Monday, 23 July 2012

Tone and Mood: Activity (Frankenstein)


Scene 2 : Victor Frankenstein, Creature. The creature is brought to life
It was on a dreary night of November that I beheld the accomplishment of my 
toils.  With an anxiety that almost amounted to agony, I collected the 
instruments of life around me, that I might infuse a spark of being into 
the lifeless thing that lay at my feet. It was already one in the morning; 
the rain pattered dismally against the panes, and my candle was nearly 
burnt out, when, by the glimmer of the half-extinguished light, I saw the 
dull yellow eye of the creature open; it breathed hard, and a convulsive 
motion agitated its limbs. 
How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how delineate the 
wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavoured to form? 
His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful. 
Beautiful!  Great God!  His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of 
muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, and 
flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances only formed 
a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same 
colour as the dun-white sockets in which they were set, his shrivelled 
complexion and straight black lips. 
I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing 
life into an inanimate body. For this I had deprived myself of rest and 
health.  I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but 
now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless 
horror and disgust filled my heart.  Unable to endure the aspect of the 
being I had created, I rushed out of the room and continued a long time 
traversing my bed-chamber, unable to compose my mind to sleep. (finally 
falls asleep)...I started from my sleep with horror; a cold dew covered my 
forehead, my teeth chattered, and every limb became convulsed; when, by the 
dim and yellow light of the moon, as it forced its way through the window 
shutters, I beheld the wretch-- the miserable monster whom I had created.  
He held up the curtain of the bed; and his eyes, if eyes they may be 
called, were fixed on me. His jaws opened, and he muttered some 
inarticulate sounds, while a grin wrinkled his cheeks.  He might have 
spoken, but I did not hear; one hand was stretched out, seemingly to detain 
me, but I escaped and rushed downstairs.   

      In the first paragraph we can appreciate a serious and suspicious tone, because Victor is working at the night of a rainy day. Then, when he is creating the creature, with the most beautiful parts found in different bodies, the mood that I recieve is an excited mood. When he realized that joining all beautiful parts, it became a very ugly thing, tone and mood changes to a disliking and disappointed tone and to a gloomy and discontented mood. Finally, when says: "He held up the curtain of the bed; and his eyes, if eyes they may be 
called, were fixed on me. His jaws opened, and he muttered some 
inarticulate sounds, while a grin wrinkled his cheeks.  He might have 
spoken, but I did not hear; one hand was stretched out, seemingly to detain 
me, but I escaped and rushed downstairs", the tone became a frightened tone, and the mood changes to a nervous mood.

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