Frankenstein

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    GCSE

    Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant but hubristic Swiss natural philosopher, discovers the secret of imparting life to inanimate matter and constructs a creature from anatomical parts, only to reject it in horror upon its awakening. The abandoned Creature, initially benevolent (tabula rasa), faces violent social rejection and learns language and malice through observation, eventually demanding Victor create a female mate to alleviate his isolation. When Victor destroys the female companion, the Creature enacts a campaign of systematic vengeance, murdering Victor's brother William, friend Clerval, and bride Elizabeth. The narrative culminates in a pursuit across the frozen Arctic wastes, ending with Victor's death aboard Captain Walton's ship and the Creature's subsequent vow of self-immolation. The text serves as a cautionary tale regarding the usurpation of divine power and the abdication of parental responsibility.

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    Objectives
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    Exam Tips
    4
    Pitfalls
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    Key Terms
    4
    Mark Points

    What You Need to Demonstrate

    Key skills and knowledge for this topic

    • AO1: Sustain a critical, conceptualized argument that addresses the specific focus of the question rather than narrating the plot.
    • AO2 (Part A Focus): Analyze the writer's use of Gothic semantic fields, epistolary form, and embedded narrative structures to create tension.
    • AO3 (Part B Focus): Integrate contextual factors (Galvanism, the Romantic Sublime, the Modern Prometheus) as drivers of meaning, not biographical footnotes.
    • AO1: Select precise, judicious textual references from the whole text to support the argument in Part B.

    Example Examiner Feedback

    Real feedback patterns examiners use when marking

    • "You have identified the Gothic imagery; now explain specifically how this evokes terror in the reader."
    • "Stop including biographical context in Part A; focus entirely on the words on the page."
    • "Your Part B response needs more direct quotations from the wider text to substantiate your claims about Victor's morality."
    • "Integrate the context of the Romantic Sublime into your argument about the setting, rather than adding it as a separate paragraph."

    Marking Points

    Key points examiners look for in your answers

    • AO1: Sustain a critical, conceptualized argument that addresses the specific focus of the question rather than narrating the plot.
    • AO2 (Part A Focus): Analyze the writer's use of Gothic semantic fields, epistolary form, and embedded narrative structures to create tension.
    • AO3 (Part B Focus): Integrate contextual factors (Galvanism, the Romantic Sublime, the Modern Prometheus) as drivers of meaning, not biographical footnotes.
    • AO1: Select precise, judicious textual references from the whole text to support the argument in Part B.

    Examiner Tips

    Expert advice for maximising your marks

    • 💡Strictly segregate skills: Dedicate Part A to close analysis (AO2) and Part B to thematic argument and context (AO3).
    • 💡Allocate exactly 25 minutes to Part A and 25 minutes to Part B; the marks are equally weighted (20/20).
    • 💡In Part B, use the 'concept-context-evidence' chain: link a theme (e.g., usurpation of nature) to context (Enlightenment hubris) and prove with a quote.
    • 💡Memorize short, versatile quotations regarding the Creature's education and Victor's isolation for the closed-book Part B.

    Common Mistakes

    Pitfalls to avoid in your exam answers

    • Context dumping in Part A (AO3 is NOT assessed in the extract question; marks are lost for irrelevance).
    • Confusing the narrative voice (attributing Walton's observations to Frankenstein or the Creature).
    • Treating Part B as a disconnected general essay rather than addressing the specific thematic prompt.
    • Asserting 'horror' without analyzing the specific linguistic mechanisms used to generate it.

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