Year 8 - English
Frankenstein's reaction to his creation
A monster within: reading and writing Gothic fiction
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupils explore the Gothic. They start by learning what the Gothic is, before reading extracts from 'Frankenstein' and 'Jane Eyre', practising descriptive writing and reading 'The Tell-Tale Heart'. They finally learn how to write opinion articles and then write their own.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to explain how Frankenstein reacts to his creation and consider how ethical his reaction is.
Key Notes
- Frankenstein is disgusted and disappointed with his creation.
- Frankenstein's hatred for his creation is based purely on the way he looks.
- Frankenstein repeatedly runs away from the Creature, thereby cruelly rejecting him.
- Arguably, Frankenstein's treatment of the Creature is unethical and immoral.
- Frankenstein's callous treatment of the Creature is a key motivator in the Creature's subsequent violence in the novel.
Vocabulary To Learn
- Ethical: If something is ethical, it is the moral, right thing to do.
- Wretch: A wretch is a miserable being or a wicked being.
- To repulse: To repulse is to make someone feel disgusted or horrified.
- Perspective: The perspective is the viewpoint the narrative is told from.
- To endure: If you cannot endure something, you cannot bear it.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Pupils forget that the description of the Creature is written from Frankenstein's perspective.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.
Frankenstein is disgusted and disappointed with his creation. Frankenstein's hatred for his creation is based purely on the way he looks.
2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'Ethical'
If something is ethical, it is the moral, right thing to do.
3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.
Mistake: Pupils forget that the description of the Creature is written from Frankenstein's perspective. Correction: Shelley describes the Creature so horribly through the eyes of Frankenstein to show his disgust with his creation.
More Lessons In This Unit
- 'Frankenstein' and the Gothic context Study Guide
- A written analysis of 'Frankenstein' Study Guide
- A written analysis of 'The Tell-Tale Heart' Study Guide
- An introduction to 'Jane Eyre': Analysing an unseen extract Study Guide
- Analysing effective opinion articles Study Guide
- Analysing the atmosphere at Thornfield Hall in 'Jane Eyre' Study Guide
- Context for Gothic literature: science and religion in the 19th century Study Guide
- Editing descriptive writing based on 'A monster within' Study Guide
- Exploring the character of Victor Frankenstein in Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' Study Guide
- Frankenstein's regret and the scientific revolution Study Guide
- Identifying features of the Gothic genre in the plot of 'Frankenstein' Study Guide
- Improving your opinion article on Gothic literature Study Guide
- Lowood Institution: Gothic settings in 'Jane Eyre' Study Guide
- Organising our gothic writing to build tension Study Guide
- Planning a cohesive argument about 'The Tell-Tale Heart' Study Guide
- Planning a Gothic description inspired by 'A monster within' Study Guide
- Planning a written analysis of 'Frankenstein' Study Guide
- Planning an opinion article about Gothic literature Study Guide
- Reading 'The Tell-Tale Heart' Study Guide
- Reading an extract from 'Frankenstein': A fateful night Study Guide
- Reading an extract from Charlotte Brontë's 'Jane Eyre' Study Guide
- Regret in Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' Study Guide
- Symbolism in 'The Tell-Tale Heart' Study Guide
- The creation of suspense in 'The Tell-Tale Heart' Study Guide
- The structure of an opinion article Study Guide
- Using 'Jane Eyre' to inspire our use of gothic vocabulary Study Guide
- Using description in functional writing Study Guide
- Using figurative language to create a gothic atmosphere Study Guide
- Using semantic fields to create a gothic atmosphere Study Guide
- Writing a gothic description Study Guide
- Writing an opinion article on Gothic literature Study Guide
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