Tips for Successfully Writing About Literature

To write effectively about literature, you must be a critical reader, carefully noting your thoughts, and questions as you go along.  A writer interprets a text based on his or her own reading of it, and sometimes the observations of accomplished critics. It presents a critical understanding of a work or works. This form of analysis should be based primarily on your own interpretation of the subject. It presents a thoughtful interpretation or understanding of the work. The focus of your analysis depends on the length and complexity of your subject. The analysis of a longer text might focus on a specific aspect of the plot, setting, theme, characterization, author, style, content, and/or related topics. An effective analysis synthesizes information from your reading into a thoughtful, unified essay. It should not be a review of the text but rather should present an argument or a certain interpretation of the text. You should connect your reading of the text to the concepts raised in this class. Consider how this literary texts explores the issues we’ve discussed in class.

This essay should be about 4-6 pages typed, double-spaced, must include at least four (4) sources and should include a works cited or references page. If you include graphics, the text portion should still be at least four pages in length.

You may select one of the following prompts OR develop a topic of your own to respond to in a writing project (4-6 pages). You must cite passages from the novel as well as from at least three (3) reliable and reputable outside sources. This activity encourages you to deepen your interpretation of Frankenstein by making connections between themes and issues in the novel, in other works, and to the outside world.

1. The horror story is just as popular today as it was in Shelley’s early nineteenth century England. What is the appeal of this genre? Discuss elements from Frankenstein that parallel characteristics of modern horror tales such as those by Stephen King, or contemporary films such as It or Nightmare on Elm Street. What are the effects of these elements on the audience, and how might that explain our fascination?
2. Frankenstein finds himself unable to “mother” the being he creates. Why does Shelley characterize Victor in this way? What does this choice say about the role of women during Shelley’s era? Discuss the significance of parent-child relationships and birth references throughout the novel.
3. Dreams and nightmares play a recurrent role throughout Shelley’s novel. Trace the use of dreams throughout the book, with emphasis on how they relate to changes in Victor’s character.
4. Why are there so many references to sickness and fever in Frankenstein? Trace these references throughout the novel. What broader theme might Shelley be expressing?
5. Ice is a prevalent image and an integral plot device in Shelley’s Frankenstein. How is it appropriate that the novel ends in ice? What is the symbolism of ice for the characters and the story?
6. In his afterword in the Signet Classics edition of Frankenstein, Harold Bloom asserts that “all Romantic horrors are diseases of excessive consciousness, of the self unable to bear the self.” Does this Romantic characteristic apply to Victor and his treatment of the creature? Explain. Consider the fact that Victor never gives the creature a name.
7. Consider the character of Justine Moritz. While her story only takes two chapters of Shelley’s novel, her role as a secondary character is significant. What is Shelley’s purpose in telling Justine’s story? What truths about her time is Shelley revealing?
8. The patriarchal society of Frankenstein is one in which men pursue their goals against hopeless odds. In light of this work ethic, is Robert Walton a failure when he turns his ship around at the end of the novel? How would Victor Frankenstein answer this question? What would Mary Shelley say? What do you think?