ENG3U Novel Study Unit • Name: ___________________________
Novel Study
Unit:
Frankenstein
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
Frankenstein Character Map
From CliffNotes Frankenstein Summary and Study Guide
3
Frankenstein
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
Frankenstein
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
Frankenstein
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
Frankenstein
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
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
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
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Frankenstein 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?
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Frankenstein 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?
Self Evaluation
Seminar Topic: ____________________________________________________________________________
Group Members:
1. ____________________________________________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________________________________________
3. ____________________________________________________________________________________
4. ____________________________________________________________________________________
Completed all tasks assigned, thoroughly and
0!
1!
2!
3!
4
efficiently
0!
1!
2
Met all team and personal assignment deadlines
0!
1!
2
Communicated and contributed to team project as a
whole
0!
1!
2
Present for all class work periods
/10
In a paragraph, justify the mark you assigned yourself:
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
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Frankenstein Seminar Peer Evaluation
Student 1:
Student 2:
Student 3:
Student 4:
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Frankenstein 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)
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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
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
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
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
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
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
Handout
Content
Handout
Language
Conventions
Presentation
Content
Presentation
Analysis &
Skills
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:
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