Frankenstein connections/Chapter Discussions

[jelly92784]

No: HPFGUIDX 141141

Hey everyone, I just had a couple of things I wanted to share with the
group.  In one of my classes I was reading Frankenstein and I came
across a couple passages that just shouted Harry Potter to me!

The first was just a passing reference, common in literature of this
time (early 1800s), to the philosopher's stone...
        "My dreams were therefore undisturbed by reality; and I
entered with the greatest diligence into the search of the
philosopher's stone and the elixir of life."

The next two were more interesting.  One isn't a direct connection it
was just a description of Elizabeth's feelings about Justine's
innocence (for those who don't know the story, Elizabeth is
Frankenstein, the scientist not the monster's, cousin/fiance and
Justine is a maid and a friend to their family who is accused of
murdering Frankenstein's younger brother when actually the monster had
killed him).  Once Elizabeth is convinced of Justine's innocence she
says to Frankenstein:
         "'You know not, my dear Victor, how much I am relieved, now
that I trust in the innocence of this unfortunate girl.  I never could
again have known peace, if I had been deceived in my reliance on her.
 For the moment that I did believe her guilty, I felt an anguish that
I could not have long sustained.  Now my heart is lightened.  The
innocent suffers; but she whom I thought amiable and good has not
betrayed the trust I reposed in her, and I am consoled.'"

Now, how many of your thoughts turned directly to Snape?  When I think
back to the day after I finished reading Half Blood Prince for the
first time, it's amazing how affected I was.  I practically cried on
my way to work the next morning, thinking about how much of a scum
Snape turned out to be and how Dumbledore had so badly misjudged him.
 I was miserable all morning.  Then I came on here and started reading
about some of the theories that support Snape's innocence and I
immediately felt better, I worked it out in my head and came to my own
conclusions.  Those conclusions have been discussed to death on here
so I'm not gonna lay them out for you, of course it's possible that
I'm still mistaken in Snape, but at least I have peace for now!  I
just thought I'd share this passage from Frankenstein that so
accurately described what I went through that day!

The last connection that I noticed was interesting in that it mirrored
a scene from PS.  The scene in Frankenstein happens when Frankenstein
is on an island with few inhabitants, attempting to create a female
monster as a companion for the original monster:
        "I felt the silence, although I was hardly conscious of its
extreme profundity, until my ear was suddenly arrested by the paddling
or oars near the shore, and a person landed close to my house.
        In a few minutes after, I heard the creaking of my door, as if
some one endeavoured to open it softly.  I trembled from head to foot;
I felt a presentiment of who it was, and wished to rouse one of the
peasants who dwelt in a cottage not far from mine; but I was overcome
by the sensation of helplessness, so often felt in frightful dreams,
when you in vain endeavour to fly from an impending danger, and was
rooted to the spot.
       Presently I heard the sound of footsteps along the passage; the
door opened, and the wretch whom I dreaded appeared."

Now, although the circumstances and many of the details of this scene
are different from the one that comes to mind from PS, I couldn't help
but picturing this scene much as a picture this other one:

        "Fice minutes to go.  Harry heard something creak outside.  He
hoped the roof wasn't going to fall in, although he might be warmer if
it did.  Four minutes to go.  Maybe the house in Privet Drive would be
so full of letters when they got back that he'd be able to steal one
somehow.
       Three minutes to go.  Was that the sea, slapping hard on the
rock like that?  And (two minutes to go) what was that funny crunching
noise?  Was the rock crumbling into the sea?
       One minute to go and he'd be eleven.  Thirty seconds...
twenty... ten - nine - maybe he'd wake Dudley up, just to annoy him-
three - two - one -
        BOOM.
        The whole shack shivered and Harry sat bolt upright, staring
at the door.  Someone was outside, knocking to come in"(British paper
back, pg. 38).

I just thought these parallels were interesting, small island, noises
outside the house, thought about waking someone up, huge figure
appearing at the door...

So although I know this doesn't add any theory or anything to the
discussion, I just found these passages interesting in their different
connections to Harry Potter and wanted to share them with you guys!

I also wondered about Chapter Discussions.  I thought they would have
started for HBP by now, but I haven't seen any yet, it is possible
that I've missed any that have happened so far.  So if the list elves
could maybe let us know when we'll be starting those?  

Thanks for reading if you made it this far!