1. Creating an Essay Organizer: The Process with An Example

2. First come up with a topic or idea: romanticism in Frankenstein and its connection to suspense Second, develop a thesis from your topic Thesis: The use of many devices typical of writing of the romantic era increases suspense in Frankenstein. (NOTICE that just saying Frankenstein is a romantic book isn’t sufficient, since we’ve said that since we began the unit--you need to put something new of your own thoughts in it.)

3. NOTE: If you are having difficulty coming up with a thesis, you might want to try the next step of brainstorming before writing down the thesis

4. Third, brainstorm a list of points to do with your topic (romanticism) that could further proof of your thesis:  Co-incidental meetings (involve surprise happenings, and therefore create suspense)  Obscure settings (by definition remote, lonely and therefore suspenseful)  Anti-social hero (by being anti-social, he is unconnected, depressed, unpredictable and therefore suspenseful)

5.  Involves a journey (journey implies some kind of searching and therefore involves uncertainty)  Rejects rational thought in favor of intuitive, imaginative (intuitive implies unpredictable)  Interest in exotic or weird topics (topic of creating and then not controlling life is clearly suspenseful in this book)  Appreciation of nature (nature can be awe- inspiring or also scary, both of which can lead to suspense)

6. Fourth, organize your brainstormed list into three controls (categories of evidence).  Control 1: Aspects of Victor’s personality typical of romantic literature creature suspense in the novel  Control 2: Various settings significant in romantic literature create suspense in Frankenstein  Control 3: Central objective of romantic writers to show the superiority of the intuitive and emotional over rationality and science also augments the suspense

7. Finally, organize your evidence under each control and think how you’ll connect each to your thesis and the control. Note: on the organizer you turn in, you’ll need to have FIVE direct quote support points.

8. Control 1: Aspects of the protagonist’s personality add to suspense in this novel.  Victor is anti-social: at school, when grieving William and Justine’s death, when conflicted about creating mate on journey with Henry; these behaviors separate him from normal life creating tension and uncertainty about him and his actions  Victor’s interest in weird, eerie topics (creating and animating a being) and his secretiveness in not revealing monster’s creation to anyone (an obvious flaw in his thinking that makes the reader stressed about the horrible surprise for other characters)  Many co-incidental meetings with other characters create suspense (Victor & Henry in Ingostadt; Victor & creature at William death; Victor & Walton)

9. Control 2: Settings typical of romantic literature facilitate creation of suspense  Obscure, remote settings (glacier, Orkney Islands), showdown in Arctic)  Lots of nature (imply loneliness which increases suspense)--on waters of lake after William’s death; creature’s life in the woods for his first few months  Journeys--constant change of setting keeps the reader guessing and implies the characters are seeking something, which creates suspense

10. Control 3: Author’s mission to show superiority of imagination and intuition over science is suspenseful  Because novel can be viewed as long drawn out contest--product of science and rationality (creature) vs the true and nobler nature of Victor (intuitive)--the reader is drawn into wondering how the contest will ultimately end.  Science involved with the creation of life is very sketchily described; the reader is left in a quandary  Weird, exotic topics capture reader’s attention, provide uncertainty by their very mysterious nature (ie creating life from nothing)