The Deep End of Research
It’s been a few weeks since I have last updated this blog, but my time has been anything but unproductive. I am currently in the middle of my research, and the more I read about Mary Shelley’s feminism and the culture of romantic friendships at the time, the more convinced I become that I am on to something.
I began my research by reading articles and books aimed at explaining the historical and social environments of the Romantic Era, specifically concerning women and their relationships with one another. I wasn’t originally planning on taking detailed noted over primarily historical texts, but in the end I decided that they contained very useful information. Though I thought the main function of these books and articles would be to give me a footing in understanding the time period, the insights I’ve gained through pieces discussing the sexuality represented in the themes of Romanticism and Gothicsm, for example, I hope to use in my paper.
This was my primary goal for last week and I managed to finish it right on time. I am currently working on reading some articles that will help me analyze The Last Man and Frankenstein. However, I have been considering narrowing my scope down to just The Last Man and Shelley’s letters. Though I think analyzing Frankenstein would be useful and worthwhile, I worry that it would widen the scope of my paper too far and require too much additional reading and research.
In any case, the articles I have read on The Last Man show that much of the literary analysis on the novel are within the realm of my thoughts thus far. My plan for this stage is to read a few articles on Frankenstein and decide whether the content is related enough to make my analysis immediately relevant. If I do not have to defend or outline my viewpoint without stretching my time and resources to a greater extent than I will with The Last Man, I may include it. Going forward, I hope to have read all my M. S. source material and taken notes by the end of spring break. More updates to follow.
