Hillcrest Junior High Students Bring Frankenstein to Life in a Mock Trial of Ideas and Imagination

Students recently transformed their literature classroom into a courtroom, putting Victor Frankenstein and his creation on trial. The event was part of an immersive learning experience at Hillcrest that blends literature, logic, art, and performance to help students engage deeply with Mary Shelley’s classic novel Frankenstein.

Instead of simply taking a test or writing a report, students argued cases, examined motives, and explored moral questions that have challenged readers for more than two centuries. Was Victor Frankenstein justified in his pursuit of scientific discovery? Was his creature truly a monster, or the result of neglect and rejection? These were the kinds of questions brought before the “court,” where students served as lawyers, witnesses, jurors, and even courtroom artists.

The mock trial format gave students a chance to demonstrate understanding in a variety of ways. Some students honed their logical reasoning skills, structuring clear arguments supported by evidence from the text. Others used their verbal and theatrical talents to bring emotion and persuasion to the courtroom. Others captured the emotion of the courtroom in a hand-drawn recounting of the day's events. This multi-dimensional learning approach reflects Hillcrest’s classical model of education, where the goal isn’t simply to know information but to apply it with discernment and creativity. By transforming literary analysis into a living experience, students weren’t just asked what Shelley wrote; they were invited to wrestle with why she wrote it and what truths her story still speaks today.

For the students, this trial wasn’t just about Shelley’s characters. It was about understanding human nature, wrestling with moral responsibility, and learning that communication, whether through logic, speech, or art, is a reflection of understanding. Some students defended Victor Frankenstein’s pursuit of knowledge as noble but flawed. Others argued passionately that moral accountability cannot be separated from scientific ambition. A few even advocated for the creature, reminding their classmates that isolation and rejection often breed the very monsters society fears.

Each perspective added depth to the discussion, proving that literature, when engaged imaginatively, is far more than words on a page; it’s a window into the human condition.

Hillcrest’s Frankenstein mock trial stands as a powerful example of how education at Hillcrest Lutheran Academy awakens both the mind and heart. By integrating disciplines, reading, reasoning, communication, and creativity, students learn not only to think critically but also to live wisely. They are reminded that the goal of learning isn’t to win an argument, but to pursue truth and embody it with humility and conviction.

In the end, the verdict of the trial may have been fictional, but the lessons learned were deeply real.