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‘FRANKENSTEIN’ As I take the register, take a piece of paper or use your book to write today’s date (the title will come later) and write down a definition of the word ‘alchemy’. Try to write down what YOU think it means, but you can discuss it briefly with the people near you to find out their ideas..
alchemy (noun) (‘al-kuh-me’) • Victor Frankenstein develops an interest in science after reading about the ‘wild fancies’ of several noted alchemists who lived 300-500 years before his lifetime. • Alchemy was a field of philosophy that speculated about natural processes and often involved chemical experiments. Medieval alchemists believed they could find substances that would enable them to transform ordinary metals, such as lead, into gold or create a magical drink that would extend life and youth forever.
aLCHEMY (CONTINUED) • While alchemy is not true science, the alchemists did make some scientific contributions. They discovered mineral acids and alcohol. They also invented types of laboratory equipment and procedures, which were later modified and used by scientists.
Today: • Recap homework from last time • Focus on Letter IV and Chapters I-IV • Textual analysis focus (this relates to the Diploma, both courses) By the end of today’s class you should: • Be more confident about what a textual analysis is, how you could approach it, what is expected • Know how textual analysis applies to speaking as well as writing (in terms of oral and written assignments and activities) • Have chosen a piece of text to analyse from ‘Frankenstein’ and start planning one (orally first)
Chapter 1 The start of Frankenstein’s narrative, he tells it to Walton (that’s why it’s in the first person (‘I’) and this is Walton’s transcription of it. He describes how a child eventually named Elizabeth is adopted into his family when he’s about 5 years old and how special and beautiful she is.
CHAPTER 2 A few years pass. Victor has a younger brother (William); he begins a friendship with Henry Clerval; he starts to read different books about science and the supernatural.
Chapter 3 When he’s 17 Victor goes to university in Ingolstadt (Germany), but before that, both Elizabeth and his mother become ill and his mother dies. When he starts university, Victor becomes inspired by a lecturer he hears and he says: ‘this day..decided my future destiny..I will pioneer a new way’ (28-29), essentially, discoveries and experiments in science.
CHAPTER 4 Victor becomes fixated on philosophy and chemistry – where does life come from and how is it created? As the months pass he thinks he’s found the secret. He doesn’t return home at any point because he’s so obsessed with his experiments and reading.
TEXTUAL ANALYSIS – an approach • Read it (your excerpt) first, no annotating/note-taking • Read it again more actively, line by line and annotate everything you notice • Use the guiding questions/bulletpoints to focus your annotations • Plan a structure that you will use to either speak or write about it. Essentially, an intro, body and conclusion:
Your textual analysis response (either speaking or in writing) should have an intro, body and conclusion: • Have a topic sentence setting the context. For example ‘This excerpt from ‘Frankenstein’ is from Chapter ___ and describes _____’. Also refer to the guiding questions and/or any literary features you notice and that stand out particularly. • Main body – focus on particular parts of the excerpt that respond to the guiding questions and/or your chosen focus • Conclusion – try for a concluding sentence or two about the excerpt. Like your intro, but said differently!
Now you: Choose an excerpt from the book that will be your textual analysis. I’ll suggest some. Follow the approach I showed you. Read-annotate/note-take-plan-present (orally, with a partner)!
SUGGESTIONS FOR TEXTUAL ANALYSIS from chapters 2, 3, 4 • Page 22 from the paragraph beginning ‘When I was about fifteen years old’ until the end of Chapter 2 • Page 27 from ‘Such were the professor’s words’ until ‘..a natural talent’ (page 28) Chapter 3 • Anywhere in Chapter 4! This is when ‘the light dawns’, Victor believes he has the intelligence, knowledge and equipment to ‘bestow animation upon lifeless matter’ (31) and now has to decide what his next move is.. For textual analysis, there are usually a couple of ‘guiding questions’ you’re given, or that you make, that focus your analysis. Try to think of one or two..or ask me to!
HOMEWORK (DUE MONDAY) • Start and finish your textual analysis plan. Try to create a couple of guiding questions to focus your analysis. • Read Chapter 5-9 (including Chapter 9) and two main questions on those chapters.
