Essay on Oryx and Crake A Modern-Day Frankenstein

In the novel Oryx and Crake, and the classic Frankenstein, the main characters share very similar characteristics. Both Crake and Victor Frankenstein try to create a new human race which eventually leads to disaster. Also, they childishly refuse to take responsibilities for their mistakes. Even though the two books were written almost 200 years apart, it goes to show that the same problems that affected Victor in 1817 are still affecting the society of the future in which Crake lives in. The embedded Frankenstein story in Oryx and Crake suggests that Crake is a Dr. Frankenstein who refuses to take responsibility for his creations. Crake and Dr. Victor Frankenstein share many similarities, which are shown by their actions. Both Crake†¦show more content†¦By doing this, it foreshadows the troubles in the book that are to come. Victors love for new sciences and interest in things undiscovered is what drives him to create his monster. Victor becomes obsessed with the creation of life. I will pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation. (Shelley 46) The main problem with Victors creation of the monster is that he one, abandons it as soon as it comes to life; and second, Victor did not think of all possible things that could go wrong, or plan very well for the catastrophic project he was taking on. Even though the outcome of Crake and Victors actions may not have had a positive impact on the society they lived in, neither of them intended their projects to end with the negative and tragic effects that they both did. In Frankenstein, Victor is given another chance by the monster to create a second monster, or be killed. Even though in the end Victor backs down from his creation of the second monster, at first he accepts the proposal. I was moved. I shuddered when I thought of the possible consequences of my consent. (Shelley 145) This quote shows that even though Victor subconsciously knew that creating another monster was wrong, he agrees anyway. He knew how it would end. I believe that what Crake did, ended exactly how he planned it also, and if he had the chance to do it all over

Certain Catalysts Can Affect Change, Gow’s Away Compared to the Help Free Essays

People can act as catalysts for change. Both Gow and Taylor use the main character’s circumstances to affect change in attitude amongst the other characters. In ‘Away’, Tom’s fatal illness causes the other characters to realise the value of their lives and become more positive about life. We will write a custom essay sample on Certain Catalysts Can Affect Change, Gow’s Away Compared to the Help or any similar topic only for you Order Now In ‘The help’, Skeeter’s mission to write a book to uncover the harsh mistreatment of the African American helpers to change the white community’s attitude. In both texts the authors use techniques appropriate to their medium to demonstrate this change in attitude. In ‘The Help’ the character Skeeter is the catalyst for change. The change she causes is a change in mentality towards the African American helpers. This change in mentality is represented through Skeeter’s mother. Gow uses contrasting scenes to show the mother’s change in mentality, which is also represented through the general change in the attitude of the white community. This is shown through the juxtaposition of the early scene where Skeeter and her helpers are sitting in the television room watching an African American speak on TV. Skeeter’s mother finds them watching the African American and commands them to turn it off. With the use of a low camera angle Skeeter’s mother shows authority and power over the African American helpers as well as Skeeter herself. In the end scene Skeeter and the African American helpers are watching the same thing on TV. Skeeter sees her mother and goes to turn off the TV. Skeeter’s mother says to leave it on and joins them on the couch. The camera angle changes in this scene from the early scene whereby Taylor makes use of a low camera angle. Skeeter’s mother does not show authority or power over everyone including the African American helpers. Skeeter is shocked by this change in attitude, but is happy that her mother is finally changing her mentality towards the helpers. Therefore through the use of contrasting camera angles, Taylor shows a change in attitude, brought about by the catalyst of Skeeter’s character. In ‘Away’, Gow also uses the main character as the catalyst for change. Like in â€Å"The Help†, the change he causes is a change in mentality of the other characters. This change occurs due to Tom’s fatal illness, which makes the other characters in the play become more positive and realise how precious life is. The change in mentality is shown through one particular character, Gwen. The techniques used to show the change in mentality is the use of stage directions and dialogue. The use of these techniques show the way that Gwen changes her attitude towards life. At the beginning of the play, the use of repetition of the word ‘no’ demonstrates her negativity. This negativity is changed when Gwen finds out that Tom has a fatal illness and does not have very long to live. This causes Gwen to see her life in a different mentality, changing her into a nicer and more appreciative person. This is shown through the technique of stage directions in the final scene of the play, where ‘the applause is led thunderously by Gwen’. This technique shows the shift in mentality to a much more positive outlook on life. In conclusion, both Gow and Taylor show how people can act as catalysts for change. In both ‘Away’ and ‘The Help’ the main characters are the catalysts for a change in mentality. This change is a time consuming process, however both Gow and Taylor show how valuable this change can be. How to cite Certain Catalysts Can Affect Change, Gow’s Away Compared to the Help, Papers

Emerson And Thoreau Essay Example For Students

Emerson And Thoreau Essay Dance to the beat of your own drummer:; A piece of advice that I have been told my whole life, and have tried my hardest to follow. The words were taken from Thoreaus quote, If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.; Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau changed our lives. How? Well, the answer is not so simple as the statement. To understand fully how they affected our lives, we have to understand the philosophy of Emerson and Thoreau, and the relationship between the two. So lets begin with the relationship between Emerson and Thoreau. Emerson was born in 1803, into a family of ministers. He went to Harvard where he studied theology and philosophy, among other subjects. It was at Harvard where Emerson discovered transendentalism, and his career shifted paths. He started to give lectures on his philosophy of life and the human spirit. It was at one of these lectures that a young, influential man by the name Thoreau first was introduced to Emerson. Thoreau, born in 1817, was the son of a pencil maker. His mother ran a boarding house where she hosted many of the intellectuals of their time. Thoreau attended Harvard as well, and that was where he was introduced to Emerson. He became fascinated with Emersons philosophy while sitting in on one of his lectures. Emerson became Thoreaus mentor and advisor. A relationship that soon deepened to a friendship. Many people claim that Thoreaus ideas were simply taken from Emersons, in fact, some critics call Thoreau Emersons miror. And although their philosophies greatly reflecte d one another, they differed in many ways as well. Emersons writing focused on nonconformity and individuality. In his essay Self-Reliance, he wrote, Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind, and, Whoso would be a man, must be a nonconformist. Emerson writings were also more focused on the self; philosophy of humanism and Independence from society are all things that Emerson wrote on frequently. Thoreau, while focusing on matters of the self in many of his essays, tended to have more of a political overtone to his writing. In Civil Disobedience;, Thoreaus most famous social protest, He explains that it is our civil right to disagree with laws. He believed that people must be free to act according to their own idea of right and wrong, without government interference. In Civil Disobedience, he said that people should refuse to obey any law they believe is unjust. Thoreau practiced this type of passive resistance when, in 1846, he refused to pay poll taxes. He did so to express his opposition to the Mexican War. Thoreau spent one night in jail for his refusal. The essay greatly influenced such reformers as Leo Tolstoy of Russia, Mohandas Gandhi of India, Martin Luther King, Jr., and other leaders of the American civil rights movement. Emerson wrote about nature, saying that in order to find your true self, you must cut yourself off from society and retreat to nature. Thoreau did just this. In 1845, Thoreau moved to the shore of Walden Pond near Concord, Massachusetts. It was there that he wrote one of his two novels ever published; Walden. The book was not only a celebration of people living in harmony with nature, but an example of withdrawing yourself from society to find yourself. An identity untainted by the modern day society. In his novel, he asked the readers to economize, to simplify their lives, and thus to save the time and energy that will allow them to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life. Thoreau was very much an activist. Whereas Emerson would simply write an essay on something that he felt strongly about, Thoreau would take it to the next level and participate. For example, in the anti-slavery movement. Emerson never took a stand on abolition; he never stated if he was for or against it. This angered Thoreau. Not only did Thoreau write several essays on the subject, attacking it in the essay Slavery in Massachusetts, and defending the violent abolitionist John Brown, and his raid at Harpers Ferry in A Plea