Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein

Length:  5 word-processed, double-spaced pages, with standard 12pt font and 1” margins

Assignment: Write a critical essay on a subject related to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Your essay must be persuasive in nature, presenting an interpretive argument not plot summary. You must support your argument with evidence from the text, and you should organize your ideas in a way that enhances your argument.

1. The creature laments human cruelty and injustice toward those who are different. His suffering and alienation from society are also shared by his creator. What criticism of society is Mary Shelley making in Frankenstein? (ßNote that book titles get italics.)
2. In her 1831 preface to the novel, Shelley claims that her goal was to “speak to the mysterious fears of our nature and awaken thrilling horror.” Aside from the gruesome details of the creature’s appearance and his crimes, how might one understand Frankenstein as a work of moral, intellectual, or social terror?
3. Evaluate the character of Victor Frankenstein from an ethical standpoint. Which of Victor’s actions was the most problematic? When, if ever, did he take appropriate responsibility for his actions? Does his naiveté at the beginning of the novel excuse any of his behavior?
4. What is the significance of the creature’s end? Does this change our view of the creature and his actions? Does it atone for anything that has come before? In what ways is this a satisfying or unsatisfying end to the story?
5. Victor’s narrative portrays women as weak, suffering, subservient beings who live for and depend on the men in their lives. Ironically, the creature, who Victor calls a barbarian, has a very progressive notion of women. What are we to make of this irony, and how does it affect an interpretation of the novel as a whole?
6. What is Shelley’s assessment of scientific discovery and the idea of progress, ultimately?
7. In what sense is Victor Frankenstein a “modern Prometheus”? How are his attitudes and actions similar to those of Prometheus? How does he fail to live up to the standard set by Prometheus? (You might do some additional research here; just be sure to cite all sources as cautioned below.)

Format:  The model to use is the persuasive essay in several parts (see “Tips for Writing,” below).

Caution:  The essays you write for this course do not require outside research and are structured to promote independent critical thinking. ANY use of sources, including online materials, introductions, and footnotes, must be acknowledged. Please use MLA style for formatting quotations, for all documentation (brief parenthetical citations in the text of your paper and full citations in a Works Cited list at the end of the paper). Plagiarism or cheating of any kind will result in a failing grade and will be reported immediately. I take this policy very seriously!