Frankensteinby Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Thematic BibliographyMonster by Walter Dean Myers

Steve Harmon finds himself in a very difficult place. He is on trial for assisted murder. In order to survive, he must distance himself with the people who committed the crime. Are they his friends or just some people heʼs seen around? No one knows but Steve, and now he wishes he didnʼt know them at all. Frankenstein finds himself in a similar situation of denying what heʼs done. The creation of the monster is so horrible that he chooses to ignore it for as long as he can. Both characters found a need to isolate themselves from those around them.

The Outsiders by S.E. HintonPonyboy wonders if the life of a soc (short for “social”) is anything like a that of a greaser. He talks to Cherry about this in an effort to better understand what life is like and what it all means. Frankensteinʼs monster similarly must go through a learning process. His time spent in the hovel shows him the great meaning and purpose of life. His failed attempts to make friends only encourage him to go back to Frankenstein and demand a mate. Both characters are desperately trying to make sense of the world and find their place in it.

Spider-Man 2 (film)While this isnʼt a written text, the story behind this movie falls wonderfully in line with Frankensteinʼs tale. Peter Parkerʼs creation (Spider-man) has caused him no end of troubles. He must lie to everyone he knows about his identity. His school work is failing. He separates himself from the one he loves, Mary Jane. Soon, he decides to abandon his alternate persona in an effort to get his life back. Seemingly, everything works out; that is, until he recognizes that it must come back, even at the sacrifice of his own personal agenda. Frankensteinʼs story is similar, though with a much less heroic outcome. Also, there is an overarching theme to both the movie and the book: with great power comes great responsibility.

Thomas Reyes-Cairo, 2008, BYU

King Midas and the Golden Touch by KY Craft/Charlotte CraftFrankensteinʼs creation has that sort of “Midasʼ Touch” to it. In one way, he desperately wanted to find the secret of creating life. But when he did, it became much more of a curse than it ever was a blessing.

The Arrival by Shaun TanThe book depicts the story of a man who has emigrated to a new country. Even without words, it is able to depict the feelings of loneliness and isolation that come with being in a strange, new place. Frankensteinʼs monster never quite got over this difficult adjustment. He constantly worked towards becoming human like those around him, but he always ended up being a foreigner.

Center for Childrenʼs Justice“Fatherlessness #1” and “Fatherlessnes #2,” 2006.

http://www.childrensjustice.org/fatherlessness1.htmhttp://www.childrensjustice.org/fatherlessness2.htmThese statistics can help students to understand what Frankensteinʼs monster may have been suffering without Frankensteinʼs positive influence.

Regret the Error -- Mistakes HappenCraig Silverman, editor. 2008.http://www.regrettheerror.com/A website dedicated to the retraction of errors on behalf of the news media. Since Frankenstein deals with so much regret, this could be a great way to introduce discussion about the topic.

wikiHow--How to Deal with Loneliness2008.http://www.wikihow.com/Deal-With-LonelinessA how-to manual on dealing with loneliness, including tips and warning signs. How well did the characters in the book do?

Thomas Reyes-Cairo, 2008, BYU

Accepting Personal ResponsibilityJames Messina, Constance Messina. 2007.http://www.coping.org/growth/accept.htmEveryone should know a thing or two about accepting personal responsibility. Frankenstein gives us a poor example of this, but this website tells us how we can do better. Also included are potential negative consequences for failing to accept personal responsibility. You can almost use this like a checklist for the relationship between Frankenstein and his monster.

Blog--How to Have More Social SuccessChris (?). 2008.http://www.succeedsocially.com/sociallife This particular portion of the blog focuses on “How to Make Friends and Get a Social Life.” Understanding what helps us make friends can help us to appreciate what Frankensteinʼs monster was going through as he tried to do so himself. Sometimes making friends can be as difficult as it was for him. This website (in part or in whole) can be used to springboard discussion on friends and sociality.

Thomas Reyes-Cairo, 2008, BYU