(Blog 4) Brainstorming thesis for first paper

It’s not what you read; it’s how you use it. I’m wondering if Shelley or Austen is trying to make this point in her book. I think I could use some of the characters and their applications of different types of knowledge to argue the point. I’m not sure which book I would like to write about so I did a little brainstorming of ideas.

In my last blog post I said “Shelley doesn’t seem to be questioning what types of books to read but rather- what will one use that knowledge for? To go on a great adventure? To produce something good or terrible? To understand the self? The question is not whether to read this or that but how one will use or apply that knowledge in their life.”

Michelle mentioned that this might be a good paper topic to explore with Frankenstein or Northanger Abbey so I’ve written out a few ideas about how characters use their different types of knowledge in different ways- forming relationships, exerting power, doing certain tasks, etc.

Northanger Abbey

·         Catherine

o   Using novels to bond with friends such as Isabella

o   Using novels and storytelling to bond with Tilney

o   Her imagination from novels gets her into trouble at Northanger Abbey

There is a lot of discussion about whether novels are useful or not and good or not for education. Catherine has examples of ways in which her application of knowledge from novels was applied to her benefit and to her misfortune.

·         Tilney

o   Uses education to woo Catherine

o   He also uses it to educate her and occasionally tease her

·         Thorpe

o   Uses his education to put others down and make himself feel superior

o   Disdains Catherine’s reading of novels

While Tilney and Thorpe may both be educated in a more formal way than Catherine, they exhibit this knowledge differently towards her and one is clearly more successful as a suitor through his application of education than the other.

Frankenstein

·         Victor

o   Gets formal education but uses it to create something unnatural and then abandons that creation

·         The creature

o   Uses books to try and understand human nature, emotions, language, etc.

o   Repeatedly uses this knowledge to try and make a friend or companion

·         Walton

o   Uses knowledge from voyage books to go on an actual voyage

(Blog 3)- Education with Books/Novels

All three of these pieces of literature discuss the importance of reading books in their own way. What types of book those should be and what kind of consequences may come from them differ between authors.

Wollstonecraft:

Wollstonecraft expresses an extreme distaste for novels. She might equate them to a modern tabloid or trashy harlequin romance, calling their authors: “stupid novelists, who, knowing little of human nature, work up stale tales, and describe meretricious scenes, all retailed in a sentimental jargon." However, she qualifies her opinion by pointing out that with the lives which they live, deprived of many interesting experience afforded to men, the novel is one of the few sources of interesting entertainment for them. Furthermore, she says that it makes sense for women to find the reading of history very dry when the rest of their time is filled with “trifling employments.” Finally she has to concede that reading something is better than reading nothing. Because Wollstonecraft is fighting against systems of oppression she must have a firm stance on education and therefore she stresses the importance of reading ‘legitimate’/education books but at the very least women should be exercising and growing their brains with something.

Austen:

Austen expresses more fondness for novels. Although Catherine has not been able to travel much in her life, she has been able to ‘experience’ certain countries and places through the reading of novels. The character in Northanger Abbey who expresses the greatest distaste for novels is Thorpe. As he is also one of the most unpleasant characters, his opinion is discredited. Meanwhile it is the more lovable characters (Catherine and the Tilneys) who have an affinity for novels and so this gives their perceptions a positive weight in the book. Nonetheless, Austen exposes the danger of indulging in too much imagination and not enough rational thinking with the result of Catherine’s suspicions at Northanger. In this way, Austen’s commentary on education does align somewhat with Wollstonecraft’s. Reading anything is good, reading novels along with other literature is better. I think Austen gives more merit and power to the novel, particularly in the sense of using them to experience things that might be impossible within certain lifestyles and financial constraints.

Shelley:

Shelley’s characters are constantly reading and storytelling. It frequently reminds the reader of the sheer power of books because they can divulge vast amounts of knowledge which can then be utilized by the characters- whether for good or evil. Walton is able to form a career from reading books. Frankenstein also learns his skills of natural philosophy through books but then he uses that power for morally questionable purposes. The creature uses books to try and understand language and the human experience. The importance of reading as a part of education is unquestionable in Frankenstein. Even when the character is learning from a teacher (Frankenstein and his professors/the creature and the DeLaceys), she is careful to describe their personal experiences of reading books as a part of that education. Certainly a factor in this significant theme could be connections to Shelley’s own life- learning her mother through her writings and living with a group of writers. Unlike Wollstonecraft and Austen, Shelley doesn’t seem to be questioning what types of books to read but rather- what will one use that knowledge for? To go on a great adventure? To produce something good or terrible? To understand the self? The question is not whether to read this or that but how one will use or apply that knowledge in their life.

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