Role of women in the industrial revolution

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Frankenstein

Frankenstein as an horror story Horror story as a narrative genre had been highly popular since it was invented in the 18th century. Year after year, movies, series and books of horror story are consumed by people of all ages. The classic “Frankenstein” from Mary Shelley is not an exception. Her book influenced popular culture and inspired numerous films, television programs, video games and derive works. It is impossible to ignore the fascination that this genre and Frankenstein in particular cause in their fans. The horror story genre was invented by Horace Walpole. His book “Castle of Otranto” (1765) founded the horror story as a legitimate literary form. The supernatural happenings and mysterious ambiance of this Gothic novel was widely emulated in the genre. In a horror story the focus is on creating a feeling of fear. It can include supernatural elements such as ghost, witches or vampires or it can address more realistic psychological fears. A good horror story has to include five elements. The first one and most important is fear, making sure that you can scare people. The second is surprise: something that people are not expecting to. Then an scenario consisting of someone waiting for something to happen and when it does it is completely unexpected, that is the suspense. Fourthly, the mystery with something unexplained; finally an spoiler, an anticipation of what is going to happen. The famous novel “Frankenstein” (1818) introduced pseudoscience into the horror genre. Victor Frankenstein created an eight feet tall creature out of old body parts and strange chemicals, animated by a mysterious spark. The way in which Frankenstein was designed comes from the Fordism where workers put together each part to ensemble the whole. Victor became fascinated with the secret of life, discovered it and with his knowledge about modern science he brought a monster to life. Victor practised pseudoscience or a creation incorrectly presented as scientific but it did not adhere to a valid scientific method, could not be reliably tested or otherwise lacked scientific status. Shelley used elements from nature to make the story scary, like a storm or dark forest that made the readers unsure and uneasy about what was going to happen. What is important to highlight is the fact that the scary natural world that Mary Shelley used in the book clearly contrasts with the mechanized world of the industrial revolution which took place at the time of the novel. She used foreshadowing to give suspense, for instance when we have evidence of murders that later was proved to be the monster. Comparing modern horror story with “Frankenstein”, the story is not really what we think of as scary today because it lacks of bloody scenes as the modern ones or gore elements like a beheaded person. However, “Frankenstein ” has scary ideas considering that creating life secretly with irresponsible science is creepy and, what is more, the creature is created with parts of dead bodies what is highly spooky together with the fact that he was not a real person since he was fabricated from the use of machines. On the other hand, in modern horror story, killing an innocent is an important feature to be considered really horrific and in this novel various good people are killed by the monster, event that disappointed Victor and he wanted to destroy his creation. Similarly with some inventors of machines used to begin the industrial revolution intended to be beneficial but instead it made life more difficult resulting in unemployment. Another common characteristic of horror stories is that they have plot twist and “Frankenstein” does has a plot twist, for example when the monster wanted to take revenge against Victor, the reader focused on murder of Victor in his wedding night; nevertheless, the creature killed his wife instead. Doubtly there is something really powerful in horror story that brings people to watch such a level of gore, blood and violence. The fear people feel while watching someone being chased by an axe-wielding is not different from the fear they feel if they were actually being chased by an axe-wielding murdered from the point of view of the brain. That is, when people watch horrific images, their heartbeat increases as much as 15 beats per minute, their palms sweat, their skin temperature drops several degrees, their muscles tense and their blood pressure spikes. Glenn Sparks, a professor of communication at Purdue University, studies the effects of horror films on viewers`physiology. “We can tell ourselves the images on the screen are not real but emotionally our brain reacts as if they are”. The more fear they felt, the more they claimed to enjoy the movie. Sparks believes scary movies may be one of the last vestiges of the tribal rite of passage. Sparks says: “There’s a motivation males have in our culture to master threatening situations. It goes back to the initiation rites of our tribal ancestors, where the entrance to manhood was associated with hardship. We’ve lost that in modern society and we may have found ways to replace it in our entertainment preferences”. Other examples of modern tribal rites include roller coasters and event frat-house hazing. Besides, there are other theories to explain the fascination of scary movies. One suggests that people may seek out violent entertainment as a way of coping with actual fears or violence. A popular explanation is expressed by the horror novelist Stephen King, who believed that scary movies act as a sort of safety value for our cruel or aggressive impulse. The implications of these ideas, called “symbolic catharsis”, is that watching violence forestalls the need to act it out. To sum up, we cannot negate how much “Frankenstein” influenced the literature, specially the horror genre. Regarding that the novel as a scary story nowadays, it is not so scary for our modern standard but it was over that time it was written. About Victor Frankenstein , his sacrifice in order to create his monster seems like an act of inhumanity more than an act of love. His reasoning is overwhelmed by his fear, causing him to choose science over the safety of his friends and family. Finally, in the novel Mary Shelley aimed to demonstrate how man’s search for hidden knowledge could eventually lead to downfall and chaos. She wrote “Frankenstein” as a warning against the expansion of modern man with his machines in the industrial revolution.

French Revolution

The French Revolution: The Europe of the XVIII century was living an age of great changes with the industrial revolution in its first steps. While England made the most of those advances, France was having hard times not only economically but also politically and in the society. New ideas were emerging with the Enlightenment which proclaimed the equality of the people and that they have inalienable rights. Besides it was necessary the separation of the church and the State as well as a constitution that ruled the country. That is to say, the overthrow of the Ancient Regime was a strong need. During the period 1787-1789 France was living on the edge of revolution. Several problems coincided at the same time whereupon France found herself hopelessly, lost and stuck. The first of the problems was that the French government was bankrupt due to the costly wars. This, together with the over spending of the king and the queen, left the country without any money for the people. The bad harvest was another important problem. The severe weather like heavy rains and hard winters as well as the too hot summers caused very poor harvest in France leaving the people starved. On the other hand,King Louis XVI called the States General in Versailles where the nobles and the clergy denied to pay taxes in spite of the bad situation of the country. As the peasants problems were not considered at the Estates General, they decided to gather in a National Assembly to draw up a constitution. The problem was that they would not leave the Royal tennis Court until King Louis agreed to meet their demands. During that period France was divided principally into three states which had huge differences among them. The most numerous as well as unfavorable ones were the peasants who were forced to do military service, had to pay taxes and even lived in awful conditions with low incomes. As regards the nobility, they had huge privileges and almost complete authority over peasants. They were exempt from taxes and from doing military service, as well. Nobility had a luxurious way of living thanks to tax collection.Similarly, the clergy, the minority of the population, lived comfortably in great palaces and in chateaux. That is to say, not only the first state ( the clergy) but also the second one (the nobility), both lived at expense of the third state (the peasants). It was evident that the situation got out of control and the King Louis had no clear idea how to deal with it. The annoying people captured the King and his family after the National Assembly on 5-6th October, 1789. Then he pretended the role of a constitutional monarch so he signed decrees from the Assembly. In an attempt for a solution, Marie-Antoinette wrote to the king of Prussia, Spain and Sweden as well as the emperors of Austria and Russia to suggest an alliance to bring to an end the revolution. Not finding a solution, Louis tried to escape to Montmedy but he and his family found some problems in the way. Louis was recognised on the route and a crowd prevented his coach from proceeding. On June 22th they were brought back to Paris and a National Assembly decided to keep Louis as a constitutional monarch. Finally, on 30th September, 1791, the Assembly declared his work done after having proclaiming a Constitution and Louis having sworn an oath of loyalty. The revolution was certainly end. However, one day after being convicted of conspiracy with foreign powers and sentenced to death by the French National Convention, King Louis XVI was executed by guillotine in the Place de la Revolution in Paris. After King Louis being sent to the guillotine, France became a huge chaos. Thousand of people were killed for considered them traitors or anti-revolutionaries. Many peasants revolted against the radical Jacobin government and the period called “The Terror” began. Because of the inestability of France, several emergency measures were taken so a Committee of Public Safety was established by the Convention. This Committee allowed the revolution to be developed. To defend the revolution against enemies, suspects were convicted for any kind of evidence and, what is more, the penalty was death. It is unthinkable to estimate how many people were executed because more than 12.000 were officially guillotined and many more were shot, drowned or shot by a cannon fire. Those who faced tribunal were severely treated. Weary for so many murders, people blamed the leader of the Committee, Robespierre, for all the awful incidents during the Reign of terror. He was arrested and imprisoned being guillotined later on july 28th. To conclude, the revolution ended with the absolutism tough a constitutional monarchism started to rule France similarly driven but under a constitution. Concerning to peasants, they revealed against the regime violently killing people which, in a way, was similar with what the higher states did with them, that is, starving the people. Finally, Robespierre encouraged the use of the guillotine which was what ironically ended with his life in 1794.

Tale of two cities: essay

Individual essay: Resurrection

The Dickens`s novel “Tale of two cities” is situated in the revolutionary France and England of the XVIII century. It was a time of great changes as well as violence and death. Charles Dickens illustrates these events in a particular way. He personify the “resurrection” of France and England before the revolution with the “recalling to life” of certain characters of the book who give a twist in the story. What is more, he connects the theme of the resurrection with the death and sacrifice in an extraordinary way.

The idea of resurrection appears for the first time in an encrypted message that Jarvis Lorry, a businessman, gave to Jerry Cruncher. The Tellson`s Bank messenger stopped the Dover mail-coach in which Lorry was traveling and told him to wait at Dover for a young woman. Mr Lorry answered with the encrypted message “recalled to life”.

Another fact that represents a symbol of resurrection happened with certain dark business of Jerry Cruncher. In chapter three Dickens tells us that Jerry “... was on his way to dig someone out of grave” in the shadows of the night. He dug up dead bodies and sold them to scientists in order to increase his income.

The transformation of Doctor Manette exemplifies another example of “resurrection”. He mutated from being a mindless shoemaker who was prisoned for eighteen years into a man of clearness. His surrounding and his loving daughter caring influenced Doctor Manette positively so as he could covered from his long-suffering confinement.

An unexpected twist of Sydney Carton represents a different expression of resurrection. Carton was an indifferent and alcoholic attorney with no prospects in life; however, he was in love with Lucie. At the end of the story, his deep feelings for Lucie made him sacrifices  himself for Lucie´s happiness. Sydney changed places with the condemned to death Charles Darnay and then he met his decease at the guillotine giving, in some way, a meaning to his life.

Finally, the story shows us how peacefully impoverished peasants revealed after suffering several years of atrocities from the higher states. Besides the fact that peasants had to pay several taxes, the bourgeoisie took advantage of the surplus of labor by keeping wages low. The poor people remained poor and often they lived cramped in squalor so, in their attempt to fight their way out of such poverty and despair, they attacked the Bastille and the French Revolution began. All of this illustrates a clear case of resurrection of the disadvantaged lower states against the aristocrats.

To sum up, Resurrection was such an important theme for Dickens that he developed it along all the book and through several character. Nevertheless, the most important resurrection took place with the fall of the ancient regime of France with the resulting renewed France after the appearance of the Guillotine.   

George III: Britain under rule of a mentally diseased King

Britain under rule of a mentally diseased King

It is astonishing the way in which a person can be blind to achieve power. Ambition is the most common characteristic and the perfect word to describe this kind of people. It seems as if anything is possible in order to reach privileges or influences and there is always an opportunity instead of impossibility. People usually take so many risks in the search for power. There is no brotherhood nor friendship nor even family matters in the conquest of fame at any price. What is more, envy often comes as a usual consequence of ambitious people. We can find lots of examples of people thirsty of power not only in the real life and throughout the history but also in fiction.

The king George III ruled Great Britain and Ireland from October 1760 to January 1801. At the end of that period George got sick, although he continued reigning. His erratic behaviour confused his family as well as the Members of Parliament. He suffered from Porphyria. The symptoms of the disease included aches and pains, as well as blue urine and mental disturbances. George became progressively depressed, insane and blind. He suffered in isolation and that period was like a torture for him: he was kept in straight jacket and behind bars to be medically supervised and protected. At that time he was not diagnosed as having Porphyria because doctors could not think and prove a logical explanation for the King´s condition. The disease had lapses of improvements but in periods of crises the reign stayed without any ruler. Once George regained consciousness and became less eccentric, he was back to have the entire leadership of his country again. This impulse made him become even more popular and loved than never before. However, after a final relapse in 1810, a regency was established and George III's eldest son, Prince of Wales, ruled as Prince Regent.

On the other hand, George´s son, the Prince of Wales, had a terrible relationship with his father. The only thing he was worried about was the possibility of being in the throne. George III´s disease was not a major problem for the Prince. He seeked to displace his father at all cost. His courageous and dangerous plan was to conspire to have his father declared mad so he could become the ruler of the kingdom. Consequently, he was against his mother´s thoughts, Queen Charlotte, who wanted his husband to recover from the illness and come back to rule. The Prince of Wales tried to persuade everybody several times in order to have a flawless victory in Parliament. Unfortunately for him, that was not possible because of the popularity of his father coupled with the fact that he was not chosen by votes until this mentioned final relapse of his father. In addition, George was always returning to his throne mainly with his wife´s support.

All in all, and based on the previous research of events during George III’s reign, it is evident that ruling in his conditions was not a positive point for Britain. At the same time, George did not count on somebody to rely on his responsibilities as a ruler. Consequently, during all his worst days there were only henchmen without limits trying to discharge him from the throne. If it were necessary, they were ready to kill him in order to get his whole power and wealth. Nevertheless, his perseverance made people loved him much than before and as he returned after recovering partially from his disease he achieved in getting more followers.

We conclude with the following well-known advice taken from one of the “Spiderman” ´s movies: “A great power carries a big responsibility”.To rule a country or an entire empire is a responsibility that affects not only the country or empire itself but also the people living in it. A ruler must be completely conscious of the importance of every choice.

Mind map: George III

Exelearning. Exercises