BEFORE you read:
Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley
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AS you read:
Frankenstein: Be prepared to discuss the following as they relate to the novel.
Reading Guides
Related Reading & Resources
- Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge: As you read, examine the poem for symbolism, imagery, figurative language, and theme (SIFT). What is this story about? What is the Ancient Mariner's story and eternal penance? How does this story relate to Frankenstein?
Imagery in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner: Dore Illustrations
Good readers VISUALIZE what they read, and good writers use detail to help readers build IMAGES in order to visualize. The following illustrations by Gustav Doré, a nineteenth century French engraver are just a few of the images that he created to accompany Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem “Rime of the Ancient Mariner.” Before you read, examine the engravings and note details. As you read “Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” use your observation of details in both the images and the story to place the pictures in the margin next to the text that it describes. Focus on the imagery in the poem and in the pictures to help you.
- Paradise Lost (excerpt) by John Milton: Read the excerpt about Satan being cast into Hell and his promise to constantly wage war with God. Examine Frankenstein for thematic parallels.
- Meditation 17 by John Donne: Read this sermon carefully. How does Donne convey his message [what is the message]? How do the ideas and themes relate to the novel? Cite specific passages from both the sermon and Frankenstein.
- The Creation of Man by Prometheus (Greek Myth): The subtitle of the novel is The Modern Prometheus. Why do you think Shelley included this? What connections exist between the story and the Greek Prometheus?
AFTER you read:
- Frankenstein: The Soundtrack: Read the assignment and prepare the individual requirements as you read. There will be one work day in class to complete the rest with your team.
- Frankenstein Final Discussion: If you are absent during the final discussion, you will need to write out your notes for each of the topics here and turn them in.
- Compare/Contrast Essay: Frankenstein and Lord of the Flies: After reading Frankenstein and Lord of the Flies, you will write a paper comparing and contrasting a common theme between them.
A few last words from Mrs. C. ...
Allow me to wax poetic for a moment. One of the most tragic parts of the novel to me as a reader is man's inability to recognize real beauty beyond appearance. How differently the novel would have ended if just one man would have offered acceptance to the monster! He even tells Victor, "If any being felt emotions of benevolence towards me, I should return them an hundred and an hundred fold; for that one creature's sake, I would make peace with the whole kind!" (Shelley 130). During the time that the monster observes the cottagers, he states that he "had admired the perfect forms [...] - their grace, their beauty, and delicate complexions," but he becomes "terrified when [he] viewed [himself] in a transparent pool" (Shelley 102). Recognizing his lack of outer beauty, he tells the blind old man, DeLacey, that he is "full of fears" of being "an outcast in the world forever" (Shelley 119). No seeing being in the novel stops appreciate the innocent beauty in the monster's hope for inclusion and companionship. It takes a blind old man for there to even be communication between the monster and another being, and sadly, tragically, once the young family enters the cottage, the monster returns to his role of monster and is outcast from his "home."
That idea of being able to recognize and appreciate true beauty and separate it from the outer shell of appearance is a difficult one, especially for students plagued in the appearance-driven world of adolescence. If you have never had anyone tell you this, you are more beautiful than you think you are. Take a look at this advertisement from Dove. And just so we are clear, "you are more beautiful than you think you are."
That idea of being able to recognize and appreciate true beauty and separate it from the outer shell of appearance is a difficult one, especially for students plagued in the appearance-driven world of adolescence. If you have never had anyone tell you this, you are more beautiful than you think you are. Take a look at this advertisement from Dove. And just so we are clear, "you are more beautiful than you think you are."
Decoding the Past: The Real Dr. Frankenstein
As you view the video, listen for the real-life scientists that may have been the basis for the fictional Dr. Frankenstein. Who were they? What did each of them do?