The Supporting Cast

This is a reminder that if you are one of the select few that have not taken the District MC Post-Test, you need to do so a.s.a.p. so all of that data can be accrued, and we won't have to worry about that next week. This takes 35-ish minutes to complete.

In the Geneva and Ingolstadt world, all classes worked with the supporting players of Victor Frankenstein's life: Caroline, the epitome of motherly caregiving, tragically lost to the fever, the reason Victor vows to supplant God as creator; Daddy F, the apotheosis of the male provider, the supporter of Victor's education, the older, wiser figure keeping the Frankenstein family aloft; Henry Clerval, the buddy with the soul of a poet, the travelling spirit, the one left behind as Victor moves into his scientific adventures; Elizabeth Lavenza, the foundling, the angelic sprite, the substitute caregiver taking over for the loss of the family matriarch, the "gift" of Victor's life. While Victor completely forgets about all of those people in his role as "pioneer" of humanity, these four have a significant role in his past and future - as you shall see in the upcoming chapters, which include 5-8 for tomorrow.

To conclude chapters 1-4, we did look at Victor's "project" and his "materials" amassed for his eight foot baby. As foreshadowed by lightning-effaced trees, the assumption remains that this is not going to end up well for anyone in the story. 

Possibly away from the realm of Frankenstein (you could choose this text for later purposes), we looked at free response prompts - the one where you select the text for analysis and you don't need any direct evidence. I would highly recommend having one novel/play that you know backwards and forwards with author, era, plot, characters, setting, motifs, significant lit elements, cultural criticisms. This one text will probably fit about 95% of the prompts, and you can practice analyzing this book in our class before the actual exam. I would also recommend having two more texts that you know about 75% - just in case you end up with that one prompt that does not work with your favorite. (One text should be a novel and one should be a play to cover all bases.)

You now have all of the free response prompts from 1970-2013, which you will use to complete 2 free response practices. Choose 2 prompts from across that spectrum, and compete the boxes for each one. While you are welcome to use the same text for both of these handouts, you may want to do one with a novel and one with a play to make sure you have the background for both texts. The free response work will be due on your next block day, but you don't have to wait until next week to complete them. 

And speaking of next week, we will be finishing Frankenstein, and we will have an in-class writing prompt at some point next week. I've decided to give you the prompt the class before the writing hour. You will be able to close read the given passage, but you won't be able to write the essay in advance. Happy March!