Frankenstein Essay Questions
Please choose one of the questions below and develop a well-structured 1750 – 2000
word essay in response. Feel free to propose a topic that does not appear below. Your
final submission is due on Monday February 27th and Tuesday February 29th
depending on your section.
1. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein incorporates allusions to the biblical story of the Garden
of Eden, particularly as depicted by John Milton in Paradise Lost. Develop a wellstructured argument to explore how the relationship between Victor Frankenstein and
the monster is coloured by the story of Eden. Place particular emphasis on references to
God, Satan, Adam and the notion of the Fruit of Knowledge.
2. Shelley’s Frankenstein and Coleridge’s The Rime of the Ancient Mariner both attest to
the British Romantic fascination with the splendor and magnitude of nature. Compose a
well-structured argument that compares and contrasts the characters of Victor
Frankenstein and the Ancient Mariner, focusing on key elements of their respective
experiences with the destructive and redemptive powers of nature.
3. Frankenstein and The Rime of the Ancient Mariner are both examples of the Gothic
fiction genre. Research the background and characteristics of this literary genre and
write a well-structured essay comparing and contrasting Shelley’s novel and Coleridge’s
poem and how they participate in the Gothic literary tradition.
4. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner both explore the
tension between science/technology and nature, as well as the dysfunctional relationship
between creator and creation. Write a focused, well-argued essay on one of the
following topics:
a) Compare and contrast the similarities and differences between
Tyrell/Frankenstein/Creator and Roy Batty/the monster/Creation.
b) Compare and contrast how both the novel and the film treat the moral boundaries that
should inform creative and scientific endeavours.
c) Compare and contrast how the Romantic notion of the sublime is treated both
similarly and differently in Frankenstein and Blade Runner.
d) Tyrell Corporations motto is “more human than human”. Draw from both Blade
Runner and Frankenstein to explore what it means to be human and the possibility that
the monster and the replicants are more humane than the beings that created them.
5. Frankenstein is subtitled “The Modern Prometheus”. Research the story of
Prometheus and discuss how Mary Shelley has adapted the myth for the purposes of
her novel. Particular emphasis should be placed on the symbolic significance of fire and
light in the novel.
6. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein can be read as a cautionary tale, warning against the
blind faith in science that characterized the Age of Enlightenment and the Industrial
Revolution. Research the relevant scientists and the work they carried out during
Shelley’s time, and discuss how these, and the ethical implications of their work are
treated in Shelley’s novel.