Clockwork Angel by Cassie Clare: Essays & projects

There’s good news and bad news. First, the good news: CLOCKWORK ANGEL IS OUT TOMORROW!! Now, the bad news: Our month-long celebration of all things Shadowhunter is almost over. 😦

Since many of you have just returned to school (or are going to soon) here are some essay/creative writing ideas and Clockwork Angel-related projects.

Essay/writing ideas:

Since we can see some similarities between Cassie Clare’s two series, compare/contrast Will and Jace and/or Tessa and Clary. What makes them similar, different? Which series’ characters do you most relate to or prefer and why?
Based on the small amount of information in Clockwork Angel, give us your version of Will’s back story. What exactly happened before he ended up at the Institute? Write this as a monologue delivered by Will in his voice.
Discuss the elements that make Clockwork Angel “steampunk.” How does it fit into this category, and how does it not? Cassie has called it “gaslight.” What does that mean? (Hint: Just a little research will get you the answer.)
Cassie Clare created an entire reading list for Tessa, the heroine of Clockwork Angel. Pick one of the books on the list to read, and then discuss how it may have influenced Cassie when writing Clockwork. Are there similar themes? How does Tessa compare to the women in the book you picked?
Each chapter begins with a passage of poetry. Pick one chapter and discuss how the poetry that precedes that chapter relates to the text. (We have a complete list with links here.)
Talk about the roles of women in the late 19th century. Explore how Tessa, Charlotte and Jessamyn each fit into or break away from what’s expected of them by society.

Projects:

Halloween is coming, so why not dress up steampunk style? (You know you want to!) Craft a costume using steampunk elements. See our post on steampunk basics for info, pictures and links to great resources.
Family tree: Map out the relationships between the characters we already know in The Mortal Instruments series and connect them to the new (older) characters in Clockwork Angel. Cassie has said that one of Clary’s ancestors is introduced in Clockwork, but not in a way you’d expect. Try to figure out the mystery and include it in the family tree. (And then come tell us because we’re curious, too!)
Create a release poster for a movie version of Clockwork Angel (no, there are no talks about this … yet.) Include cover art, the title, author’s name, release date, etc.
If you’ve got artistic skills, draw/paint/model/etc. your interpretation of an automaton as described in Clockwork Angel. Bonus points for conveying their serious creepiness.