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The Handmaids Tale > Handmaids Tale Context - short answers > Flashcards

Handmaids Tale Context - short answers Flashcards

1
Q

What was Mary Shelley’s maiden name?

A

Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin

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2
Q

Who challenged Mary Shelley and Percy Bysshe Shelley to write a horror story?

A

Lord Byron

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3
Q

What book inspired Mary Shelley to write Frankenstein?

A

Fantasmagoriana

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4
Q

What genre is Frankenstein considered an example of?

A

Gothic literature

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5
Q

What societal condition influenced Mary Shelley’s writing of Frankenstein?

A

The male dominance in early 1800s literature

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6
Q

What major historical event influenced the Romantic era?

A

The French Revolution (1789-1799)

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7
Q

What does Victor’s ambition in Frankenstein reflect?

A

The tension between scientific progress and ethical considerations

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8
Q

What scientific discovery by Luigi Galvani influenced Frankenstein?

A

Bioelectricity

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9
Q

What does Frankenstein’s creature symbolize?

A

The potential dangers of unchecked scientific ambition

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10
Q

What theme does the creature’s appearance challenge?

A

The connection between beauty and morality

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11
Q

Fill in the blank: The Romantic era was marked by _______.

A

profound social, political, and intellectual upheaval

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12
Q

True or False: The creature in Frankenstein is purely evil from the outset.

A

False

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13
Q

What is a key theme in Frankenstein regarding the creature’s transformation?

A

Transformation due to abandonment and societal rejection

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14
Q

What motif enhances the creature’s monstrosity in Frankenstein?

A

Darkness

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15
Q

Who was Mary Shelley’s mother and what was her contribution?

A

Mary Wollstonecraft, an early advocate for women’s rights

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16
Q

What does Victor Frankenstein’s isolation reflect?

A

The intellectual solitude experienced by many scholars

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17
Q

Fill in the blank: Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Woman champions _______.

A

education and equality for women

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18
Q

What critique does Frankenstein make about female roles?

A

Women are confined to roles dictated by patriarchal expectations

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19
Q

What does the Industrial Revolution symbolize in Frankenstein?

A

The unintended consequences of scientific and industrial progress

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20
Q

What does Victor’s ambition in the context of the Industrial Revolution represent?

A

The ethical implications of technological advancements

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21
Q

Fill in the blank: The Industrial Revolution fundamentally transformed society through _______.

A

new technologies and urbanization

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22
Q

What does the creature’s creation through unnatural means symbolize?

A

The perils of overreaching through scientific ambition

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23
Q

What role does galvanism play in the context of Frankenstein?

A

It inspired the notion of reanimation and the origin of life

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24
Q

Who was one of the scientists conducting experiments with galvanism?

A

Ure

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25
Q

Who conducted crude experiments with galvanism in the late 18th and 19th centuries?

A

Ure

Ure’s experiments stirred significant interest in Europe.

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26
Q

What literary masterpiece is inspired by the science of electricity and galvanism?

A

Frankenstein

Mary Shelley published ‘Frankenstein’ in 1818.

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27
Q

What was the societal context during the time Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein?

A

A time of trying to understand the origin of life, with religion losing some of its hold.

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28
Q

In the 1818 edition of Frankenstein, who is Elizabeth in relation to Victor Frankenstein?

A

Victor’s cousin.

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29
Q

In the 1831 edition of Frankenstein, how is Elizabeth’s character changed?

A

She is adopted in Lake Como, Italy.

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30
Q

What worldview is reflected in the absence of explicit references to God in the 1818 edition of Frankenstein?

A

A worldview shaped by the Enlightenment’s emphasis on reason.

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31
Q

What does Victor Frankenstein’s reaction to the creature’s awakening suggest about his character?

A

He abandons the creature, showing neglect and fear.

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32
Q

What does the creature compare himself to when he first awakens?

A

A poor, helpless, miserable wretch.

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33
Q

Fill in the blank: ‘I was born good… until ______ became my guide.’

A

evil

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34
Q

What thematic shift occurs in the 1831 edition regarding Victor’s actions?

A

His sin is portrayed as daring to ‘play God’ by creating life.

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35
Q

How does the character of Victor Frankenstein evolve in the 1831 edition?

A

He is depicted more sympathetically and as a victim of destiny.

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36
Q

What does Mary Shelley’s emphasis on divine oversight in the 1831 edition suggest?

A

A shift in societal relationship with religion.

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37
Q

What is the central theme of Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost’?

A

The fall of man and the temptation of Adam and Eve.

38
Q

How does the creature relate to ‘Paradise Lost’?

A

He identifies with both Adam and Satan.

39
Q

What moral critique does Shelley explore through the parallels with ‘Paradise Lost’?

A

Victor’s failure to fulfill his obligations as a creator.

40
Q

What does the subtitle ‘The Modern Prometheus’ indicate?

A

A comparison between Victor Frankenstein and the mythological Prometheus.

41
Q

What does Prometheus symbolize in Greek mythology?

A

Life, knowledge, and progress, but also defiance and ambition.

42
Q

How do both Prometheus and Frankenstein’s creature endure similar fates?

A

Both experience isolation and suffering due to their actions.

43
Q

What ethical questions does the rise of Artificial Intelligence raise today?

A

Moral agency, data privacy, and algorithmic fairness.

44
Q

Fill in the blank: ‘Shelley warns against humanity’s efforts to mimic the ______ of the Creator.’

A

stupendous mechanism

45
Q

What societal fears are encapsulated in the character of Victor Frankenstein?

A

The consequences of unchecked scientific experimentation.

46
Q

What does the creature’s alienation and rejection reflect in modern society?

A

Anxiety surrounding human-like AI.

47
Q

What historical context influenced Mary Shelley’s writing of Frankenstein?

A

The dawn of the Industrial Revolution.

48
Q

What major changes occurred in society by 1831 that influenced the revised edition of Frankenstein?

A

Emergence from war, abolition of slavery, and a focus on social equality.

49
Q

What does Victor’s blind ambition represent in the context of scientific progress?

A

The hubris of those who believe they can control nature.

50
Q

What does Victor Frankenstein’s ambition blind him to?

A

The consequences of his actions

Victor’s ambition leads to the destruction of everyone he loves.

51
Q

What does the monster symbolize in Frankenstein?

A

The monstrous consequences of pursuing knowledge without moral responsibility

The monster is a result of reckless scientific experimentation.

52
Q

What societal fears does Shelley’s depiction of the creator reflect?

A

The potential dangers of science when pursued irresponsibly

This was a concern during a time of intense debate about human knowledge limits.

53
Q

Who is an influential figure mentioned in the text that contributed to public interest in chemistry?

A

Humphry Davy

Davy held public chemistry demonstrations that stirred both awe and fear.

54
Q

What scientific advancement by Luigi Galvani is referenced in the text?

A

The discovery of bioelectricity

Galvani animated a frog’s leg through electricity.

55
Q

What does the Enlightenment emphasize in relation to humanity and nature?

A

Reason, scientific progress, and human mastery over nature

This laid the groundwork for the Industrial Revolution.

56
Q

How does Victor Frankenstein embody Enlightenment ideals?

A

As a rational being seeking to unlock the secrets of life

His ambition reflects Enlightenment principles of reason and human progress.

57
Q

What is a significant consequence of Victor’s ambition in the novel?

A

His creation of the monster

This act reflects the dangers of Enlightenment thinking when detached from ethics.

58
Q

What critique does Shelley make regarding the roles of women in Frankenstein?

A

Women are depicted as passive, disposable figures

Their roles often serve to advance the male characters’ plots.

59
Q

Which female character in Frankenstein is framed for murder?

A

Justine

Justine’s passivity highlights the limited agency afforded to women.

60
Q

What does Agatha represent in Frankenstein?

A

Virtue and tenderness

She teaches the monster about empathy and kindness.

61
Q

What role does Elizabeth play in Victor’s life?

A

A source of emotional grounding

She is often portrayed as an object of love and possession.

62
Q

How does Shelley reflect her views on the French Revolution in Frankenstein?

A

Through the monster as a symbol of the oppressed lower class

Victor represents the detached ruling elite.

63
Q

What does Victor’s refusal to take responsibility for his creation symbolize?

A

The negligence of the ruling elite

This reflects societal failures to address social inequities.

64
Q

What does Shelley critique regarding the Industrial Revolution?

A

The exploitation of workers and unchecked ambition

Victor’s obsessive quest for glory parallels the bourgeoisie’s exploitation.

65
Q

What does the monster’s transformation from innocence to vengeance represent?

A

The consequences of societal neglect

This mirrors the unrest during the French Revolution.

66
Q

What is the central theme regarding the relationship between science and religion in Frankenstein?

A

The tension between scientific inquiry and divine authority

Victor’s act of creating life embodies ‘playing God’.

67
Q

What does Shelley’s portrayal of the deaths of innocent characters illustrate?

A

The tragic loss of potential caused by societal failure

This reflects the lives lost during the French Revolution.

68
Q

What does the novel suggest about Enlightenment thinking?

A

It could lead to dangerous consequences when humans forget their connection to nature

Shelley warns against the hubris of human mastery over nature.

69
Q

What significant issue emerged regarding the relationship between church and state during this era?

A

The separation of church and state became a significant issue.

70
Q

What character in Frankenstein embodies the tension between science and religion?

A

Victor Frankenstein.

71
Q

What act of Victor Frankenstein is seen as ‘playing God’?

A

Imbuing his inanimate creation with life.

72
Q

What does Victor Frankenstein’s view of himself reflect?

A

A god-like figure with hubris.

73
Q

How does Victor feel about the gratitude he deserves from his creation?

A

He believes he deserves unprecedented gratitude.

74
Q

What happens when the creature fails to meet Victor’s expectations?

A

Victor recoils in horror and abandonment.

75
Q

How does the creature perceive Victor in their relationship?

A

As a god-like figure.

76
Q

What does the creature compare himself to in the context of religious symbolism?

A

A ‘fallen angel.’

77
Q

What theme is explored through the character of Justine?

A

Religious manipulation and guilt.

78
Q

What moral dilemma does Justine face in Frankenstein?

A

Confessing sins she did not commit to seek salvation.

79
Q

What overarching critique does Shelley make regarding science in Frankenstein?

A

The overreach of science challenges the role of God as the sole creator.

80
Q

The creature’s plea for a female companion mirrors which biblical story?

A

The story of Adam and Eve.

81
Q

What is suggested by Shelley’s sparse references to religion in the novel?

A

Her ambivalence toward religious belief.

82
Q

What does Frankenstein critique in relation to human ambition and divine authority?

A

The dangers of human hubris and moral responsibility of creators.

83
Q

Who is a key philosopher whose ideas influenced Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein?

A

Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

84
Q

What does the monster in Frankenstein represent in relation to Rousseau’s ideas?

A

The ‘natural man’ who becomes monstrous due to civilization’s corruption.

85
Q

What is the paradox of Rousseau’s philosophy that Shelley explores?

A

How society transforms a naturally benevolent being into a violent one.

86
Q

What critique does Shelley make regarding Rousseau’s personal life?

A

His abandonment of his children.

87
Q

What concept does the monster develop due to societal rejection?

A

Amour-propre.

88
Q

Fill in the blank: Shelley challenges the notion that the state of nature is purely _______.

A

[virtuous].

89
Q

What complex themes does Shelley explore through Frankenstein?

A

Family, loss, and the complexities of human nature.

90
Q

How does Shelley view Rousseau’s belief in the inherent goodness of man?

A

With ambivalence; she critiques it.

The Handmaids Tale (9 decks)

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