"Otherness" and Narrative Perspective in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein: Teaching Empathy and Critical Reading in the Classroom

This essay explores how Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818) constructs “Otherness” through its use of layered narrative perspectives, with a particular focus on how race and disability are framed through description and narration. Drawing on Mieke Bal’s concept of “focalization”, the essay demonstrates how narrative framing can distort empathy and perpetuate exclusion. The essay argues that the creature’s identity is shaped not by his actions, but by how others perceive and narrate his physical difference. Through Victor Frankenstein’s fearful gaze and emotionally charged language, the creature is immediately represented as monstrous, long before he is allowed to speak for himself. This bias is later challenged by the creature’s own narration, which reveals a deep longing for connection and the emotional toll of constant rejection. Building on previous research by Fuson Wang, Amber Knight, H. L. Malchow, Anne K. Mellor, and Martha Stoddard Holmes, the analysis shows how Shelley’s novel draws attention to the societal processes by which physical and racial traits are made into markers of inferiority. Drawing on disability studies and critical race theory, the thesis demonstrates how the creature’s treatment reflects broader patterns of “misrecognition”, dehumanization, and prejudice, where physical and racial differences are framed as markers of “Otherness”. In addition to the literary analysis, the essay includes a teaching unit plan for English 6 that uses Frankenstein to engage upper secondary students in discussions on representation, empathy, and social exclusion. Activities such as literature circles, reading logs, and a final discussion essay are designed to help students reflect critically on how stories influence attitudes toward identity and belonging. Grounded in pedagogical theory, including the work of Judith Langer, Rita Felski, and Asao B. Inoue, the unit emphasizes the role of structured discussion and reflective writing in developing students’ interpretive skills and ethical awareness. By combining close reading with pedagogical reflection, the project illustrates how literature can be a meaningful opportunity for developing both analytical thinking and ethical awareness in the classroom.