Year 9 English Frankenstein Knowledge Book for Assessments Lent Term

Transcription

1 Year 9 English Frankenstein Knowledge Book for Assessments Lent Term

2 Instructions: Use the support information in this booklet and your exercise books to make revision materials. Below are some more detailed explanations of how to create effective revision cards and mind maps Revision Cards: If you are making cards put a heading for the card on one side and the information that you want to remember on the other side. Once you have read through a card, turn it over and try to remember the information from memory.

3 Eventually revise by just looking at the card titles and trying to recall the information without looking! Mind-map: Make a mind-map for the topic that breaks the topic down into spurs and sub-spurs working out from the middle. You could focus on a specific character or theme, or look at a specific Act or chapter. 1. Once you have studied the mind map put it away and try to draw it again from memory. 2. Once you have drawn all that you can take the original mind map out again and add any details that you missed out on the map that you drew from memory. 3. Repeat this process until you can produce it perfectly from memory. Key Skills The assessments in English are broken into 3 and each one requires different reading and writing skills. This unit will encompass Assessment? - Formal Assessment key piece of work for Lent Term Extract from Frankenstein compared with non-fiction extract. Comparison of attitudes in texts and writer s methods used to convey said attitudes. (Based on skills needed for Language: Paper 2, Question 4 synoptic comparison)

4 Spellings Every three weeks students at CNS are tested on set spellings in an attempt to improve overall literacy. This knowledge booklet contains the spellings for this term. Please take the time to practice these spellings at home. More marks are being awarded each year at GCSE level for literacy so this will have a real impact on achievement. The dates shown are the Monday dates of the weeks when the spellings will be tested. The specific day in that week will be decided by the class teacher. Year /18 Lent Term - You will be tested on these words on the dates below 29/1/18 26/2/18 19/3/18 23/4/18 Date hyperbole bicycle defend Prefix / Suffix hypersensitive biped deflesh Common misspelling Subject words hyperactive bicolour debunk weight accommodation actually persuade conclusion conscience separate explanation February pollution average illusion tourism percentage foreground erosion volume abstract FINAL CHECK ON 10 WORDS FROM THESE LISTS. Wow word! boorish calamitous caustic

5 Glossary of Literary Terms You should be familiar with most of these terms and be able to use them in your discussions about English language or literature. Make sure you note down any new terms that you come across during your study. It would be useful to create your own glossary. One way of doing this is by buying an address book with A-Z sections, then you can record the terms alphabetically to make referencing them easy! Alliteration Allusion Ambiguity Anthropomorphism Assonance Atmosphere Colloquial Connotation Diction Empathy End stopping Enjambment Figurative language Genre Imagery Internal rhyme Irony Metaphor The repetition of the same consonant sound, especially at the beginning of words A reference to another event, person, place or work of literature. The allusion is usually implied rather than explicit and provides another layer of meaning to what is being said Use of language where the meaning is unclear or has two or more possible meanings or interpretations. It could be created by a weakness in the writer s expression, but it is more likely it is a deliberate device used by the writer to create layers of meaning The endowment of human characteristics to something that is not human The repetition of similar vowel sounds The prevailing mood created by a piece of writing Ordinary, everyday speech and language An implication or association attached to a word or phrase. It is suggested or felt rather than being explicit The choice of words a writer uses. Another word for vocabulary A feeling on the part of the reader of sharing the particular experience being described by the character or writer A verse line with a pause or stop at the end of it A line of verse that flows on into the next line without a pause Language that is symbolic or metaphorical and not meant to be taken literally A particular type of writing eg prose, poetry, drama The use of words to create a picture or image in the mind of the reader. Images can relate to any of the senses, not just sight Rhyming words within a line rather than at the end of lines At its simplest level, it means saying one thing while meaning another. It occurs where a word or phrase has one surface meaning but another contradictory, possibly opposite meaning is implied. Irony is often confused with sarcasm. Sarcasm is spoken, relying on the tone of voice and is much more blunt than irony A comparison of one thing to another to make the description more vivid. The metaphor actually states that one thing is another.

6 Metre Narrative Onomatopoeia Pathos Personification Plot Point of View Protagonist Pun Rhyme Rhyme scheme Rhythm Satire Simile Sonnet Stanza Structure Style Symbol Syntax Theme The regular use of unstressed and stressed syllables in poetry A piece of writing that tells a story The use of words whose sounds copies the thing or process they describe The effect in literature which makes the reader feel sadness or pity The attribution of human feelings, emotions, or sensations to an inanimate object. Personification is a type of metaphor where human qualities are given to things or abstract ideas The sequence of events in a poem, play, novel or short story that make up the main storyline A story can be told by one of the characters or from another point of view. The point of view can change from one part of the story to another when events are viewed through the minds of two or more characters. The main character or speaker in a poem, monologue, play or story A play on words that have similar sounds but quite different meanings Corresponding sounds in words, usually at the end of each line, but not always The pattern of rhymes in a poem The movement of the poem as created through the meter and the way that language is stressed within the poem The highlighting or exposing of human failings or foolishness through ridiculing them. Satire can range from being gentle and light to extremely biting and bitter in tone The comparison of one thing to another in order to make the description more vivid A fourteen-line poem, usually with 10 syllables in each line. There are several ways in which the lines can be organised, but they often consist of an octave and a sestet The blocks of lines into which a poem is divided. [Sometimes these are, less precisely, referred to as verses, which can lead to confusion as poetry is sometimes called verse ] The way a poem or play or other piece of writing has been put together The individual way in which the writer has used language to express his or her ideas Like the use of images, symbols present things which represent something else. In very simple terms, a red rose can be used to symbolise love; distant thunder can symbolise approaching trouble. Symbols can be very subtle and multi-layered in their significance The way in which sentences are structured. Sentences can be structured in different ways to achieve different effects The central idea or ideas that a writer explores through a text

7 Independent Study Guidance Week 1 Spellings Refer to grid learn spellings AND their definitions for test in class Week 2 Week 3 Research Homework REMEMBER the useful websites listed on the last page of this booklet if you need additional support Written Homework REMEMBER the useful websites listed on the last page of this booklet if you need additional support Expectation is one - two pages of Research Write a biography on the life of Mary Shelley. This could include information on:- Her childhood Her parents How Frankenstein came to be written. Contextual information about the times in which she lived. Remember you can use the school library and useful websites listed will provide you with plenty of information to read and collate. To write a comparative essay that compares and contrasts any two characters from Frankenstein. This should be one page of writing. Possible comparisons could be: Victor Frankenstein and the creature. Victor Frankenstein and Robert Walton Victor Frankenstein and Henry Clerval Caroline Frankenstein (Victor s mother) and Elizabeth Lavenza Justine Moritz and Elizabeth Lavenza Week 4 Spellings Refer to grid learn spellings AND their definitions for test in class Week 5 Research Homework REMEMBER the useful websites listed on the last page of this booklet What is meant by the Romantic Movement in literature? (This is not romantic love stories) Examples of Romantic texts (at least two) and why they are representative of this movement.

8 if you need additional support This should be one page of research using your own words Week 6 Written Homework REMEMBER the useful websites listed on the last page of this booklet if you need additional support Imagine you run a travel company that organises tours to places featured in Frankenstein. Creatively describe each place, its relevance to the text and persuade potential tourists to visit. This should be one page of writing and should include three destinations Places referred to in the text include: Geneva, Switzerland Ingolstadt, Germany Orkney Islands, Scotland Chamonix, France Archangel St Petersburg, Russia Half Term Week 1 Spellings Refer to grid learn spellings AND their definitions for test in class Week 2 Research Homework REMEMBER the useful websites listed on the last page of this booklet if you need additional support Create a detailed mind-map on one of the following: and how it is explored in Frankenstein Characters Revenge Secrecy Responsibility This will help you revise for the assessment.

9 Week 3 Week 4 Spellings Refer to grid learn spellings AND their definitions for test in class Week 5 Week 6 Support Material Plot Summary In a series of letters, Robert Walton, the captain of a ship bound for the North Pole, recounts to his sister back in England the progress of his dangerous mission. Successful early on, the mission is soon interrupted by seas full of impassable ice. Trapped, Walton encounters Victor Frankenstein, who has been travelling by dogdrawn sledge across the ice and is weakened by the cold. Walton takes him aboard ship, helps nurse him back to health, and hears the fantastic tale of the monster that Frankenstein created. Victor first describes his early life in Geneva. At the end of a blissful childhood spent in the company of Elizabeth Lavenza (his adopted sister) and friend Henry

10 Clerval, Victor enters the university of Ingolstadt to study natural philosophy and chemistry. There, he is consumed by the desire to discover the secret of life and, after several years of research, becomes convinced that he has found it. Armed with the knowledge he has long been seeking, Victor spends months feverishly fashioning a creature out of old body parts. One climactic night, in the secrecy of his apartment, he brings his creation to life. When he looks at the monstrosity that he has created, however, the sight horrifies him. After a fitful night of sleep, interrupted by the spectre of the monster looming over him, he runs into the streets, eventually wandering in remorse. Victor runs into Henry, who has come to study at the university, and he takes his friend back to his apartment. Though the monster is gone, Victor falls into a feverish illness. Sickened by his horrific deed, Victor prepares to return to Geneva, to his family, and to health. Just before departing Ingolstadt, however, he receives a letter from his father informing him that his youngest brother, William, has been murdered. Grief-stricken, Victor hurries home. While passing through the woods where William was strangled, he catches sight of the monster and becomes convinced that the monster is his brother s murderer. Arriving in Geneva, Victor finds that Justine Moritz, a kind, gentle girl who had been adopted by the Frankenstein household, has been accused. She is tried, condemned, and executed, despite her assertions of innocence. Victor grows despondent, guilty with the knowledge that the monster he has created bears responsibility for the death of two innocent loved ones. Left alone the monster must teach himself in the ways of the world and does so by observing the DeLacey family. His appearance, which shocks others, does not matter to the blind old man DeLacey and the monster becomes aware of the importance of appearance and of companionship. Hoping to ease his grief, Victor takes a holiday to the mountains. While he is alone one day, crossing an enormous glacier, the monster approaches him. The monster admits to the murder of William but begs for understanding. Lonely, shunned, and forlorn, he says that he struck out at William in a desperate attempt to injure Victor, his cruel creator. The monster begs Victor to create a mate for him, a monster equally grotesque to serve as his sole companion. Victor refuses at first, horrified by the prospect of creating a second monster. The monster is eloquent and persuasive, however, and he eventually convinces Victor. After returning to Geneva, Victor heads for England, accompanied by Henry, to gather information for the creation of a female monster. Leaving Henry in Scotland, he secludes himself on a desolate island in the Orkneys and works reluctantly at repeating his first success. One night, struck by doubts about the morality of his actions, Victor glances out the window to see the monster glaring in at him with a frightening grin. Horrified by the possible consequences of his work, Victor destroys his new creation. The monster, enraged, vows revenge, swearing that he will be with Victor on Victor s wedding night. Later that night, Victor takes a boat out onto a lake and dumps the remains of the second creature in the water. The wind picks up and prevents him from returning to the island. In the morning, he finds himself ashore near an unknown town. Upon

11 landing, he is arrested and informed that he will be tried for a murder discovered the previous night. Victor denies any knowledge of the murder, but when shown the body, he is shocked to behold his friend Henry Clerval, with the mark of the monster s fingers on his neck. Victor falls ill, raving and feverish, and is kept in prison until his recovery, after which he is acquitted of the crime. Shortly after returning to Geneva with his father, Victor marries Elizabeth. He fears the monster s warning and suspects that he will be murdered on his wedding night. To be cautious, he sends Elizabeth away to wait for him. While he awaits the monster, he hears Elizabeth scream and realizes that the monster had been hinting at killing his new bride, not himself. Victor returns home to his father, who dies of grief a short time later. Victor vows to devote the rest of his life to finding the monster and exacting his revenge, and he soon departs to begin his quest. Victor tracks the monster ever northward into the ice. In a dogsled chase, Victor almost catches up with the monster, but the sea beneath them swells and the ice breaks, leaving an unbridgeable gap between them. At this point, Walton encounters Victor, and the narrative catches up to the time of Walton s fourth letter to his sister. Walton tells the remainder of the story in another series of letters to his sister. Victor, already ill when the two men meet, worsens and dies shortly thereafter. When Walton returns, several days later, to the room in which the body lies, he is startled to see the monster weeping over Victor. The monster tells Walton of his immense solitude, suffering, hatred, and remorse. He asserts that now that his creator has died, he too can end his suffering. The monster then departs for the northernmost ice the reader presumes, to die.

12 Frankenstein Characters: CHARACTER WHO ARE THEY? ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Victor Frankenstein - The doomed protagonist and narrator of the main portion of the story. Studying in Ingolstadt, Victor discovers the secret of life and creates an intelligent but grotesque monster, from whom he recoils in horror. Victor keeps his creation of the monster a secret, feeling increasingly guilty and ashamed as he realizes how helpless he is to prevent the monster from ruining his life and the lives of others. The creature (or monster) - The eightfoot-tall, hideously ugly creation of Victor Frankenstein. Intelligent and sensitive, the monster attempts to integrate himself into human social patterns, but all who see him shun him. His feeling of abandonment compels him to seek revenge against his creator.

13 Robert Walton - The Arctic seafarer whose letters open and close Frankenstein. Walton picks the bedraggled Victor Frankenstein up off the ice, helps nurse him back to health, and hears Victor s story. He records the incredible tale in a series of letters addressed to his sister, Margaret Saville, in England. Alphonse Frankenstein Victor s father, very sympathetic toward his son. Alphonse consoles Victor in moments of pain and encourages him to remember the importance of family. Elizabeth Lavenza - An orphan, four to five years younger than Victor, whom the Frankensteins adopt. In the 1831 edition, Victor s mother rescues Elizabeth from a destitute peasant cottage in Italy. Elizabeth embodies the novel s motif of passive women, as she waits patiently for Victor s attention.

14 Henry Clerval - Victor s boyhood friend, who nurses Victor back to health in Ingolstadt. After working unhappily for his father, Henry begins to follow in Victor s footsteps as a scientist. His cheerfulness counters Victor s moroseness. William Frankenstein Victor s youngest brother and the darling of the Frankenstein family. The monster strangles William in the woods outside Geneva in order to hurt Victor for abandoning him. William s death deeply saddens Victor and burdens him with tremendous guilt about having created the monster. Justine Moritz - A young girl adopted into the Frankenstein household while Victor is growing up. Justine is blamed and executed for William s murder, which is actually committed by the monster.

15 Caroline Beaufort - The daughter of Beaufort. After her father s death, Caroline is taken in by, and later marries, Alphonse Frankenstein. She dies of scarlet fever, which she contracts from Elizabeth, just before Victor leaves for Ingolstadt at age seventeen. DeLacey Family - A family of peasants, including a blind old man, De Lacey; his son and daughter, Felix and Agatha; and a foreign woman named Safie. The monster learns how to speak and interact by observing them. When he reveals himself to them, hoping for friendship, they beat him and chase him away.

16 Themes: DANGEROUS KNOWLEDGE The pursuit of knowledge is at the heart of Frankenstein, as Victor attempts to surge beyond accepted human limits and access the secret of life. Likewise, Robert Walton attempts to surpass previous human explorations by endeavoring to reach the North Pole. This ruthless pursuit of knowledge, of the light (see Light and Fire ), proves dangerous, as Victor s act of creation eventually results in the destruction of everyone dear to him, and Walton finds himself perilously trapped between sheets of ice. Whereas Victor s obsessive hatred of the monster drives him to his death, Walton ultimately pulls back from his treacherous mission, having learned from Victor s example how destructive the thirst for knowledge can be. SUBLIME NATURE The sublime natural world, embraced by Romanticism (late eighteenth century to mid-nineteenth century) as a source of unrestrained emotional experience for the individual, initially offers characters the possibility of spiritual renewal. Mired in depression and remorse after the deaths of William and Justine, for which he feels responsible, Victor heads to the mountains to lift his spirits. Likewise, after a hellish winter of cold and abandonment, the monster feels his heart lighten as spring arrives. The influence of nature on mood is evident throughout the novel, but for Victor, the natural world s power to console him wanes when he realizes that the monster will haunt him no matter where he goes. By the end, as Victor chases the monster obsessively, nature, in the form of the Arctic desert, functions simply as the symbolic backdrop for his primal struggle against the monster. MONSTROSITY Obviously, this theme pervades the entire novel, as the monster lies at the center of the action. Eight feet tall and hideously ugly, the monster is rejected by society. However, his monstrosity results not only from his grotesque appearance but also from the unnatural manner of his creation, which involves the secretive animation of a mix of stolen body parts and strange chemicals. He is a product not of collaborative scientific effort but of dark, supernatural workings.

17 The monster is only the most literal of a number of monstrous entities in the novel, including the knowledge that Victor used to create the monster (see Dangerous Knowledge ). One can argue that Victor himself is a kind of monster, as his ambition, secrecy, and selfishness alienate him from human society. Ordinary on the outside, he may be the true monster inside, as he is eventually consumed by an obsessive hatred of his creation. Finally, many critics have described the novel itself as monstrous, a stitched-together combination of different voices, texts, and tenses SECRECY Victor conceives of science as a mystery to be probed; its secrets, once discovered, must be jealously guarded. He considers M. Krempe, the natural philosopher he meets at Ingolstadt, a model scientist: an uncouth man, but deeply imbued in the secrets of his science. Victor s entire obsession with creating life is shrouded in secrecy, and his obsession with destroying the monster remains equally secret until Walton hears his tale. Whereas Victor continues in his secrecy out of shame and guilt, the monster is forced into seclusion by his grotesque appearance. Walton serves as the final confessor for both, and their tragic relationship becomes immortalized in Walton s letters. In confessing all just before he dies, Victor escapes the stifling secrecy that has ruined his life; likewise, the monster takes advantage of Walton s presence to forge a human connection, hoping desperately that at last someone will understand, and empathize with, his miserable existence. LIGHT AND FIRE What could not be expected in the country of eternal light? asks Walton, displaying a faith in, and optimism about, science. In Frankenstein, light symbolizes knowledge, discovery, and enlightenment. The natural world is a place of dark secrets, hidden passages, and unknown mechanisms; the goal of the scientist is then to reach light. The dangerous and more powerful cousin of light is fire. The monster s first experience with a still-smoldering flame reveals the dual

18 nature of fire: he discovers excitedly that it creates light in the darkness of the night, but also that it harms him when he touches it. The presence of fire in the text also brings to mind the full title of Shelley s novel, Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus. The Greek god Prometheus gave the knowledge of fire to humanity and was then severely punished for it. Victor, attempting to become a modern Prometheus, is certainly punished, but unlike fire, his gift to humanity knowledge of the secret of life remains a secret. KEY QUOTATIONS Victor Frankenstein Robert Walton Light Knowledge Appearance Secrecy Nature What may not be expected in a country of eternal light? I will pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation. I feel my heart glow with an enthusiasm which elevates me to heaven, for nothing contributes so much to tranquillize the mind as a steady purpose a Elizabeth Lavenza became the inmate of my parents' house--my more than sister--the beautiful and adored companion of all my occupations The world was to me a secret which I desired to divine. Curiosity, earnest research

19 The Creature point on which the soul may fix its intellectual eye. I, the miserable and the abandoned, to be spurned at, and kicked, and trampled on. I ought to be thy Adam; but I am rather the fallen angel. The cold stars shone in mockery, and the bare trees waved their branches above me; now and then the sweet voice of a bird burst forth amidst the universal stillness. All, save I, were at rest or in enjoyment; I, like the archfiend, bore a hell within me, and finding myself unsympathized with, wished to tear up the trees, spread havoc and destruction around me, Context: Writing Frankenstein May Shelley wrote Frankenstein in 1816 when she was 18 years old. Yep, that's right, Mary Shelley was only 18 when she wrote one of the world's most terrifying and enduring stories. Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus was published anonymously two years later. Finally, in 1823, an edition with Mary Shelley's name on it was published. We'll call Mary by her first name in this lesson to differentiate her from her husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley, another well-known literary figure from the same period. (but in your English lessons you must always refer to her by her surname) As you can probably guess, Mary had already led an unusual, even extraordinary, life by the time she was 18. She was born in 1797 to the political philosopher William Godwin, and the philosopher and feminist Mary Wollstonecraft, whose 1792 work A Vindication of the Rights of Women is an enormously important text in the history of feminism and political thought. Sadly, Wollstonecraft died only days after giving birth to Mary, who grew up in a liberal, academic household where she was encouraged to read widely and think critically. In her late teens, Mary fell in love with the Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, who was already married. Undeterred by William Godwin's fury, Mary and her husband-to-be skipped town to travel through Europe

20 together. They hung out with some big names in the Romantic literary scene, including Lord Byron and John Polidori, who is often credited with creating the vampire fiction genre. While staying near Lake Geneva in Switzerland, Mary, Percy, Byron, and Polidori found themselves cooped up inside, thanks to bad weather. Byron suggested that they have a friendly competition to see who could write the best horror story. Remember, Mary is 18, and she's just been challenged to a writing competition by well-respected, already-established writers. No pressure, right? But, after wracking her brains for a few nights, Mary came up with the idea for Frankenstein. Pretty sure she won that competition. Although Polidori's effort would be published as the first modern vampire story, so you have him to thank (or blame) for Twilight. Romanticism vs. the Enlightenment In addition to its value as a creepy, compelling tale, Frankenstein is important for the insight it provides into how people like Mary viewed the world in the early nineteenth century. We've already mentioned the Romantic movement, in which Mary's husband, Percy Shelley, and travelling companion, Lord Byron, were key figures. Romanticism was an intellectual, artistic, and literary movement that peaked in Europe from roughly 1800 to Partly a response to the Industrial Revolution, and partly to the Age of Enlightenment (more on this in a second), Romanticism favoured the imagination and intense emotions as the best and most authentic sources of aesthetic experience. Romantics raised the individual to the status of hero. Certain Romantic ideas, like the notion that misused power can harm society, are evident in Frankenstein. Frankenstein was also heavily influenced by the philosophies of the Enlightenment, a cultural movement that preceded Romanticism in Europe and lasted from about 1650 to Enlightenment thinkers, such Francis Bacon, John Locke, and Sir Isaac Newton, emphasized reason, analysis, and individualism. Rather than following religious teachings, Enlightenment thinkers turned to scientific study and practiced skepticism. We know that Mary, Percy, Byron, and Polidori were having discussions that included both Enlightenment and Romantic philosophies around the time that Mary wrote Frankenstein, and you can see the tension between these two philosophies in the novel. Is scientific exploration an exciting or a terrifying thing? Should we rely on science or emotion as a guide to ultimate truth? Does science do good or harm to society? Another place where Romanticism and Enlightenment thinking were at odds was the question of nature versus reason. Romantics thought that humans were, and ought to be, governed by nature: our desires, our emotions, and our physical surroundings. Devotees of the Enlightenment, on the other hand, believed in reason: intellect, logic, and observation. In a nutshell, Romantics believed that we should follow our hearts, while Enlightenment thinkers believed that we should follow our heads. In her story of scientific experimentation gone awry, Mary dug into the pitfalls of both Romanticism and reason. Science Meets Fiction Frankenstein is often called the first science-fiction novel. Like its literary successors, Frankenstein dealt with contemporary scientific interests, including alchemy and galvanism. Dating back to antiquity, alchemy is a tradition in which practitioners attempt to, among other things, create silver and gold from lesser materials and develop an elixir of life, which is supposed to grant youth and immortality to the drinker. By Mary Shelley's time, people had pretty much stopped thinking of alchemy as a science. A growing acceptance of chemistry as a field had led to the increasing distrust of alchemists as frauds. But thanks to a burgeoning interest in the occult, some people started to think of alchemy as a spiritual or mystical process.

21 Useful Websites for research and revision: nstein_contrev1.shtml And don t forget you have GOOGLE at your fingertips and the school or public library is also a great resource to help you find out more about your topic or consolidate your learning!