Course Syllabus

 

Date

Topics

Reading Due

Assignment Due

Thur 1/25

Introductions: You, Me, Frankenstein

Readings/Discussions:

 

 

Tue 1/30

Our Curriculum

Discussions

  • How to organize the semester - Student choice

  • Required Edition + Reading Strategies

  • Why is Frankenstein still so popular 200 years later? See our Information on The Popularity of Frankenstein page

 

 

Thur 2/1

Reading all of Frankenstein - No Class Session

The class decided that you need to read all of the novel first before taking a deep dive

Work on reading Introduction, Vols. 1-3 of Frankenstein

 

 

Tue 2/6

Introduction to Contemporary Cultural Moment of Frankenstein - British Romanticism

Reading

Helpful Videos

Discussion

  • "Body Worlds Decoded," The Tech Museum -- Off Campus

  • Film Festival Planning - Teams

  • Attending & blogging about events, films, podcasts (Stanford & SVLS)

  • Tweeting as a Character assignment

 

Thur 2/8

Frankenstein: Nightmares, Beginnings, & Composition

Readings

  • 1831 Introduction (FR 180-191)

  • Epigraph (FR 1-2)

  • Preface (FR 3-5)

  • Letters, Vol. I (FR 5-17)

Information

 

Related Articles

 

 

Tue 2/13

Frankenstein: Science, Education, & Perversity

Readings

  • Chps 1-3, Vol. I (FR 17-36)

  • Edmund Burke on "Sublime and Beautiful (FR 212)

  • Gilpin on "Picturesque" (FR 216)

 

Related Articles

Videos

Related Readings Journal #1

 

Thur 2/15

Frankenstein: Dreams & Mistakes

Readings

  • Chp 3-4, Vol. I (FR 37-42) - picking up at page 34 with the creature's creation

  • The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” Coleridge (comp 1797, pub 1817)

  • Kubla Khan,” Coleridge (1816)

  • Baby and Child Care excerpt, Spock (FR 270-72)

 

Related Articles

 

 Discuss Tweet as a Character Assignment & begin tweeting (#frankenstein200 & #sjsufrankenstein)

Tue 2/20

Frankenstein: Pastoral Revenge

Readings

  • Chp. 5, Vol. I, Frankenstein (FR 42-48)

  • Tintern Abbey,” Wordsworth (1798)

     

Related Articles

Discussion

Related Readings Journal #2

Thur 2/22

Frankenstein: Morality

Special Guest, Prof. Anand Vaidya, "Embodied Cognition"

 

Readings

Discussion

Choose your choice event for review (see instructions) by 3pm

Choose your Film Festival teammates by 3pm

Tue 2/27

Frankenstein: Heaven, Hell, & Daemons

Readings

  • Chps. 1-9, Vol. II, Frankenstein (FR 69-115)

  • Excerpt from Paradise Lost (FR 304)

  • Byron's "Prometheus" (FR 315)

  • Hazlitt on Satan from Lectures on the English Poets (FR 317)

     

Related Articles

 

Related Readings Journal #3

Have you filled out all information for film team, out-of-class event selection, and in-class team event? Let's get that done by 3pm

Reminder: Required attendance at 2/28 2pm Talk by Prof. Ellen Peel

Wednesday, February 28, 2-3pm

"Frankenstein at the Ballet: Mary Shelley and Her 'Hideous Progeny,'" Professor Ellen Peel, San Francisco State University

Student Union Room 4B

(Podcast of 2017 Pointes of View similar Talk)

Thur 3/1

Frankenstein: Bucolic Landscapes

Readings

  • Chp. 1, Vol. III, Frankenstein (FR 115-122)

  • Revisit “Tintern Abbey,” Wordsworth

Continue from Tuesday 2/27

  • Chps. 1-9, Vol. II, Frankenstein (FR 69-115)

  • Excerpt from Paradise Lost (FR 304)

  • Byron's "Prometheus" (FR 315)

  • Hazlitt on Satan from Lectures on the English Poets (FR 317)

 

 

Tue 3/6

Frankenstein's Science

Class Field Trip "Body Worlds Decoded," The Tech Museum

Review of Dr. Peel's Talk due by 3pm

Thur 3/8

Frankenstein: Threats, Destruction, & Cold Climates

NEW: Prof. Shannon Miller, Dean of our college, will join us to discuss Milton's Paradise Lost and the role of Satan

Readings

  • Chps. 2-8, Vol. III, Frankenstein (FR 123-179)

 

Related Articles

 

Related Readings Journal #4

Review of "Body Worlds Decoded" due by Friday, 5pm

March 9, 7pm, San Francisco Ballet

See Information San Francisco Ballet

Tue 3/13

Adaptation: Frankenstein in Three Acts

Readings

  • all of the play

 

Related Articles

Discussion

  • Student Poster Session, Deep Humanities, May 1, 12-2pm - Instructions

 

Review of SF Ballet performance due Wednesday, 5pm

Thur 3/15

Adaptation: Frankenstein in Three Acts

In-Class Event

  • "Presumption" (stage reading, 1823)

Post your team's film selection and a draft of the rationale for this selection by 3pm

Tue 3/20

Adaptation: Destroyer

Readings

Related Articles

Discussion

  • Prototype Poster for our Film Festival! which one?

Related Readings Journal #5

Poster Proposal Due on Wed, 3pm

Thur 3/22

Adaptation: Destroyer

Readings

  • Destroyer, Books 4-6

     

Related Articles

Post: Choose 1 Related Article to discuss the readings for today (300-500 words)

Tue 3/27

 

SPRING BREAK

 

Thur 3/29

 

 SPRING BREAK

 

Post your team's "curtain talk" draft by 3pm

Tue 4/3

Adaptation: Patchwork Girl

Readings

Videos

 

Related Articles

 

Post: Choose 1 Related Article to discuss the readings for today (300-500 words)

Thur 4/5

Trial 

In-Class Event

  • Trial of Victor Frankenstein or Creature (mental stability & establishing madness; religious position; psychological position; child development of creature)

Readings:

Re-submission of Tweeting as a Character Essay Due by 3pm

Frankenstein Film Festival - Opening Night

April 6, Student Union Theater, 5-8pm

Tue 4/10

 

In-Class Event

  • Ethics Debate of creature vs. monster (involved SJSU Debate Team? Prof. Susser Phil students?)

 

Thur 4/12

Poster Session Prep

 

Poster Design Prototype due by 3pm

Frankenstein Film Festival

April 12, Student Union, Room 1A, 5-7:30pm

Tue 4/17

Adaptation: OKBOS

Readings

  • Play Frankenstein in OKBOS!

  • See our Information about OKBOS page

Related Readings Journal #8

Thur 4/19

Adaptation: OKBOS

Special Guest: Thane Plambeck, co-creator of OKBOS

Digital File for Poster due by 3pm 

Frankenstein Film Festival

April 20, Student Union, Room 1A, 5:30-8pm

Tue 4/24

Poster Session Prep

 Discuss

 

Thur 4/26

Prep for "Deep Humanities" Poster Session

 

Film Festival Team Essays due by 3pm

Tue 5/1

"Deep Humanities" Panels & Poster Session

10-4pm, King Library, Rm 225/229

Thur 5/3

 

 

Review of "Deep Humanities" panel & poster session

Tue 5/8

 

WORK ON YOUR RESEARCH ESSAY -- NO CLASS

Related Readings Journal #9 - Participation Self-Evaluation

Thur 5/10

Final Research Essay Prep

WORK ON YOUR RESEARCH ESSAY -- NO CLASS

 

FINAL Research Essay Due - No Class Session

May 18, 2:45-5pm

 

Course Summary:

Date Details Due