Frankenstein: Race, Gender & Monstrosity
Full Tuition: $300 — Scholarship Options in Drop-Down Menu
Instructor: Hollis | 6 weeks | Mondays May 8-June 19 (no class May 29) | 7:00-9:00 PM EDT | ONLINE
Is Frankenstein a feminist novel? Does it raise questions about racial otherness? Perhaps it will surprise you to learn that for many critics, this classic tale of horror has a lot to say about race and gender. In fact, the phrase that appears in so many adaptations hints at these underlying themes: “It’s alive!” This is the phrase most of us associate with Frankenstein—thanks to the iconic 1931 film version—but the words don’t appear in the novel itself. While the phrase seems to celebrate the knowledge Frankenstein possesses that allows him to create life, the novel is a cautionary tale that explores the ethics of such an ability as well as the responsibility towards the outcomes. Is Victor Frankenstein giving birth? And does the use of the word “it” demonstrates how othering—racial and otherwise—works for Frankenstein’s creature, and by extension, in culture at large? Frankenstein's creation doesn’t even have a name, but rather is usually referred to as the monster or the creature in the novel, and, commonly, as Frankenstein by many, so much so that it has become a joke to point out that Frankenstein is the name of the creator, not the creation. In this course, we will explore how the creature represents the raced and gendered other in a number of different ways. Come spend six weeks exploring a gripping proto-science fiction novel, and learn to look at it through the lenses of feminism and critical race scholarship. The course will include close reading of the novel as well as discussion of scholarship about the novel.
Classes are recorded to allow for students to participate asynchronously. If you want to take a class but cannot make the class time, sign up for the asynchronous audit option to follow along on your own. Recordings are password protected and will only be available for the duration of the class and two weeks after it ends.
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All tuition goes to paying instructors and staff a living wage. We encourage you to pick the payment tier that corresponds with your needs, but ask that you please consider our commitment to fair labor practices when doing so. We are currently able to offer three full scholarships per class, and one full scholarship per person per term. If the scholarship tier you need is sold out or you would like to pay tuition on an installment basis, please email us directly, and we will work with you.
If at any point up to 48 hours before your first class session you realize you will be unable to take the class, please email us and we will reallocate your funds to a future class, to another student’s scholarship, or refund it. After classes begin, we are only able to make partial refunds and adjustments.
Full Tuition: $300 — Scholarship Options in Drop-Down Menu
Instructor: Hollis | 6 weeks | Mondays May 8-June 19 (no class May 29) | 7:00-9:00 PM EDT | ONLINE
Is Frankenstein a feminist novel? Does it raise questions about racial otherness? Perhaps it will surprise you to learn that for many critics, this classic tale of horror has a lot to say about race and gender. In fact, the phrase that appears in so many adaptations hints at these underlying themes: “It’s alive!” This is the phrase most of us associate with Frankenstein—thanks to the iconic 1931 film version—but the words don’t appear in the novel itself. While the phrase seems to celebrate the knowledge Frankenstein possesses that allows him to create life, the novel is a cautionary tale that explores the ethics of such an ability as well as the responsibility towards the outcomes. Is Victor Frankenstein giving birth? And does the use of the word “it” demonstrates how othering—racial and otherwise—works for Frankenstein’s creature, and by extension, in culture at large? Frankenstein's creation doesn’t even have a name, but rather is usually referred to as the monster or the creature in the novel, and, commonly, as Frankenstein by many, so much so that it has become a joke to point out that Frankenstein is the name of the creator, not the creation. In this course, we will explore how the creature represents the raced and gendered other in a number of different ways. Come spend six weeks exploring a gripping proto-science fiction novel, and learn to look at it through the lenses of feminism and critical race scholarship. The course will include close reading of the novel as well as discussion of scholarship about the novel.
Classes are recorded to allow for students to participate asynchronously. If you want to take a class but cannot make the class time, sign up for the asynchronous audit option to follow along on your own. Recordings are password protected and will only be available for the duration of the class and two weeks after it ends.
—
All tuition goes to paying instructors and staff a living wage. We encourage you to pick the payment tier that corresponds with your needs, but ask that you please consider our commitment to fair labor practices when doing so. We are currently able to offer three full scholarships per class, and one full scholarship per person per term. If the scholarship tier you need is sold out or you would like to pay tuition on an installment basis, please email us directly, and we will work with you.
If at any point up to 48 hours before your first class session you realize you will be unable to take the class, please email us and we will reallocate your funds to a future class, to another student’s scholarship, or refund it. After classes begin, we are only able to make partial refunds and adjustments.
Full Tuition: $300 — Scholarship Options in Drop-Down Menu
Instructor: Hollis | 6 weeks | Mondays May 8-June 19 (no class May 29) | 7:00-9:00 PM EDT | ONLINE
Is Frankenstein a feminist novel? Does it raise questions about racial otherness? Perhaps it will surprise you to learn that for many critics, this classic tale of horror has a lot to say about race and gender. In fact, the phrase that appears in so many adaptations hints at these underlying themes: “It’s alive!” This is the phrase most of us associate with Frankenstein—thanks to the iconic 1931 film version—but the words don’t appear in the novel itself. While the phrase seems to celebrate the knowledge Frankenstein possesses that allows him to create life, the novel is a cautionary tale that explores the ethics of such an ability as well as the responsibility towards the outcomes. Is Victor Frankenstein giving birth? And does the use of the word “it” demonstrates how othering—racial and otherwise—works for Frankenstein’s creature, and by extension, in culture at large? Frankenstein's creation doesn’t even have a name, but rather is usually referred to as the monster or the creature in the novel, and, commonly, as Frankenstein by many, so much so that it has become a joke to point out that Frankenstein is the name of the creator, not the creation. In this course, we will explore how the creature represents the raced and gendered other in a number of different ways. Come spend six weeks exploring a gripping proto-science fiction novel, and learn to look at it through the lenses of feminism and critical race scholarship. The course will include close reading of the novel as well as discussion of scholarship about the novel.
Classes are recorded to allow for students to participate asynchronously. If you want to take a class but cannot make the class time, sign up for the asynchronous audit option to follow along on your own. Recordings are password protected and will only be available for the duration of the class and two weeks after it ends.
—
All tuition goes to paying instructors and staff a living wage. We encourage you to pick the payment tier that corresponds with your needs, but ask that you please consider our commitment to fair labor practices when doing so. We are currently able to offer three full scholarships per class, and one full scholarship per person per term. If the scholarship tier you need is sold out or you would like to pay tuition on an installment basis, please email us directly, and we will work with you.
If at any point up to 48 hours before your first class session you realize you will be unable to take the class, please email us and we will reallocate your funds to a future class, to another student’s scholarship, or refund it. After classes begin, we are only able to make partial refunds and adjustments.