Your Assignment, If You Choose to Accept It...

Assignments. It seems that’s what most people want me to talk about. I will assume that means I should write about how to write a good assignment or maybe, more specifically, how to make your current or upcoming assignments better.

Let’s start in this blog entry with the Frankenstein assignment. First, I would choose whichever question I felt most comfortable with. You should only try to dazzle me with your choice of topic if you’re extremely comfortable with your writing ability, meaning you’ve been getting keen marks in the course already. There are no bonus marks for trying a really hard assignment if you still don’t write a good essay. Let your originality show in how you approach whatever topic you choose. The best answers are those that start with the best questions. So come up with your best questions first.

Here are the questions and my comments on each one:

1. Victor Frankenstein is the maker of his own destiny.
You need to figure out what this question is asking you to focus on. Obviously, it’s the protagonist, Victor. You’ll need to look at his motivations, as well as the results of his actions. Does he get what he deserves? By that, I don’t mean you should moralize as to whether he is “good” or “bad” so much as whether he creates his own destiny. Are the things that happen to him completely his own fault? Or does fate play a role? Or something else (e.g. how he was raised)? What does he seem to think? What do the other characters, such as the monster and/or Walton and/or Elizabeth seem to think? You will need to consider these angles before making a final decision. The key, as always, will be to organize your ideas, forming solid analytical paragraphs as you go (see my earlier post on paragraph structure).


2. The monster in Frankenstein deserves empathy, but not sympathy.

Some students I’ve spoken to seem confused as to the definitions of “empathy” and “sympathy”. Check a reliable dictionary. But also, set your own terms. Make sure you are clear on what it is you are trying to prove here (but start with a thesis statement that focuses on the novel first). Is it that we can understand the creature’s actions and still not feel sympathy for him? How you answer this question depends on you. Just make sure you follow some kind of structure in your argument. There won’t be any right or wrong here as long as you provide lots of evidence and rigorous discussion of your evidence.

3. Elizabeth Lavenza is the moral center in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.

This one is pretty clear. You take a stand one way or the other regarding Elizabeth. It would be pretty hard to think that she is not the moral center—the character who most emblematizes the concept of “good” in the novel. But she isn’t the only one with such qualities, of course, so you might want to consider a couple of other pretenders to the title. What about Victor’s father and mother? What about the monster himself, or Robert Walton? They all have a certain morality about them. And besides, Mary Shelley’s husband, Percy, believed that we all conduct ourselves according to a personal moral code and that ideas of absolute right and wrong were nonsense, too subjective to be worth considering in such a way. Ultimately, though, you are mostly asked here to assess the character of Elizabeth in her interactions with other characters. How does she conduct herself, and why do you think Shelley portrays her this way?

4. Mary Shelley uses nature to symbolize (and/or reflect) Victor’s psychological journey.

Nature is the most obvious symbolic setting in Shelley’s novel, I would think. Whether it’s Walton being isolated in the ice on his journey towards the very symbolic North Pole, the monster living in nature and living off it while in his natural state, educating himself about the world he lives in and is yet alienated from, or Victor’s solo journey at Chamounix as he seeks solitude and salvation. At nearly every turn, we are told about nature, about the weather, the environment in general. It’s almost always significant, since it reflects the soul and emotions of the characters involved. The setting also enhances mood and, most importantly, reflects or emphasizes theme. These are just some thoughts to get you started, but I’ll be interested in seeing what you do with this one on your own. There’s plenty to talk about. I realize you can’t talk about it all, so tailor it to your own needs. You could talk about how she uses nature generally, but also narrow it down to a focus on two, three, or four key scenes.

5. Write a letter to Robert Walton, telling him that you have found the perfect friend for him, and his name is Henry Clerval. (Note: For the sake of the essay, assume he hasn’t been destroyed by the monster just yet.)

Even though this is supposed to be a letter, you’ll need to follow the form of good analysis, as we’ve discussed over and over. Your paragraphing should have structure, and there should be plenty of analysis, including evidence for all your assertions. This question will require you to discuss the characterization of both Walton and Clerval. They don’t meet in the novel, and yet the question seems to presume that they might have much in common. That’s up to you. Maybe you’ll discover something in the novel that suggests otherwise. Or not. Either way, as with all of the questions here, you’ll have to dig deep into the novel for evidence (a good, short quote here and there, or a couple of interesting details that you can make something of).


6. Write an e-mail to your English professor, telling him why you think Frankenstein is a literary masterpiece. OR Write an e-mail to your English professor, telling him why you think Frankenstein is an artistic failure.

Of course, you already know what I think. But that’s irrelevant. The main thing here is that you know how to articulate what YOU think. Many of you have already told me that you hated this novel (though a few have said otherwise too). So here’s your chance to say why. But it’s not a rant, not solely anyway. It has to have structure, lots of evidence, and strong points either for or against. What makes a novel a masterpiece anyway? Don’t get caught in the trap of simply saying you “liked” it and that “Mary Shelley did an excellent job.” I see a lot of essays like that and, really, those kinds of value judgements are relatively useless, even if you are right. What you’re supposed to do is analyze various components of the novel (how effective is her choice of narrator, her use of setting, her plotting, and so on. What makes a good novel anyway? Strong endings? Strong beginnings? Continuity?) While there is a subjective element to this question, be careful to not just sermonize based on a gut feeling. There is usually a reason for such gut feelings and your job is to find out what that is and express it in an intelligent, logical manner—not just as a matter of feeling or emotions.


7. Write a concerned letter to Elizabeth Lavenza, telling her why Victor Frankenstein is not the right man for her. (Note: For the sake of the essay, assume she’s still living and that we don’t necessarily know she’ll be choked to death by the monster.)

You could write this letter from the perspective of any character, or just from yourself. There are a lot of different approaches you could take. Either way, as with #5, you’ll need to consider the characterization of two separate characters, in this case both Elizabeth and Victor. You could take the opposite stance and say what they are meant for each other. As usual, that’s up to you. Be as creative as you like, as long your assertions are based on logic, including evidence from the story. ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS consider the counter-argument or whether there is a different perspective possible on the evidence you’ve chosen to exploit. You should definitely focus on what it is that YOU are trying to prove, but always try to imagine what someone else might say if they didn’t have the same opinion as you. Just be aware of the often-multiple nuances of the English language, that’s all.

So, is Victor all wrong for Elizabeth? There are many reasons to think so and, I would think, they are obvious. But don’t just go for the obvious. Look closely at the sections where she is either talked about or actually gets to say things (such as in two separate letters to Victor). What kind of woman does she seem to be and what does she possibly see in Victor? Is she right or wrong in what she thinks about him, since she obviously wants him to marry her? Lots here to discuss.

My last comment for now on all of these questions: Make sure you dig into the novel for evidence. Get your hands dirty. Take copious notes and then organize those notes into an argument. That, along with solid writing and strong paragraphing (Remember: 1. Make a statement, 2. Give evidence, and 3. Analyze your evidence) will give you your best shot at a good essay and your best English grade yet. Oh, and come up with good questions (write them down!) designed to help you get to the heart of your subject. In answering those questions (again, on paper), you might be surprised at what you come up with.

Good luck! I hope these essays are brilliant. It makes my job of grading SO much easier and it makes me very happy. :-)

GC