St John s Senior School

Transcription

1 St John s Senior School Subject: ENGLISH Teacher: K. Hull Form: THIRD FORM Term: SPRING WEEK 1 WEEK BEGINNING 1 st January FRANKENSTEIN Context Awareness of the history and structure of typical gothic novel What caused the rise of interest in the Gothic? Relevance to the modern reader. Read the context sheet on Mary Shelley. What themes do we expect to find in the novel? Ask pupils to create a list in their exercise books. Read through the Typical aspects of the Gothic sheet. Ensure that pupils understand the elements. Pupils should look closely at Goya s engraving (Resource 1). In what ways do the visual images link to Mary Shelley s presentation of the world of Frankenstein? Pupils should complete the Mapping the novel worksheet (Resource 2). Explore the significance of a range of settings; rootlessness of evil and the impossibility of escape. Could also suggest the universal danger of Frankenstein s actions. Extend the discussion to include religious implications and the Prometheus myth. Pupils to read the fact sheet on Luigi Galvini. They should create a newspaper article for the Victorian Herald to inform the public of Galvini s scientific breakthrough. (Resource 3) Read Walton s letters: focus on the epistolary form and SKILLS Speaking and Listening Make different kinds of relevant contributions in groups, responding appropriately to others, proposing ideas and asking questions. Reading and Writing Extract and interpret information, events, main points and ideas from texts. Infer and deduce meanings, recognising the writers intentions Identify and comment on writers' purposes and viewpoints, and the overall effect of the text on the reader Develop and adapt reading skills and strategies Use inference and deduction to recognise implicit meanings at sentence and text level

2 2 3 8 th January 15 th January introduce the concept of a frame narrative. Focus on thriving ambition and a burning desire to explore new land. Explore the relationship between Walton and his sister; analyse language and the silent female. Areas for Discussion: Rise of the Gothic novel in the late 18th Century. As a result of the rise of Science, superstition was on the wane and people (especially women) began to enjoy the genre. The first classic was Horace Walpole s Castle of Otranto. The Grand Tour had developed interest in foreign landscapes and legends. At the turn of the century there was a growing belief that science might be able to reanimate corpses, fuelled by the discovery of electricity and experiments by Laws (a mentor of Percy Shelley from Oxford) and Galvini. The Romantic poets, notably Byron and Shelley, used legends in their verse and horror was to be found in the Arthurian tales, especially those concerning the dangers to be faced in seeking the Grail, notably the Chapel Perilous, inhabited by bats with baby faces. Childe Harold is found wading through lakes of blood etc. Part One: Walton s Letters Narrative structure Introduce themes Frankenstein family background. Discovering the secret of life. Pupils should read The Rime of the Ancient Mariner outline (Resource 4). Teacher should introduce the term intertextuality and its significance in relation to Coleridge. The technique of allusion should also be discussed. Pupils to create a dramatic monologue from the perspective of Mother Nature in response to the killing of the albatross. Teacher should guide this with elements of

3 Romanticism and the Sublime, as well as, alluding to the novel s major themes. Read Letter 1 closely: focus on vivid descriptions of landscape. Pupils complete the extract analysis sheet (Resource 5) Read Letter 2 closely: focus on light and dark imagery and the notion of fulfilment. Create a character profile for Walton: what does the reader learn? Provide evidence. Read Letter 3 and draw linguistic comparisons between the earlier ones. Ambition and pride seem to overshadow the love and affection for his sister. Pupils should explore why this may be using Resource 6. Read Letter 4 onwards: the introduction of Frankenstein. Use the grid (Resource 7) to compare the behaviour of Walton and Frankenstein. Pupils to complete evaluative questions for the first part of the novel: Is Walton a reliable narrator? Why or why not? Is Walton s goal to confer on all mankind... a passage near the pole noble or overly ambitious? How does Robert s desire for a friend affect his relationship with Dr. Frankenstein? How might this relationship affect the reader s trust in Walton as a reliable narrator? Why is the poem The Ancient Mariner important to Walton? How is the stranger similar to the ancient mariner? What mood does Shelley create by alluding to this poem? Walton has a thirst for knowledge, as the stranger once did. What details suggest that both are willing to make sacrifices in the search for knowledge? Do they seem unusual in this respect? Areas for Discussion:

4 4 22 nd January Explore Shelley s use of language to convey a closeness between Walton and his sister. Extend to develop ideas about female expectations and their place in society. Why is Margaret silenced? How does her implied behaviour conform to society s expectations? Does Walton patronise her at any stage? Essay plan: Explain how Mary Shelley uses the opening sequence of letters from Captain Walton to establish the themes of the novel. How do they influence the reader s view of humanity? Part Two: Frankenstein s Narrative. Building the creature. Gothic elements. Role of Clerval. Symbolism. Read Chapters 1 and 2. Focus on the excellent reputation of his family and the opposition between public and private worlds. Analyse the introduction of Caroline closely (Resource 6). Draw pupils attention to the structure of the story; it reads as very mechanical in places why is this? Link to The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and his penance. The description of Elizabeth as a beautiful baby is significant because it draws parallels with the baby monster. Return to this description to appreciate the full contrast in Victor s reaction. Pupils write a diary entry from the perspective of Elizabeth, expressing her true views on Victor s departure. Chapter 4 & 5: Victor s descent in to madness and obsession to be greater than God. Class debate (S&L): Frankenstein merely follows in

5 the footsteps of his predecessors; he endeavours to enlighten mankind for a better future Pupils to adopt the role of key members of Victorian society and characters from the novel. For example, Galvini, Mary Shelley, Queen Victoria etc. Chapter 5: explore the significance of the Freudian dream. As well as, pathetic fallacy and the religious lexical field (Resource 7). Close extract analysis: elements of tragedy and Frankenstein as the tragic hero. Areas for Discussion: Genetic engineering in the modern world can a perfect human being be created in a laboratory? Link to modern examples from cinema: Jurassic Park (2016) The Indominus Rex and the disastrous aftermath of her creation (Resource 8). Why do children need a loving mother and father? Extend to include the Nature Vs. Nurture debate. This touches on the creation of evil and links neatly to the duality of Frankenstein and his creation (the common misconception that Frankenstein is the monster and not the inventor) th January 5 th February MINI-TEST WEEK Extract analysis: How does Shelley convey Frankenstein s disappointment with his creation, in this extract? (30 marks for content, 4 marks for SPaG) In your response, you should refer to writer s methods and relevant context. Part Three: Fragile Females? The murder of William (symbolism) Frankenstein finds the Creature. Justine Moritz (Christ-like) Frankenstein s sense of guilt. Think-Pair-Share: How does Shelley create a

6 7 19 th February mysterious mood in Chapters 1-6? How does the action create a feeling of terror in the reader? What supernatural elements does she include? Consider setting, plot, and character in your analysis. Rejection: pupils should explore the reasons why people often feel rejected or like an outsider. Develop to share ideas about sympathy for the monster/victor. Read Chapter 6: focus on the image of family; compare Elizabeth s view and Frankenstein s. Why has Shelley chosen to portray them this way? Discussion: the description of gentle and caring women contrasts dramatically with the egotism of men. How fair is this interpretation of the novel, so far? Extend: feminist perspective. Explore elements of Romanticism in Chapter 6 link to Percy Shelley s influence. Read Chapter 7: close extract analysis. Focus on light and dark imagery, symbolism, foreshadowing and duality as the major features (Resource 9) Read Chapter 8: Justine s countenance throughout the trial and her integrity: parallel with Victor s remorse but failure to save Justine. Etymology of her name and Elizabeth s belief paints her as a sacrificial lamb link to Bible and dying for mankind s sins. Speech writing: write an honest account of events from Frankenstein s perspective to save Justine from prosecution. Read Chapter th 17 th February HALF - TERM Part Four: The Monster s Narrative and Request. Theme of playing God Cruelty and fear The Creature s vow for revenge. Identify and understand the main ideas, viewpoints, themes and purposes in a text

7 Read Chapters 10 and 11. Focus on the setting and the calming effects of nature. Read the opening of Chapter 12 and create a character profile for the monster. Does he seem to be beastly? Is he cruel and wretched? what does he seem to be longing for? Philosophical debate: Is the monster a living thing? What does it mean to be alive? Is it the physical (scientific) functions or is it the capacity to love and be loved? Read Chapter 13 and plan a response to the following question: Why is Chapter 13 the most significant, in terms of understanding the creature s motivations in life? (PETAL) Read Chapters 14,15 and 16. Answer the following: What questions would you like to ask the creature? How does the creature get to know the family who lives in the cottage? Why is he drawn to the family? How does the family s reaction to the creature affect his view of himself and humans? Explain and comment on writers' use of language, including grammatical and literary features at word and sentence level Accurately use subject terminology to support ideas. Identify and evaluate poetic devices and impact on reader. Make relevant comparisons between texts, including contextual elements. Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar Use a wide range of vocabulary and punctuation for clarity and effect. Spell with accuracy and confidence. Part Five: Death and Destruction. The Creature kills Clerval. Victor s arrest. Victor marries Elizabeth. The Creature kills Elizabeth 8 26 th February Close analysis of the opening of Chapter 17: focus on the portrayal of the monster as Victor s nemesis. Link to the duality of man and Good Vs. Evil. In this case, which is which? How far does the reader pity the monster? Refer closely to its choice of language and the appeal to Victor for a mate. Do you believe that the monster

8 is merciful in this exchange? Would you expect him to be more cruel or forceful? Read Chapters 18 and 19. Focus on how the setting of these chapters contrast with the previous chapters. Explore Shelley s structural techniques. How do they prepare the reader for the events of Chapter 20? Reader Chapter 20, analyse language techniques closely. Focus activity: Why is it important to love and be loved? Think-Pair-Share On a sheet of paper, write three reasons why companionship or love is an important part of the human experience. Then meet with another student and read your ideas aloud. Discuss, blend, and adjust your lists to come up with three reasons that you both agree on. Read Chapter 21 and complete the Tracing Main Events pyramid, including key quotations (Resource 10). Creative writing task: Imagine that Victor Frankenstein has decided to write a letter to Elizabeth or his father that describes his thoughts about creating another creature. Take on the role of Frankenstein as you write a letter of explanation. You may want to compare Frankenstein s creation of the second creature to his creation of the first one. Does he have the same motives, or different? Do you think his attitude toward such ambitious projects has changed? 9 5 th March Part Six: The Closing Chapters. Narrative structure Shelley s message Mankind s penance Read Chapters 21 to 24. Complete the grid to document Victor and his creation s motives, feelings, or state of

9 mind (Resource 11). Comprehension questions: Did the ending of the novel surprise you? Can you imagine a different ending to the novel? Explain. What does Frankenstein promise to tell Elizabeth after they are married? How does he behave in the weeks leading up to their wedding? Why is Frankenstein especially agitated as evening approaches on their wedding day? What happens to Elizabeth? What is ironic, or unexpected, about the creature s revenge on Frankenstein? What does Frankenstein resolve to do? How does Shelley show that Frankenstein and the creature are both obsessed with revenge? Does either of them win? Explain. How does Shelley return to her frame story in Chapter 24? What effect does she achieve by using this frame story? How do you think Frankenstein failed or erred as a human being? What traits or attributes, do you think, led to the creature s fate? Creative writing task: On board Walton s ship, the creature sees his creator for the last time. If they had had a chance to talk at this point, what might they say to each other at the end of their long chase? Write a dialogue that reveals each character s feelings about the other and about himself th March The Poetry of Robert Browning: His Life and Works. Dramatic monologues: power and control Morality, evil and violence. Reaction to Romanticism.

10 Poems: The Laboratory My Last Duchess Home Thoughts from Abroad Extended Essay Prep th March What view of the being is conveyed in Chapter 5 of Frankenstein, and to what extent does this view change when the being narrates his own story in chapters 11 16? In your response explore language and structure and comment on Mary Shelley s themes. Pupils should use the support booklet to help them plan for this essay. First draft to be submitted for marking and feedback. Extended Essay Writing th March Pupils should make changes to the first draft, based on teacher feedback. Essay to be written in controlled conditions only a front sheet (Resource 12) should be taken in to the room. Most quotations should be learnt by heart.