"Frankenstein Returns"

The strides that humankind has made in the area of science have greatly improved the quality of life for most people, and for some it has made life possible. People suffering from fatal injuries or diseases can reclaim their lives with the help of successful organ transplants. Targeted cancer therapies have improved survival chances by focusing on tumors while sparing healthy tissues. And couples who struggle with fertility can have their own children with the miracle of in vitro fertilization.

However, every scientific advancement comes with its own detractors, who worry that science is breaking the laws of nature. For example, scientists have already successfully cloned entire animals, such as sheep, mice, pigs, and horses. Some commercial companies have even cloned people's pet dogs and cats. But what are the moral implications of cloning animals, and what ethical questions would be raised by cloning a human? Can the good intentions of scientific pursuit justify any negative unintended consequences?

For this application activity, consider how Mary Shelley would respond to how science is used today. Then, imagine a modern scientific experiment that rivals Frankenstein's daring endeavor in the novel. With this imaginary scientific experiment in mind, read the writing prompt below.

Do you recognize the man who burst through the door? Victor Frankenstein has returned, but why is he desperate to end this scientific experiment? And how will the scientist respond to him?

Take this writing prompt and develop it into a short story that includes a scientist as the protagonist and the return of Shelley's character Victor Frankenstein. Your short story can take a modern spin on the themes featured in Shelley's novel, but make sure that your reader would recognize Victor Frankenstein as the same protagonist from Mary Shelley's novel. In addition, your short story should include elements of gothic fiction, which you can choose to incorporate into the setting, the protagonist, the use of emotion, or even some eerie supernatural events. Whatever gothic elements you create, underline the passages to make them more apparent to you and your reader.

Remember that gothic fiction is more interested in pushing the bounds of possibility rather than sticking to practical realism, so you can be as creative and imaginative as you like. Additionally, you can choose a sad ending, a happy ending, or an ambiguous ending to your gothic short story, as long as you develop themes that are found in Shelley's Frankenstein. Finally, do not worry about writing your own novel-length tale; your short story can be as brief as a single scene. Before you begin, review the Gothic Short Story Checklist to make sure that you include all of the items required for full credit.

This assignment might be a work sample that you want to include in your digital portfolio.

 

Once you have completed your gothic short story, please submit your work to the dropbox.