The following material has been published on the web by Prof. Tom Sienkewicz for his students at Monmouth
College. If you have any questions, you can contact him at toms@monm.edu.
Frankenstein Word Search and Analysis Assignment
The goal of this assignment is a well-researched and thoughtful analysis of a significant
word in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. This analysis will be made in both a 750-800
thesis-focused essay and in an oral class presentation.
You should begin working on this assignment after Thanksgiving break. You are expected to
1.) Use the word search program available on the Frankenstein website to create a list of all the
appearances of particular words used in the novel. Each member of the seminar must search
different words. Words will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. Your task is to search
the appearance of five (5) different words in an electronic version of Frankenstein. You are
expected to submit to the instructor copies of these word searches, accompanied by three or four
sentence statement noting special features about each word and the way it is used in the novel.
Finally, add three or four more sentences indicating which of these words you have chosen to
focus on and why. This material is due on Dec. 7th.
2.). Examine closely the way this word is used in Shelley's novel and write a 750-800 word,
thesis-focused essay analyzing this usage. Your paper should answer questions such as the
following: Why is this word important in the novel? Does the meaning of the word change
during the novel? How many meanings does this word have in the novel? Your essay should use
direct quotations from the novel. This paper is due on Dec.9th.
3.) Give a five-minute oral presentation about this image to the class. In this presentation, which
will take place in class on Dec. 12th, you will summarize your work for the class. Your
presentation should be accompanied by a handout citing some of the significant appearances of
your word in the novel. Talk about the work you did in #1 and #2.