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Eng 110 Paper Four – Frankenstein

For this paper, you will write a four page argumentative paper in which you

interpret Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein. You should advance a thesis interpreting

the novel thematically: make a claim that the novel asserts or criticizes a particular

value, idea, or way of life. You need not worry about asserting that the work is good or

a classic: the way you mount your argument should make clear your opinion of the

novel, so you need not directly state it. Moreover, there’s no need for you to feel that

the novel is beyond criticism. If you didn’t like the novel, or feel that it is wrongheaded,

that’s more than okay, so long as you can articulate a specific reason for your distaste

for four pages.

Your main goal, then, is first to identify a theme from the novel, then to

demonstrate how it manifests in the book. After (or while) demonstrating the theme’s

existence, you may evaluate the theme, arguing whether or not it articulates a useful or

interesting idea, or if, conversely, the novel seems to you to misunderstand the nature

of its topic.

The book is a horror novel, and we’ve discussed, throughout the

semester, ways in which monsters from myth and media usually represent some sort of

issue or anxiety already present in the culture in which the story is told. In class, we

have discussed some of the things the monster may be said to represent or comment

on: the role of science in the modern world, the dangers – or promise -- of democratic

government, the role of women in society, the reality of social/economic equality, the

function of education in society, and the nature of the “social contract” (that is, what

values – family values, friendship, compassion -- make society possible?). Any one of

these might be a general topic through which you can interpret the novel (don’t try to

cover more than one unless you are convinced they are strongly related).

You may write about any topic or theme you wish: if you are unsure if

your idea is appropriate, set up a meeting with me, and we can talk it over. In general, I

don’t feel comfortable assigning essay “prompt” questions, as I feel that the whole point

of an essay assignment is for the writer to devise his or her own topic and terms of

analysis. Certainly you may feel free to search the internet for likely topics, or do

research into the work of literary critics to see what issues they discuss (cite them if you

use them for your paper) – that’s partly why I assigned an article presentation for the

class. One site you might look into would be

www.penguin.com/static/pdf/teachersguides/Frankenstein.pdf.

Your paper need not account for the whole novel, so do not waste time on

plot summary. In this case, imagine that your audience has already read the novel, and

thus get right to the theme you wish to write about. Your paper need only discuss that

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Eng 110 Paper Four – Frankenstein For this paper, you will write a four page argumentative paper in which you interpret Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein. You should advance a thesis interpreting the novel thematically: make a claim that the novel asserts or criticizes a particular value, idea, or way of life. You need not worry about asserting that the work is good or a classic: the way you mount your argument should make clear your opinion of the novel, so you need not directly state it. Moreover, there’s no need for you to feel that the novel is beyond criticism. If you didn’t like ...
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