The horror of the French Revolution had a huge impact on the writing of Frankenstein.
An interest and/or concern about body parts and death can be identified throughout the text. This influence can be attributed to the impact of the French Revolution, and in particular the horrors associated with it.
This influence of the French Revolution on the writing of Frankenstein can be examined in the classroom by:
- Introducing ideas about horror using contemporary cartoon images which showed fear of the guillotine
- Highlighting extracts from the text and looking at references to body parts
- Examining how and why such references to body parts are singled out in the text
Susan Meggett, who is the Head of English at William Farr CofE Comprehensive School, was inspired to suggest this teaching idea after hearing Dr Emma Liggins (Manchester Metropolitan University) speak about Monstrosity and otherness at the English CPD day on Frankenstein: Taming the Monster.
Schools Programme members and course attendees can download the resources from the event in the PTI Staffroom.
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Image by: Demeter Görög (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:French_Revolution_in_Hungarian_Journal.jpg#filelinks) via Wikimedia Commons.