It's time someone stood up for classic literature, starting with Mary Shelley's timeless novel Frankenstein.
Some teachers are swift to turn a blind eye to a fourteen year-old-girl sneaking Fifty Shades of Grey under her desk during free time, finally turning the pages of the promiscuous book several of her more developed friends have been chatting about in the hallways. However, when she is caught at home reading such an explicit text, a concerned parent may shudder at the idea of finally having to give her “the talk” about the birds and the bees. Though it is obvious that most teachers would agree E. L. James’ lustful novel is not for an adolescent audience, they are also often hesitant to introduce any novels with seemingly advanced topics such as sexual awakening, racism, drug abuse and fatal violence. The educators of America’s youth walk on eggshells, attempting to select novels to bring into classrooms that will not expose teens to unconventional topics, in fear of offending students’ parents or being politically incorrect. What they don't realize is that they are not only doing an injustice to their students, but to the books themselves. Shelley's Frankenstein is a perfect example of a novel that continues to be on Young Adult banned books list nationwide, but holds so many treasures that could be of use to readers in their adolescence.
Often disregarded for underclassmen due to its elevated writing structure and readability, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a classic novel that students are typically not introduced to until their senior year of high school, if not college English courses. Far too regularly, we undermine a student’s ability to read, comprehend and retain eighteenth century literature. However, excerpts from this novel appear on college readiness diagnostic tests, placement exams, the ACT (American College Test), and SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test). Since the importance of standardized state testing has only grown within the past decade, one could easily argue that familiarizing ninth and tenth grade students with complex literature can only help them succeed in their future academic endeavors.
Love, Prejudice and Other Scary Monsters
Not only does Frankenstein expose a unique writing style and diverse vocabulary to its readers, but also reveals themes that are imperative to the hidden curriculum of adolescent minds. Throughout the story, Shelley portrays the unnamed creature as a character who expresses an aching hunger to be loved, feelings of isolation, exposure to cruel prejudice from humanity based solely on his appearance, and, later, develops obsessions that negatively fill his interpersonal voids. Ninth grade students, typically composed of mostly fourteen and fifteen year old children, experience changes that affect both their mentality and physical bodies; whether this includes biological maturity, detachment or rebellion from relatives, loss/gain of friendships, exploration of intimate relationships, or the challenges of a new educational setting, the creature in Frankenstein shares a relatable story, suitable for teenagers who are learning to cope with various frustrations and the fresh, first steps on the journey through high school. One of the most prominent themes in Shelley’s novel is also an issue commonly encountered by incoming high school students: prejudice. Contrary to his initially warm and open-minded interior, almost every human character assumes that the creature is a violent menace sternly based on his outward appearance.
Though students are not battling rejection from the entire human race like the monster, adolescents struggle every day to find their sense of belonging within a group of friends, peers and teammates in high schools across the nation, thus creating a feeling of similarity between the monster’s emotions and their own, making Frankenstein a must-read for ALL ages.
