THEMES

Frankenstein

DAN GERO U S KN OW LEDGE & AMBIT ION

Knowledge leads to advances in technology, but is that a good thing?

Frankenstein is in one sense the literary manifestation of an entire population’s fear of scientific advancement. It serves both as a reflection of present times and a warning for the future.

What are we so afraid of?

Both Victor and Walton dream of transforming society and bringing glory to themselves through their scientific achievements. Yet their ambitions also make them fallible (meaning likely to

fail)

IN PAIRS…

Watch ‘J. Park’ trailer…

Read your article with a pal

Can you imagine a possible ‘Frankenstein moment’ occurring in the future with the story?

ALIENATION/ISOLATION

Alienation: Isolation from a group or an activity to which one should belong or in which one should be involved.Isolation: A lack of contact between persons, groups, or whole societies.

I alienated myself from my family, friends and professors

in my ‘workshop of filthy creation’. The workshop was kinda like a solitary chamber , or cell, at the top of the house. My ‘great project’ swallowed

me up until it was completed. The isolation made me a total wreck, I was always anxious

and nervous… Quotes from pages 39-41

W H O E L S E S U F F E R S F R O M I S O L A T I O N A N D A L I E N A T I O N ?

Theme Victor Frankenstein

Robert Walton

The Creature

Mary Shelley

Alienation &Isolation

CAN YOU THINK OF ONE EXAMPLE FOR EACH PERSON?

PREJUDICE

Prejudice: Preconceived opinion not based on reason or experience.

Frankenstein explores one of mankind’s most persistent and destructive flaws: prejudice. Nearly every human character in the novel assumes that the monster must be dangerous based on its outward appearance, when in truth the monster is (originally) warm and open-hearted.

Your unearthly ugliness is almost too

horrible for human eyes! Begone vile insect! Wretched

devil!

I expected this

reception. All men hate the

wretched.

Prejudice…

Quotes: page 80/81

I’ve missed you…uh…son? Come

live with me and be merry! After all, I

owe this to you because I made

you!

DAD!Prejudice…flip side…

MONSTROSITY

Monster: A creature having a strange or frightening appearance, or; One who inspires horror or disgust

Monstrosity is a key theme raised in Mary Shelley's

Frankenstein. Consider Rousseau's idea of human's being born innocent until corrupted (turned monstrous) by society's ideals.

A creature with a strange/frightening appearance

A person who inspires horror/disgust

DO YOU HAVE SYMPATHY FOR EITHER?

W H Y I S F R I E N D S H I P S O I M P O R TA N T I N T H E N O V E L ?

FRIENDSHIP

FRIENDSHIPMost intimate and intense relationships in the novel occur not between husbands and wives, but between friends

In fact, throughout most of the novel, all the men are either widowers or bachelors, and show little interest in pursuing romance. Friendship, however, is valued highly by all the major characters.

Throughout Frankenstein, friendship is portrayed as an absolute need, and it is through friendships that Victor, Elizabeth, and Walton are saved from all kinds of troubles.

Walton actually describes his initial lack of friendship as "a most severe evil”, echoing the creature's claim that a lack of friendship isn't just undesirable, but actually causes evil.

When solitude and alienation become evil, friends become saviors, and friendship becomes salvation.

Henry Clerval

Robert Walton

Victor’s friends…

Elizabeth

Though he tries, the Creature never develops any friendships.

ON E PARAGRAPH: 5 SENTENCES ON LY PLEAS E

Topic sentence… Discuss an example from the novel… Include a quote with the page number in (177

)… Concluding sentence (restate your topic

sentence in a different way)…