Frankenstein
Gender lens
How does Shelley, a female author, depict female characters? How does this relate to her own experiences as a woman in 19th-century England?
Character motivation
What was Dr. Frankenstein's motivation in creating the creature? What message is Shelley trying to communicate through this?
Historical lens
How did science in Shelley's time period influence the meaning and message of the novel?
Psychological lens
Archetypal lens
How does Shelley balance psychological horror and physical terror throughout the novel?
What is the role of religion and religious imagery in the novel?
Formalist lens
How does the first-person perspective of the novel influence its character writing?
Characterization
Which character is more miserable--the creature or Frankenstein--and what could such a competition communicate to the reader?
Deconstruction lens
Is the nature of man moral as evidenced by the novel?
Reader response lens
Who does Shelley want the reader to sympathize with--Frankenstein or the creature?
What role does guilt play along the course of Frankenstein's tragic demise?