Frankenstein Theme PARAGRAPH (50 points)
Prompt: Choose one of the themes of Frankenstein and explain its significance in the novel. Consider the message Mary Shelley may have
been trying to impart in connection to this theme.
The thematic topics of Frankenstein, as discussed before we began reading, are as follows: Alienation, Beauty/Aesthetics, Tolerance,
Honesty, Ethics of Creation/Destruction, Madness, Knowledge, and Obsession.
*Your response should be a well-developed paragraph: meaning a topic sentence, THREE specific concrete details and commentary on those
details, and a concluding sentence. At least one of your concrete details should be a quote. Correct grammar/spelling, and integration of
literary terms and vocabulary, where applicable, etc. is expected.
*If you write about tolerance, do not plagiarize my example paragraph 
Example Paragraph:
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein seems to subtly highlight the importance of tolerance among people and in society as a whole, mainly
through the plight of characters who experience harsh intolerance, and oftentimes, cruel injustice. The first character who experiences
extreme injustice is the ironically named Justine whose mother is abusive of her to the point that the charitable Caroline Frankenstein sees it
necessary to intervene. Unfortunately, this rescue mission leads Justine to eventually be framed as William’s murderer and executed on
circumstantial evidence. In fact, it is implied that Justine’s Roman Catholic faith may have caused her to be targeted unfairly for the crime, as
Catholics were considered “others” in a highly Protestant society in 19 th century Geneva. Her religion is also exploited, as she is bullied into a
false confession through the threat of excommunication. Similar to Justine, Safie’s father, who is a Muslim Turk, is imprisoned in France for
reasons that remain unknown to the reader. Since the story is set in the early 19 th century when religious discrimination still ran amuck in
Europe, it is no coincidence that the two characters of different religions are the ones who are the recipients of political injustice. Finally, the
creature is not tolerated by others due to his horrid appearance. His own creator rejects him, which jumpstarts a chain reaction of events that
all fit the pattern of the creature hoping to be accepted by different parties, only to be brutally rebuffed each time. In some instances, such as
when he saves a young girl from drowning, he is gravely injured from the encounter: “This was the reward for my benevolence! I had saved a
human being from destruction, and as a recompense I now writhed under the miserable pain of a wound which shattered the flesh and bone”
(Shelley 121). Each encounter such as this enhances his misanthropy, which culminates in him lashing out via the senseless murder of a
young boy and the framing of an innocent girl, a catastrophe which seems to emphasize the devastating results of intolerance. Whether it is
due to religion, appearance, or another character trait that could be cause for discrimination, Shelley clearly makes the point that tolerance for
others is essential, and gross intolerance only causes calamity.
Frankenstein Theme PARAGRAPH (50 points)
Prompt: Choose one of the themes of Frankenstein and explain its significance in the novel. Consider the message Mary Shelley may have
been trying to impart in connection to this theme.
The thematic topics of Frankenstein, as discussed before we began reading, are as follows: Alienation, Beauty/Aesthetics, Tolerance,
Honesty, Ethics of Creation/Destruction, Madness, Knowledge, and Obsession.
*Your response should be a well-developed paragraph: meaning a topic sentence, THREE specific concrete details and commentary on those
details, and a concluding sentence. At least one of your concrete details should be a quote. Correct grammar/spelling, and integration of
literary terms and vocabulary, where applicable, etc. is expected.
*If you write about tolerance, do not plagiarize my example paragraph 
Example Paragraph:
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein seems to subtly highlight the importance of tolerance among people and in society as a whole, mainly
through the plight of characters who experience harsh intolerance, and oftentimes, cruel injustice. The first character who experiences
extreme injustice is the ironically named Justine whose mother is abusive of her to the point that the charitable Caroline Frankenstein sees it
necessary to intervene. Unfortunately, this rescue mission leads Justine to eventually be framed as William’s murderer and executed on
circumstantial evidence. In fact, it is implied that Justine’s Roman Catholic faith may have caused her to be targeted unfairly for the crime, as
Catholics were considered “others” in a highly Protestant society in 19 th century Geneva. Her religion is also exploited, as she is bullied into a
false confession through the threat of excommunication. Similar to Justine, Safie’s father, who is a Muslim Turk, is imprisoned in France for
reasons that remain unknown to the reader. Since the story is set in the early 19th century when religious discrimination still ran amuck in
Europe, it is no coincidence that the two characters of different religions are the ones who are the recipients of political injustice. Finally, the
creature is not tolerated by others due to his horrid appearance. His own creator rejects him, which jumpstarts a chain reaction of events that
all fit the pattern of the creature hoping to be accepted by different parties, only to be brutally rebuffed each time. In some instances, such as
when he saves a young girl from drowning, he is gravely injured from the encounter: “This was the reward for my benevolence! I had saved a
human being from destruction, and as a recompense I now writhed under the miserable pain of a wound which shattered the flesh and bone”
(Shelley 121). Each encounter such as this enhances his misanthropy, which culminates in him lashing out via the senseless murder of a
young boy and the framing of an innocent girl, a catastrophe which seems to emphasize the devastating results of intolerance. Whether it is
due to religion, appearance, or another character trait that could be cause for discrimination, Shelley clearly makes the point that tolerance for
others is essential, and gross intolerance only causes calamity.