Humanities101

Looking back at the Victorian monsters, you can see how each monster and other characters all had their “box”. When someone got out of their “box” or gender role, usually it was because they were a monster of some sort. Women were expected to get married and have children. Anything other than that, and they were not considered pure or worthy. This unfortunately made them a target for men to cause harm to or mistreat. Ms. Havisham wasn’t a monster to start out, but it was when she was stood up at the alter by a monster of a man, that caused her to no longer fit into her box and become a monster herself. We aren’t much different today than the Victorians were. It seems as if we still want to keep people in there “box”, and if they get out of it, then something must be wrong.

This class taught me a lot of history that I didn’t know. To me, I would keep all of it! I don’t know of anything that I would not keep. Definitely keeping the basic understanding of “how” they Victorians were makes so many of the poems and short stories more understandable. I had no idea that the traditions of weddings, and funerals all began with Queen Victoria. However, because of this, it makes the understanding of the writings that took place during that time so much more lovable. I guess if it came down to it, I would leave out some of the poems at the beginning and spend more time on the stories. They were very interesting and really drew me in, more so than the poetry did.

The Victorian’s were very passionate about technology. During the Victorian Era, may advances were made in the area of technology. They created the railway, which fueled many more technological advances. I think that in the U.S. today, we have that same drive for advancements in technology. We are able to carry a computer around in our pockets anywhere we go. We are able to fly across the ocean for travel if we want rather than sail. We can even speak into a small handheld phone and ask a question and get an answer immediately. I think that if the Victorian’s had the ability to have our technology that we have today, they would absolutely love it! They had a strong drive for constantly moving forward with technology and being as innovative as possible.

I had no idea that Dracula had three wives and had so much control over so many people and even animals. Jonathan Harker didn’t know what he was getting himself into when be became involved with Dracula. Harker had no real control over the influences that would take place once he got to Dracula’s house. Even the gypsy lady warned Harker that it wasn’t safe to go there. I didn’t expect Dracula to have any wives, much less three! And the wives were seductive toward Harker, which made him weak because he gave in to them. This weakness from Harker is what made Mina vulnerable to Dracula. However in the end, Harker was able to “man up” and be the one to kill Dracula and save Mina.

Before reading parts of Dracula, I didn’t know a whole lot about Dracula. Based on hearing others talk about him and seeing short clips on television, I knew he would bite your neck and suck the blood out of you. Somehow he would be able to put a trance on you and make you helpless against him. Also, he could not be out during daylight, only at night. He slept in a coffin and had a very pale face. I always thought that garlic was the way to keep any vampire away. Some people really like scary stories and movies. I however, am not one of those people. I’m guessing that if you like scary, twisted things then you would like vampires. Perhaps that is why there have been so many different kind of vampire movies made. I know that Twilight had sequels that my own children enjoyed watching each movie.

I think that in today’s time the biggest thing that society tries to avoid is aging. They do this by Botox injections to avoid wrinkles showing, and with all the many forms of plastic surgery. People will get surgery for a tighter tummy, and larger front and backsides. Facelifts will ultimately make the face look younger for a while, but the truth of age is still hidden underneath. The physical changes in appearance of a person can mask the appearance of aging, but the inward body is still aging and will soon not match the outward appearance at all. As for our sins, waste, and retribution, I think that is more of an individual case. There is religion to help with sin, if you even acknowledge your sin. Unfortunately, there are many people that don’t even care about anything they do that may not be good for anyone but themselves.

If I were to become invisible, there are some interesting things that I would like to do. I would love to go around and find different ways to help people and afterwards watch their faces when they are trying to figure out how it happened. Even small things like helping someone take their groceries inside while they are distracted so they don’t see them floating in mid air. Cleaning an elderly person’s home that can’t physically do it anymore. I think I would also go into hospitals and give hugs to parents of ill children so maybe they could feel the comfort of someone there for them. I would tickle sad children to try and help them laugh (which may work if they can’t see a stranger). Even help clean up a yard of someone in real need of help but too proud to ask for it.

This is a story that will be here for the ages. It’s such a fascinating view of our deep inner thoughts as humans. Hyde is a part of personalities that we try to keep hidden far away from others. Jekyll is a good person that does his very best for the most part to follow all of Victorian societies rules. However, we can see in this story that if we let our Hyde out, then it gets harder and harder to maintain our Jekyll. Just as in Victorian times, today we must keep ourselves in check to make sure that the worst parts of us are staying away. Everyone has times in there life that no matter how hard we try to do good and not do evil, it will happen. Hopefully, it’s not a long lasting evil and our good conscious will make us feel guilty enough to stay one the path of good rather than the path of evil.

Well honestly I don’t really care for any kind of monster movie. Maybe that’s because there are enough monsters living around me that I see everyday. However, I will choose Great Expectations. I think perhaps I can relate to Pip in someways. I don’t know that I would call him a monster as much as someone that just had some missteps. He came from some very harsh beginnings in life that seem to have him predestined for an even harsher adulthood. However, he had a bit of good fortune for a short time in his life that changed the way his life would be. He didn’t always make the best decisions but again, I think that goes back to his harsh beginnings. In the end however, he wasn’t always the best.

Before this class, I did not realize how much the Victorians are like we are today. We still have many of their same customs and issues. Our problem of overcrowding in our prison system is prominent now more than ever. The Victorians faced the same overcrowding problem then and we still aren’t any closer to figuring how to change it. Also, there is the problem of what to do with those effected by mental problems that have to be locked up with those without problems. Victorians weren’t sure how to solve theses problems even though they tried many different ways. Here in the United States, we are managing the prison system the same way with no real solution for our overcrowding or for the mentally ill population within the system.