Wooof.

COMEDY in general, a story that ends with a happy resolution of the conflicts faced by the main character or characters.

Am I right, or am I right? It's what Vick wanted all along. "He sprang from the cabin window as he said this, upon the ice raft which lay close to the vessel. He was soon borne away by the waves and lost in darkness and distance" (page the last one)

Depending on your point of view, this could be viewed as a happy resolution of the conflicts faced by Vick.

But that's just a joke. This book was so depressing. I can't wait to read a sappy romance novel.

This post is actually about the resolution of the novel. I can't figure out what's going on in Mario's mind? His entire (short) life, he had NO ONE to really talk to.. his purpose at the beginning was to learn language so that maybe he'd be accepted, but that failed big time. Then he made it his mission to make Vick's life a living fire burning pit of flames. But then Vick died. He has nothing left.. He basically took away everyone from Vick and then took everything he had away too. (not that he had much). The only thing he had left was death. At the beginning, I thought Mario was like a baby, but now he is sorta like an old man.

This really makes me cry. And You could kinda compare Brooks from The Shawshank Redemption to Mario... They both just lost purpose in their lives and both are rejected by society.

Who's Chasing You, Jules?

"I pursued him, and for many months this has been my task" (page 193)

So the rest of Vick's life is dedicated to hunting down Mario to kill him. It's pretty funny that he never catches him, but he tries so so hard. This situation sorta reminds me of the scene in My Best Friend's Wedding where Jules starts chasing Michael and Michael chases Kimi at the wedding to win their love or something. And Jules gets on the phone with her best friend (her other best friend) who says "...and who's chasing you, Jules? No one and that's your answer." or something like that. Vick is chasing Mario all around the world, but who is chasing Vick- to get him back home, so he can stop killing himself? No one. Because everyone he ever loved is dead (except for that one brother that he just kinda ignores) But who's fault is that? Directly, it is Mario's fault, but indirectly--Vick's. And no one was chasing Jules because she also ruined everything by lying and stuff. Jules eventually stops the chase and can be happy for Michael and Kimi, but Vick doesn't stop until he dies. He definitely made his bed for himself and paid the price. There is no one left for him to go back to. This is so much rambling.

Jolly Joe

"A fiend had snatched from me every hope of future happiness; no creature had ever been so miserable as I was; so frightful an event is single in the history of man." (page 188)

Or how about being born and then immediately being left alone to fend for yourself? Add to that being hideous. I don't want to keep blogging about how stupid Vick is, but I want to keep to blogging about how stupid Vick is. I feel like the second half of the book is Vick wallowing in self pity. He is a character of many ups and downs, but by the end of it he sort of mellows out into just a down. Mario's threat to "be with [Vick] on [his] wedding night" really haunted the irritating fellow for a long time. From that point on, nothing could put him at ease. Not even marrying Liz made him happy, because he feared her death every moment. I think it is pretty ironic that Vick was so worried about Liz the entire wedding and when he was finally like- I need to figure this out and check around for Mario-she is murdered. Way to take the initiative, bud. But you were a little late (and wrong).

Silly Red Sheet

"The human frame could no longer support the agonies that I endured, and I was carried out of the room in strong convulsions" (page 169)

Some hero. I could go on about how there really hasn't been a hero in the novel so far.. but I'll just concentrate on how Vick is definitely the antihero. Here is a list of things he has really screwed up.

1. Creating the monster. Really, Vick? You couldn't just leave that up to God? This was probably my favorite quote so far: "God, in pity, made man beautiful and alluring, after his own image; but my form is a filthy type of yours, more horrid even from the very resemblance" (page 124-25)

2. Fearing your own creation. What if God did that to us? We'd be so lost and would have no reason not to kill everyone. I mean, really, Mario is pretty justified in his murders. (kinda)

3. Not saving Justine with your knowledge of Mario. A hero has courage, but you definitely don't, dude.

4. Not creating that woman for Mario. You know what it is like to be alienated. Imagine that ALL the time. Mario has never felt loved, and you and your stupid fear of monster colonies is the main cause of that.

After he killed Liz, I don't think there was much else he could have taken away from you. I think if you had just created Mario's Princess Peach, then a little guilt would have been taken off your shoulders (plus Henry and Liz would still be alive). You are so dumb.

P.S. I actually have no idea who Mario, the Italian-American plumber's, girlfriend is.

Scream 5.

"Who can describe their horror and consternation on beholding me? Agatha fainted, and Safie, unable to attend to her friend, rushed out of the cottage. Felix darted forward, and with supernatural force tore me from his father. to whose knees I clung; in a transport of fury he dashed me to the ground and struck me violently with a stick... my heart sank within me as with bitter sickness..." (page 129)

I'll admit this is pretty sad, but not sad enough for tears. Rejection of Mario by the family encompasses his external conflict with society. This clash between Mario and the rest of the world brings the worst in him. Whereas before Mario had natural instincts to be kind and make people happy, now his natural instincts result from bitterness and loneliness. The De Laney family was Mario's last hope for acceptance, and that clearly didn't go as planned. And when he happens to come across the brother of his creator (the man who abandoned him to misery), his anger gets the best of him and he kills the little guy :'(. (I didn't really cry there either).

Do you think maybe Shelley was really ugly and she wrote this novel to tell the world that evil in the world is a result of discriminatory practices? I guess she didn't really have to be ugly to make that point.

She really isn't that ugly.

Sweet Mario

(Mario=Monster, btw)

"This trait of kindness moved me sensibly..." (page 106)

I think the emotions that Mario experiences display humanity at its purest. He has never been influenced by anyone (well, directly influenced). So every emotion he has is his own. He knew what sadness and happiness was before he knew the words to describe them. Isn't that just weird? It reminds me of a baby's laugh.

No one has taught the baby to laugh at this, he just thought it was funny and laughter was his natural reaction. Mario saw the sadness of the family and kindness was his natural reaction. In many ways Mario is like an infant (just a huge one). He has to learn everything from observance.

Frustrating

"My firmest hopes of future happiness were placed on the prospect of your union" (page 42)

The relationship between Vick and Liz is kinda confusing. I feel like if I lived with a guy my age from the age of 5ish, I would grow up with him like a brother, not a lover. A sibling relationship would be inevitable. But I guess it is a sci-fi book, so crazy thing happen.

I think it is interesting that they take the same side in the whole Justine-William drama. Because even though Liz doesn't even know about Mario or anything, she sides with Justine and Vick. That's love? Right? Man, I'm out of stuff to talk about. I hate the perfectness of this novel.

I feel like Mary is just copping out a whole lot.

First of all-this relationship, definitely shouldn't work. And then her explanation of how the monster came to be-way too easy. Everything is just so oversimplified.. I'll try to find another quote. Okay, what about how the monster just left.. no explanation of how that happened or anything. And I think the biggest example- Mario's speech is impeccable! Yeah, right he learned all that on his own.