Frankenstein

"Learn from me . . . how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow." -Victor Frankenstein

I thought this quote was really interesting for a few reasons. Shelley wrote Frankenstein in 1817 during the early stages of the Industrial Revolution when there was an emphasis on science and technology. And, one would think, that with all the improvements and discoveries taking place, that the view toward science and experimenting would have been different. But, that is what I find so interesting. Victor invests himself in his experiments, his creation and lust for knowledge only to realize that sciece is not always productive or fulfilling. Victor tells us to be weary of science and while this revolution is taking place, with the creation of cities and machines, Victor longs for the ideas of post-Industrialist world.

The Werther Effect

"My...friends thought that they must transform poetry into reality, imitate a novel like this in real life and, in any case, shoot themselves; and what occurred at first among a few took place later among the general public..." (Goethe quoted in Phillips 1974:340)

http://ezproxy.library.nyu.edu:2076/us/lnacademic/results/docview/docview.do?risb=21_T2129078583&format=GNBFI&sort=RELEVANCE&startDocNo=1&resultsUrlKey=29_T2129078594&cisb=22_T2129078593&treeMax=true&treeWidth=0&csi=303830&docNo=4

Rousseau

As I was reading Part II, I found myself struggling with Rousseau's concept of inequality within society. Rousseau claims that with the establishment of society comes the introduction of inequality and only in a savage environment does equality exist. But, if this is natural inequality he is speaking of, wasn't it always in place, only not realized? And, for that matter, can there even be equality among men who bear no relation to one another. So although with the introduction on society comes inequality, it seems inevitable. And, society also brings with it the structure, language and progress all of which would not be possible without the invention on society. So while one takes away from the liberty of man, the other breaks the constraints of the primivite world.

modern is as modern art

When I think of modern, the first thing that comes to mind is Manet's "Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe" of 1863 in which Manet depicts two nude women and two men lunching . At this time in Paris, Manet is really the first to present the female nude in such an updated way. No longer are the women presented as the classical nude but rather more naturalistic, sitting on their fashionable, contemporary clothing and staring directly into the eyes of the audience as if in confrontation. Not only was Manet's painting rejected from the Salon but received much criticism for the shock and scandal which it caused. But, this painting is considered one of the first modern paintings. So although this painting was immediately rejected it has gone on to become a symbol of modernity. What is it about "Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe" that is so modern? Besides the fact that it embraces up to date fashions, new conceptions of beauty and beauty in its element, rather than in the typical classical style, it highlights individualism and most importantly comes to a realization that times are different. Similarly many philosophers of time such as Marx appealled to this new way to thinking.

http://www.artlex.com/ArtLex/r/images/Luncheon%20on%20the%20Grass.jpg