Role: A monster from your independent reading book
Audience: Classmates and other "monsters" from the books
Format: Letter (300+ words)
Topic: Discuss three topics in the letter. 1. What makes you-as-the-monster monstrous? In other words, in what way are you a monster? 2. What influences, experiences, decisions have made you who you are? 3. Looking back, what do you have to say to Mr. Cook's 11th graders, other monsters, or someone else in particular? What do you want to say about your monstrousness? Do you want to justify your actions? Do you want to apologize or express regrets? Do you want to give advice? What do you want to say?
Show that you have read and understood the book by weaving details into your letter.
DUE BY THURSDAY (January 7) 11:59pm. Copy your letter into the comment box on the class blog.
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30 comments:
To my fellow monsters:
I must admit that it is very easy to see what makes me a monster. It is not everyday that one sees a human sized insect, and if and when they do, they think they are losing their vision much like my father did. I still am unaware of how this happened, however I have my suspicions. I am in many ways a monster other than my grotesqe features. As the ordinary Gregor Samsa, I am a salesman. I am a monster because I have become enslaved to my work. I have allowed my business and money rule over me. In doing this, I have destroyed myself now, my sister, and my mother and father. In many ways, it is not my fault, however. It is the fault of my harsh, demanding job. Because of that, I have become the retched, disfigured creature you see before you this day. Heed my warning and do not do likewise, or you may end up as some other horrid beast.
Cam C
Hunchback of Notre Dame
Character- Quasimodo
Hello monsters,
My name is Quasimodo to all of you out there (especially the humans) you can tell I am a monster. Just by looking at me you are discussed with my hump and disordered face, however I feel like a human. I have feelings and I care for people after all I am a person, I’m just…different. I bet you if I had an occupation just like every body else in this town than I would be more respected by people, but I’m just a bell ringer. Thanks to my bad decision now people really think I am a monster and I don’t blame them. After I tried to kidnap Esmeralda as my final defense people now think my objective was to hurt her. Looking back at what I have done I wish I could just reverse what has happened but I cant. People all ready thought badly of me before and I had just made it 10 times worst. So I am urging you to not follow in my footsteps especially if you are already hated. Well I should been my way now if Claude Frollo catches me writing this I am sure he will take it away from me forever. Good-bye monster things,
Quasimodo
Dear Inferiors,
My name is Dorian Gray. You ask the question if I am a monster. That is the wrong question the real question one must ask me is if I am a sinner. I am a sinner and yes I have done many horrible deeds in the life that I lived. I did love once her name was Sybil Vane. Oh what an amazing actress she was! The night we were meant to leave and get married she preformed horribly I broke of the engagement and the next day when I awoke I was told by a dear friend of mine, Lord Henry, that she had committed suicide. I was horrified hading decided the night before that I would go back and marry her after seeing the cruel smirk on my portrait of myself. It broke me, but the more Lord Henry talked about how her death was the greatest act she preformed my pain was pushed aside until my heart became clouded and I no longer felt the pain of the loss. By now you must be thoroughly confused what painting is he talking about you ask? Well before I became what one may call an immortal, I became friendly with a painter named Basil Hallward. He was a great flatter and beseeched me to let him paint me. Of course I allowed him to I was young and naïve so full of wonderment of the world around me. One day I met Lord Henry at Basil’s studio and he told me,”Because you have the most marvelous youth, and youth is the one thing worth having.” Once I saw the portrait I became enraged that it would always be young and I would not I made a prayer wishing my age and sins to show on the portrait and me to keep my glorious, unblemished youth. Well my prayer became truth and I became vain. Later on Lord Henry gave me a book it was horrendous and it continued to poison my mind. Years went by and people who I was associated with names’ started to become tarnished was it indeed my fault no. They lived their lives and made their choices I never would say my influences were for the worse. This leads up to the fateful night that Basil paid me a visit I was at the club when called. I suppose one could say my life was sad because most men walked out of the club upon my entrance this just made me hate them more. Well I found Basil on my way and invited him in it had been awhile since we had last talked and he begged me to let him see the portrait of me and said crude things about myself and my tarnished reputation. Told me that I had in lack of words become a monster and that though only God could see my soul he wished he could see mine. His words infuriated me and so I showed him his painting he was shocked and he sat down and I took out my glistening knife and I stabbed him, his body convulsed with some of the stabs but that just enticed me more. Well I had to get rid of the body so I called a friend Mr. Alan Campbell a chemist, asked him to dispose of the body he refused so I blackmailed him. After, I went out later and was confronted with James Vane, Sybil’s brother. He tried to kill me, but my youthful look saved me, after that I decided to repent. My first good deed was to spare a girl from heartache. These are the treacherous events that led up to me being a sinner. One can see none of it was my fault I was a mere boy coming into adulthood when they started to brainwash me. In the end I wanted to rid myself of the horrid portrait and so I stabbed it where the heart should be it killed me and all the age and signs of sins were transferred to my body. I am a sinner one who tried to repent. I would like to leave some final words to Lord Henry. You did not believe me about Basil’s murder that I was the killer I cannot see why you did not for after all I am yours and Basil’s creation you made me who I am. It was your sins that I preformed.
Dorian
Dear Companions,
I am a beast that we all loathe once it is upon us. There is only one way of avoiding me and that is an early and untimely death. I am slow moving but my arrival is inevitable. People fear me because I weaken both the mind and the soul. I bring out regrets in people that they did not do as much as they could in their earlier years. You think too yourself how youth is indeed wasted on the young. Now you are ugly and uninteresting. Now the only you are waiting for is death which is already on your door step. I will come. Whether it be months years or decades, there is no stopping me.
Jeremy Nestor
E Block
My fellow evil doers,
Like all of you I am a monster, a monstrosity of evil. What makes me this way is that I have killed and do as I wish with no regard for the law or the wellbeing of others. I have forced men to take their own live and I have ruined men’s careers. I have blackmailed a former friend and forced him into suicide. I have killed one of my closest friends and did not feel shame. I remain young as my painting takes on all the years and emotions that my soul does. I am more of a monster than any lurking in the dark. The fact that my face would not show any of the evil that I had done made me feel invincible and pushed me toward the way of evil. Also my friend Lord Henry was a great cause of me being a monster. He told me to live life to the fullest and don’t care what I do. Lord Henry gave me a book , a yellow book, which also pulled me to becoming a monster it made me think that I did not need to worry about what I did I was above everything and everybody. I have great regret. I never should have given up my soul for mere beauty. I should have treated my friend’s right and used my influence for good not evil. I should have never murdered Basil and I shouldn’t have pushed aside him. I should have stayed a good man and never have left Sibyl. If I could give you any advice it would be, don’t make the same mistakes I did. Go through life doing good things instead of bad. I should have never become the monster that I did.
Mac H
Frankenstein
Character- The Monster
Dear fellow “monsters”,
Why is it that people find me to be a monster? It seems to be my appearance that overwhelms them and their fear of me that arises before they even see me. These people do not know me and do not see that all I want is what they have. I want the happiness that is bonded between their family and friends. My loneliness is what has driven me to become this creature that I never asked to become. My very existence and the isolation from my appearances is what has drove me mad. My hate that has become all I feel is driven by the greatest monster of us all, Victor Frankenstein. My actions were caused completely by the actions of Frankenstein. Why would he create me to be the fear and death of this harmful world? It is Frankenstein’s responsibility to give me the happiness I deserve. In his failure to succeed has now given me the responsibility to make sure he feels the pain of being a monster. I have taken his family, his friends, and his health and now Frankenstein stands lonely, isolated, obsessed, and on brink of insanity. Our attempts to bring each other down will never end without the result of death. Frankenstein is more a monster than me, a creature that has nothing and has been created from nothing. He had everything and now that he has nothing the only thing left is his monstrousness. I advise all of you monsters to find your happiness, your something, and hold onto it forever. If you live your life alone you will only be ridiculed, feared upon, and hated your entire life. If you stay in isolation then you will forever remain a monster.
Book: In Cold Blood
Character: Perry
To all the other misunderstood people of the world,
First off I would like to say that people like us just don’t deserve the wrong label of being a monster. I like all other people do have some flaws, but it’s not like I crave violence and bloodshed like a “monster”. If only all the people who found out about the murders could get to know me for real, I do have morals they just don’t stand out as much as other peoples may. Also my worst flaw is simply that I long to have a family, or a close friend Dick is the closest thing I’ve had to a family in a long time. Even my childhood lacked having a close supportive family, those days made me the way I am today. I mean my childhood was a bad memory I will never forget, it consisted of my parents’ divorce that eventually put me in a Spanish orphanage, where I was beat by the nuns when I had accidents sleeping at night. Finally my dad rescued me and I finished third grade, the only formal schooling I’ve had, then me and my dad went through a lot together but he turned against me his own son for the last crumbs before we ran out of food. Since that my mother had died, my brother killed himself, my sister “fell out of a window” probably on purpose, and I have had no one. I met some people that seemed to understand me they were planning on robbing an office supply store in Kansas, eventually that caught up to me and in prison following my capture I met Dick. I feel like he’s the only one that understands me he’s had rough times too, and he came up with the idea of the murder. Of course I was going to help my friend he made it seem like a good idea, and I honestly didn’t know if I could do it, but I wanted to prove myself to him, and well I did. Looking back I’m still surprised I managed to do the cruel deed, but I have mixed feelings I mean I feel remorse but not too much, life in prison isn’t that different to outside for me and well I have Dick. After all my deed was not very honorable but I learned something about myself in the process, and aren’t in much of a different situation than before.
Molly Blewett
The Picture of Dorian Gray
E Block
Repugnant Monsters:
Hello, I am Dorian Gray. I was young and handsome and I had given my soul to stay that way. I was not a monster, I was not deformed, I was not ugly, and I had not a line of age or emotion on my face; in other words I was not like the rest of you. The hideousness that would have been brought upon me in age had been cursed upon my portrait, gifted to me by Basil Hallward. I was monstrous because I had caused death. The first death, I blame myself for but did not do, Sibyl Vane, my beautiful actress ex-fiancé. She killed herself the night after I broke our marriage. It was for selfish reasons I broke off our marriage. It after I ended this that I first noticed the hideousness of my portrait. The second death I caused completely, I stabbed Basil Hallward to death. I was monstrous because of the ideas that have been imprinted into my mind by Lord Henry and the yellow book he gifted to me. I turned my life around in the most negative way possible, because of the influence the two had on me. I was young and naïve. I was monstrous, but I was not a monster. I did change however, I repented for the monstrous behavior of my past, and when I did I died. After I repented for my wrong doings I stabbed my portrait in the heart and the horrendous looks of it were transferred to my body and I died. If I was alive and able to say anything, change anything I would. I would tell Lord Henry to stuff his yellow book and his ideas where the sun doesn’t shine. I would tell him that it was because of him that I was the way I was, he changed me, and everything was because of him. I would tell Basil that I was whole-heartedly wrong in everything I did. I shouldn’t have killed him, he was my friend, he was nice to me, and he did not deserve the poor loyalty I bestowed on him. I would beg Sibyl Vane to take me back, as I was rude and she did not deserve it. I would marry her. As for my life, I would take back the day I met Lord Henry and I would take back the curse that I presented on myself.
Wise words from the grave: do not live a life of sinful deeds for your own selfish purposes.
Dorian Gray
Dear fellow monsters,
I would like to tell you why I am considered a monster. My appearance is something that distinguishes me as a monster. I have yellow skin and watery and straight black lips. I am an ugly creature. I have a very deep harsh voice and I am massive. People can’t get past my appearance to see what I really am inside. I am actually quite normal. The loneliness and the disapproval of people are the things that make me lash out. I was abandoned by my creator, left to wander the Earth alone, not knowing where to go. I stumbled across a cottage in the woods in my travels. I became quite fond of the people that lived in that cottage. I took an interest in their language, their sadness, their story. I gathered wood for them when I discovered they were poor and exiled. I spent a year watching them and taking in information. I learned a lot from them. I desperately wanted to introduce myself and gain their approval, but when I tried, I was rejected. They left their cottage because they were in fear for their lives. The anger and pain and anguish I felt was unbearable. All I wanted was their approval and their kindness and love that I had observed for so long. I was so angry that I burnt down the cottage for revenge. I felt so lonely and useless. I often questioned why I existed. I hated my creator and I vowed to get my revenge on him. Another incident left me feeling miserable and angry. While I was making my way to my creator’s hometown, I came across a girl running in the woods. All of a sudden, she fell into the rapid stream. I saved the girl and brought back life to her. A man came out of the woods and ripped the girl from my arms and bolted into the woods. I followed him, only to be shot in the shoulder. That is the way I got rewarded for my good deed. I set back out to destroy my creator. I killed his little brother because of revenge. These monstrous acts are only effects of the way people treat me. My loneliness and isolation is what makes me a monster. If people didn’t look at my appearance and focused on who I am, I would not be a monster.
Sincerely, Frankenstein's Monster
My Fellow Monsters,
While you may feel inferior just to hear my written words, don’t let it get to your head, I merely need a moment to relay onto you all my extravagant story of how I, Dorian Gray, came to be the way I am. For it seems that there is a definite mix-up of perceptions here. You believe I am all some sinister monster, and while mostly it is in a figurative sense, still, this is not the case. I am not a monster. In fact I am more human than you think. For do not all humans make mistakes? Aren’t we all sinners? Sure I may have lived the life of a man of questionable morals, but that does not mean I am a monster. That makes me intriguing and mysterious, two of the most entrancing qualities of mine (as well as being ridiculously good looking). Some may seem this explanation as vain, but I see it as the reality of the situation. I have after all loved and lost. I truly did love Sybil, it’s too bad she had to kill herself over me. But what can I say? She was horrible that night she performed, I wasn’t going to marry someone unworthy of me. So yes, I may have felt bad, a little, but she did not have to act so drastically. And maybe this could’ve been a warning sign, when I saw the cruel face in my portrait, the one that Basil Hallward had painted for me, my wish for it to in turn become aged with my sins while I remained in eternal youth had come true. It is true that I, Dorian Gray, questioned my humanity. But Lord Henry did calm me down by assuring me there was nothing I could do, and that her “act of death” was merely another performance of hers, a good one for once. I guess I owe a lot to Lord Henry, he after all was the one who showed me a whole new world filled with brilliance in beauty, status, wealth, and power. Basil may not have liked this much, but I did not care, it was after all my life and the way I chose to live it was my decision. Lately I had been getting very much irritated with the people in my world, they just did not understand me and clearly did not deserve me. I don’t know why they thought I was such an “ugly” person. After all, the aging of ugliness to the painting was merely a side effect of my wish, it was all purely business. Who cares after all? At least I wasn’t getting ugly. But the painting did have one fault. For when I bumped into Basil one day, he begged to see the painting of me he had created. Even though I knew Basil was like the others, deeming me a monster of a conceited nature, I still showed him it. He was in shock of what had happened, but I was so enraged at him for calling me a monster (and also for creating the painting in the first place that led to this mess) that I stabbed him dead right then and there. It was his creation that destroyed my true beauty after all. I just thought killing the creator would destroy the monster in the painting. The transformation of my cruel being was near complete. I killed Basil intentionally, it was possibly the biggest of my sins. Everything was crashing down, at this point I didn’t know what to do. My last attempt to end it all was to stab the painting in the heart, a success. All the effects of my terrible deeds were relinquished onto me, and killed me. It was over. I wanted so deeply to repent for all the sins, for what a horrible way to die. I do somewhat wish I could, but then again it’s probably best that I didn’t. It’s true, if given the chance, I would probably do it the same way all over again. I don’t care how I acted, I lived a life with letting no one get in my way, and if you have to hurt a few people in the process so be it. You’re not going to get very far in life just standing by and watching it trounce over you. Soone thing I have to say is, I’m proud of what I did because it got me what I wanted, which is more than a lot of people can say. Like I said, I'm not a monster, I'm human, like the rest of you. Which could be perceived as we are all monsters. I like to think of it that way, because, hey, at least I’ll get a nice tan in hell.
Grant Weaver
1/7/10
E Block
Frankenstein’s Monster
Dear Friends and Fellow Monsters,
Oh you cannot begin to comprehend how grateful I am to have an interaction with other beings. I have been so alone due to this horrible curse of mine. I’m sure some of you know what I mean. We are monsters, and we must accept this fact.
I once thought that I could be more than a lonely beast, but I have now accepted that this will never be the case. When I was first attacked by humans I was upset, but slowly I recovered. Then I met my protectors, the De Lacey family. I thought that the world had changed. The world became brighter and before I knew it I was enlightened to the ways of humans. I felt loved, but alas I ruined it, I approached them. Soon I was banished again to the woods. It was at this point I accepted my monstrousness.
I was lucky though in one from my birth the theory of my creator was proven true. Could it be possible that he could breathe life into another companion, with the same affliction as myself. I approached Frankenstein, but he only pushed me deeper into the abbess of loneliness. So now I arrive here explaining myself to you.
From my experiences I have learned a thing or two, one which I feel the need to share with you. It is a lesson that many of you humans learned as children, and one that my fellow monsters have learned from their own life experiences. Despite this fact we all seem to forget it when convenient for us. This lesson is to learn what is on the inside before you make a decision on a being, human or monster alike. This can be extremely harmful, as you have seen in my tale, yet we all have done it at one point or another, even myself, assuming that all humans were good, because the fact that they look better than I. So I plead with you to learn before you assume, for that is what we all deserve.
With Respect,
Frankenstein’s Monster
Dear monsters,
I have heard it has been passed around in your social circles that I am indeed a monster. To discover why I refute this claim you can simply look in the mirror. I am sure you have all heard of my appearance, and must be at least faintly aware of your own. Now I believe what those who have called me a monster meant to call me a sinner. Some may call my lack of grief for my fiancée’s fate the characteristic of a monster. Almost anyone would deem me a so-called monster for killing my friend Basil, who has only showed me infinite kindness. These things, and others, may lead some to think I am a monster. These things however are not my fault. If a seemingly knowledgeable astronomer were to approach you claiming that the world will soon end by meteorite, you would certainly believe him. In just that way, Lord Henry astounded me with his mastery of words, into a point where I could not dispute him. He was the one who convinced the sorrow of my fiancée right out of me. He showed me how beauty was the most important of all virtues. It was not until he claimed that I was not cut out for murder that I realized he was not as infallible as he led one to believe. Now it is also true that before I met him I did have my instances of selfishness, cruelty, and manipulation, but the scale of these early incidents pale in comparison to those after Lord Henry’s influence. Looking back, one of the only pieces of advice I can give in order to avoid the corruption and sin I have committed, is don’t listen to what everyone tells you, and definitely don’t live by everything one person tells you. Those who live vicariously through others project their personal desires tenfold onto others. The real devil is a man with a soft face, a silver tongue, and an underestimation of his own true influence.
Dorian Gray
Hannah Cain
E Block
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Dear fellow “monsters,”
You may have heard my name mentioned when bustling around town. If not, my name is Dorian Gray; others in the public may know me as “Prince Charming.” Am I proud to be known about the public? Well, no, I am not. The public views me as a type of poison, a monster if you will, and frankly I do not blame them. However, I look upon myself as a man with a lack of self knowledge, a lack of self control, and a man with a lack of confidence to allow my true colors to shine. My one love, Sybil Vane, a beautiful woman with a knack for acting was so deeply in love with me. As I took Lord Henry and Basil to one of her performances, it was no secret that she did not perform adequately. She claimed that her reasoning for acting so poorly was because her emotions on stage (sad, lonely, and love-hungry) were not real to her any longer. They were not real to her any longer because of me. Since I have come into her life, she said she had felt complete, and the emotions of her characters no longer seemed real. As we were engaged, I decided to call the wedding off. Later informed by Lord Henry that she had become so depressed that she committed suicide, I felt horribly guilty at first. With Lord Henry’s insurance that this event was the most romantic and extreme acting ever done by Sybil, I forgave myself. However, my unlawful forgiveness to myself aged my portrait that my dear friend Basil had painted of me. I remember when he created that portrait. I was so young and handsome. As Basil, Lord Henry, and myself gazed at amazement at the painting, Lord Henry reminded me that as the portrait would stay young and handsome I would age and scar and leather. At this thought I became stressed and horrified and I prayed that the role of the portrait and I be switched. My prayer became reality, and from then on, any sins that I had committed had been reflected on my painting and not on me. As I continued my life as a sinner, I took the life of my dearest friend Basil after one night at the club. Basil had seen me on the street and as I did my best to escape his eye, he saw me passing. We engaged in a conversation were he held nothing back and told me of my flaws. He told me about the rumors being spread around town about my impact on those I come in contact with. When we arrived back at my house I revealed the portrait to him after he begged to see it. He was horrified by the changes that had come about the portrait. The once young and handsome painting, stand before him old, sinful, and ashamed. I stabbed Basil that night and I hid him in the wall. As I blackmailed a former friend of mine that was a chemist, he got rid of Basil’s body for me. As I decided to forget my sin of killing Basil, my portrait did not. My hand was now bloody, forever there to remind me of my sin.
I began to feel ashamed of my young looks after tricking James Vane (Sybil’s brother) that I was not the man responsible for his sister’s death. I tried turning my life around after that, honest to god. I saved a girl from a heart attack, did I not? After looking at my portrait for one last time, I felt as though I was a disgrace to myself. Not only did I commit sins, but one of the worst actions I could have ever committed was fooling myself. I was untruthful to myself, not in touch with my inner feelings but covered by the security of Lord Henry. I could no longer take it, and with the same knife that ended Basil’s life, I stabbed my portrait. Oddly enough, my portrait returned to its young handsome self, but I lay dead on the floor. I lay dead as an old man; with wrinkles and scars. Had it not been for the rings on my fingers, no one would have known that it was Dorian Gray that lay dead on the floor. One thing that I would like the public to know is that I do not blame myself for my sinful deeds that allow you all to view me as a monster. Whose fault is it then? My actions my have been a reflection of my own broken childhood. Furthermost, my actions and wrong doings are not any one person’s fault but that of Lord Henry’s. He had poisoned my mind, my heart, and my soul. Sybil I am sorry and Basil I am sorry.
Sincerely,
Dorian Gray
(mine was too long so i had to enter it in two different segments. but this is just a continuation.)
Nicole Lane
Picture of Dorian Gray
Character: Dorian Gray
I’m sure you all can relate but I’m not your every particular monster figure, with the scary teeth or hairy body, I’m a human that others can believe that I am somewhat of a monster. Not a monster that eats people but one that has committed crimes that are unforgettable. All of you however, had experiences and influences that made you who you are and so do I. I was not one to get old or even look like I got older, just like a picture that was painted by Basil. I was so used to having attention on me because I was good looking and caught you by my charm and beauty. I fell head over heels with Sibyl and that’s when I started changing. I did things that I usually wouldn’t do. The actions that followed after meeting Sibyl changed after she decided not to act. I guess you could say I was sort of in love with her acting and the characters she played. When she stopped acting I broke up the engagement and that’s when my portrait had changed. I notice this and try to solve things with Sibyl but I was informed that she had killed herself. For that, I am a monster. I can’t take back what I had done and the consequence that followed was very bad. I then kill Basil after getting into an argument and I wish I could take it back but I can’t. I guess my consequence was being killed after I had stabbed my portrait. My advice to you is don’t do things that you wouldn’t want to happen to you. The consequences that take place after are not worth the fight. Plus, you don’t want to be considered a monster for being a sinner. Looking back, I do regret doing half the things I did. I shouldn’t have been trying to keep myself young. I thought being young was how I was going to live but I was wrong. I wish I could take it back, I really do, and I bet most of you have things that you regret and wish you didn’t do but I bet you aren’t considered a monster for it, so don’t go that far.
Gilbert Brown
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Greetings my fellow friends:
It has come to my attention that I am looked upon as a monster and I find this a bit appalling. Apparently people think I’m a monster, maybe its because I was at fault for Sibyls awful demise and the murder of Basil or maybe because I would rather have eternal youth and infinite passion and let my portrait reflect my actual age and experiences. Why would any of you want to grow old or hideous, if you’re not already ugly? But I would like to remain perfectly handsome for the rest of my life. I am willing to stay this way under any circumstances and no one will take my youth from me. Basil like many others was jealous of my dashing good looks and when he begged me to pray for forgiveness I lost it. That does not make me a monster; he got everything that was coming to him. He was always in love with me from the first time we met and always trying to control my actions. Maybe in retrospect I was a tad monstrous because of the influence of that little yellow book that Lord Henry had given me. Because it only brought out the inner ugliness in me. But ultimately in the end I was sorry for all the evil acts that has occurred due to my young and naive desires. I wish I could take back that night in which I broke of my engagement to Sibyl and we could be happily wed by now. I also wish I could take back the murder of my first real friend in the city Basil. He was nothing but nice to me and all he wanted me to do was repent for my sins.
Ps: If there is one thing I would like to say it would be beauty is not everything.
Dorian Gray
Dear Fellow Monsters,
Hello. I am Dorian Gray. Many might not think i am a monster at first sight but i am beneath the skin. I never was one. Until my soul was sold. I am and always will be a very beautiful person. My morals are dark though. You see i will be young forever. I made that sacrifice. For i have sinned and i will not forget that. As you can all see i am better looking than all of you. The fact that i have killed Basil may look monstrous to you. I have done things that seem terrible to you but yet i am far superior to all of you. Its not my fault for committing these things. Lord Henry has made me come to understand my very well being. He has helped me become a person. All of you monsters should notice that. Be who you are. And become your own person. Do not follow the boundaries of life. I will be beautiful forever for choices i have made. My mind has been altered. But now my life will never be the same.
Dorian
The Picture of Dorian Gray
1.7.09
My fellow monsters,
I am the famous Dorian Gray. The Dorian Gray who was known for being the epitome of youth and beauty. The Dorian Gray who was known across England. Yet, I am the same Dorian Gray who was a sinner and in no hurry to confess my sins. I am a monster and nothing on Earth was able to stop me from what I became. I would have to say it all began the day I first met Lord Henry Wotton. Basil, my unfortunate companion was finishing his painting of me. During this time, I was able to talk with Lord Henry. I must say, what Lord Henry said to me captured my conscience and from that point there was no turning back. I will never forget the words he spoke, “You have only a few years in which to live really perfectly and fully. When your youth goes, your beauty will go with it and then you will suddenly discover that there are no triumphs left for you, or have to content yourself with those mean triumphs that the memory of your past will make more bitter than defeats.” These words still haunt me as I suffer in hell. After examining the painting I wished that instead of me the painting would age. I feared for my youth and physical appearance letting my vanity trap my mind. And to my astonishment, overtime changes in the painting occurred and my sins were evident.
When I met Sybil Vane, I was deeply in love. Or so I thought. We were to be married until I ended the engagement one night. I attended one of her plays and though in past performances she was an exquisite actress that night she did very poorly and my feelings for her vanished. I broke off the engagement. The next day I was told of her committing suicide. At first I felt terrible about my actions but I was ensured by the infamous Lord Henry that her death had nothing to do with my proceedings. I shrugged off my memory of Sybil Vane which in turn; my sin was portrayed in the painting. From here on my monstrousness only continued to worsen. Some time later, Lord Henry gave me a book. This yellow book became my aura and I was enthralled by its ability to corrupt my soul. My usual conversations with Lord Henry and his “wrong, fascinating, poisonous, delightful theories” continued after this and as I aged in years my true appearance resulted in the painting.
In my late thirties I was visited by my old cohort Basil Howard. He heard of my sinful temperament throughout the years and came to try and fix things. Now? What could be fixed now? My sin was presently on the loose, and it was in no rush to continue getting the best of me. In my rage and fury I murdered Basil Howard. And not even a hint of regret nor shame crossed my mind. We were in the room with the painting and he saw the horrendous sight. After I stabbed him with my knife I noticed blood on my hand in the painting. My sins would yet continue to make their mark. I understand now his intentions however were only good. Yet my inner truth still thirsted for a monstrosity of evil. In the last moment of my life, I attempted to do one good deed. Saving the poor girl Hetty from corruption. She fell for whatever love I had left in my being, but when I raced to see my painting in hopes of some kind of change for the better, nothing was there. I was done. I stabbed the painting to end its haunting in my life and I let out a terrible scream. Shriveling up into what the painting was almost as if we switched appearances. Now the life I once lived deceased into a wasted memory. I was the notorious Dorian Gray who accepted that life. If in some righteous reason I was able to change all of this I would for now I truly recognize my sin. To Lord Henry: Your intentions were cruel and evil and my wish for is to endure the same hell I am facing. To Basil: My dear old friend. Forgive me from my hatred and sinful nature. I am truly sorry. To Sybil: Words cannot even begin to say how sorry I am. You have no reason to forgive. And to the rest of you: please don’t get caught in sin, pride, vanity and greed. For all of these things lead to what I became, A Monster.
Dear evil monsters,
Hello, I am Dorian Gray and I never used to be a monster until one day my selfish acts turned me into one. I killed Basil Hallward because he made me discover how truly flawless I am. I am incredibly gorgeous, and I have yet to find a single physical flaw on me. I wanted to stay young and flawless for eternity and in my own selfish interest killed Basil. Basil did not deserve to die, but I made a mistake don’t we all? My ex-fiancée committed suicide the day after I broke off our engagement. Even though I did not kill her I am still at fault, after all I did break off the engagement. I just made a few mistakes after all I am only physically flawless, I am just a human after all. I am a selfish human and my selfish mistakes turned me into a monster. Although I do not regret any of the choices I made, yes they made me into a monster but I am still beautiful. That is all I care about, being beautiful. My stupid mistakes did not do anything to my appearance. The very kind Basil showed me just how flawless I was, but I killed me he was nothing but nice to me and I killed him. I have Lord Henry to thank for my own high self-esteem. He was the one who convinced me that beauty was everything and nothing else matters. Lord Henry opened my eyes to the true matters of the world and I thank him. He was the one who I talked with about the image Basil had painted of me. Lord Henry was the one that had told me that painting was exactly how I looked-I was flawless. Now looking back on all that has happened the only advice I have is not to listen to others. While I do not regret the mistakes I have made even though they were selfish I do wish I had not listened to Lord Henry. I now know that beauty is not all that matters; there are more important things in the world that matter. If I had the chance to go back and talk to Lord Henry I would argue my theories with him and prove that beauty is not the most important thing.
Sincerely,
Dorian Gray
Dear monsters,
When I first met my good friend, Lord Henry, I found his ideas about valuing beauty and art above all other things fascinating and inspiring. Adopting this strong belief has led me commit a number of sins, but none being completely irrational in my eyes. It would be wrong to assume that I do not feel regret for my actions toward poor Sybil Vane, but I felt that she did not deserve me. I valued beauty above all else and I simply no longer found her worthy after seeing her abysmal performance the other night. Lord Henry provoked my thoughts on life and the finer things in it. In fact it was the book that he gave to me that helped me fully form my way of thinking and acting. I was fascinated by how my appearance remains so pure while my mind became full of sinful thoughts and my actions were less than the average person’s perception of moral. My painting has become ravaged by age and cruel emotions, but my body is just as young and innocent as the day the painting was created. After conversing with Basil Hallward following a while of no contact with him I decided to show him my pride, his painting. I felt an immense hatred toward him and his lack of understanding of the true greatness of my life’s work, and I killed him. I felt that he did not appreciate the magnificence and did not deserve to continue living. The first feeling of regret I began to feel was that I could not feel love toward another person. I spent so much time and thought on my own beauty that I found it hard love others. The incident with Sybil’s brother, James Vane, really made me question my way of life. Later I confessed to Lord Henry that I wanted the rest of my life to be free of sin, he did not fully believe me thinking that my life was flawless and I should not ruin it with these naïve thoughts. Expecting to see an improvement in the painting from my change of heart, I was devastated to find that it had worsened. My life of beauty and sin has only brought me mental agony. I cannot bear to see this painting because it shows me for the monster I truly am.
Sincerely, Dorian Gray
Dear Fellow Monsters,
I Dr. Henry Jekyll am truly a monster. I am a a good man if i do say up front but i myself have always yearned for the illustrious lure of evil. I was so obsessed with the thrill of the deeds that i could not help myself. I suppose you’re wondering what i am babbling on about . It was i myself that created the sinister fellow Mr. Hyde. I was only trying to separate my evil self from my good side. You see i’ve become intrigued with the duality of man and as a man of science i decided to experiment on myself. I was trying to see if i could remove the evil from my body. What a got was a brilliant effect. I was not only younger but i got a real splendor out of the atrocities i committed. I do say there was one night that i trample over a little rugrat without any remorse. I would’ve gotten away with it too had there not been meddlers. Now i know i can’t justify the actions i took for Mr. Hyde does things in cold blood. Just out of pure evil. But for the life of me i can not understand why others find him so appalling. When i first saw myself as Hyde I became extremely happy it was like seeing myself for the first time. I tried to go without being Hyde for a while but i broke. I dare say i would even commit crimes even when i wasn’t Hyde. Looking back I have no regrets my experiment was a success! I finally wouldn’t need to hide my other-side. What i want to say to all you other monsters is stay true to our inner monster! After all would i have been Hyde had i not enjoyed it.
Sincerely yours,
Dr. Henry Jekyll
Jeremiah Sweet
Mr. Cook
Honors English – E block
January 7, 2010
Dear Reader:
It is true that I am indeed a monster; inhuman, shunned from society, hideous... I was created and brought to life by another human, and that person made me for the sole purpose of self interest. That individual did not take into mind the amount of pain my creation would cause me. I am forever doomed to be an outcast and a freak of nature, and I will be by myself for ever. My creator would not create an accomplice for me even when I pressed the matter, and this caused me to react rashly.
I am a monster because of my outward appearance and creation. Being a creation built up from other humans, I am atrociously hideous. The only experience that made me who I am is my creation because I was made a monster. Even now I don’t intend to be monstrous, but it is of my inner being. I have learned the culture of humans, civilized myself, and even tried to come into friendly alliances with humans. All my attempts were in vein, however, because humans see too much of themselves in monsters like myself. I am no more of a monster than my creator, who selfishly made me. Every individual has the potential to be a monster internally by doing things that aren’t human such as killing and stealing nihilistically. I have been permanently labeled as a monster because of my appearance and the fact that I am not human.
I would like to sincerely apologize for any wrong actions that I have already committed. I believe that I am civilized enough to apologize. To all other monsters and readers of this letter: I am not a monster by choice. I realize that I have been condemned to this position, but it is not a position that I accept.
Stephanie Kelley
In Cold Blood
Character: Perry
Monsters,
You may all view me as one of you, but I do not see it that way. Yes, maybe I feel somewhat bad for murdering innocent people. I had someone doing it with me so things were not as bad as they seem. I do not look like a monster, and I certainly do not feel like one. If you want to see me as that, then I guess that is alright with me. I had nothing else to do with my life so I didn’t see why it was wrong to follow what Dick was telling me to do. I am not what you would call a happy person and when I was feeling most down on myself, Dick came around for me. We had met in prison and I did not see the harm in becoming partners in crime. If anything turned me into a monster it was not Dick, it was all of the people that had abandoned me in my past. I remember my parent’s divorce as if it happened yesterday. I was living with my mom and ran away to my dad, but was turned away by him. So much for someone to depend on. I was then put into a catholic orphanage where I was beaten for simply wetting the bed. How can I be a monster if there are people like this in the world? You see, Dick is the only person I could ever depend on. I admit I was surprised that I was able to kill those people. I would have done anything to have a friend like Dick. I admit, sometimes I became suicidal on my journey with Dick. I could not find many reasons to live. I remember standing up to what Dick was telling me once even though I went along with almost everything he said. He wanted to rape Nancy the young girl who we had taken. I would not let him, it felt somewhat good to stick up for myself, I guess. I see flaws in what I did and in other ways I do not. However, because of what I have done my life has ended because I was hanged. I would like to let all of Mr. Cook’s eleventh graders and all of you monsters that I do, in a way, regret some of the things I did. Never listen to everything someone is telling you to do if it sounds bad. Dick was there for me when I needed him and that caused me to listen to his every word. I hope you can see what I have done and not make the same mistakes unless you have a reason for it.
Perry
Kevin Hurd
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Dear my fellow monsters,
I would like to introduce myself. My name is Dorian Gray. I lived in London and was very affluent. Along with that I was exceptional attractive. In fact, so beautiful, I had a portrait done of me by my good friend Basil Hallward. The portrait is where my downfall to wickedness started. I had let my beauty get to my head and offered my soul for eternal youth. In turn, my picture would age and grow deformities as my life and sins progressed. I was considered a monster because I was viewed as having no morals. I blame Lord Henry for my downfall. He was the one who influenced me into the path that I took. I was young and just sounded convincing. I went on a road of endless sin and no compassion. I broke up with Sibyl because I was only fascinated with her acting ability. I ruined her acting career and then I broke up with her causing her to kill herself. The bad part was that Lord Henry was able to convince me that the death wasn’t all that bad. Time and time again he let me run free with my wild and wicked behavior. I would shake off all immoral things I would do by going to opium dens. I know I know, I had my own house but I much prefer the opium dens don’t ask me why. The climax of my immoral deeds though was when I murdered my good friend Basil. He was only trying to help me get back to my white innocence days, but I wouldn’t listen to him. That was the only one I couldn’t smoke away in the dens. My heart ached every minute of the day about the incident. The worst was when Henry said that I had gone too far. He was the reason for my lifestyle but he was not able to take credit for my horrible deeds. At last I had had enough with this kind of life and stabbed the damned portrait, not remembering what happened but my life has ended. If there is anyway to restart all over from the top again I would enjoy that because I didn’t want to kill my friend. Also I wouldn’t listen to Lord Henry the real monster in the book.
Sincerely
Dorian Gray
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