1. When is man or woman succesfull?

2. Are we all Frankensteins?

3. The subject of 'Mankind's Success or Failure' was more difficult than Furbisher had first assumed. Why is this subject so difficult?
   
   
   

4. The horror film reminds Dr. Furbisher of the atmosphere we live in: an atmosphere of death, darkness, fear. What does the digging man represent to his mind?

1. A person digging for a treasure?

2. An archeologist?

3. A research scientist?

4. Great thinkers?

5. Mankind in general?

6. A fool searching for something in the wrong place?

Choose one reason and justify your answer in a few lines.

5. Furbisher suggests that his mind, your minds, all minds are graveyards. Does he mean:

1. The real living universe escapes Man, and Man is left with a dead universe between his hands?

2. Man mutilates reality by constructing theories that only cover a minute fraction of what exists?

3. Man kills parts of the Universe with his hands?

4. New observations and discoveries keep making previous discoveries an observations obsolete?

5. Man examines the Universe through cold analysis and not through contemplation?

6. From bits and pieces, from different bodies, Frankenstein constructs a living monster. Furbisher maintains that we keep constructing monsters and that we are monsters.
“Monster” is a strong word to describe a person, but Furbisher uses the image to impress his audience with his light. What could help change the situation?

1. A living heart with pure eyes?

2. A desire of pure creations?

3. An understanding that we are monsters?

4. A hope that it will change some day?

5. A need to live on the surface in the sunshine?

6. Using simplicity to approach life and people?

7. A mass murder of all those suspected of being monsters?

Justify your response in a few lines.

7. During his lecture, Furbisher pronounced the words:

“Man is deaf to the music of life,
dead to the feeling of life,
blind to reality.”

He explained a little later what he meant:

“Man is deaf to the music of life if he does not want to experience its colour, life, rhythm, aura and music, that it constantly irradiates and are its nature.”

“Man is dead to the feeling of life, if he does not desire to feel and experience the inner movement and palpitation of beings and things.”

“Man is blind to reality if he refuses to see himself as an ant, a gorilla and as infinite, at the same time, -- as a bringer of darkness, a bringer of light and a maker of monsters.”

1. Why does Furbisher imply that the desire and the will to change the existing situation is enough to bring about great changes in Man's approach to the universe and life?

2. Why does Furbisher want to change this situation?

3. Where could these changes in Man's attitude lead Man to?
   
   
   

8. In many ways, Furbisher is the opposite of Frankenstein. Show some ways he is opposite to him.

9. Furbisher's audience felt thoroughly intimidated when he said:

“We are dead

We are deaf

We are blind.”

Imagine their reaction.

Some of them became furious, some walked out, some laughed at him and some stayed to listen. To those who stayed he gave a warning at the end of the lecture:

“The pendulum in the clock swings to and fro, and time slips away, completely unnoticed, like the music of the universe, like the music of the spheres.”

“The sand falls through a giant hour glass, and the living universe slowly becomes a corpse.”

“Stardust and jewels drift past our eyes and we do not see them.”

1. These statements contain warnings. What warnings?

2. Why does he give a warning to the audience?

3. Do you think he succeeded with his lecture?

4. Do you think he wanted to help give life or take it away?

5. Do you think a man like Furbisher could ever succeed in changing the world?

6. How would you feel if Furbisher called you a Frankenstein?
   
   
   

10. Can you find arguments as strong as his, to convince him you are not a Frankenstein? If you can, what arguments? If not, why do you agree with him?