YEAR 13 LESSON FIVE [3rd Oct 12]: Homework.

Class discussion considered the representation of the creature and Victor in chapter five of the novel. Reference was made to the dream that Victor experiences after the animation of the creature and whether Shelley wants the reader to sympathise with Victor. Is Victor a villainous character? The discussion was punctuated with reference to the filmic representations of chapter five. Click on links below to access these resources:
James Whale 1930 Frankenstein Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKyiXjyVsfw
James Whale's version of chapter five:  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8H3dFh6GA-A
Branagh's 1994 version of the creature's animation:
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOcJwt8XB4M&feature=related

Class discussion considered the key moments from the opening chapters before considering the following question:
How does Shelley attempt to engage the reader in the opening section of Frankenstein?
The following areas need to be considered when considering this question:

• The dramatic significance of the location.
• The shocking nature of the content. A reader in 1818 would be shocked by Victor's behaviour. Students were asked to consider the controversial nature of the content as a device used by Shelley to engage the reader.
• The significance of the references to Coleridge's Mariner.
• The representation of the creature.
• Walton's letters and the dramatic expectation created by Shelley.
• Victor's dream in chapter five.
• The significance of the alternative title: The Modern Prometheus.
• Shelley's use of language.
• The narrative shift from Walton to Victor.

HOMEWORK: Read the novel. I expect all students to have read Victor's narrative. Furthermore, I would like students to consider how Shelley engages the reader at the beginning of the novel. This will be your next essay.