How Does Marry Shelly's Frankenstein Portray the Alluring Yet Destructive Nature of Progress?HL
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6
Official IB Result
16/20
General feedback
16/20
0
10
20
No overall summary is available for this report.
5.1·Weakness
Page 2
The student oversimplifies Henry’s role here. Calling him the embodiment of “pre-enlightenment ideals” makes the character sound fixed and symbolic in a way the novel does not fully support. A more careful claim would explain exactly which values Henry contrasts with Victor and where that contrast is established.
Criteria A: Knowledge, Understanding and Interpretation
4/5
0
3
5
Criteria StrandsPro
A.1Knowledge and understanding of the work/text
Excellent
A.2Use of references and textual support
Excellent
Criteria Feedback
- The student shows secure knowledge of Frankenstein and keeps returning to a clear, relevant line of inquiry.
- The student's references are relevant, purposeful, and usually well linked to the ideas they are developing.
- The student demonstrates a thoughtful interpretation of Victor’s ambition, the Creature, and nature as part of Shelley’s critique of irresponsible progress.
- Some contextual framing is broad and occasionally oversimplifies Romanticism, Enlightenment ideas, and scientific progress.
- A few claims about character relationships are a little reductive and would benefit from more nuance.
- The range of evidence is effective but somewhat concentrated in a limited set of scenes.
1.1·Weakness
Page 2
This contextual claim is too broad and partly reductive. The discussion of the Enlightenment and Romanticism would be stronger if it were more precise and directly tied to the novel’s themes, rather than presenting these movements as simple opposites.
1.2·Strength
Page 2
The student states a clear line of inquiry and keeps it focused on progress throughout the essay. This gives the response a strong conceptual frame and helps the discussion stay relevant to the question rather than drifting into general plot summary.
Criteria B: Analysis and Evaluation
3/5
0
3
5
Criteria StrandsPro
B.1Analysis of textual features and author's choices
Good
Criteria Feedback
- The student often identifies meaningful techniques such as allusion, imagery, diction, and metaphor.
- The student usually connects specific textual details to Shelley’s criticism of ambition and its consequences.
- Several moments of close reading are convincing, especially when the student moves from a phrase or image to a broader implication.
- Some points remain descriptive or general rather than deeply evaluative.
- A few interpretations become formulaic or rely on broad oppositions instead of exploring the novel’s complexity.
- At times the student needs to explain more precisely how a technique shapes meaning for the reader.
2.1·Strength
Page 2
This is a strong example of close reading because the student moves from a single phrase to a broader interpretation of Victor’s self-importance. The explanation shows how word choice supports the argument about ambition and helps the analysis stay text-based.
2.2·Weakness
Page 2
This point is plausible, but it remains somewhat general. The student should explain more precisely how the metaphor shapes the reader’s understanding of Victor’s ambition, rather than only stating that his emotions control him.
2.3·Question
Page 3
Does this interpretation fully fit the novel’s portrayal of scientific ambition, or does Shelley also suggest that the desire to “play God” is itself part of the danger? Considering that tension would make the evaluation more nuanced.
2.4·Weakness
Page 3
This is accurate, but it remains descriptive rather than evaluative. The student should develop why the accelerated passage of time matters for Victor’s state of mind and how Shelley uses that temporal compression to intensify the effect of his detachment.
2.5·Weakness
Page 3
The analysis here identifies a valid shift in tone, but it needs more precision. The student should explain how the syntax and imperatives create dominance, rather than relying on the vague phrase “the exclamatory used,” which weakens the analytic clarity.
2.6·Strength
Page 3
The choice of quotation is highly effective because it captures both the Creature’s self-conception and the novel’s religious allusions in a single moment. This gives the student a strong basis for interpreting the Creature’s grievance and Victor’s responsibility.
2.7·Strength
Page 4
This is a convincing synthesis of imagery and theme. The student connects the mountain description to the novel’s larger concerns about human limits, which strengthens the interpretation beyond simple identification of imagery.
2.8·Weakness
Page 4
This speculative phrasing weakens the analysis because it moves away from evidence in the text. The student should replace this with a more grounded evaluation of what Henry’s behaviour actually reveals about Shelley’s presentation of progress.
2.9·Weakness
Page 5
The sentence contains a grammatical lapse that obscures the argument, and the phrasing “a glimpse of a world where who doesn’t stray” is difficult to follow. The student should revise this for clarity so that the contrast with Victor remains analytically persuasive.
Criteria C: Focus, Organization and Development
4/5
0
3
5
Criteria StrandsPro
C.1Organization and development of ideas
Excellent
C.2Integration of supporting examples
Excellent
Criteria Feedback
- The student's essay has a clear organizing idea and stays centered on the same conceptual concern throughout.
- The paragraphs follow a logical sequence and build the discussion in a coherent way.
- The student's examples are usually integrated smoothly into sentences and discussed immediately after they appear.
- The conclusion repeats earlier points more than it synthesizes them into a fresh insight.
- One or two sections drift into speculation rather than keeping the argument fully controlled.
- Some paragraphs would be even stronger with a more explicit final link back to the main line of inquiry.
3.1·Strength
Page 2
This topic sentence clearly signals the paragraph’s purpose and links the evidence to the line of inquiry. It works well because the reader immediately knows how the paragraph will advance the argument.
3.2·Strength
Page 2
The student establishes a consistent organizing idea that can support the whole essay. This helps each paragraph return to the same conceptual centre, which is why the response feels cohesive overall.
3.3·Suggestion
Page 3
Consider tightening this claim by linking it more explicitly to the paragraph’s earlier evidence. A brief sentence explaining how the Creature’s development changes across the novel would make the line of inquiry feel even more fully developed.
3.4·Strength
Page 3
The student integrates evidence smoothly into the sentence and then interprets it immediately. This is effective paragraphing because the quotation is not left to speak for itself; it is absorbed into the developing argument.
3.5·Weakness
Page 4
The ending of the paragraph loses some academic control because it shifts from analysis into speculation. The student should end by tying Henry’s role back to Shelley’s presentation of progress, so the paragraph feels resolved rather than open-ended.
3.6·Weakness
Page 5
The conclusion repeats the essay’s central claims but does not quite synthesize them into a fresh final insight. The student should use the closing lines to draw together Victor, the Creature, and nature in a more integrated way.
Criteria D: Language
5/5
0
3
5
Criteria StrandsPro
D.1Language clarity and accuracy
Excellent
D.2Register and style appropriateness
Excellent
Criteria Feedback
- The student's writing is consistently clear, formal, and appropriate to literary analysis.
- The student uses literary terminology confidently and with generally accurate control.
- Quotation integration and sentence construction are strong overall, and the essay reads fluently.
- A few phrasing errors and awkward expressions interrupt clarity in places.
- Some wording is imprecise, especially when describing techniques.
- Occasional broad or absolute claims would benefit from more careful qualification.
4.1·Strength
Page 2
The prose is clear, formal, and suitably analytical. The student uses literary terminology accurately and maintains an appropriate academic register throughout the opening discussion.
4.2·Weakness
Page 3
A few wording choices reduce clarity here. The student should revise phrases like “the exclamatory used” into more precise literary language, because sentence-level accuracy matters when explaining technique.
4.3·Weakness
Page 4
The phrase “in the throughs of science” is imprecise and distracts from the otherwise strong argument. The student should correct such expression errors so the final analysis reads with the same control shown elsewhere.
4.4·Strength
Page 4
This sentence shows strong control of academic register and quotation integration. The contrast between Henry and Victor is expressed in a polished, formal style that suits HL literary analysis.
4.5·Suggestion
Page 4
Consider varying sentence openings and reducing repeated abstract phrasing such as “more” and “view of discovery.” More concise expression would make the analytical voice sound sharper and more confident.