Name:
Ms. Hayes
Honors Modern Fiction
Date:
Frankenstein and The Elephant Man
As you undoubtedly discovered after viewing The Elephant Man and completing
my discussion questions, David Lynch’s film has clear connections to the novel
Frankenstein. I have asked you to move beyond the obvious comparisons – you
know both the Creature and John Merrick are unappealing physically. You also
learned that while the Creature became violent as a result of his alienation and
abandonment, Merrick did not. This essay will explore these connections and
differences within the context of a particular theme of your choosing.
In a well-organized, five-paragraph essay, you will select one of the following
themes:
1. Alienation: a sense of not belonging, either to a community or to one’s own
sense of self.
2. Creation: involving both creativity, procreation, and the right and/or ability
to shape another.
3. Destiny: or fate, or necessity; both as it may be self-energized or seen as an
external force in control of the self.
4. Doubling: involving action in the manner of another, art copying life,
similarities of action between two figures, or the eerie sense of there being
a second self, a Doppelganger.
5. Guilt: not just the sense of remorse, but how it is generated, and its value
and dangers.
6. Justice: how it functions; who is in control of it; who suffers or is privileged
by it.
7. Nuturing: involving it basic elements and predictable outcomes, and by
contrast, what happens when nurturing is not present.
8. Purpose of Life: involving the many different, sometimes conflicting,
senses of ultimate purpose driving or surrounding characters.
9. Self-Analysis: involving the importance, or dangers, of holding a mirror up
to the self.
10. Solitude: involving its effects on various characters in the novel.
These are just a few themes from which you can choose (if you can propose a
better one, please discuss with me!).
As a compare/contrast essay, you should choose two characters you will analyze
within the context of these themes (one character from Frankenstein and one
character from The Elephant Man). Your thesis should identify how each of your
chosen characters relates to your particular theme and how this theme has played
out for each character and dictated an outcome. This should be clearly outlined in
your introductory paragraph (remember – hook, summary sentences, thesis).
Body paragraph one will analyze one character in relation to your theme, and body
paragraph two will analyze the other. Your paragraph discussing your character
from Frankenstein should contain two quotes from the text; your paragraph from
The Elephant Man should contain an analysis of two detailed scenes from the
film. Again, your analysis should be within the context of your theme.
Your third body paragraph should include a personal connection to your chosen
theme. It could be something you have experienced personally or witnessed, or a
connection you can make to another work of literature, film, or popular culture. Be
descriptive here and indicate whether or not your personal discussion of theme
was clarified or more unclear after reading the novel and watching the film.
The purpose of your conclusion not only should underscore the validity of your
thesis, but also offer a “call to action.” How might this knowledge be applied to a
future situation or circumstance? Again, extend beyond the two forms of media
discussed.
A hard copy of your essay is due:
Periods 3 and 6 due Friday, 2/5.
It should be uploaded in Turnitin.com before midnight of the due date. I will
not accept any essays not submitted to Turnitin.