How reliable is Richard Wright as the narrator of his own story?

Richard depicted events in his life in a way that engaged the reader.  Along with sharing his life events, he evaluated his life events as well and how they affected him. 

Outside Reading: Journal #5

Frankenstein is still sick, and receives a letter from Elizabeth trying to brighten his spirits.  In soing so, Victor responed in telling Elizabeth of his improved health and not to worry.  Victor admits that Henry has rejuvenated Victor's health greatly by getting him outside and traveling aroung while giving him company and encouraging him.  Things are looking up for Frankenstein.
I didn't really like the letters in this chapter because they seemed like they were thrown in there.  The author's idea to add the letters as the way of describing what is going on is a little annoying because when I think of a letter, especially from one that appears out of the blue, there should be something big happening like a disaster.  I do like the fact that the author gave the main character time to bring some happiness into his life.  A change of pace is good because otherwise it's boring you when expect Victor to be miserable.  "But Clerval called forth the better feelings of my heart" is what Victor says of his friend Clerval who has been taking care of him.  It is nice to see the strength of Henry's role in this story.  After being sick for so long and Clerval took care of him, when Clerval worked with Victor, Victor said "My own spirits were high and I bounded along with feelings of unbridled joy and hilarity."  When someone cares about you so much, they can really change your life I guess.
I feel like with all these happy feelings, Victor is going to be knocked back into a miserable state again soon and not just him, but Elizabeth and others as well.  The monster, I feel will come back and in a big way too.  The monster just disappeared without a trace so I can see the monster making a re-entrance in a big way.  All in all though, the book is growing on me and I can't wait to continue reading.

?'s
What was your take on how Elizabeth and Victor communicated?
Why do you feel Henry's presence in Victor's life has changed his looks on life so drastically?
What do you see happening next?

Outside Reading: Journal #4

Frankenstein has created the monster and ends up being terrified of the monster.  The monster has beautiful characteristics including white teeth and muscular build.  The monster's eyes are the only real thing that throws Victor off.  In an attempt to run away from the monster he runs into his old friend Henry Clerval visits him which sets Frankenstein into a panic state and he ends up passing out and stays ill for a while with Henry to take care of him.
Frankenstein has been working for years on this experiment and once it is done, he can't bare to face it.  He is terrified of what he has created.  The monster as the author has described him is beautiful but the eyes steal that away from the beauty.  Even when his friend comes, he is afraid to show him the monster because he's afraid he will judge him and tell his family of the horror that he created.  Clerval comes as an old friend that has missed Frankenstein and wishes to take care of him while Victor is sick.  I feel like what Victor needs is a break from science and Clerval is his perfect opportunity to do such. 
I like that the author is putting Clerval into the mix of everything and lets Frankenstein see the light that he hasn't seen in a while.  This author is using very strong descriptive characters.  Especially when she is describing the monster and all his features which are so strong, they are haunting Frankenstein.  I don't however like that she is just jumping from one thing to another.  She talks about the monster then Frankenstein realizing how bad his monster is and then Clerval shows up.  I'm just getting a little confused.
I feel like Clerval will stay with Victor and in that time being, the monster will come out of hiding and present himself to both Frankenstein and Clerval.  I feel like Clerval will leave Frankenstein in an attempt to escape and tell everyone of the monster.  This will only make Victor's misery increase and will plunge him into a state of depression which will grant him the name Dr. Frankenstein and become a mad scientist.
?'s
1.  What is your first impression of the description of the monster?  Is it similar to Frankenstein's?
2.  Why do you think that Frankenstein had that reaction to the monster?

Outside Reading: Journal #3

Victor is emerging himself in his studies.  He hasn't seen his family in two years and hasn't talked to them much.  He is becoming completely obsessed with natural philosophy (chemistry).  He is even making himself sick by how much work he is doing and how little sleep he is getting.  He is prolonging this behavior to create a living being from nonliving things because he believes he has found the secret of life.   He is focused on creating a monster made and started putting bones from charnel houses and body parts from slaughter houses together.  He is obsessed.
I can see that his misery and anguish is being put into his work.  Victor has isolated himself thinking that he is making amazing discoveries and he is but he is getting lost in it.  I'm afraid that his lack of contact with his family and being cooped up in the laboratory will drive him, he is already getting sick.  He doesn't realize the seriousness of how he is changing.  He is under the impression that he will be considered a god for creating life and will be praised.  "I became myself capable of bestowing animation upon lifeless matter."  He already predicted that his monster will be 8 ft. tall.  Frankenstein has become a form of a mad scientist being completely crazed about creating life.
?'s
What is your impression of the intensity of Victor's interest in his work?
Do you feel like this monster will live up to Victor's expectations? Explain.

Outside Reading: Journal #2

As Victor gets older, he gets more responsibilities and things to worry about.  His misery is starting to show in this chapter because his mother dies of scarlet fever.  He is also sent away from his family to live in a different country to go to school.  When he gets there, he is told that his previous study in the field of science was a waste of time because he study useless names and exploded systems.  Victor doesn't truly feel right there until he meets M. Waldman who Victor decides to be the disciple of.
I like that the author uses real life situations of the time.  There was poor health, relatives getting married, and anything close to outrageous was cast off as useless.  She also really describes in a very figurative way and emotional way.  I can feel the anguish that Victor feels especially when his mother dies. 
I think that being the disciple of this new professor will greatly influence his future in science, and most likely increase his fascination with the ancient sciences.  Victor has yet to become a genius but he is well on his way, especially with this new professor who might just end up increase his misery.  I feel like this professor will have a large part in his future misery and possible mad-scientist future.
?'s
1.  Do you think that the fact that his mother's death being the fault of Elizabeth will affect either her, Victor, or both?
2.  What do you think triggered Victor's interest in his new professor M. Waldman?

Outside Reading: Journal #1

Frankenstein By:  Mary Shelley
I chose this book because everyone knows the famous horror story of Frankenstein and his monster, I wanted to know the real story.
I knew before I started reading this book that Dr. Frankenstein creates a monster and therefore creating life.
I hope to learn about Dr. Frankenstein and how he became Dr. Frankenstein.  Classic horror stories are interesting to me, like Dracula and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, so I thought I'd learn about one of the most famous.

Journal 1
This book is about Victor who becomes Dr. Frankenstein.  He lives a very good life, he has money, a loving family, and is very smart.  In the first chapter it seems that in spite of this good life one can already tell that the misery is building within him.  At a young age he was reading ancient science book and idolized scientists whose methods and studies were cast off as outlandish and aren't followed.  His father's disapproval only made him more engaged in the subject and this hooked Victor into the sciences.
His family plays a huge role in his life from what I've read.  His father's opinion plays a part on the way he looks at things, his mother's past seems to fascinate him in a way, Elizabeth his cousin/future wife seems to be his companion from the beginning, he even says "From the time Elizabeth Lavenza became my playfellow, and, as we grew older, my friend." and they care for each other even if they are young, his brothers Ernest and William play as a form of innocence in his life, and his friend Henry Clerval is his extremely smart friend that brings him joy with his plays like Robin Hood and Amadis, that they acted out together and as an equally smart individual.
I like the author's, Mary Shelley, style in writing because she seems to bring up the past in the middle of present thoughts so the reader doesn't get confused and gets a further understanding of the characters and subjects in the book.
I feel like misery will just continue and become more noticeable as the book goes on.  I think that Victor will marry Elizabeth and she'll die because that seems to be the trend in this book with dying or very sick people, and that will be the last straw for Victor and he will turn into Dr. Frankenstein and try to maybe create someone that won't bring him pain.
?'s
1. Why do you think Victor is rebelling and learning about science that is labeled as outlandish and that his father told him not to read?
2.  Do you think that all the sickness and death in his family and its history has an effect on Victor? Explain.

Al Joad Chapter 20 Journal entry

Eva' since we gots here in California, all we've got is trouble.  Da fambly is gettin' restless in search of a job.  We get ta dis here camp where we is assumin' peopl is jus' stayin' the night but it is a lookin' like dis place is a permanent settlement.  Tom was talkin' ta dis guy Floyd an' den I started talkin' wit him.  Floyd was sayin' dat there ain't no jobs an' everyone in this here camp is all searchin' for something.   I guess helpin' Floyd wit his car helped relax me.  As I'm workin; I be daydreamin' out loud 'bout how I'd like to have me a Cad' 16, but that's just dreamin'.  Dat was 'bout all da peace we got 'cause da police came an' set everythin' in motion.  They was after Floyd so Tom tripped da cop and den Casy gets arrested for knockin' da cop out an' tells Tom ta run.  I wanna know why all dis is happenin'.  Tom eventually has ta knock Uncle John out 'cause he got drunk thinkin' 'bout his wife.  John wouldn't get in da car so Tom got him in by punchin' him.  Our fambly is crumblin' apart 'cause Connie jus' up an; left too.  Dis here trip is showin' what everyone is really like an' it is not a pretty sight.  I don't know what use I have ta da fambly no more 'cause all anyone needed from me was ta get dem ta California an' dat is what I did..  Everyone seems ta be questionin' their usefullness.  I don't blame 'em cause their ain't nothin' out here for us.  I jus' don't know no more.         The fact that there is no more jobs is breaking everyone.  California with the police chasing them, living in small camps as a lifestyle, and having no money is making everyone see that they should've never came.  Tom is a key character in this chapter being the nice friend to FLoyd and saving him from the cops, to still being Al's role model, to being the muscle of the family.  Tom doesn't realize just how important he is to the Joad family.  He brings them hope, especially Ma, and everyone depends on him.  Al plays a quiet role in this chapter by interacting with Floyd and realizing that his dreams of being a big shot with his amazing car is far from reach.