In this class we will study the fascinating life of Mary Shelley, the daughter of eighteenth-century women's rights advocate Mary Wollstonecraft, the wife of poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, and the woman who became the pioneer of a new kind of fiction - science fiction - by the time she was twenty. We will discuss the life and history of Mary Shelley and how she came to write Frankenstein. We will also critically analyze Shelley's writing. We will talk about Shelley's use of epistolary techniques in the novel. We will discuss why this novel has become well-loved and how and why it has been portrayed in other art forms, such as film. 
I will teach this class via a PowerPoint presentation that includes the history of Mary Shelley, through references to Frankenstein, and through class discussion. I believe students learn best when they take ownership of their studies via discussion and when they enjoy what they are learning. This will be an interactive class in that students will discuss with me and with one another this amazing author. 
Students are encouraged to read or listen to Frankenstein prior to class in order to get the most out of our time together in class.  This book is in the public domain and can easily be found online.