The stories of Frankenstein and Never Let Me Go are both inspired by the dark side of science and the failure of the modern world to be always in control of progress.
Even though the two novels were published almost two centuries apart they both examine the consequences of scientific ambition and the politics of scientific society in different historical contexts.
Mary Shelleys time is the beginning of the world as we know it: modern, secular, greedy, hopeful, regretful, uncertain, arrogant, naive, anxious, eager, Promethean, immoral.
Ishiguros time our time appears to be as contradictory: great achievement and moral bankruptcy seem to be the two sides of progress as depicted in Never Let me Go. The shadow of Shelleys defiant, solitary and marginalized creature in Frankenstein casts his shadow over Ishiguros novel: he is the new other, and this time he is multiplied, domesticated, and systematically used and abused supposedly for the benefit of humanity.
Your task for this paper is to draw some comparative threads between these two novels and discuss similarities and contrasts in patterns, trends and motifs. Go beyond the obvious uncontrolled-science-is-bad-for-us thinking. Think of the two novels you have read and of the reactions they prompted. How did they make you feel? Why? Were you shocked at certain moments? Appalled? Thrilled? In disbelief? Did you detect any connections between the story lines and the symbolisms of the two works? This is the general frame. Then start brainstorming and isolate certain instances from both novels that reveal comparable mindsets and conclusions. To do so you may choose to discuss characters actions, dialogs, descriptions, motives, and/or the authors’ representation(s) of certain situations, characters and circumstances.
You should begin this paper by having a clear comparable thesis. You are comparing two novels, two periods, one or two prominent theme(s) in the novels, and naturally one or more characters. Think small and avoid generalizations. Be aware of the distance between Shelley’s Romantic period and Ishiguro’s postmodern landscape. Build your thesis around a clear argument that emerges from your own reading and understanding of the novels, and your own curiosity to take it further.
All rules of grammar and syntax already discussed apply. The paper should be about 3-4 pages double-spaced (no less no more, unless you want to write more)
In anticipation of your final paper please observe all the following rules we have discussed extensively:
-Have a title that best captures your topic and the spirit of your paper
-Remember to put main titles in italics
-Insert page numbers
-Do not jump from tense to tense, stick with one tense
-Make sure your third-person verb forms are correct
-Have transitions (paragraphs)
-Do not ever address the reader as YOU -instead use ONE or WE: “As one/we may argue…”
-Be aware of rules of punctuation
-Know not only the forms of figurative language, but also how to use them
-Introduce quotes properly: “according to…”, or “as the author states/claims/argues/maintains/declares/ponders…” (a while ago I posted a related link on the subject)
-Use specific examples in the form of quotes from the texts to illustrate your points
-DRAW AN OUTLINE before you write the paper
-Have a clear thesis and personal perspective on the topic
-Do not oversimplify or generalize and AVOID clichs. Be specific and think small
-Use synonyms; never repeat the same word more than twice in a short paper.
