Have you ever gone to one of those restaurants where they suggest the perfect beverage pairing for the meal you are ordering? It might be the perfect white wine or the smoky bourbon, but their expert staff has found exactly the right balance of flavors. In a new series of posts, I am hoping to do that for you, except with novels and paired texts. I am hoping to take your Frankenstein lesson plans to the next level by sharing the perfect set of paired supplemental texts.
Why Use Supplemental Texts
In general, its just good unit planning to work around themes or essential questions. These will help keep you grounded and help you to hone in on the most important aspects of a classic text like Frankenstein.
Let’s face it, your Frankenstein unit plan could become unwieldily without a focus. So grounding in themes or essential questions with paired texts is a way to insure that it doesn’t get unfocused or take an entire semester.
Paired Supplemental Texts for Your Frankenstein Lesson Plans
Frankenstein and Romanticism
One way to begin your Frankenstein unit plan is by teaching historical criticism. Begin with notes about the Romantic Period. I like to use this video: “An Introduction to the Romantic Movement,” by an English instructor in the UK. It’s just the right amount of cheesy to engage your students. They can take notes in preparation for exploring several poems of the Romantic Period. I like to use:
“When I Have Fear” (John Keats)—thematically, this works really well because it deals with the notion of living and the fear of ceasing the live. It brings up all those questions on the meaning of life.
“The Eolian Harp” (Samuel Taylor Coleridge)—This poem examines the natural world as it connects to humanity, much like the novel. It also deals with questions of religion and love.
“To the Same Flower” (William Wordsworth)—Again, this poem makes connections to human life and the natural world.
These three Romantic Period poems are just three of the many that could be linked to Frankenstein. A great way to use these in your Frankenstein lesson plans is to do some collaborative annotations. (All three are included in my Frankenstein Unit Plan.)
Text Pairings for the Allusions in Frankenstein
It’s hard to ignore Mary Shelly’s allusions in Frankenstein. In chapter 10, she alludes to a poem by her husband called “Mutability.” In the poem, the speaker laments that change is the only constant that we can expect in life. Shelly quotes the last two stanzas of the poem which include ideas about the power of nightmares and single thoughts. These ideas can easily be connected to the character of Victor Frankenstein.
Shelly also subtitles the novel “A Modern Prometheus.” Most students will only know a general allusion of Prometheus and fire, so it is worth taking the time to have them read an excerpt from the Bulfinch Mythology. It allows for discussion of the subtitle and more.
Both of these texts are included in my Frankenstein Unit.
Frankenstein Theme: The Danger of Science
This is one of my favorite ways to pair nonfiction texts with Frankenstein: bring in modern science. This a great way to introduce students to ethical criticism. And additionally, there is so much current science that can be brought into our discussions of science in the novel. Articles on cloning, head transplants (yes, this is a real thing) and bionic limbs are a great way to make the story current.
Frankenstein Lesson Plans and Themes: Revenge
I love to use Francis Bacon’s essay “Of Revenge” with Hamlet, but it would also do well paired with Frankenstein to deal with the theme of revenge. In the essay, he talks about how people who seek revenge keep their wounds green which is such a great pairing for discussing the game of cat and mouse that Victor and his creature are playing at the end of the novel.
“First Memory” by Louise Gluck is a very short poem about the desire to seek revenge on a father for the life the speaker had as a result of how the speaker was raised. It’s a powerful poem and a great pairing for the Frankenstein theme of revenge.
“Revenge” by Oscar Williams almost seems like it’s a meant to be paired with Frankenstein. It opens with the line “I have come out of my grave/ for revenge upon death.” It too includes allusions to Prometheus.
Frankenstein Themes: Alienation
“Alone” by Edgar Allan Poe touches on being alone and different even in childhood. The speaker carries the loneliness through his whole life until in the end, he “faces a demon in his view.” This is a great way to incorporate alienation and loneliness into your Frankenstein lesson plans.
“Solitude” by Ella Wilcox Wheeler captures the feeling of the Frankenstein’s creature when he has been spying on the family in the mountains and tries to present himself to them only to be turned away in the most heart hurting way.
Text Pairings for Frankenstein
These text pairings are perfect for any Frankenstein unit. Just choose your theme and pull the texts that fit best. I begin my unit by introducing the Romantic Period. Students look for characteristics of the Romantic Period first in the poems and then again in the first few chapters of the novel. After have we read through chapter 10, we read “Mutability.” And then later in the novel we read the Prometheus myth.
But, my students’ favorite pairing and discussions come out of connecting modern science and doing an ethical reading.
Using all these texts would be a great time to institute a quote wall. Students could add quotes from all of the supplemental texts that go with Frankenstein along with the novel itself. For more on quote walls, check out this post from my friend Missy at A Better Way to Teach.
If you need a ready for you Frankenstein teaching unit, I’ve got you. Just click here. This unit has everything you need to teach Frankenstein.
Related Resources
Use this technique with Frankenstein: Collaborative Annotations for High School English
Need to Justify Teaching Frankenstein? Gina at Lit and More has a great post.
Other Ideas for novel studies: Why Using Quote Walls in an Incredible Tool (A Better Way to Teach)
More Poetry to Connect: Exploring Gothic Poetry in High School English (Smith Teaches 9 to 12)
10 Poetry Pairing for Of Mice and Men (Smith Teaches 9 to 12)
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Ready to Use Unit: Frankenstein Unit for AP® Literature
Need a text pairing for Hamlet? “Of Revenge” and Hamlet
Include Literary Criticism in your unit plan: Ethical Criticism Anchor Charts and Task Cards
