Richard Wasowski - Frankenstein

T he purpose of the Novel Learning Series is threefold:

1. to provide you with an opportunity to read and analyze a novel independently,

2. to provide study questions and writing prompts that are aligned with the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, and

3. to prepare you for rigorous high-stakes tests, such as the SAT and ACT, by providing multiple-choice questions that are similar in both form and content to the questions on those tests.

The first part of this book contains the novel Frankenstein, which is divided into seven sections for the purpose of this guide: the letters through chapter 2; chapters 3 through 6; chapters 7 through 10; chapters 11 through 14; chapters 15 through 18; chapters 19 through 22; and chapters 23 and 24. After each of these seven sections of the novel, there is a series of multiple-choice questions. You should read the chapters of the novel first and then answer the questions. The information following each question explains how to answer the preceding question. If you are confident in your answer, use this information to confirm your thought process. If you are unsure of how to answer the question, the explanation can guide your decision-making process.

The final part of this guide contains critical reading questions related to a given passage, short answer assignments, and essay assignments. A rubrica list of various essay elements and descriptions used to gauge quality in essay responsesis also provided. The rubric and the guide to understanding the rubric are designed to walk you through the writing process as you organize your thoughts and craft your response.

The British Romantic period (17981837), a reaction to the order and rationalism of the Age of Reason, began with the publication of Lyrical Ballads, a collection of poems by William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Two of these poems, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey, play an important role in Frankenstein. The period is considered to have ended with the coronation of Queen Victoria.

Romanticspoets, novelists, visual artists, musicians, and philosophersfavored individualism, the imagination, and nature in all its aspects over the harmony and stability of the Enlightenment. They also valued personal freedom and experiencerebelling against any form of tyranny, found comfort and peace in nature, and expressed concern and sympathy for the common man. Romantics also explored the psychological effects that death had on individuals and took an interest in past legends, especially medieval ones, as well as the supernatural.

One important milestone of the Romantic era was the rise of the gothic novel. The atmosphere of these novels was one of dread, fear, and suspense; the setting was usually isolated, and they usually had an involvement with lonely and melancholic events and themes. The thematic topic of revenge permeates gothic texts. Gothic characters also tended to be specific types: the male gothic hero typically displayed charm and charisma in lieu of personal goodness, and the ideal female characters were beautiful, docile, generous, devoted, passive, and affectionate.

At this time, read the letters through chapter 2, and answer the questions that follow.