Novel Study Unit: Frankenstein

ENG3U Novel Study Unit Name: Novel Study Unit: Frankenstein

by Mary Shelley Biography English novelist Mary Shelley is best known for writing Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus (1818) and for her marriage to the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792 1822). Early years Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin was born on August 30, 1797, in London, England. She was the only daughter of Mary Wollstonecraft, the early feminist (one who works on behalf of women's rights) and author of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, and William Godwin, the political writer and novelist, both of whom objected to the institution of marriage. Ten days after Mary's birth, Wollstonecraft died from complications, leaving Godwin, a self-absorbed intellectual, to care for both Mary and Fanny Imlay, Wollstonecraft's daughter from an earlier relationship. Mary's home life improved little when four years later her father married his next-door neighbor, Mary Jane Clairmont, who already had two children of her own. The new Mrs. Godwin favored her own children over the daughters of the celebrated Wollstonecraft, and Mary was often alone and unhappy. She was not formally educated, but she read many of her mother's books and absorbed the intellectual atmosphere created by her father and such visitors as the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772 1834). Young Mary's favorite retreat was Wollstonecraft's grave in the St. Pancras churchyard, where she went to read and write, and eventually, to meet her lover, Percy Shelley (1792 1822). Life with Shelley An admirer of Godwin, Percy Shelley visited the author's home and briefly met Mary when she was fourteen, but their attraction did not take hold until a meeting two years later. Shelley, twenty-two, was married, and his wife was expecting their second child, but he and Mary, like Godwin and Wollstonecraft, believed that ties of the heart were more important than legal ones. In July 1814, one month before her seventeenth birthday, Mary ran away with Percy, and they spent the next few years traveling in Switzerland, Germany, and Italy. Percy's father, Sir Timothy Shelley, cut off his son's large allowance after the couple ran away together. In 1816 Mary's half-sister Fanny committed suicide; weeks later, Percy's wife, Harriet, drowned herself. Mary and Percy were married in London in an unsuccessful attempt to gain custody of his two children by Harriet. Three of their own children died soon after birth, and Mary fell into a deep depression that did not improve even after the birth in 1819 of Percy Florence, her only surviving child. The Shelleys' marriage suffered, too, in the wake of their children's deaths, and Percy formed romantic attachments to other women. Despite these difficult circumstances, Mary and Percy enjoyed a large group of friends, which included the poet Lord Byron (1788 1824) and the writer Leigh Hunt (1784 1859). They also maintained a schedule of very strict study including classical and European literature, Greek, Latin, and Italian language, music and art and other writing. During this period Mary completed Frankenstein, the story of a doctor who, while trying to discover the secret of life, steals bodies from graves in an attempt to create life from the parts but instead creates a monster. From www.notablebiographies.com 2

Character Map From CliffNotes Frankenstein Summary and Study Guide 3

Goal and Outcome Chart Alone or in a group, develop a chart to track the goals for a major character as you read each section, and whether or not those goals are achieved in the novel. The chart should include the following: Five to ten goals of the character Classification of goals: short-term or long-term, meaningful or not, how attained or why failed, impact on self and others Page where the goal is found and page where goal is attained or denied Page where the goal is explained Organization and readability; clear labels and headings Here is an example of what your chart may look like: Character Goal Action(s) Outcome Victor Frankenstein Chapter 1: Wanted to create a man Chapter 1: Pieced together dead people Chapter 1: Created a monster The Monster Chapters 2-3: Wanted to find friendship Chapters 2-3: Tried to become friends with a family Chapters 2-3: Scared the family and felt hatred Quality Checklist Have I classified the goals as short-term or long-term, meaningfulness, attained or not, and impact on self and others? Did I identify the page numbers where the goal is found? Have I explained the attainment or failure of the goal? Have I made my chart easy to read with clear labels and headings? Is it organized? Have I used correct mechanics? Do I have complete sentences with appropriate word choice? Is my final product neat, orderly, complete, and accurate? From www.brighthub.com 4

Decision Making At the end of chapter 16, Frankenstein s monster demands that Victor make him a mate. In chapter 17, Victor deliberates whether or not to do it. It s time for you to make that decision. Step 1: Define the character s goals. Successful people understand the importance of visualizing the desired result before beginning the quest. Consider what results Victor wants. Victor wants to protect his family, to not get caught, and to end the monster s destructive ways. Step 2: List four possible decisions Victor could make along with the pros and cons. This can be done as a whole class discussion, a small group discussion, or an individual assignment. Choice 1: Make the mate. Pros - The monster will stop killing Victor s family. Victor will relieve the guilt of abandoning his creature. The monster will go away and never be heard from again. Cons - The monster could be lying and two monsters could cause more damage to humankind. What if the monster wants children? A race of monsters could destroy humankind. The monster s mate may not even like the monster. Choice 2: Refuse to make the monster. Pros - There aren t two monsters to contend with. Two wrongs don t make a right. See the cons above. Cons - The monster will kill Victor s family and kill people in anger. Choice 3: Agree to make the monster and not actually do it. Pros - This buys Victor some time, time to devise an alternative plan. It also gets the monster away from his family and gives them time to relocate. Cons - Imagine how angry the monster will be when he finds out he s been tricked. Victor will have to associate with dead body parts once again. Choice 4: Agree to make the monster and while pretending to make it, gather up a posse to hunt him. Pros - The monster is strong, but is he capable of fending off hundreds of angry villagers? Victor wouldn t even have to admit he made the thing. He could just say he found the creature in his home. Cons - From www.brighthub.com 5

Allusion Allusion: a figure of speech that makes a reference or representation of or to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art. Allusion allows an author to make a powerful point without having to actually explain it. When using an allusion, the author assumes that the reader is familiar with the item being alluded to. An allusion is ineffective if the reader is not familiar with the item being alluded to. Publishers use footnotes or side notes to help modern readers understand allusions that may no longer be common knowledge. An allusion is not the same as an illusion. Frankenstein requires a knowledge of British Romanticism and selected writings. Familiarizing oneself with the period will make the allusions more effective. 1. Read Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Coleridge. There are numerous allusions to it in the novel. 2. Read the story of Zeus and Prometheus. The full title of the novel is Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus. 3. Make a chart containing 5-10 rows and three columns with the following headings: Example of Allusion Explanation of the Allusion Purpose of the Allusion 4. Find allusions from the novel and copy them down in column 1 5. Explain the allusion in column 2 6. Analyse the purpose of the allusion in column 3 7. Write a paragraph analysing the allusion: Why does Shelley make so many allusions to Rime of the Ancient Mariner? How does Shelley s use of allusions help you understand the loneliness of the monster? Compare Dr. Frankenstein to Prometheus From www.brighthub.com 6

Exploring Frankenstein s Mental State Directions: Record passages from chapters 7 through 10 which explore or provide insight into Frankenstein s depression and remorse. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. From The Center for Learning 7

Frankenstein in Nature Directions: Record passages from chapters 7 through 10 which address Nature s restorative power as it affects Frankenstein. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. From The Center for Learning 8

Frankenstein s Monster in Nature Directions: Record passages from chapters 7 through 10 which support or refute the idea that Nature acts as a healer or a refuge for Frankenstein s monster. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. From The Center for Learning 9

Research Seminar Name: Groups will present a 20 minute seminar on their topic. Your seminars should be academic, in that you should clearly state what you are attempting to prove and provide your audience with thoughtprovoking and critically analyzed textual support. You should also make your seminar interesting as well as informative, and so you are encouraged to weave a creative component throughout your presentation that will stimulate our understanding and imagination. Requirements: 4-5 members to a group; one topic per group 1-2 page analysis for the class, including textual references must be typed Works Cited page must be submitted with handout Length of seminar is 20 minutes you will be asked to stop at 20 minutes Peer and self evaluation form: to be handed in on the day of the presentation Seminar Topic: Group Members and Contact Info: 1. 2. 3. 4. 1. Gothic Literature Determine what Gothic literature means and the stock elements of Gothic literature Determine the stages of development of Gothic and note examples of Gothic literature Why is Frankenstein considered Gothic? Find examples from the text that support the notion that Frankenstein is an example of Gothic literature 2. The Romantic Movement Research the period and rationale of the Romantic movement Research the art, poetry and literature that evolved during the Romantic Period Compare the Romantic rationale to the events in Frankenstein. What is the story s response to the Romantic movement? Find examples from the text to support your answers. 3. The Enlightenment Research the period and rationale of the Enlightenment Research the art, poetry and literature that evolved during the Enlightenment Compare the rationale of the Enlightenment to the events in Frankenstein. How does the story respond to beliefs that evolved during that time? Find examples from the text to support your answers. 4. Revolutions: American, French, and Industrial Research the major events and impact of the American Revolution Research the major events and impact of the French Revolution Research the major events and impact of the Industrial Revolution How do these revolutions influence the story Frankenstein? 10

Self Evaluation Name: 5. Prometheus Myth Research the myth of Prometheus, detail the basic events of the myth and find sources of the myth Why is Shelley s novel subtitled The Modern Prometheus? Relate the myth to the novel. Note moments in the novel that mirror the myth. Read a variety of analyses of the Prometheus myth and interpretations of the myth 6. Milton s Paradise Lost Read summaries of Milton s Paradise Lost, or if you are really ambitious, the actual poem Summarize the events of the poem Analyze how the poem has a profound effect on the monster, and how he determines his purpose based on the poem How do characters in the poem parallel characters in the novel? 4. Completed all tasks assigned, thoroughly and 0! 1! 2! 3! 4 efficiently Present for all class work periods Self Evaluation Seminar Topic: Group Members: 1. 2. 3. 0! 1! 2 Met all team and personal assignment deadlines Communicated and contributed to team project as a whole In a paragraph, justify the mark you assigned yourself: 0! 1! 2 0! 1! 2 /10 11

Seminar Peer Evaluation Student 1: Student 2: Student 3: Student 4: 12

Seminar Research Contract Seminar Topic: Responsibilities All students must participate in the research component of the assignment. Research responsibilities must be distributed equally among group members. In the written analysis, students must identify which component they produced. Name Research Responsibility 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 13

Rubric Frankenstein Seminar /20 Name(s): Topic: Duration: **Submit this sheet to your teacher prior to presenting.** Criteria Level R Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Handout Content Includes very limited information and ideas Includes limited information and ideas Includes some information and ideas Includes sufficient information and ideas Information and ideas are thorough Handout Language Conventions Language conventions are rarely used Use of language conventions is limited Use of language conventions is inconsistent Use of language conventions is accurate/ effective Use of language conventions is effective and virtually error free Presentation Content Includes very little information, ideas, and concepts Includes limited information, ideas, and concepts Includes some information, ideas, and concepts Includes sufficient information, ideas, and concepts Includes information, ideas, and concepts that are thorough Knowledge of novel is lacking Knowledge of novel is limited Some knowledge of novel is evident Knowledge of novel is sufficient Knowledge of novel is sufficient and thorough Presentation Analysis & Analysis and evidence are inadequate Analysis and evidence are limited Some analysis and evidence given Sufficient analysis and evidence given Thorough analysis and evidence given Creativity No creativity Limited creativity Some creativity Considerable creativity A high degree of creativity Presentation Skills Speech lacks fluency, expressiveness, and audibility Speech lacks some fluency, expressiveness, or audibility Speech is somewhat fluent, expressive, and audible Speech is fluent, expressive, and audible Speech is highly fluent, expressive, and audible Language is not appropriate to purpose Language is limited in its appropriateness to purpose Language is somewhat appropriateness to purpose Language is appropriate to purpose Language is highly appropriate to purpose Visual aspects are not effective Visual aspects are limited in effectiveness Visual aspects are somewhat effectiveness Visual aspects are effective Visual aspects are highly effective Presentation is not organized at all Presentation lacks considerable organization Presentation is somewhat organized Presentation is organized Presentation is highly organized Overall Expectations: Speaking to Communicate: use speaking skills and strategies appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes; Reading for Meaning: read and demonstrate an understanding of a variety of literary, informational, and graphic texts, using a range of strategies to construct meaning; Reading with Fluency: use knowledge of words and cueing systems to read fluently; Developing and Organizing Content: generate, gather, and organize ideas and information to write for an intended purpose and audience; Using Knowledge of Form and Style: draft and revise their writing, using a variety of literary, informational, and graphic forms and stylistic elements appropriate for the purpose and audience; Applying Knowledge of Conventions: use editing, proofreading, and publishing skills and strategies, and knowledge of language conventions, to correct errors, refine expression, and present their work effectively; Understanding Media Texts: demonstrate an understanding of a variety of media texts; Creating Media Texts: create a variety of media texts for different purposes and audiences, using appropriate forms, conventions, and techniques. Comments: 14