Classroom Happenings: “Frankenstein”

Mary Shelley’s "Frankenstein," written in 1818, tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a scientist whose unusual experiment results in the creation of a living being. The novel has captivated readers for centuries, and it’s included each year on Upper School English Teacher Stephanie Arnold’s AP Literature reading list. This year, Ms. Arnold’s students spent several weeks reading and discussing the story’s exploration of the fears of its era and its connections to concerns about artificial intelligence in the contemporary world.

Students then wrote an essay about key themes in the novel using AP Literature prompts provided by the College Board. As a culminating activity, Ms. Arnold asked her students to come up with one-of-a-kind responses to the novel and present them to the class. 

“They could make a video, dress up, take photos, or express themselves through art in its unlimited forms,” said Ms. Arnold. “I was eager to see how they would use their personal interests to engage with this timeless story.” An in-class celebration (complete with Frankenstein-themed treats made by Sienna Rankins ’25 and Sarah Vermaaten ’25) showcased the students’ innovation and originality. 

Some students opted to present their research on the text, including Greek and Biblical allusions and how the novel is depicted in popular culture. Others opted for a more artistic route. Ada Long ’25 took photographs of themself as if they were the monster, using a costume, makeup, and a theatrical setting to enhance the work. 

“I wanted to capture the monster’s fear and isolation,” said Ada, adding that “multi-faceted projects allow students to further their understanding of topics, plus they are so fun.” The most compelling part of the novel for Ada was “watching the monster’s journey … it was quite the commentary on humanity, which I found fascinating.”

Pedro Lujan ’25 and Marc-Michel René ’25 filmed a video in the chemistry lab that portrayed a light-hearted late-night talk show. 

“The part of the novel I found most compelling was the monster,” said Pedro. “His very existence makes his creator hate him, and it makes me sad knowing that because his creator made him into a ‘monster,’ he was never able to assimilate into society. He is truly the man in the story, and his creator, Victor Frankenstein, the monster.”

In concepting their video, “We had been working on the script for days, and one day when we were in costume we filmed it,” added Pedro. “Projects like this truly heighten one’s understanding.” 

A self-described “huge fan of science fiction,” Morgan Smartt ’25 admires the novel’s ability “to evoke strong feelings, challenging my ideas of a typical protagonist and antagonist.” For their final project, Morgan created digital art of Frankenstein’s creature “as he began to lose himself in thought about being a societal rejection.” Morgan explained, “Throughout the novel, a recurring theme of life is toyed with; for example, the creature observes natural life as he picks up a rose that dies in his hands.” In Morgan’s drawing, eyes glance downward; each is the eye of a different animal, showing that “society, including nature, has turned against the creature,” said Morgan.

In his compelling portrayal of a prosecutor, Braylan Rice ’25 passionately stated that “the creature has been free of punishment for far too long,” using the novel’s text to convincingly argue the monster’s guilt. “Although many people believe Victor Frankenstein’s neglect led his monster to be destructive,” said Braylan, “I don’t believe that Victor was responsible.”

Braylan said that this multi-layered project was enriching because it “allowed me to practice effective argumentation … and it is fun to have arguments with your friends and win them as well!” He added, “Beyond debating, I loved this project because it was an interactive way to relate to the novel.” 

With the Honorable Matthew Ruiz ’25 presiding over a “court” and using legal precedent for his ruling, Shehryar Chaudhry ’25 embodied Frankenstein’s monster through a cleverly designed mask and an impassioned testimony. 

Shehryar said, “I was put up against Victor, my creator, in court. He was charging me for the murder of his loved ones, and my goal was to plead my innocence. I argued that Victor’s irresponsibility (abandoning me and leaving me out in the wild to survive) caused me to be unaware of my actions, as I felt scared and betrayed.”

Ms. Arnold notes, “Cross-disciplinary projects such as this one challenge students to think beyond the traditional classroom. I’m proud of these dedicated readers, who fearlessly explored 'Frankenstein' and discovered new ways to connect with a classic text in our modern world.”