Upcoming PLC: Frankenstein (3/15)

[ReneeTLC]

Dear Friends,

Carlos and I are enjoying conversations about how to rein in Frankenstein for a one-hour discussion. Wish us luck!

To that end, we'd be glad to hear from any of you who are teaching or have taught the full novel. Challenges? Victories? Surprises?

Since we intend to do a close read, we hope you'll consider this FRQ ahead of time.

The following question refers to paragraphs 107-109 of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, published in 1818.  In this passage, Victor Frankenstein recounts how his research led to the discovery of reanimating the dead.  Read the passage carefully.  Then, in a well-written essay, analyze how Shelley uses literary elements and techniques to convey Frankenstein's complex attitude toward his discovery."  (on page 1211 of Lit3e) 

We also hope to discuss the "Texts in Context" sections of each thematic chapter.  To that end -- if you have time -- please take a look at the TiC  "Frankenstein and the Ethics of Creation" (starting on p. 1213).  We'd like to hear your responses to the question of whether the two nonfiction or the fiction/visual texts provide more insight into the meaning of this novel in the 21st century  (#4 on pl. 1231).

We're very mindful of the multiple demands on your time, so please accept these as suggestions for you to consider -- with no expectation to post responses unless you're in the mood.

All best to all,

Carlos and Renee

[PaulV]

I have been teaching this text for quite a few years.  It isn't always an easy sell, as they find the language to be a "little drawn out", regardless of the pre-reading regarding Gothic and Romantic Lit.  

We do enjoy using Rime of the AM as a pre-cursor, with its powerful demonstration of allusion (Walton's letters to his sister).

I do like teaching the historical probabilities behind the eruption of Mt. Tambora and its leading to serious climatological abnormalities, perhaps a factor in Shelley's writing.

Sometimes, (not every year), we look at, for a research paper, the idea that Shelley is giving us a cautionary tale regarding science and where , or if, we should ethically place limitations.

[EmilyWessel]

I am going to my first hockey game tomorrow night (Christmas gift for my son-his first, too!) so I'll be listening to the discussion more than participating. I wanted to post my thoughts before the meeting and then I'll watch the recording and add to any discussions posted afterwards. 

Any of you who are teaching or have taught the full novel. Challenges? Victories? Surprises?

I teach the full text every year in April. I save it for the last text before the exam because there is so much I can do with review AND it is a great text for FRQ3 so I want it to be fresh. Challenges = It's long and students get frustrated/tired of Shelley's setting descriptions

Victories = Students love seeing the multiple points of view throughout the book. We do a lot with this to review the "function of narration." Students see the character of Victor Frankenstein very well because we "see" him through different POVs.

Surprises = I use the Fever Chart idea that I saw in the Fbook group and it always surprises me that some students feel absolutely no compassion/sympathy for the Creature. I am also always surprised at how much some students love this text. I love it so I'm always thrilled when students are sad when it's over.

The following question refers to paragraphs 107-109 of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, published in 1818.  In this passage, Victor Frankenstein recounts how his research led to the discovery of reanimating the dead.  Read the passage carefully.  Then, in a well-written essay, analyze how Shelley uses literary elements and techniques to convey Frankenstein's complex attitude toward his discovery."  (on page 1211 of Lit3e) 

I feel like I have been beating the definition of "complexity" into my students all year and here it is again. I would give this FRQ as a practice after they have read this part in the text. I want them to annotate it and write out what they think the different attitudes are. As a group, we would then talk about the evidence to support both sides. 

Looking at this passage in reference to Frankenstein's response to his Creature, it makes sense that Frankenstein feels accomplishment yet also hatred towards the Creature. I would bring this FRQ back up once students read that section and talk more about Frankenstein's complex attitude and character.

TiC  "Frankenstein and the Ethics of Creation" (starting on p. 1213).  We'd like to hear your responses to the question of whether the two nonfiction or the fiction/visual texts provide more insight into the meaning of this novel in the 21st century  (#4 on pl. 1231).

The nonfiction texts provide analysis and factual evidence that relates Frankenstein to modern-day thoughts. Examples are politics, science, exploration, discoveries. Many agree that the text is a "moral tale about responsibility" (Gould) and that "good intentions blind [Frankenstein] to the true nature of his enterprise" (Turney). The fictional texts, being fiction, allow readers to consider what could happen. Both are futuristic and give dystopian-like examples of what could be. 

I think that the fictional texts allow readers to imagine the future, whereas the nonfiction texts give an explanation of what Frankenstein really means. As a 21st century reader, the fictional texts are more appealing because they aren't completely real. The nonfiction texts give me an understanding of why and how Frankenstein applies to life right now.

[ReneeTLC]

Emily and Paul, many thanks for your responses. Carlos and I look forward to our conversation this evening!

Renee

[NicholeWilson]

Any of you who are teaching or have taught the full novel. Challenges? Victories? Surprises? 

The novel is a semi-independent read that is part of my “Where Do Monsters Lurk?” unit. Other texts include The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dracula, Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, and Scarlet Letter. This unit takes place towards the end of the year since, as Emily shared, there are a lot of Unit 4 and Unit 6 skills we can address. We can also address a lot of poetry skills, particularly as it relates to setting, structure, and narrative perspective. 

Challenge: Asking students to understand the function of the descriptions of settings. 🙂 

Victory: Setting Odes modeled after a contemporary poem. 

For example, I asked students to read “Oye! This is an apartment building ode!” by Dmitri Reyes.  Then, using the text as a model, I asked...

Then, I asked students to post their poems and narrative perspectives to Google Jamboards.  They shared the poems orally, and students responded to the poems on the Jamboard. 

SKILLS: 

• SET 2.A: Identify specific textual details that convey or reveal a setting
• SET 2.B: Explain the function of setting in a narrative
• SET 2.C: Describe the relationship between a character and a setting
• STR 3.A: Explain the function of structure within a text
• NAR 4.A: Identify and describe the narrator or speaker of a text

  STUDENT WORK:

  • Jane Eyre
    • Frankenstein  

[Tampa-Claire]

I know this is supposed to be a joke -- but it does make you consider the complexity of "Who's the monster, really?"

Thanks so much for a great session!

[ReneeTLC]

I was scrolling through Lit Hub today -- and that's a rabbit hole that just gobbles time! -- and couldn't resist the link to "The Best Science Fiction Books of All Time."  And the winner is:  Frankenstein! 

Here's the link to the whole list.  (Original article was in "Esquire.")

Here's an excerpt of why the monster is the best.

"In this landmark novel, Shelley fused a primordial parable with the upheavals and anxieties of the Industrial Revolution, and in doing so, laid the foundation for the themes and constructs of science fiction. The weighty questions she poses in Frankenstein continue to animate the genre to this very day. Why do we harbor such fear of the other? How responsible are we for our creations, and what does it mean when they develop agency of their own? Where’s the line between what science can do, and what it should do? Frankenstein strikes at the very heart of what it means to be human. It also rewards repeat readings—so much so that, even two centuries later, we’re still peering at it through new lenses, as queer, transhumanist, and feminist readings locate new depths within the familiar text. Plenty of imitators have tried to match the heights of Frankenstein, but none have come close. We owe everything to Shelley’s ur-textual story of modernity, morality, and progress’ great and terrible cost."