Mary Shelley’s parents were both writers and a. scientists b. politicians c. philosophers
Shelley got the idea for Frankenstein a. while visiting her mother’s grave b. while on vacation in Geneva c. while eloping with Percy Shelley
She began writing Frankenstein when she was a. sixteen b. eighteen c. twenty
Discussion/essay questions
In the past 200 years, Frankenstein has inspired plays, movies, and TV shows. Frankenstein’s monster has become an iconic character. Why do you think Frankenstein is such a long-lasting story?
Transcript
Mary Shelley was an English novelist. She is best known for her novel Frankenstein, which she began writing when she was eighteen years old. Shelley was born Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin in London in 1797. Her parents were both famous writers and radical philosophers during the French Revolution. Shelley’s mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, died less than two weeks after giving birth to her. Shelley had a chaotic childhood. She grew up with five step-siblings and half-siblings. When she was only sixteen, she eloped with the poet Percy Shelley. She had and lost her first child the next year. Shelley got the idea for Frankenstein on vacation in Geneva, when she was challenged to write a “ghost story.” She published it in 1818. Four years later, Percy drowned in a storm. She saved his heart and kept it in her desk drawer until her death in 1851. Shelley wrote seven novels in her life. Her work contains some of the earliest examples of science fiction.
A text that excludes a specific letter is called a. an epigram b. a lipogram c. an anagram
The most common letter in English is a. e b. a c. i
To stop himself from using the “e” key on his typewriter, Wright a. tied it down b. removed it c. painted it black
Discussion/essay questions
Can you make a comment without using the letter “e”?
Transcript
Gadsby is a 1939 novel by American writer Ernest Vincent Wright. It is a lipogram, which means it does not include a specific letter of the alphabet. In Gadsby, there are no words that contain the letter “e”. This was a challenge, because “e” is the most common letter in English. In the introduction to the book, Wright says that he tied down the “e” key on his typewriter to stop himself from using it. Wright self-published his book, and he died before it became famous. However, it later inspired other novel-length lipograms. One of these was a French novel called La Disparition, or A Void in English. This novel successfully avoided the letter “e” in both the French original and the English translation.
Although the story of Peter Pan was originally seen as a fun children’s novel, many people began to speculate that there was a darker meaning to the classic. Some people believe that Neverland is meant to represent death, and that the children who live there don’t age because they died when they were young. Do you think that Barrie implied this on purpose? Why or why not?
Transcript
Peter Pan is a classic children’s story written by Scottish author J.M. Barrie. The story was originally published as a play in 1906, before Barrie adapted it into a novel in 1911. The main characters of the story are Peter Pan himself, and the Darling children: Wendy, John, and Michael. Peter Pan is a magical child who can’t grow up. When he first meets the Darlings, he teaches them how to fly and brings them to a mythical place called Neverland, where children stay children forever. During their adventures in Neverland, Peter and the Darlings encounter fairies, mermaids, and a pirate named Captain Hook – the main antagonist of the story. Although Peter Pan wishes that the Darling children, especially Wendy, would stay in Neverland forever, they all eventually decide to return home and grow up.
Books like Little Women are considered “classics” because they were published a long time ago, but the themes are still interesting and relevant today. Have you read any books that are considered “classics”? What did you think of them?
Transcript
Little Women is a classic novel by author Louisa May Alcott. It was originally published in two volumes – the first in 1868, and the second in 1869. The story follows the lives of four sisters growing up in a poor house during the time of the American Civil War. The main character is Jo, the second-oldest sister. She wants to become a writer, which is difficult for her to accomplish because of the expectations for women at the time. She spends most of the story opposed to the idea of love, as she wants to be independent and put her own career first. The character of Jo is based on Louisa May Alcott herself. This book is still loved by many today, and a recent movie adaptation won several awards for the script, acting, costumes, and music.
The novel To Kill a Mockingbird is still taught in many schools today. Do you think the issues in this novel are still relevant? Why or why not?
Transcript
In 1960, American author Harper Lee published her first novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. The book was made into an award-winning movie two years later. The story takes place in the 1930s. It follows a young girl named Scout who lives in Alabama. Scout begins to learn about racism in her time when her father, defence lawyer Atticus Finch, receives backlash for representing a black man in court. This is difficult for Scout and her brother, Jem, because they have to deal with insults from their friends, neighbours, and even family members. During this time, Atticus teaches them to respect all people, regardless of race.
