Andrew Louie

11/30/12

English 112 B

Prof. Warner

Unit of Study Science Fiction/ Utopias or dystopias and Humanity

In our current society you could say that technology has become a very prominent aspect of our lives. Technology has enabled us to do many things at our convenience. Cellular phones and smartphones allow us to communicate with loved ones and friends with a push of a button ensuring that no matter the distance, people will always be able to talk with one another. With the rise of social networking websites and availability and ease of using web browsers to access information we have a gold mine of information at our fingertips. However, has this major convenience become more of a societal detriment? To what point have the conveniences of technology outright replaced immediate interpersonal interaction? In a society that was once so focused on social interactions, have we moved on to considering social interaction as an inconvenience? With the rise and popularity of convenience have we forgotten what makes us human in the first place? On the question of what makes us human, one work that comes to mind and will be the focus of this unit is Mary Shelley�s Frankenstein. This centerpiece work would look into aspects of humanity, technology and its clash with nature, and finally societal views on others based on their appearance. Considering how attached we are to our gadgets this unit will have students reflect on how often they rely on the convenience of technology and think about concepts such as humanity and what it is comprised of to them.

Students who read this work will follow Victor Frankenstein�s journey as he melds the opposing forces of nature and technology and plays god by creating life in the form of what is known throughout the book as the creature. The students will witness a change in Victor�s personality as he obsessively hunts down his creation and in the process loses what makes him human. The students will also look into the perspective of the creature Victor�s creation and its experiences and social interactions with other people. As students continue reading it would be up to them to determine who is the protagonist and antagonist of the story and was Victor�s treatment of his creation justified? In addition to Frankenstein, other works and mediums that look into technology and how it may interact with humanity will be examined as well.

Launching the Unit

Before the first activity clarify with the class if they are familiar with any version of Frankenstein whether it is by Mary Shelley�s novel or by the many Hollywood adaptations of the book. Try to clarify the differences of hollywood�s portrayal of Frankenstein and the Mary Shelley�s portrayal.

Sustained Silent Writing on:

1. How often do you find yourself using your mobile device or computer to talk to others instead of meeting at a location and physically interacting with people?

2. Do you see this as a convenience or a detriment?

3. What do you suppose makes us human? Or What makes us different from other forms of life such as animals?

4. What is your definition of humanity?

After the students answer these questions it will enable them to think about some of the themes and clarify some of the events that happen in Frankenstein.

Class Discussion on themes:

Humanity: Students would then bring up their definition of humanity and the class would identify commonalities between their definitions to come up with a class definition for humanity. Have the class bring up instances where humanity is brought up such as when Victor appears to lose his humanity or times where the creature in his journey for identity reflects on Victor�s treatment of his creation.

Technology: Ask students �Why do you think the author decided to make Victor one of the main characters a scientist?� How does this make you perceive Victor and his actions and beliefs throughout the book?

Extending the unit:

After looking at Frankenstein students will read other science fiction works where technology and humanity are highlighted including Ender�s Game by Orson Scott Card, the series of short novels I Robot by Isaac Asimov, War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells, a dystopian post apocalyptic work that looks into humanity more so than technology would be a short story titled Coming Attraction by Fritz Lieber also Joseph Conrad�s Heart of Darkness looks into humanity as the reader looks into ivory trade in the congo and the treatment of the indigenous population by the main characters..

Additional opportunities to look into the unit can come in the form of films such as Blade Runner, I Robot, or even War of the Worlds. Some of the recent film adaptations of I Robot and War of the Worlds which share the same name of their respective novels can be viewed by students as additional sources for references for their final essay. Students can then make comparisons between the films and the books and observe if the overall themes are remaining intact. Students can also earn extra credit in the form of a challenge. This challenge is essentially live your life for a week without the conveniences of technology and perform your social interactions without technology. After going a week without technology, have the student write up a reflection on how the experience was to them as well as how it made them feel and during this time what was it that they truly valued. Additionally, the films discussed earlier can be viewed as well and a short write up of instances where humanity and technology collide or come up can be written for extra credit as well as an excellent resource for the essay.

Ending the unit:

By the end of the unit, students should have the resources to write an essay answering the question: Using the class�s definition of humanity, between Victor and His creation who was the most human in Mary Shelley�s Frankenstein. Provide examples to make your point. Another essay question could be Do you think that Victor�s treatment of his creation was justified, using the class�s definition of humanity explain why or why not. By the end of the unit, students will have a sense of what humanity is and how its presence within us can have an effect on how we interact with people. Students will also examine the importance of social interaction, the importance we hold to technology as a society and most importantly the concept of what makes us human and what we prioritize because of this. Students will also gain from this not only an insight on humanity and the defining characteristics of what makes us human but also the ability to identify characters in other works using this concept. With this students can apply what they learn here to society as a whole and be able to examine how we act as a people as well as the reasons we are so dependent on technology as a society.

Works Cited

Asimov, I. I, Robot. New York: Spectra, 2004. Print.

Blade Runner. Ridley Scott. Michael Deelay. Warner Bros. 1982. DVD

Card, O. S. Ender's Game. 1st ed. 1. New York: Tor Books, 1985. Print.

Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. Dover Thrift Edition. London: Dover Publications, 1990. Print.

I Robot. Alex Proyaas. 20^th Century Fox. 2004.DVD

Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. New York: Oxford University Press, 1994. Print.

Silverberg, Rovert. The Science Fiction Hall of Fame. New York: Tom Doherty Associates, 1970. Print.

War of The Worlds. Steven Spielberg. Kathleen Kenedy, Colin Wilson. Paramount Pictures. 2005. DVD

Wells, H.G. The War of The Worlds. Mineola, New York: Dover Publications Inc, 1997. Print.