Introduction to Frankenstein

What feelings to you have after viewing this painting? What do you predict might be a major theme or topic in the story?

Romanticism

Romantic Era Reaction to the Industrial Revolution and Age of Enlightenment/Reason Revolt against aristocratic ideals Valued aesthetic ideals Strong presence of nature in literature and art

Age of Reason/EnlightenmentRomantic Age

6 Characteristics of Romantics Emphasis on intuition and emotion – rejected rational and intellectual (didactic – for sermons); emotions for art Emphasized strange an bizarre – common has no place in art Choose subject not encountered in everyday life Not always interested in creating viable/ believable characters

Aesthetic Focus The Sublime – Apprehension – Horror and terror – Awe – Power of untamed nature

Questions that the Romantics asked through art… What can people learn from nature? Is emotion stronger than reason? When is the ordinary extraordinary? How does war change our values?

Gothic Literature Inspired by Gothic architecture, with flying buttresses and tall windows, architecture represented the desire to become (physically and spiritually) closer to God.

Gothic Literature Distinguishing elements: – Setting in castle, family home, vault or crypt – Vendetta or vengeance perpetrated against protagonist by the antagonist – Supernatural beings

Gothic Literature – An unrequited love – Ancient prophecy foretelling the doom of the protagonist – An exotic locale, often in a country other than that of the story’s origin – An atmosphere or suspense or terror

FRANKENSTEIN

Mary Shelley Mother died shortly after she was born in 1797 Mother wrote A Vindication for the Rights of Women (1972) which advocated that women receive equal education as men Momma was a Feminist

Mary and Percy Percy Bysshe Shelley was a well known Gothic writer. He was also married. Fell madly in love one summer when their families were together.

When? In the summer of 1816, 19 year old Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin and Percy Shelley, visited the Lord Byron at his villa beside Lake Geneva in Switzerland.

The Motivation Stormy weather frequently forced them indoors, where they and Byron's other guests sometimes read from a volume of ghost stories. One evening, Byron challenged his guests to each write one themselves. Mary's story, inspired by a dream, became Frankenstein.

The Baby and The Dream Mary had miscarried her first baby. Mary dreamed that her daughter was brought back to life through vigorous rubbing and being held near a warm fire. This inspired her to write Frankenstein.

Frame Story A structured story of tales within tales

The Structure of the Story The novel is constructed of three concentric layers, one within the other: – outermost--Robert Walton's letters to his sister; – middle--Frankenstein's story as he tells it to Walton; – innermost--Monster's description to Frankenstein of the development of his mind at the deLaceys'.

Epistolary Novel A story told partially or primarily through letters.

Mood MOOD is the overall feelings or emotions that are created IN THE READER. The “ power of the pen ” can move mountains. Authors “ move ” their readers ’ moods through their choice of words and level of detail.

MOOD EXAMPLE During the holidays, my mother's house glittered with decorations and hummed with preparations. We ate cookies and drank cider while we helped her wrap bright packages and trim the tree. We felt warm and excited, listening to Christmas carols and even singing along sometimes. We would tease each other about our terrible voices and then sing even louder. Mood: Content, happy. How do we know? Words like "warm, excited, glittered ” are used by the author.

After New Year's the time came to put all the decorations away and settle in for the long, cold winter. The house seemed to sigh as we boxed up its finery. The tree was dry and brittle, and now waited forlornly by the side of the road to be picked up. Mood: Dreary, depressed. How do we know? "cold, sigh, brittle, forlornly"

MOOD Again, identifying the mood of a piece of writing will depend on the number of descriptive words you know to answer the question: How did this paragraph, this passage, this story make the character or make you feel?

MOOD Brain Muscle Work-out, Volume II! Cheerful Relieved Gloomy Bleak Uncertain Bittersweet Relaxed Lazy Hopeless Tense Furious Disappointed Dreamy, foggy Content Satisfied Angry Motivated Inspired Confident Eerie

Mood: “ A Gift in His Shoes ” Donovan and Larry were early for baseball practice. They decided to run up and down the bleachers to exercise before the rest of the team arrived. Larry was first to the top. He whispered to Donovan, “ Look over there. ” He pointed to a man sleeping on the highest, narrow bench of the bleachers. His pants and shirt were faded, worn, and too large for his thin frame. One big toe stuck out of a huge hole in his sock. His scraped-up shoes sat a few feet away. Donovan whispered, “ We should help him out. Let ’ s hide something good in his shoes. Then, when he wakes up, he will have a nice surprise. ”

Mood: “ A Gift in His Shoes ” How would you describe the mood of this passage? a.Angry b.Detached c.Sympathetic Evidence?

ANTICIPATION GUIDE

Anticipation Guide Read the statement. Take 10 seconds to decide if you agree or disagree with it. In your mind, have a defense for your reason. AGREE DISAGREE

EVERY PERSON HAS A MONSTER INSIDE OF HIM OR HERSELF.

SOME SECRETS ARE WORTH HIDING.

NURTURE IS STRONGER THAN NATURE IN CHILD REARING.

SORROW IN LIFE IS MAINLY CAUSED BY LONELINESS.

PEOPLE ARE MALICIOUS BECAUSE THEY ARE MISERABLE.

THERE ARE BOUNDARIES THAT SCIENCE SHOULD NOT CROSS.