Do Now

1. Do Now • Create a list of the elements that might be found in a horror story. Which ones do you think will be present in Frankenstein?

2. Frankenstein Mary Shelley

3. Background • Mary Shelley was married to Percy Bysshe Shelley. • He was already married and left his wife for Mary. • His wife eventually committed suicide. • Mary Shelley had the inspiration for Frankenstein after a night of telling ghost stories with her soon-to-be husband Percy Bysshe Shelley and Lord Byron.

4. Background • Frankenstein was published in 1818. • Written during the Romantic period • Focus on the individual • Nature • Movement away from reason, wit, and elegance • The story is an example of a Gothic romance. • Often deal with mysterious and supernatural subjects • Usually take place in rugged, natural settings, near castles or monasteries • Plots are suspenseful and usually deal with good vs. evil

5. Themes • The creation and rejection of creation • There is a responsibility in creation. • You must be held accountable for what you create. • Shelley had recently lost a child when she told the story of Frankenstein. • Nature • The monster looks to greenery and spring. • The restorative quality of nature • It provides happiness and warmth to the monster. • Victor Frankenstein looks to the mountains and ice. • Nature offers solitude and is threatening.

6. Themes • Danger of knowledge • Selling your soul for furthering your wants • Love • Beauty • Science

7. Frame Story • Frankenstein is an example of a frame story. • A story within a story. • The novel begins with Robert Walton, an explorer, describing his trip to the Arctic in letters to his sister, Margaret Saville. • Walton and his crew see a gigantic man on the ice, and the next day encounter a second man, gravely ill, who tells them his story.

8. Classwork • Complete classwork worksheet.

9. Homework • Read Letters 1-4 of Frankenstein and answer corresponding questions.

10. Do Now • What sort of fears do people have? What are you afraid of? Why do people enjoy things that frighten them?

11. Letters 1-4 • Why do you think Robert Walton is so eager to visit a hostile environment? • Discuss the similarities between Robert Walton and Victor Frankenstein, the man he rescues. Why does Walton feel such compassion for Victor, a total stranger? • Why is Walton so impressed with the shipmaster’s actions regarding his fiancée? • What Romantic concepts do the characters of Robert Walton and Victor Frankenstein illustrate?

12. Classwork • Complete classwork worksheet.

13. Homework • Read Chapters 1-3 of Frankenstein and answer corresponding questions.

14. Do Now • What are some problems that science has solved? What are some problems that technological advances have caused?

15. Chapters 1-3 • Victor is deeply affected by Caroline’s death. Discuss Victor’s reaction to his mother’s death and the influence it has on his scientific studies. • Discuss Victor’s friendship with Henry Clerval and compare it to his father’s relationship with Beaufort. • What is “modern science” as explained by M. Waldman, and how does it differ from the theories of Agrippa and the other scientists Victor studies?

16. Classwork • Complete classwork worksheet.

17. Homework • Read Chapters 4-6 of Frankenstein and answer corresponding questions.

18. Do Now • Once a parent has a child, what are his or her responsibilities to that child?

19. Chapters 4-6 • Why do you think Victor created such a horrible-looking creature? Did he realize what he was doing? Explain your answer. • What are some of characteristics of the Gothic novel, and how does Mary Shelley use them in these chapters?

20. Classwork • Complete classwork worksheet.

21. Homework • Read Chapters 7-8 of Frankenstein and answer corresponding questions.

22. Do Now • What are some ethical issues that have arisen around scientific discoveries and inventions?

23. Chapters 7-8 • After Justine is accused of William’s murder, why do you think Victor never tells anyone about the creature? • Explain why Justine confesses to the crime, even though she is innocent. • Discuss Victor’s experience with lightning and Shelley’s use of it when Victor sees the creature.

24. Classwork • Complete classwork worksheet.

25. Homework • Read Chapters 9-10 of Frankenstein and answer corresponding questions.

26. Do Now • What are a parent’s legal responsibilities toward a teenager? What happens if the teenager gets into trouble? Is the parent legally responsible?

27. Chapters 9-10 • The creature says that his misery made him into the monster that he has become. Do you think the creature’s unhappiness justifies his murderous behavior? • Victor contemplates suicide while sailing on the lake, and again when climbing the mountain. Discuss the change in Victor’s personality from his university days. • Describe the creature’s feelings toward Victor when he first came to life. How do they differ from Victor’s first reaction to his creation?

28. Classwork • Complete classwork worksheet.

29. Homework • Read Chapters 11-13 of Frankenstein and answer corresponding questions.

30. Do Now • Should the government scrutinize scientists’ experiments more closely or allow more freedom?

31. Chapters 11-13 • Discuss the creature’s attitude towards knowledge. Why does learning new things excite him and at the same time cause him so much pain? • Explain how the creature feels towards the peasant family. Why do you think he is so moved by their gentleness and kindness?

32. Classwork • Complete classwork worksheet.

33. Homework • Read Chapters 14-17 of Frankenstein and answer corresponding questions.

34. Do Now • What do you think a parent should do about a teenager who is out of control – say, getting into trouble with the police? What should a parent do about a teenager who is a danger to other people?

35. Chapters 14-17 • Recall the fundamentals of British Romanticism. Discuss the Romantic notion of good and evil. How does it relate to the creature’s actions so far? • Explain why the creature feels it is so important to come out of hiding and talk to the elder De Lacey. • Describe how the creature feels when he finds Victor’s journal in his pocket.

36. Classwork • Complete classwork worksheet.

37. Homework • Read Chapters 18-19 of Frankenstein and answer corresponding questions.

38. Do Now • What does the phrase “medical ethics” mean?

39. Chapters 18-19 • Discuss Alphonse’s influence on Victor and Victor’s feelings towards his father. • Give some examples of the Romantic concept in Shelley’s use of physical locations. How does it help establish character and mood in the novel?

40. Classwork • Complete classwork worksheet.

41. Homework • Read Chapters 20-21 of Frankenstein and answer corresponding questions.

42. Do Now • What problems are faced by a person who has a physical deformity?

43. Chapters 20-21 • Discuss Victor’s reluctance to create the second creature. Why do you think he destroys it in front of the other creature? • What does the creature mean when he tells Victor “I shall be with you on your wedding night” (173)? • Compare Alphonse and Victor’s relationship to Victor’s relationship with the creature.

44. Classwork • Complete classwork worksheet.

45. Homework • Read Chapters 22-23 of Frankenstein and answer corresponding questions.

46. Do Now • What are some of the ethical questions that have come up surrounding medical research? What is your opinion about these questions?

47. Chapters 22-23 • Compare the events that occur on Victor’s wedding night to the night when Victor destroyed the second creature. • Did it surprise you that the creature killed Elizabeth and not Victor? Explain your answer. • Why do you think Victor finally tells the magistrate about the creature?

48. Classwork • Complete classwork worksheet.

49. Homework • Read Chapter 24 of Frankenstein and answer corresponding questions.

50. Do Now • Have you ever seen others taunt or avoid someone who is physically different? How do you explain their reactions?