Frankenstein

1. Frankenstein

2. Major Themes and Areas of Exploration in Frankenstien • The male pursuance of goals against all odds • The role of women as passive and dependent on men • The usurpation of female reproductive power by science • John Locke’s “tabula rasa,” or “blank slate” theory of individual character • Rousseau’s philosophy that society is responsible for the development of individual character

3. 16th - 19th Century Theories on Raising Children • John Locke argued that a child is a “blank slate” that is formed only through experience. • Jean-Jacques Rousseau promotes the idea that a child’s upbringing is responsible for his education. • Basically, are we the development of nature (Locke) or nurture (Rousseau)? • Which theory do you think is correct? Give evidence.

4. “Science” in Shelly’s Time • Galvanism • Body Snatching • Vivisections

5. Galvanism • In medicine, galvanism refers to any form of medical treatment involving the application of pulses of electric current to body tissues provoking the contraction muscles that are stimulated by the electric current. This effect was named by Alessandro Volta after his contemporary, the scientist Luigi Galvani, who investigated the effect of electricity on dissected animals in the 1780's and 1790's. • It was Galvani who determined that electricity was present within the animal itself. Based on his frog experiments he deduced that contractions were caused by the flow of electricity and when one occurred a nervo-electric fluid was conducted from the nerves to the muscle. • In an application of his theory of animal electricity in 1791, Luigi Galvani suggested that an electrical fluid emanates from the human brain. Identifying life with electricity that has an organic source, Johann Wilhelm Ritter followed by equating animal and metallic electricity. The analogy of the cerebral cortex with the galvanic battery was then pursued by Paul Traugott Meissner, who argued that blood in the lungs becomes electrically charged through breathing, transmits its charge up the nerves to the spinal cord and brain, is used by the brain to electrically control the will, and then carries the charge to the limbs.

6. Body Snatching • Body snatching, the stealing of corpses from graves and morgues. Before cadavers were legally available for dissection and study by medical students, traffic in stolen bodies was profitable. Those who engaged in the illicit practice were sometimes called resurrectionists; they were active from about the early 18th cent. to the middle 19th cent. Public opposition to any dissection of bodies was further aroused by discovery of the resurrectionists' activities; outbursts of violence occurred in Europe as well as in America. Robert Knox, an eminent British anatomist, became a victim of public attack because a body he had purchased for dissection proved to be that of one of a number of victims murdered by William Hare and an accomplice named William Burke for the purpose of selling the bodies; the murderers were brought to trial (1828) and convicted. This and other similar cases led to the passage (1832) in Great Britain of the Anatomy Act, which permitted the legal acquisition by medical schools of unclaimed bodies. In the United States dissection of the human body has been practiced since the middle of the 18th cent.; riots and acts of violence frequently occurred in protest against lecturers on anatomy and medical students, who reputedly dug up bodies for study. In 1788 outraged citizens of New York City precipitated a riot while ransacking the rooms of anatomy students and professors at Columbia College Medical School in search of bodies. The following year body snatching was prohibited by law, thus creating a climate for the growth of an illegal group of professional body snatchers. It was not until 1854 that anatomy students were allowed access to unclaimed bodies from public institutions.

7. Vivisections • [viv′əsek′shən] Etymology: L, vivus, alive, secare, to cut • the performance of surgical operations on living animals, particularly experimental surgery for the purpose of research. Testimony from real Japanese doctor who perfomed vivisection on Chinese prisioners • Firstly, I joined in the execution of vivisection which was held as an operation practice of military surgeons on two Chinese in custody in March, 1942. We murdered them cruelly. On and after the second time I kept participating in the execution of the same kind of vivisection which was performed on two Chinese at almost each time and then murdered them. We once in a while extracted the cerebral cortices, gathered them in one or two bottles with alchohol and sent them to pharmaceutical companies in Japan. At the time of teaching hygiene to new recruits, we asked military policemen to send us one Chinese to be a victim for stimulating the recruits' learning of the anatomy. He was vivisected and murdered by us all. Under the direction of military surgeon section of the first corps, we, as the members of the group education for military surgeons in military and field hospitals, practiced removing bullets and other operations at the Taiyuan prison by victimizing four detained Chinese who had already been shooted at the belly. All of them died.

8. Locations in the Story Mont Blanc France The North Pole

9. More Locations The Alps Geneva The Orkney Isles

10. Philosopher's Stone The name given in alchemy to a stone, powder or substance which will transmute base metals into gold. The stone is an ancient symbol of the perfected man whose divine nature shines forth through a chain of purified and unfolded vehicles. Using what you now know, why do you think the philosopher’s stone would appeal to a man of science in this time?

11. Romanticism in Art • Answer at least four of these questions. • Write a brief description of the painting. What is the most dominant image? What is on the periphery? Include discussion of color, medium, and style. Write a brief analysis of the painting based on your description above. Why does the painter choose to make certain images dominant and others marginal? Does the painting evoke a certain mood or theme? How? Why? How might the title of the painting affect the analysis?

12. Romanticism in Art • Some key elements found in the painting are: • characterization of nature as a healing force, use of the supernatural, emphasis on human individuality, belief in innate goodness, and the advocacy of free thought.

13. Gothic Art • Popular in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, Gothic works of art are characterized by the use of intense emotion, the characterization of nature as a powerful and destructive force, the use of weather and atmosphere to depict mood, and the evocation of terror and horror. • Compare the romantic beliefs with the gothic. How are they similar/different

14. Anticipation Guide • 1. It is a parent’s job, more than society’s, to nurture his/her child. • 2. With the advent of genetic engineering and “designer” babies, parents now have less important roles in the birth process. • 3. All children are innately good. • 4. Every child needs “mothering” in order to become “human.” • 5. All parents love their children unconditionally, no matter how they look or act. • 6. Children who are “deformed” physically or mentally should be isolated from society.

15. Group Questions and Focus Letters – 2 Letters 1. Is Walton a reliable narrator? Why or why not? 2. Is Walton’s goal to “confer on all mankind . . . a passage near the pole” noble or overly ambitious? 3. How does Robert’s desire for a friend affect his relationship with Dr. Frankenstein? How might this relationship affect the reader’s trust in Walton as a reliable narrator? Chapters 1-2 1. How does Victor’s statement that “the world was to me a secret which I desired to divine” serve as characterization? 2. How do Henry and Victor differ? Why might Shelley be setting them up as character foils? 3. What is Shelley’s intent when she has Victor characterize Elizabeth as “the saintly soul (who) shone like a shrine-dedicated lamp in our peaceful home?” What role does this characterization set for Elizabeth? 4. Is Victor’s fascination with the Philosopher’s Stone an admirable one? 5. Now that we have seen the man Victor is, how are he and Walton foils of one another?

16. Chapters 3-5 1. Victor’s obsession with natural science results in two years passing with no visits home. How would you evaluate his character at this point? 2. Describe the shift in tone when Victor says, “Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge and how much happier the man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow.” 3. During his summer experiment, Victor admits “his eyes were insensible to the charms of nature.” What role might nature (or the lack of it) play for Victor? 4. What message might Victor be missing when he dreams that his kiss turns Elizabeth into a corpse?

17. Chapters 6-10 1. Who is at fault for William’s death? Is anyone other than the murderer responsible for what happened? 2. How might Justine’s trial have differed in today’s court system? 3. How does Victor’s guilt affect his health? What is Shelley’s purpose in this recurring plot device? 4. How is Victor’s reaction toward the Valley of Chamounix a departure from his previous views of nature?

18. Chapters 11-16 1. What imagery does Shelley employ when the character describes his “awakening?” What does his reaction remind you of? 2. How does the change in narration to the creature’s point of view affect the reading of the novel? Do you feel sympathy for the creature when he is rejected by humanity? 3. What crucial role in the creature’s development is played by the DeLacey family? 4. What is the motivation behind the creature’s vow of “eternal hatred and vengeance to all mankind?”

19. Chapters 17-21 • Is the creature’s demand for a female companion a valid request? Examine the pros and cons of Victor’s compliance. Consider evidence provided by both Victor and the creature • To what famous Romantic symbol is Shelley alluding when she has Victor think, “Could I enter into a festival with this deadly weight yet hanging round my neck and bowing me to the ground?” 3. What is Victor’s greatest fear as he leaves for England? Describe the irony in his decision to continue. 4. What evidence suggests Victor feels responsibility for the murders? What evidence illustrates that he still blames the creature? 5. How is Victor’s view of the Scottish Orkneys a reflection of his emotional state? 6. After watching his female companion torn to bits, the creature makes an eloquent defense and vows Victor will “repent of the injuries (he) inflicts.” Is the creature justified in his feelings? Why or why not? What is Shelley’s purpose in his defense?

20. Chapters 22-Letters 1. After hearing of Clerval’s murder, Victor falls ill once again. In agony, he wonders, “Why did I not die?” What would your answer be? Is there a reason for his continued anguish? 2. For Victor and his father, what purpose would a quick marriage to Elizabeth serve? Discuss the impact on Elizabeth. What role does she continue to play? Does her death alter or perpetuate that role? 3. Discuss the irony in Victor’s statement to the magistrate: “Man, how ignorant art thou in thy pride of wisdom!” 4. What is the motivation behind Victor’s vow to find and destroy his creature? Has he learned any lessons? • Letters 1. What is the purpose of Shelley’s irony when Walton recognizes he has found the friend he is looking for only to watch him die? 2. When Walton listens to his men and turns his ship homeward rather than risk their lives, is he accurate in his statement that he has “lost (his) hopes for glory?” Explain. Final thoughts: • Was the ending of the story perfect or incomplete? • What Is the major point of the story? • Is there a sacrilegious element imbedded in the conclusion?

21. Romantic vs. Gothic • Look at two sections of text from Frankenstein and explain: Which selection demonstrates the ideals of Romanticism? Which is more Gothic in nature? Is there any overlap? Explain your answer. • Scenes include: • Henry’s awestruck reaction to the Alps in chapter 18 and Victor’s disgust at the Scottish Orkneys in chapter 19. • The lightning storm in chapter 7 and the Arveiron Valley description in chapter 10. • Or pick two of your own to analyze

22. Double Bubble • As a group, pick two pairs (one on top and one below) to analyze and create a double bubble to analyze them with. 1. Victor Frankenstein and Robert Walton 2. Frankenstein and the Creature 3. Victor and Elizabeth Lavenza 4. Victor and Henry Clerval 1. The Creature and Adam from Genesis 2. The Creature and Satan from Paradise

23. WEIGHTY DECISIONS • In 1917, Sir Ernest Shackleton, in a historic quest to cross the Antarctic continent at the North Pole, found himself and his crew surrounded by ice for nine months. When it became evident the ice would sink the ship and take the lives of his crew, Shackleton made a series of decisions that saved every single man on board. His heroic actions eventually led Sir Shackleton, after death, to become a 21st century icon in Leadership Training. One of his decisions involved what to take from the sinking ship in order to survive. • As a group, complete the worksheet then, when you are finished answer the following questions: 1. What were the principles and guiding questions that drove your group’s decisions? 2. Which items were most difficult to agree on? 3. How did your group resolve any differences of opinion? 4. Compare Shackleton’s actions to Robert Walton’s at the end of Frankenstein. How are these men “heroes?” How would the patriarchal society of Mary Shelley’s era view them? 5. Shackleton’s ship was named Endurance. Discuss the significance of this term, for Shackleton, for Robert Walton, and for Victor Frankenstein.

24. LIVING BOOK JACKETS • In this activity, groups create and portray a living book cover for an illustrated edition of the novel. In picking a quotation from the book and in portraying an illustration that depicts the quotation’s meaning, students take on the role of the bookseller or publishing house, who must decide how best to get across the point of the play to an audience who has not yet read it. 1. Pick one quotation from the novel that is particularly significant, one that seems to speak to one of the author’s major themes or intents, one that would make good sense on the cover of the novel. 2. Write out the quotation on a long, narrow piece of paper, in large enough print to be seen from the back of the classroom. 3. Decide how to portray the quotation in a frozen tableau. Rather than presenting a scene from the book, create a picture that illustrates the quotation. For instance, the struggle between Victor’s role as a scientist and his duty to his family might be portrayed as a tug of war. This activity requires you to illustrate comprehension and synthesis by turning your understanding into performance art. 4. In front of the class, arrange yourselves into a frozen tableau, and either hold or post your quotation so that it is part of the “book cover.” Hold the scene for thirty seconds, so that the rest of the class can read and appreciate your “illustrated classic.”