Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, A Modern Prometheus - Anticipation Guide

 1.              The key to all emotional healing can be found in nature.

 Disagree

2.              Nature is filled with harsh cruelties.

 Agree

3.              A person’s priorities should place family before work.

 Agree

4.              Enjoying life is more important than pursuing fame, glory, and knowledge.

 Agree

5.              Those born with social and financial advantages have a responsibility for those who are not.

 Agree

6.              Ignorance is bliss.

Agree.

I definitely agree with this statement. If we don’t know what something means, it can’t hurt us. The best example for this is children growing up. When we are younger, we don’t realize everything that happens around us; in our minds, we live in an ideal world with no imperfections where everything is right and just. As we grow up, we slowly start realizing that not everything is what we believed it to be. We are able to notice the small details that change our perspective. When we are younger, we are ourselves and don’t care for social or physical differences in others, and that is why when we are younger we judge people based on character rather than their social or ethnical background. Once we become aware of theses factors, we no longer are able to judge them the same or see the things around us in the same light. If for example we were to befriend someone when we were younger, but then as we grow up we learn that a member of their family killed someone close to us, we would probably no longer be able to share such a close relationship as we did. We might eventually be able to get over it, but it would probably take a long time. As we grow, we realize the suffering, injustice, and pain that is all over our world, something that when we were younger we weren’t able to realize. Learning about these things destroys our previous image of the world, where we were able to enjoy a life of equality and fairness. The knowledge we gained on the world shows us a more depressing reality of what we once thought to be a perfect and idealistic world, in turn shattering our previous belief and destroying the tranquility and ideal view of everything around us which we previously enjoyed.

7.              The pursuit of knowledge is a volatile quest.

 Agree

8.              Someone’s ego (over-inflated sense of self-worth or superiority) will cause a tragic fall.

 Agree

9.              Children learn their behaviors by watching and mimicking adults.

 Agree.

I think that this statement is extremely correct. An obvious example of this is when a small child is learning how to talk. It will listen to words those around it will say, and then imitate them. But not only do they imitate vocabulary, they also imitate behavior. The child will copy behavior he or she sees their parents do, just like when children play house. They are copying what they see at home. If they see and adult who they look up to abuse alcohol, when they become older they will probably abuse it as well. If they hear them expressing prejudice against a certain group of people, when they grow up, they will probably do the same. When children are younger they absorb everything they see and hear around them, especially from those who they look up to. And even if what that person is doing is wrong, since the child admires the adult, it will think it is correct. And once the child grows up, it will probably be too late to take out that idea from their head. It is because the child admires and looks up to the adult that they sincerely believe that what that adult is doing - and thus what they are doing - is right.   

10.           Most people are basically cruel.

 Disagree

11.           Society makes a person whatever he becomes.

 Agree

12.           The “disenfranchised man,” who finds himself unable to live within society for whatever reason, is someone for whom we should feel sympathy or reverence.

 Disagree

13.           Rejection and mistreatment can manifest themselves in a person becoming rage-filled.

 Agree

14.           If a person or an animal is treated with cruelty, he will respond to others in the same way.

Agree

15.           Those people we deem “monsters” in today’s society are merely misunderstood.

Disagree

TKAM Bubble Map

TKAM

p. 156 &157

"We were taking a shortcut across the square when four cars came from the Meridian highway, moving slowly in a line. They went around the square, passed the bank building, and stopped in front of the jail.
Atticus took his eyes off the newspaper he was reading and stared at the cars. He seemed to be expecting them."
Something odd was going on. Although we would probably get into heaps of trouble if we got caught, from where we were now hiding I couldn't see clearly or hear a thing.
"Come on" I said. With a hand motion I signaled for Scout and Dill to follow me.
I ran as fast as I could towards the Jitney Jungle and silently hid at the door. I craned my neck, but I couldn't see too well. One of the cars was blocking my view and I was still to far to hear anything. Not only that, but all three of us didn't quite fit in the small place.
I searched for some other place to hide that would be close enough to hear the conversation and see what was going on. As I looked at neighboring shops, I saw Tyndal's Hardware store. It had a clear view of the jail and seemed able to cover all three of us.
"We can get closer" I whispered. I then ran towards the store, and instants later, Scout and Dill followed.
As we watched, some men came out of the cars and approached Atticus.
"He in there Mr. Finch?" a man said.
"He is" we heard Atticus answer, "and he's asleep. Don't wake him up."
"You know what we want," another man said. "Get aside form the door Mr. Finch."
The man's voice sounded full of bad intentions, and as he took a step forward, I feared for him. If worse came to worse, I just couldn't see how he intended to win against so many men.
I started to get to my feet to help Atticus, but as I did I brushed Scout's arm. I quickly crouched back to Scout and Dill's side. I realized that  if something bad did happen, I was the eldest, and thus it was my duty to help get Scout and Dill to safety.
The men and Atticus exchanged a few more words, but it wasn't until Atticus said "Do you really think so?" that I realized that maybe Atticus had thought of an idea to get out of this messy situation.
As I admired Atticus and wondered how exactly he intended to get out of this situation unharmed, I felt Scout move. Before I had time to react, she had dashed towards Atticus and was smiling widely. I thought my heart would stop. Just what was she thinking? A feeling of guilt suddenly overcame me. If something happened to Scout, I would certainly be held responsible, right?  

TKAM Anticipation Guide

Our Race is not what defines us. Agree.

Our upbringing is what defines our future personality or intellect, not our race. Race only shows our background, where our family originates from; and the only factor race influences, is our physical appearance. No matter what you believe in, where you come from, what other people of your country have done, or what you look like, generalization is not something that should be tolerated, even less in a court of law.  Just because we look a certain way, doesn’t mean we all think the same, have the same level of intelligence, have the same thoughts in our minds, or behave in the same manner; to believe that, is simply childish and unrealistic.

In segregated America, the generalization of black men and women as stupid, lazy, and simply bellow the white people, was a widely accepted fact. The white Americans could generalize for the African American race, but when it came to their own, everyone was different. There were smart white people and there were dumb white people, there were hardworking white people and there were lazy white people, there were rich white people and there were poor white people. Although they were from the same race, they were all different. Then, how come all black people in segregated America were considered to be lazy or stupid and thus treated unfairly?

                                       

If you are truly innocent then you have nothing to fear from a judicial system.  Disagree.

In law, the jury, who voice the opinion for their community on the matter being discussed, are the ones who need to be convinced by the prosecutor or the defense, for it is the jury who decides if the person is guilty or not guilty; but if every member of the jury is prematurely biased against the defendant, then their final collective decision could be unfair and result in an unjust verdict.  Thus, I believe that even if innocent, you can fear the judicial system, especially if you are a social minority that is not fully accepted by the community.

A very good example of this situation is the Scottsboro Boys Case. Being the minority and socially ostracized group, the jury was biased from the start, leading to a truly unfair result. Although the prosecutor had no sustainable evidence that could be taken seriously, all the answers to the questions presented by the defense to Price’s friend and only witness were “I don’t know”, and that none of the evidence matched up with Price’s statements, the 9 black boys were condemned to death just because of their race.

Fearing the American judicial system isn’t a hard thing to do, even less during the time of segregation, where the color of your skin could be the difference of walking out on bail or receiving death penalty for the same crime.

                                

For Vicky. January 29th, 2008.

January 29th, 2008

Vicky:

Sincerely,

Camille

For Camille. January 21st, 2008.

Monday, January 21st, 2008

Dearest Camille,

Before you crumple this letter and dump it in the bin, please read what I cannot say in person:

I realize now that I have wronged you something horrible. I might have not been the best mother, but I think you should know I still love you dearly. Although I haven't been around too often and it's been awhile since I have last seen you, I wish to know that all is well.

It took me some time to find where you lived, and please forgive me for doing so, for the mother that I am, I would like to know how my loving daughter's life has been since we last spoke. 

Last I heard you had entered the university of your dreams pursuing the career of your dreams. It was medical school if I'm not incorrect, right?  But that was 8 years ago, so I imagine you must be doing fairly well considering your current address.

I must wonder, are you still dating Michael? Have you married? Am I by any chance a grandmother yet?

I sense the letter has gotten quite long, so I will stop writing and wait eagerly for your response.

With much love,
Mother

Tsvet

On the outskirts of the small town of Uhov, located near Moscow, lived Dimitri Petrov, by most people simply known as Doctor. Doctor and his 10 year old son Sasha, lived in a small cabin in the woods known as Tsvet (Color). Their cabin was designed by Doctor's wife, Ekaterina, who passed away when Sasha was 3.

Ekaterina was a very artistic person, having a rather gaudy and eccentric taste, which clearly showed in Doctor's cabin. The outside was painted in canary yellow with multiple different patterns in hundreds of different colors. Yet the most outrageous part of the cabin was an excessively large chandelier hanging from the living room ceiling. A combination of neon pink and lime green glass with gold and silver swirls, as well as small crystals, beads, and figurines hanging with strings, the chandelier always reminded Sasha of a sort of deformed octopus.

At first, the chandelier didn't bother Sasha, for it reminded him of his much missed mother and her gaudy taste. However, as he grew older, he felt embarrassed by the overwhelmingly flashy chandelier. Particularly when Sashkin, a classmate of Sasha's, ridiculed him in front of the entire class.

Deciding that he could no longer live with the ugly chandelier, he confronted Doctor, who dismissed Sasha's complaints with a simple: "But Sasha, you should be nothing but grateful that your mother left us such a marvelous gift from which to watch over us!". Infuriated, Sasha devised a plan to get rid of the tacky thing that had caused him so much trouble and embarrassment.

Once Doctor left the cabin on one of his routine town checkups, Sasha found a long metal rod and positioned himself below the chandelier. At the count of three, he swung with all his might, making the chandelier shatter into thousands of pieces below him. Once on the floor, the broken crystals that remained from the chandelier started glowing, and from them, the ghost of Sasha's mother appeared in front of him. "Oh Sasha!" she wept. "I was content being trapped in the chandelier to watch over you, but I see that it is no longer possible." And with that, Ekaterina faded into the background disappearing from Sasha's sight.