welcome to module #2!
modules are 1 week long. they open and close on wednesdays
assignments:
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approximate time to allot:
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links to lecture note materials:
- The History of Medicine
- Body Snatching Around the World
- Moved by Electricity: Frankenstein, Galvanism, & Paracelsus
If you don't read the background material, you will lack the extension materials you need to eventually write your essay.
discussion questions: choose one
- Victor does not reveal his suspicions/knowledge to the court that the Creation may be the actual murderer of William. Why wouldn’t he? What do you think this reveals about his character? When Elizabeth is called as witness during the trial, she talks about “pretended friends” (Shelley 78). Review this speech and discuss how this might also apply to Frankenstein. Be sure to make direct relations back to the speech.
- After the death of Justine, Frankenstein says, “The tortures of the accused did not equal mine; she was sustained by innocence, but the fangs of remorse tore my bosom and would not forgo their hold” (Shelley 79). Put this quotation into plain language. What do you think this statement tells the reader about Frankenstein as a person? Explain by using 3 direct references to the text.
- In the midst of the circumstances surrounding Justine’s trial, Elizabeth cries, “How shall I ever again believe in human goodness?” In Chapter 10, the Creation says, “U was benevolent and good; misery made me a fiend” (Shelley 96). Those in the Romantic Movement believed that man was born good, but societal pressures created evil in man. What is your opinion? Are people naturally good? If so, why do some people become/do evil? Use three quotes from this section to support your answer.
- Explain the allusion on page 96 where Frankenstein states, “I ought to be thy Adam” (Shelley). Then explain what the significance is. Why would Shelley use this particular allusion? Explain by making three direct connections to the text. What does it foreshadow?