'Frankenstein' by Mary Shelley

 Choose one topic and describe how you thus far perceive his/her take on it.

In the classic novel, ‘Frankenstein’ by Mary Shelley, the protagonist accentuates the element of fear. This attracted me to the book, because I found it interesting that the protagonist himself had created his own nightmare. It is not often that someone can make something that would push them to the limit of fear, because most of the time, we are able to consider the pros and cons of our actions. In this case though, the need for a successful outcome was beyond control. Although the final consequence was beyond the horrors that had even touched his mind, Frankenstein’s passion and curiosity for creating life set him up for success.

But much to his surprise this success became twisted and by the time Frankenstein realised his mistake, it was too late to turn back. He did not think about the sort of severe problems that could arise from this endeavour as he was blinded by his own fantasy of discovering the secrets to life. His drive for triumph prevented him from contemplating the issues that could arise as he only had his eyes on the prize.

As a result of this, the terror drove him to a state of depression and what could even be considered to be insanity. The book actually opens with Frankenstein in his state of sever melancholy. He was even struggling to survive and stay alive because of the extremity that his fear pushed him to. It is quite fascinating and frankly quite horrifying to see how and in what way fear and terror can change a person. It makes me wonder what sort of outcomes the average human could be capable of when the motive behind it is fear. Are there any boundaries when you are driven with fear?

'My Greatest Ambition' by Morris Lurie

How does Lurie portray Nu’s sense of disillusionment? 

In the short story ‘My Greatest Ambition’ by Morris Lurie, we experience the disillusionment of a thirteen-year-old boy as he tries to live a dream that he initially thought would set him apart from all others. Nu’s illusion is set up when his father calls him a “prince” right before Nu’s meeting. It was the first time that his father had complimented him throughout the duration of the memoir. Even though his father was not directly trying to give Nu false hope, the effect of this praise on Nu seemed to point him to that direction. The reference to a “prince” relates to success and fortune, which would subconsciously give Nu the impression that he would prosper and become a successful comic strip artist at ‘Boy’ magazine.

The disillusionment begins when he approaches the office. Nu expects the building itself to be grand and imposing but instead he sees a very mediocre building that “looked like a factory”. He outlines his disappointment when he says: “No neon, no massive areas of plate glass, no exotic plants growing in white gravel”. Each time he repeated the word “no”, it added to his growing sense of disappointment. He also uses repetition with the word “ordinary” as he describes the details of the building, which emphasises his realisation of disillusionment.

When Nu is being toured around the factory he says, “…I was eating an ice-cream”, which indirectly makes Nu seem more immature and out of place. This contrasts from the illusion that Nu had earlier of himself “walking to work every morning…with a pipe in my (his) mouth.” Since his fantasy of being a grown man smoking his pipe and going to work had turned into being a 13 year old in a ridiculous suit eating ice-cream, the disillusionment becomes a more prominent factor in the story.