An English teacher, Kristal Harrington, is living her life in Hawkins, Indiana away from her abusive ex husband. She faces many challenges during her day on the job at Hawkins High School with one of them being Billy Hargrove.
With Billy working on...
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Exhaustion was what I felt the second I closed the book to the story I was reading to my last class. I had five minutes until my students were to be let out and they were more than ready to leave. So to distract them for a few minutes, I decided to bring up a debate to engage their young minds.
I read the last page of Frankenstein to demonstrate what they will be working with.
" 'But soon,' he cried, with sad and solemn enthusiasm, 'I shall die, and what I now feel be no longer felt. Soon these burning miseries will be extinct. I shall ascend my funeral pile triumphantly, and exult in the agony of the torturing flames. The light of that conflagration will fade away; my ashes will be swept into the sea by the winds. My spirit will sleep in peace; or if it thinks, it will not surely think thus. Farewell.' "
I glanced at my students as they stared at me in interest.
"He sprung from the cabin-window, as he said this, upon the ice-raft which lay close to the vessel. He was soon borne away by the waves and lost in darkness and distance."
I slowly closed the book in my hands and watched as their faces fell with mixed emotions. Mostly frustration.
"That's it?" I heard one of my honor students scoff. "That's what happens at the end? You've gotta be kidding me!"
"Why're you all not happy with the ending?" I questioned while a smug smile took part of my face.
"Because Doctor Frankenstein dies. That's no way for a man like him to go. It's totally unfair." One of the other students complained.
"I'm sorry but I think you're wrong for many reasons." I retorted causing the rest of the class to erupt in argues and complaints. "In a way he was the monster."
That last part didn't settle with them too well. In fact, they just continued to argue over the small topic.
"Hey! Hey!" I called out to them. "Settle down! We're not at a baseball game." I said, trying to cool down their attitudes.
"What if you're wrong, Mrs Faith?" A student questioned me.
I felt like I was slapped in the face at the mention of my former marital name. I kept silent but one of my students spoke up which ignited a spark in my chest.
"Miss Harrington's never wrong when it comes to books. She tells it how it's written, smartone." One barked back in defense.
I gave everyone a small smile and shook my head in disbelief at how hooked these kids are on books. It was dangerously amusing. "Do you really wanna know the reason why I think I'm right?" I questioned my class.
