The Frankenstein Application Essay
For this assignment, you will write your Frankenstein1 application essay. You are required to
submit only your final draft for this assignment though we encourage all students to take
the advantage of the additional feedback a draft can provide. Use grader feedback, along with the
course lessons and your own ideas, to revise your optional draft prior to submitting the
required final copy.
Literary works like Frankenstein explore the “human condition” or experiences that humans
encounter. The study guides for Frankenstein offer several “Real Life Considerations” meant to
help you critically analyze the applications of the work’s themes in today’s world. Now, you will
choose one of these topics and explore it using secondary resources to learn more about the
novel and its relevant social topics. You might find information about social issues in familiar
sources such as magazines, newspapers, or social science journals. Make sure your sources are
credible—you do not want a random website or an encyclopedic website such as Wikipedia.
Your sources will preferably be a scholarly one. Here are some ideas of places where you might
find appropriate sources for this assignment:
- Internet Public Library: http://www.ipl.org/
- Google Scholar: http://scholar.google.com/ (note that this is different from regular Google)
- Microsoft Academic Search: http://academic.research.microsoft.com/
- Cornell University’s arXiv (open access sources in math, biology, physics, and other fields):
- http://arxiv.org/
- Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (BASE): http://www.base-search.net/
- Your local library
Your thesis statement and paper must address both the literary qualities and the social issues
as you evaluate the novel, Frankenstein. However, keep in mind, your essay does not have to
answer ALL of the questions listed under each topic. Only answer the questions you feel are the
most relevant to the thesis statement you choose. Develop your essay so it has a clear
introduction, body, and conclusion. Ensure that each of your claims is supported with valid
evidence from the novel, Frankenstein, and at least three other credible external sources.
Using proper MLA style, insert parenthetical citations and signal phrases for all borrowed
information in addition to a Works Cited page for Frankenstein and your chosen external
sources.
You have several options for this assignment: