Mary Shelley
Richard Rothwell‘s portrait of Mary Shelley
Watch the two introductory videos, one taken from the National Theatre website and the other one taken from USU (Utah State University), they will help you grasp the nuts and bolts of the author and her masterpiece.
Can man create life in a laboratory? The science fiction genre is the exploration of what might happen, if technology advances a certain way, and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is considered by many to be the first science fiction novel . . . which she began when she was 19, and published when she was 21.
Watch the great analysis of the novel done by www.60secondrecap.com and compare it with the following “crash analysis”, which way of approaching a classic do you like better? Both sites are meant to make students appreciate some literary masterpieces.
Shortly I will prepare a video tutorial on some key aspects of “Frankenstein”. It would be great if you started recording your tutorials too. They might come in handy for revision before a test. You can use this application, very easy to use. Though the length of a video should not be more than five minutes, the following is an example of a tutorial given by a student himself.
This is a pretty long documentary by BBC, entitled “The Real Story of Frankenstein’s Monster”. I am posting it just for those who want to investigate more and happen to feel like watching it. I liked it because I am fascinated by the great documentaries BBC creates for the benefit of all people. A great way to share and spread great literature.
This Padlet is meant for your own digital products prompted by Mary Shelley’s Monster, or better “The Creature” as I prefer referring him by.
Creative Writing
You are kindly asked to carry out all the following tasks. One reflects the epistolary form used in the novel (TASK 1), the other (TASK 2) is based on the excerpt “The Education of the Creature” (reread it carefully) and asks for your personal view on life (reflect upon your existence, your experiences in life) and your philosophy studies. Work seriously and have fun (no sloppy writing, thanks. You are not writing for my own sake, but to better your language competence in English. Proofread your creative productions before you post them).
TASK 1
You are the Monster. You have just learnt to read, write and speak, and have read Victor’s notes
on his experiments when creating you. Write a letter to Frankenstein, telling him about yourself.
Ask him questions about why he made you and then rejected you. Ask him to meet you.
You are Victor Frankenstein. You have just read the Monster’s letter, and feel obliged to reply.
You try to answer some of his questions. Decide whether or not you agree to meet him
TASK 2
Musings upon life and existence. Look at the Creature’s reflections upon life. What are yours like? Are they similar to/close to his or utterly different? Does the study of literature, history, philosophy prompt deeper thoughts in you? Can you name a writer, philosopher, an event in history that sparked in you a long and irrevocable thinking process? Thoughts that turned into beliefs?