“When I found so astonishing a power
placed within my hands, I hesitated a long time concerning the manner in which
I should employ it. Although I possess the capacity of bestowing animation, yet
to prepare a frame for the reception of it, with all its intricacies of fibers,
muscles, and veins, still remained a work of inconceivable difficulty and
labor. I doubted at first whether I should attempt the creation of being like
myself, or one of simpler organization; but my imagination was too much exalted
by my first success to permit me to doubt of my ability to give life to an
animal as complex and wonderful as man.” (Shelly &
Brantley, 1967)
It
had been a typical day in my classroom when the usually placid Mariella excitedly
ran into my room shouted out, “Mr. Bosse, I thought of something in my English
class. James Madison is Victor Frankenstein!” I looked at her puzzled for
a brief moment and asked her to explain. In a hurried manner, she
explained that Madison had done a lot of research to find the “formula” of good
government just as Frankenstein had created his monster from various desirable
humans. In the previous class we had done a document analysis activity
with Federalist no. 1, in which I helped students realize that the need
for the Constitution at the time of the Founding. Additionally, this was
the point when I introduced Federalist and Anti-federalist arguments about the
ratification of the Constitution. What Mariella had done was to synthesize
the analysis she had done in relation to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein,
the book she was currently reading in English. While it seems like an odd
thought, it makes perfect sense. As we discussed Mariella’s comment as a
whole class (it seemed like a logical tangent from what was planned for the
day), it became evident that my students already comprehended the fact that
education and a nurturing environment is what Frankenstein’s Monster, and the
people around him, lacked and is precisely what our nation and the Constitution
needs in order to thrive. It was that moment in my teaching career that
the importance of what I was doing truly materialized in my mind. After
All, it had not been everyday that I had the opportunity to engage others in
such deep and relevant dialogue about the Constitution, let alone a large class
of 13-14 year-olds.
One thing that unites us as
Americans is our innate sense of freedom. In a time when fighting for
individual rights, our place in the economic world, security, and an intense political
theatre cause many to have a bleak outlook on our nation, I see these issues to
be at the heart of Constitutional scholarship. Despite differing
opinions, we can rally around the Constitution. The problems we face now
are not all that different from a time when James Madison set out to write the
Virginia Plan. In writing “Of Modern and
Ancient Confederacies,” Madison illustrates the realization that the problems of his day were similar to the problems of
past governments. In essence, these problems are part of the human
experience. The “monster” that Madison set out to create was believed to
be capable of counteracting those problems. Or, in the very least, would
provide future generations the tools necessary to combat the ills of bad
government without, as Thomas Jefferson proposed, shedding the “blood of
patriots and tyrants.”
In Federalist No. 49, Madison
observed that “The people are the only legitimate fountain of power, and it is
from them that the constitutional charter, under which the several branches of
government hold their power, is derived.” Madison’s words were true then
and are even more relevant today, as we have seen an increase in population and
diversity among the people. However, at the same time, we seem to have a
crisis on our hands when it comes to civic engagement. Far too many
people feel powerless in a time when they feel their government is less than
ideal. The result is an electorate that is not holding up its end of the
deal that Madison brokered. As a people, we must return to arming
ourselves with Constitutional knowledge and get involved. We, and it
begins with educators like myself, need to “Secure the blessings of liberty to
ourselves and our posterity”. I believe that the prescription is teaching
our youth about our structure of government, their rights as citizens (and
noncitizens), voter education, and building a sense of community within and
outside our schools. It has to go beyond simply teaching, to actually
engage students in lifelong civic engagement. Madison’s constitution is a
reflection upon and agreement amongst ourselves. What does it say about
us as a people, if we are not engaged in the essence of what makes us a people?
As a civics teacher, I have had many
moments like my student’s revelation about Frankenstein, but my work as a We
the People coach has also reaped benefits in regard to the Constitutional
scholarship of my students and their families. While they amount to only
27 out of nearly 600 8th graders in my school, they are a force to be reckoned
with when it comes to getting an entire class in debate about government
actions and current events. I hear from parents quite often that their
student even engages their family in Constitutional inquiry. My small
group students are truly paying it forward. That in alone is a testament
to the power of civic education with a focus understanding and applying the
Constitution. If Madison truly is like Frankenstein, it is my sincere
hope that the work I do as a civics educator will help to ensure that his
creation never becomes a monster that the people fear.
