1a. What was Lord Byron's idea for the group?
2a. What was the nature of the discussion between Byron and Percy Shelley that led to Mary's idea for her story?
3a. What is the reason for Mary Shelley's affection for the monster, according to the last paragraph of the selection?
4a. Reread Mary Shelley's biography on page 742. What special significance might the idea of creating life have for her, in terms of motherhood and personal grief?
5a. Shelley says, in this selection, "invention...does not consist in creating out of void, but out of chaos." Do you agree? What raw material—experiences, ideas, emotions—do you think she used to create her novel? What creative experiences have you had? Did your creations arise out of nothing, or out of some "materials" in your life? Explain.
1b. Why might Mary Shelley have felt fearful about presenting her writing to this gathering?
2b. What does Shelley mean by "mock the stupendous mechanism of the Creator of the world" in paragraph 7 of the selection?
3b. What does Shelley mean by "I bid my hideous progeny go forth and prosper" in the last paragraph of the selection?
4b. Do you see the Frankenstein monster as a commentary on the idea that humankind can create an ideal world? Why, or why not?
5b. Mary Shelley might have thought truth stranger than fiction had she lived to see the things which modern science can now do, such as genetic engineering. How far do you think science should go in exploring ways to change the outcomes of nature? Is there a limit to what scientists should attempt?
Autobiography. What do you learn about Mary Shelley's life from this selection? Why do you think she felt compelled to include this autobiographical information in the introduction to her book?
Catharsis. Discuss the role of catharsis in the telling of ghost stories and its role in Mary Shelley's idea for the novel Frankenstein.
1. A Gothic tale is a story containing elements of horror, suspense, mystery, and magic. Write a one-paragraph description of a haunted house. Before you begin drafting your paragraph, think about how haunted houses have been depicted in books and movies. Then freewrite your own details about a Gothic haunted house.
2. Write a letter to the editor, expressing your feelings on the morality of genetic engineering and the advances of modern science.
3. Imagine that you are a talk-show host given the opportunity to interview Mary Shelley about her famous novel. What would you like to ask her? Perhaps you are curious about her personal life with Shelley or about the influence of her parents. You may wish to know her reaction to the enduring popularity of her story or her reaction to the many ways in which modern versions have treated it. Prepare a set of interview questions for Mary Shelley.
Clichés and Euphemisms. Rewrite the sentences below, changing the underlined phrase in each to eliminate the cliché or the euphemism.
1. When she was a child, Mary Shelley worshiped the ground her father walked on.
2. Mary Shelley appears to have been fascinated with the end of life as we know it.
3. The young authoress was white as a sheet after she awakened from her nightmare.
4. The unusual being created by Dr. Frankenstein was lonely and felt abandoned by his creator.
5. The Romantic writers cherished their individuality and their emotions, though their feelings sometimes caused them to tear their hair and gnash their teeth.
Researching Prometheus. Research the Prometheus myth. Why did Mary Shelley subtitle her novel, The Modern Prometheus? Answer this question and write an essay outlining the parallels of the Prometheus story with Frankenstein.
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