IPA P A This activity is designed to be used in conjunction with a performance of IPA Production s Frankenstein. For more information, visit www.ipaproductions.com. Becker's Classroom: Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Shelley makes the monster eloquent, rather than mute or uncommunicative. Whateffect does this choice have on our perception of him?
The monster in Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein lurches into life as big as a man but asignorant as a newborn. He can’t read, speak, or understand the rudiments of humaninteraction. When he stumbles upon the cottagers, however, he picks up language by observingthem and studying their speech. It is this acquisition of language, along with the eloquenceit brings, that turns the monster from a mysterious nightmare into a sympathetic and tragicfigure. By showing how language transforms the monster, and by contrasting the well-spokenmonster with his equally articulate creator, Shelley argues that verbal communication—ratherthan action or appearance—is the only way through which people can truly understand oneanother.
Before the monster learns to express himself, his actions are no less than terrifying.His escape from Victor’s workshop seems sinister and his murder of William apparentlyconfirms the notion that he is a powerful, malignant beast capable of unmotivated violence.His shocking appearance does not help matters. Victor assumes, and Shelley invites us toassume along with him, that this being, with his patched-together body, his yellow skin, andhis black lips, must have a soul that matches his hideous appearance.
- This one has some precious kinder snowmen on it with a few snowman ice cream cones as well. This board is in my classroom which is why it’s so tiny. This board is showcasing some awesome one point perspective drawings by 5th grade. I was so impressed with some of their themes and their execution of said theme.
- Gives detailed teaching ideas for Frankenstein in four areas: Frankenstein and Bioethics, Frankenstein and Friendship, Writing Fiction Based on Real Science, and The Power of Appearance. Provides activity sheets and links to many useful readings and resources around the web. “Tales of the Supernatural” Lesson Plans Grades 9-12, EDSITEment.
- Frankenstein - Teacher Guide by Novel Units Novel Units on Amazon.com.FREE. shipping on qualifying offers. Frankenstein - Teacher Guide by Novel Units.
When the monster speaks, however, he throws his actions into a different light. Heexplains that Victor’s desertion left him alone and frightened. He conveys how hurt he waswhen he realized that his appearance scares normal people. His stories about sympathizingwith and secretly helping the cottagers show that he has an empathetic nature, and his taleof rescuing a young girl and getting a bullet for his trouble demonstrates his instinct tohelp those weaker than himself, sparking our outrage at society’s unwarranted cruelty towardhim. Even the monster’s description of William’s murder makes the convincing case that furyat Victor drove the monster to violence—not an excuse, by any means, but certainly anexplanation that is understandable and psychologically credible. By giving the monster thepower of oratory, Shelley forces us to consider his behavior from an entirely differentangle and to sympathize with his plight.
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Shelley bolsters our sympathy for the monster by comparing his words to Victor’s.Frankenstein is Victor’s story; he has countless opportunities to argue his case and casthimself as the tragic hero of the tale. Despite his earnest—and long-winded—attempts to puthimself in the right, however, Victor’s words only alienate us as they pile up. He feelslittle besides relief when the monster escapes; he lets Justine go to her death rather thanrisk his reputation by telling the truth; he whines and prevaricates; he heartlesslyabandons and scorns his own creation. Ironically, Victor would be more appealing were he tolose the power of speech. Unlike his monster, he is no murderer. By themselves, his actionsmight seem reasonable. But because he bares his soul by communicating verbally to us, thereaders, he reveals the unappealing motivations behind those reasonable actions and losesour trust and sympathy.
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The monster’s eloquent words do not have the effect he intends: They fail to winVictor’s approval or gain his affection. They do have an effect he cannot foresee, however.By explicating himself and his actions, the monster gains our favor and turns himself intothe hero of Victor Frankenstein’s narrative. And by pulling off this neat reversal, Shelleydemonstrates the overwhelming importance of language in shaping individuals’ identities—aswell as the perception of those identities by others.