Themes, symbols, and motifs come alive when you use a storyboard. In this activity, students will identify themes and symbols from the novel, and support their choices with details from the text as they track the rich symbolism Mary Shelley uses throughout Frankenstein.
Do human beings have the right to pursue science regardless of the outcome? Throughout the novel, Shelley refers back to this essential question as readers watch a product of science be abandoned by his creator. In an age where students are becoming cyber-connected and stem cell research is a hot topic, many people are debating the meaning of life and how far science should be pushed. Not only does Shelley explore the implications of scientific advancement at the cost of the human condition, but the outcome of knowledge as well. Can we as a human race handle the answers that we seek?
The shows the lives of Victor and his monster unfold in a parallel. Victor's fear, and that of other people, leads them to reject the monster. No matter how he tries to win over "human creatures", he cannot. As his creator, Victor should have been the one person to look passed the monster’s harsh appearance and love him for who he is. Even when the monster approaches the old and blind man in the De Lacey family, the fear instilled by his monstrous appearance that keeps the family from becoming his friends. This repeated rejection results in repeated tragedy.
A longstanding question is whether nature or nurture shapes a person more. What makes a person who they are; what causes them to act the way that they do and have the beliefs they have? Is it a person's environment or their genes? One commonly debated motif that is clearly seen in Shelley's work is what the true causes are of the monster's rancorous behavior. Is it his creator's fault? Did Victor supersede nature? Was the monster born this way or was it his environment that caused his malice?
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Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that identifies recurring themes in Frankenstein. Illustrate instances of each theme and write a short description below each cell.
Invite students to share their insights on themes like knowledge, fear, and nature vs. nurture. Guide conversation with open-ended questions and encourage respectful debate so everyone’s voice is heard.
Ask students to relate Frankenstein’s themes to modern issues such as technology ethics or feeling misunderstood. This builds engagement and helps students see the novel’s relevance to their world.
Let students draw, write, or perform their take on a theme or symbol from the story. Creative projects help students express comprehension in different ways and make learning memorable.
Use exit tickets or short reflections where students summarize a theme or motif in their own words. These tools give you immediate insight into what students grasp and where to reteach.
The main themes in Frankenstein include the quest for knowledge, fear and rejection, and nature vs. nurture. These themes explore topics like scientific responsibility, the consequences of isolation, and whether environment or genetics shape a person's character.
Students can identify themes and symbols in Frankenstein by using a storyboard to track recurring ideas and images. Illustrating scenes and writing brief descriptions for each helps highlight important motifs and support their choices with textual evidence.
The quest for knowledge is central to Frankenstein because it questions the limits of scientific exploration and its impact on humanity. Mary Shelley uses Victor's ambition to show the dangers of unchecked curiosity and the ethical dilemmas of playing with life.
In Frankenstein, nature refers to the monster's innate traits, while nurture relates to how his environment and treatment shape his behavior. The novel debates whether the monster's actions are caused by his creation or by the way he is treated by others.
Easy lesson ideas include creating storyboards to visualize themes, group discussions on scientific ethics, comparing characters' choices, and writing short reflections on how fear and rejection affect the monster. These activities make key concepts accessible for grades 9–10.