, this is my favorite book. Period. I especially love the ending. While I was reading the book, I was positive that Raskolnikov was going to either go crazy or commit suicide, but he didn’t. He genuinely repented. I found that utterly fascinating. It’s like Dostoevsky was trying to tell people that humans are capable of doing terrible things and then repenting. Take King David, for instance. He committed adultery and murder, but God still forgave him. To me, Sonya is the god-like character in this book. She is willing to sacrifice everything to help her family, including her own body. She also sees the good in Raskolnikov. When he confesses, she doesn’t freak out and leave. She wants him to do the right thing, because somehow she knows that he isn’t a monster. Sonya is the one who gets Raskolnikov to confess, and she helps him realize that he can work past this.
Raskolnikov’s “Extraordinary Man” Theory: Throughout the book the reader is introduced to Raskolnikov’s theory that an “extraordinary man” can commit a crime without feeling any guilt. Of course, Raskolnikov feels massive amounts of guilt for murdering two people. Although this is a big part of the book, this wasn’t my favorite aspect of it. I understand the irony mentioned several times. Personally, I like Raskolnikov’s interaction with the characters which helps him ultimately discover who he really is.
Svidrigailov: This character is the perfect foil for Raskolnikov. It is implied that he has killed several people (including poisoning his wife to be with Raskolnikov’s sister!) without feeling any guilt. In fact, he is the “extraordinary man” that Raskolnikov aims to be. But, Svidrigailov commits suicide when he can’t seduce Sonya. I think this is how Raskolnikov would have ended up if Sonya hadn’t been there to remind him that he’s a good person within.
Luzhin: This character wanted to marry Raskolnikov’s sister, Dunya, but didn’t (thank God!). I believe this kind of person is what girls at my school would call “a pig.” All he cares about is himself. He only wants to marry Dunya so he has someone who will be in submission to him the rest of his life. However, the line in the book that made me laugh the most was the one that says Luzhin spends a good amount of his time examining himself in the mirror. So, he had some use. He’s the guy that every “nice guy” thinks that all the girls pursue. I know that’s true in a lot of cases, but in Crime and Punishment, Luzhin does not get the girl. Razumikhin does. Razumikhin is the nice guy. That’s right folks! In this book, the nice guy gets the girl without being stuck in the friend zone first! I know! I was shocked too!
My Favorite Theme: The “alienation from society” is the most interesting theme in the book that I had the most fun researching. Pretty much, Raskolnikov thought several different times that he needed to be away from people. At one point he even told Razhumikhin to watch over his mother and sister while he was having a breakdown. But those times were when Raskolnikov needed people the most. Gradually he came to realize that. I love this theme because there’s so many people on this earth that feel like the only way they can fix their problems is by isolating themselves. Raskolnikov is the perfect example showing why that doesn’t work. He became confused and irrational when he wasn’t around people, but when he is with Sonya, she is able to help him work through the guilt. Dostoevsky makes it clear that he strongly believes that all humans need love and compassion to function properly, even if they won’t admit it themselves.
My Favorite Motif: Almost every character in the book is poor. Take the Marmeladov’s (Sonya’s family) for instance. Sonya herself is compassionate enough, but her family is the happiest in the book overall. Of course, they are deeply upset when Marmeladov dies, but the whole family has compassion toward one another. Raskolnikov’s mother and sister have also accepted that they are poor and have grown from it. The book brings out that although they are poor, they make their best efforts to dress in nice clothes. They aren’t doing so to give the impression they’re rich, rather they want to look as lady-like as they can with what they have. Dostoevsky uses poverty to bring families together and help people use what they have to their highest advantage. Once again, it is shown that money isn’t everything.
My Favorite Symbol: Any Bible references in books make me giddy. When I discovered that the story of Lazarus is used to describe Raskolnikov, I was ecstatic. It completely makes sense. When Raskolnikov commits the murders he, in a sense, “dies.” Over the course of the novel, Sonya helps “resurrect” him by getting him to confess and come back to humanity. I absolutely love it when authors subtly use the Bible to foreshadow their book. It also characterizes Sonya by giving her the role of Jesus, showing how innocent and good-hearted she is.
Overall: I definitely want to read this book again, because I’m sure I’ve missed some symbol that the research I’ve done hasn’t already uncovered. Crime and Punishment gives the point that not all humans are bad through and through. Some of them are repentant and try to do good in their lives after committing a terrible crime. After I was done reading the book I no longer thought that all humans are terrible. Some have good hearts.
Of course, further discussion of this book in the comments is strongly encouraged, as I love discussing literature with anyone. As long as you’ve read the book. All the way through.
Simple Synopsis (Note- If you just read the synopsis and refuse to read the book itself, the analysis will not make any sense): Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov murders and old pawnbroker and her innocent sister. He is immediately struck with an illness because he feels so guilty. During recovery he runs into an old acquaintance, Razumikhin, who is eager to help out his sick friend. He also meets his sister’s fiance, Luzhin, who only wants to marry her so she can be forever submissive to him. Raskolnikov witnesses the death of Marmeladov, who spent all his family’s money on alcohol. Marmeladov’s daughter, Sonya, is the most innocent character in the entire book, but has to prostitute herself to support her family. Raskolnikov eventually takes quite a liking to Sonya, and promises to tell her who the murderer of the pawnbroker and pawnbroker’s sister is. By this time, Raskolnikov has almost confessed to Porfiry, the police inspector, twice. Meanwhile, another guy named Svidrigailov is watching him. Raskolnikov confesses to Sonya, and Svidrigailov overhears them and tries to sleep with Sonya. He fails and commits suicide. Sonya encourages Raskolnikov to confess to the police, which he eventually does and is sentenced to eight years in a Siberian prison. Sonya follows him there, and patiently waits for him so they can go off and rebuild their life. Of course, there’s much more too it than that, but you’re going to have to read the book for the details.
Raskolnikov’s Repentance: Currently, this is my favorite book. Period. I especially love the ending. While I was reading the book, I was positive that Raskolnikov was going to either go crazy or commit suicide, but he didn’t. He genuinely repented. I found that utterly fascinating. It’s like Dostoevsky was trying to tell people that humans are capable of doing terrible things and then repenting. Take King David, for instance. He committed adultery and murder, but God still forgave him. To me, Sonya is the god-like character in this book. She is willing to sacrifice everything to help her family, including her own body. She also sees the good in Raskolnikov. When he confesses, she doesn’t freak out and leave. She wants him to do the right thing, because somehow she knows that he isn’t a monster. Sonya is the one who gets Raskolnikov to confess, and she helps him realize that he can work past this.
Raskolnikov’s “Extraordinary Man” Theory: Throughout the book the reader is introduced to Raskolnikov’s theory that an “extraordinary man” can commit a crime without feeling any guilt. Of course, Raskolnikov feels massive amounts of guilt for murdering two people. Although this is a big part of the book, this wasn’t my favorite aspect of it. I understand the irony mentioned several times. Personally, I like Raskolnikov’s interaction with the characters which helps him ultimately discover who he really is.
Svidrigailov: This character is the perfect foil for Raskolnikov. It is implied that he has killed several people (including poisoning his wife to be with Raskolnikov’s sister!) without feeling any guilt. In fact, he is the “extraordinary man” that Raskolnikov aims to be. But, Svidrigailov commits suicide when he can’t seduce Sonya. I think this is how Raskolnikov would have ended up if Sonya hadn’t been there to remind him that he’s a good person within.
Luzhin: This character wanted to marry Raskolnikov’s sister, Dunya, but didn’t (thank God!). I believe this kind of person is what girls at my school would call “a pig.” All he cares about is himself. He only wants to marry Dunya so he has someone who will be in submission to him the rest of his life. However, the line in the book that made me laugh the most was the one that says Luzhin spends a good amount of his time examining himself in the mirror. So, he had some use. He’s the guy that every “nice guy” thinks that all the girls pursue. I know that’s true in a lot of cases, but in Crime and Punishment, Luzhin does not get the girl. Razumikhin does. Razumikhin is the nice guy. That’s right folks! In this book, the nice guy gets the girl without being stuck in the friend zone first! I know! I was shocked too!
My Favorite Theme: The “alienation from society” is the most interesting theme in the book that I had the most fun researching. Pretty much, Raskolnikov thought several different times that he needed to be away from people. At one point he even told Razhumikhin to watch over his mother and sister while he was having a breakdown. But those times were when Raskolnikov needed people the most. Gradually he came to realize that. I love this theme because there’s so many people on this earth that feel like the only way they can fix their problems is by isolating themselves. Raskolnikov is the perfect example showing why that doesn’t work. He became confused and irrational when he wasn’t around people, but when he is with Sonya, she is able to help him work through the guilt. Dostoevsky makes it clear that he strongly believes that all humans need love and compassion to function properly, even if they won’t admit it themselves.
My Favorite Motif: Almost every character in the book is poor. Take the Marmeladov’s (Sonya’s family) for instance. Sonya herself is compassionate enough, but her family is the happiest in the book overall. Of course, they are deeply upset when Marmeladov dies, but the whole family has compassion toward one another. Raskolnikov’s mother and sister have also accepted that they are poor and have grown from it. The book brings out that although they are poor, they make their best efforts to dress in nice clothes. They aren’t doing so to give the impression they’re rich, rather they want to look as lady-like as they can with what they have. Dostoevsky uses poverty to bring families together and help people use what they have to their highest advantage. Once again, it is shown that money isn’t everything.
My Favorite Symbol: Any Bible references in books make me giddy. When I discovered that the story of Lazarus is used to describe Raskolnikov, I was ecstatic. It completely makes sense. When Raskolnikov commits the murders he, in a sense, “dies.” Over the course of the novel, Sonya helps “resurrect” him by getting him to confess and come back to humanity. I absolutely love it when authors subtly use the Bible to foreshadow their book. It also characterizes Sonya by giving her the role of Jesus, showing how innocent and good-hearted she is.
Overall: I definitely want to read this book again, because I’m sure I’ve missed some symbol that the research I’ve done hasn’t already uncovered. Crime and Punishment gives the point that not all humans are bad through and through. Some of them are repentant and try to do good in their lives after committing a terrible crime. After I was done reading the book I no longer thought that all humans are terrible. Some have good hearts.
Of course, further discussion of this book in the comments is strongly encouraged, as I love discussing literature with anyone. As long as you’ve read the book. All the way through.
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