ENG3U Novella Study Unit Name: Novella Study Unit: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Transcription

1 ENG3U Novella Study Unit Name: Novella Study Unit: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

2 by Robert Louis Stevenson Biography Born: November 13, 1850 in Edinburgh, Scotland Died: December 3, 1894 in Upolu, Samoa Scottish writer The Scottish novelist, essayist, and poet Robert Louis Stevenson was one of the most popular and highly praised British writers during the last part of the nineteenth century. Sickly childhood Robert Louis Stevenson was born on November 13, 1850, in Edinburgh, Scotland, the son of a noted lighthouse builder and harbor engineer. Though healthy at birth, Stevenson soon became a victim of constant breathing problems that later developed into tuberculosis, a sometimes fatal disease that attacks the lungs and bones. These persistent health problems made him extremely thin and weak most of his life. By the time Stevenson entered Edinburgh University at the age of sixteen to study engineering, he had fallen under the spell of language and had begun to write. For several years he attended classes irregularly, developing a bohemian existence (an artistic lifestyle different than that of mainstream society), complete with long hair and velvet jackets. He also associated himself with Edinburgh's seedy and dangerous neighborhoods. Early works When Stevenson was twenty-one years old, he openly declared his intention of becoming a writer, against the strong opposition of his father. Agreeing to study law as a compromise, in 1875 Stevenson was admitted to the Scottish bar, an organization for lawyers. Having traveled to the European mainland several times for health and pleasure, he now swung back and forth between Scotland and a growing circle of artistic and literary friends in London, England, and Paris, France. Stevenson's first book, An Inland Voyage (1878), related his adventures during a canoe trip on Belgium and France's canals. In France in 1876 Stevenson met an American woman named Fanny Osbourne. Separated from her husband, she was eleven years older than Stevenson and had two children. Three years later Stevenson and Osbourne were married. After accompanying his wife to America, Stevenson stayed in an abandoned mining camp, later recounted in The Silverado Squatters (1883). A year after setting out for the United States, Stevenson was back in Scotland. But the climate there proved to be a severe hardship on his health, and for the next four years he and his wife lived in Switzerland and in the south of France. Despite his health, these years proved to be productive. The stories Stevenson collected in The New Arabian Nights (1883) and The Merry Men (1887) range from detective stories to Scottish dialect tales, or tales of the region. Popular novels Treasure Island (1881, 1883), first published as a series in a children's magazine, ranks as Stevenson's first popular book, and it established his fame. A perfect romance, according to Stevenson's formula, the novel tells the story of a boy's involvement with murderous pirates. Kidnapped (1886), set in Scotland during a time of great civil unrest, has the same charm. In its sequel, David Balfour (1893), Stevenson could not avoid psychological and moral problems without marked strain. In The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886) he dealt directly with the nature of evil in man and the hideous effects that occur when man seeks to deny it. This work pointed the way toward Stevenson's more serious later novels. During this same period he published a very popular collection of poetry, A Child's Garden of Verses (1885). After the death of Stevenson's father in 1887, he again traveled to the United States, this time for his health. He lived for a year at Saranac Lake, New York, in the Adirondack Mountains. In 1889 Stevenson and his family set out on a cruise of the South Sea Islands. When it became clear that only there could he live in relatively good health, he settled on the island of Upolu in Samoa. He bought a plantation (Vailima), built a house, and gained influence with the natives, who called him Tusifala ("teller of tales"). By the time of his death on December 3, 1894, Stevenson had become a significant figure in island affairs. His observations on Samoan life were published in the collection In the South Seas (1896) and in A Footnote to History (1892). Of the stories written in these years, "The Beach of Falesá" in Island Nights' Entertainments (1893) remains particularly interesting as an exploration of the confrontation between European and native ways of life. From 2

3 Setting The settings of the story are both literal and metaphorical, reflecting themes in the story. the story takes place in the 1870s in various areas of Victorian London, England; each area reflecting the characters. Much like Jekyll s personality, the city seems to be split in two; west and east. One area more affluent with educated inhabitants, the other more slum-like with working-class people. Cavendish Square is in the west of London, where Lanyon lives, is described as that citadel of medicine. The dark and dingy Soho, where Mr. Hyde lives, is just southeast of Cavendish Square. Jekyll s laboratory is in a rough neighbourhood, near a passageway between these areas. Jekyll seems to be the only person to use this passageway. See a section of Reynolds s Map of Modern London, below (1868). Map from Wikimedia Commons 3

4 Characters Dr. Henry Harry Jekyll A prominent physician in London; very handsome, distinguished, seemingly prosperous man, and generally respected; he has alienated some of his close professional friends (Lanyon and Utterson) because of his experiments concerning the dual nature of humankind. He is well established in the community and known for his decency and charitable works. He finds his dark side a burden and undertakes experiments intended to separate his good and evil selves from one another. Through these experiments, he brings Mr. Hyde into being, finding a way to transform himself in such a way that he fully becomes his darker half. Mr. Edward Hyde As his name indicates, Hyde is the fleshy (or sinful, according to Victorian standards) manifestation of Dr. Jekyll s personality; he is guilty of committing atrocious acts throughout the novella. The search to determine who Edward Hyde is constitutes the first half of the novella. He is a strange, repugnant man who looks faintly prehuman. He is violent and cruel, and everyone who sees him describes him as ugly and deformed. Hyde is Jekyll s dark side, released from the bonds of conscience and loosed into the world by a mysterious potion. Mr. Gabriel John Utterson The central character and narrator for most of the story. He is also the well-respected lawyer and close friend of Dr. Jekyll and Dr. Lanyon. He is reserved and dignified, with a furtive curiosity about the more sordid side of life. While not a man of science, he exhibits a denial of the supernatural. Dr. Hastie Lanyon A reputable London doctor and, along with Utterson, formerly one of Dr. Jekyll s closest friends of many years. Dr. Lanyon s narration in Chapter 9 reveals the true nature of Jekyll s and Hyde s relationship. As an embodiment of rationalism, materialism, and skepticism, Lanyon serves a foil for Jekyll, who embraces mysticism. Mr. Poole Dr. Jekyll s loyal man servant, chief butler, and all-around manager of the house. His concern for his master eventually drives him to seek Utterson s help when he becomes convinced that something has happened to Jekyll. He has been in Jekyll s service for so long (twenty years) that he knows every footstep and motion associated with his employer. He is therefore, able to report to Mr. Utterson that the man in seclusion is not Dr. Jekyll. Mr. Richard Enfield A distant cousin and lifelong friend of Mr. Utterson, he is a well-known man about town and is the complete opposite of Mr. Utterson; yet they seem to thoroughly enjoy their weekly Sunday walks together. He is reserved, formal, and scornful of gossip. Mr. Guest Mr. Utterson s secretary and confidant, who is a great student and critic of handwriting. He finds something amazingly similar between Dr. Jekyll s and Mr. Hyde s handwriting. Bradshaw Dr. Jekyll s footman and man-about-the-house, who goes around to the back entry of Jekyll s laboratory to guard the back door, while Poole and Utterson break in through the front door. Sir Danvers Carew A distinguished, well-liked old nobleman, an M.P. (Member of Parliament) and a client of Utterson, who does not appear in the work, but whose unprovoked and vicious murder by Edward Hyde causes a turning point in the novel. Inspector Newcomen of Scotland Yard The officer who accompanies Utterson on a search of Hyde s house in Soho after the murder of Sir Danvers Carew. Combined and paraphrased from both SparkNotes.com and CliffNotes.com 4

5 Jekyll s Evil Twin In 1886, Robert Louis Stevenson, after a nightmare in which he dreamed the plot, wrote Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the story of the ultimate doppelgänger. The names of this story s main characters have since become synonymous with the concept of the split personality. Even people who have never read the book know what is meant when someone is referred to as a Jekyll-and-Hyde personality. Directions: As you read the novel, note in the space provided below, the descriptions and the actions of Jekyll and Hyde. Remember that the two letters at the end are part of the novel. 1. Physical appearance Jekyll Hyde 2. Manner of speaking 3. Significant actions 4. Reaction of others COPYRIGHT, The Center for Learning. Used with permission. Not for resale. 5

6 Close Reading Analysis How do I begin? Use short passages and excerpts Focus on the text itself Reread deliberately Read with a pencil and explicate the passage Read to understand the passage Read to understand how the passage fits in with the text as a whole How do I move from analysis to close-reading analysis? Step 1: Understand the passage Focus on the text itself Understand the context of the passage (i.e., setting, plot, characters, etc.) Look up unfamiliar words in the dictionary Reread deliberately Make sense of difficult syntax Read to understand the passage Read to understand how the passage fits in with the text as a whole You re driving question is: What is happening in this passage? Step 2: Explication Notice the small but significant details by making notes in the margins, highlighting, circling, underlining, etc. Pay close attention to how the diction is used to create significant meaning in the passage (HINT: look at imagery and connotation) Pay close attention to how the syntax is used to create significant meaning in the passage (HINT: look at syntax structures, syntax patterns, and punctuation) Look at how this passage develops the overall meaning of the text Step 3: Close-reading Analysis Explain how the diction is used to create or enhance significant meaning in the passage. Be sure to include connotation, level of language, and/or imagery. Explain how the syntax is used to create or enhance significant meaning in the passage. Be sure to include syntax patterns (remember the Big 4), syntax structures (simple, compound, complex, compound-complex), and/or punctuation. Explain how at least one literary device is used to create or enhance significant meaning in the passage. Be sure to identify the device, rewrite the quotation that demonstrates the device and explain its effectiveness. Look at how this passage develops the literary elements of the text. You may choose to look at character, conflict, theme, setting and/or mood. If you are struggling with the analysis, try asking yourself these questions to get started: How do these textual details create meaning? What new light do they shed on the passage? What new light do they shed on the scene in which the passage occurs? 6

7 Close Reading Analysis Imagery Sensory Details Symbols Allusions Words/Phrases Effect/Intent Diction Types Slang Colloquial Jargon Dialect Concrete Abstract Denotation Connotation Syntax Sentence Structure Simple Compound Complex Compound-Complex Sentence Patterns Tone and Audience Word Choice Details Imagery What sensory information is in the language (i.e., colour, scents, sounds, tastes, or textures)? Drawing examples from the text, explain what the author is trying to convey through the use of imagery. Are these images part of a larger pattern or structure within the text (e.g., does it connect to one of the major themes)? What figures of speech metaphors, similes, analogies, personification does the writer use? How do they affect the meaning of the text? What is the author trying to accomplish by using them? Which of the following categories best describes the diction in the passage or text? Low or informal (e.g., dialect, slang, or jargon) Elevated or formal language Abstract and concrete diction Denotation and connotation What effect is the author trying to achieve through the use of a specific type of diction? What does the author s use of diction suggest about his or her attitude toward the subject, event, or character? What are the connotations of a given word used in a particular context? (To begin, you might ask if the word(s) have a positive or negative connotation, then consider them in the specific context.) What words would best describe the diction in a specific passage or the text in general? Punctuation: How does the author punctuate the sentence and to what extent does the punctuation affect the meaning? Structure: How are words/phrases arranged within the sentence? What is the author trying to accomplish through this arrangement? Changes: Are there places where the syntax clearly changes? If so, where, how, and why? Sentence length: How many words are in the different sentences? Do you notice any pattern (e.g., a cluster of short sentences of a particular type)? Devices: How would you describe the author s use of the following: Independent and dependent clauses Coordinating, subordinating, or correlative conjunctions Repetition Parallelism Fragments Comparisons Sentence beginnings: How does the author begin his or her sentences? Does the author, for example, consistently begin with introductory phrases or clauses? Language: What use does the author make of figurative language or colloquial expressions? How does the author use syntax to enhance the meaning of the essay? How does the author s use of words, imagery, or details such as gesture or allusions reveal the author s attitude toward a character or event in the story? What words best describe the author s attitude toward this subject, character, or event? Using evidence from the text, explain the author s intended audience. 7

8 Close Reading Analysis Use the graphic organizer to help guide your note-taking for close reading analysis. Remember to look at how and why things are significant. Do not include plot summary. Quotation Write the quotation using proper formatting and citing Context Answer who, what, where, and when about the passage Diction Connotation Level of language Imagery Syntax Syntax patterns Syntax structures Punctuation Literary Device Identify the device Write the quotation Explain its effectiveness Literary Elements Conflict, character, theme, setting, and/or mood 8

9 Worksheet: Close Reading (in 3 steps) Information: This first step, or level, of close reading involves establishing context (setting, plot, characters, etc.), looking up unfamiliar words in the dictionary, and making sense of difficult syntax, etc. The driving question in this step is, What is happening in this passage? Analysis: This second step, or level, involves the close work of noticing small but significant details, and helps prepare you for the third step: interpretation. In this step you will pay close attention to, for example, diction, syntax, punctuation, imagery, etc. The more specific your analysis, the more likely you will be able to say something compelling (and perhaps even surprising) in your interpretation. Interpretation: This third step, or level, of close reading involves explaining the significance of the details you have catalogued in step two. The driving questions for this step are, How do these textual details create meaning? ; What new light do they shed on the passage? ; What new light do they shed on the scene in which the passage occurs? ; What do they reveal about the importance of the passage to the text as a whole? Information Analysis Interpretation 9

10 The Effectiveness of Diction Reread paragraph one of chapter one and answer the following questions in regards to diction: 1. Which category best describes the diction in the passage? Explain using examples. 2. Identify any connotative words and explain their effectiveness. 3. Is the author s description of Mr. Utterson positive or negative? Explain using examples. 4. What is the effect of this description of Mr. Utterson on the reader? 10

11 Diction Passage Reread the opening passage of the novella. At the bottom of this page are the words that are to be correctly placed in the blanks. Which word goes into which blank. You should be able to do this without looking at your copy of the novella. Once you have placed the words, consider the connotation of each word in the context it is being used in the passage. If you had to replace those words, what words would you use? Go through the passage and replace those seven words with words that convey the same meaning and connotation. This is not just about substituting the more formal, flowery language with more simplistic words. Feel free to use the space below the passage for jotting down notes. Mr Utterson the lawyer was a man of a rugged that was never lighted by a smile; cold, and embarrassed in ; backward in sentiment; lean, long, dusty, dreary and yet somehow lovable. At friendly meetings, and when the wind was to his taste, something human from his eye; something indeed which never found its way into his talk, but which spoke not only in these silent symbols of the after-dinner face, but more often and loudly in the acts of his life. He was with himself; drank gin when he was alone, to a taste for vintages; and though he enjoyed the theater, had not crossed the doors of one for twenty years (Stevenson 5). Scanty Countenance Beaconed Austere Eminently Discourse Mortify 11

12 Imagery For the assigned passage, answer the following questions in regards to imagery: 1. Identify any sensory details in the passage (i.e., colour, scents, sounds, tastes, or textures) and explain the message conveyed through the use of these details. 2. Are the images part of a larger pattern within the text? Do they connect to any main ideas? 3. Does the writer use figures of speech (metaphors, similes, analogies, personification, etc.)? How do they affect the meaning of the text? What is the message that is being conveyed? 12

13 Imagery Passage Reread this passage from the novella. Choose one passage to analyze. Do a close reading analysis of this passage, employing all three steps of the technique as detailed on page 6. Your focus for this passage is the use of imagery and the meaning(s) behind its usage. Feel free to use the space below the passage for jotting down notes. If he be Mr Hyde, he had thought, I shall be Mr Seek. And at last his patience was rewarded. It was a fine dry night; frost in the air; the streets as clean as a ballroom floor; the lamps, unshaken by any wind, drawing a regular pattern of light and shadow. By ten o clock, when the shops were closed, the bystreet was very solitary and, in spite of the low growl of London from all round, very silent. Small sounds carried far; domestic sounds out of the houses were clearly audible on either side of the roadway; and the rumour of the approach of any passenger preceded him by a long time. Mr Utterson had been some minutes at his post, when he was aware of an odd, light footstep drawing near. In the course of his nightly patrols, he had long grown accustomed to the quaint effect with which the footfalls of a single person, while he is still a great way off, suddenly spring out distinct from the vast hum and clatter of the city. Yet his attention had never before been so sharply and decisively arrested; and it was with a strong, superstitious prevision of success that he withdrew into the entry of the court (Stevenson 14). A great chocolate-coloured pall lowered over heaven, but the wind was continually charging and routing these embattled vapours; so that as the cab crawled from street to street, Mr Utterson beheld a marvelous number of degrees and hues of twilight; for here it would be dark like the back-end of evening; and there would be a glow of a rich, lurid brown, like the light of some strange conflagration; and here, for a moment, the fog would be quite broken up, and a haggard shaft of daylight would glance in between the swirling wreaths (Stevenson 23). 13

14 Setting For the assigned passage, answer the following questions in regards to setting: 1. How does the imagery used in the passage contribute to the setting? 2. Does the setting represent something else? Do they connect to any characters or main ideas? 3. How does the setting affect the meaning of the text? What is the message that is being conveyed? 14

15 Setting Passage Reread the following passages from the novella. Choose one passage to analyze. Do a close reading analysis of this passage, employing all three steps of the technique as detailed on page 6. Your focus for this passage is setting and the meaning(s) behind it. Two doors from one corner, on the left hand going east, the line was broken by the entry of a court; and just at that point, a certain sinister block of building thrust forward its gable on the street. It was two storeys high; showed no window, nothing but a door on the lower storey and a blind forehead of discoloured wall on the upper; and bore in every feature, the marks of prolonged and sordid negligence. The door was equipped with neither bell nor knocker, was blistered and distained. Tramps slouched in the recess and struck matches on the panels; children kept shop upon the steps; the schoolboy had tried his knife on the mouldings; and for close on a generation, no one had appeared to drive away these random visitors or to repair their ravages (Stevenson 6). The dismal quarter of Soho seen under these changing glimpses, with its muddy ways, and slatternly passengers, and its lamps, which had never been extinguished or had been kindled afresh to combat this mournful reinvasion of darkness, seemed, in the lawyer s eyes, like a district of some city in a nightmare (Stevenson 23). In the whole extent of the house, which but for the old woman remained otherwise empty, Mr Hyde had only used a couple of rooms; but these were furnished with luxury and good taste. A closet was filled with wine; the plate was of silver, the napery elegant; a good picture hung upon the walls, a gift (as Utterson supposed) from Henry Jekyll, who was much of a connoisseur; and the carpets were of many plies and agreeable in colour. At this moment, however, the rooms bore every mark of having been recently and hurriedly ransacked; clothes lay about the floor, with their pockets inside out; lockfast drawers stood open; and on the hearth there lay a pile of grey ashes, as though many papers had been burned (Stevenson 24). 15

16 Character: Free Write In this free-writing activity, you will answer the prompts and explore the better and worse angels your nature and the motivations behind them. Reflecting on your own character can provide a source of relevant connection to and understanding of the characters one reads about or watches on-screen. Prompt 1 Write about a time you did something good. Prompt 2 Write about a time you did something immoral. 16

17 Prompt 3 What motivated you to do the good deed? Prompt 4 What motivated you to do the evil deed? Now that you are acquainted with the better and worse angels of your nature and the motivations behind them, discuss and share what you think motivates Dr. Jekyll to begin his experiment, and what motivates him to continue. Begin Continue 17

18 Character Passage Reread this passage from the novella. Do a close reading analysis of this passage, employing all three steps of the technique as detailed on page 6. Your focus for this passage is character and the meaning(s) behind it. Feel free to use the space below the passage for jotting down notes. He is not easy to describe. There is something wrong with his appearance; something displeasing, something downright detestable. I never saw a man I so disliked, and yet I scarce know why. He must be deformed somewhere; he gives a strong feeling of deformity, although I couldn t specify the point. He s an extraordinary looking man, and yet I really can name nothing out of the way. No, sir; I can make no hand of it; I can t describe him. And it s not want of memory; I can see him this moment (Stevenson 10). 18

19 Analyze Theme Fill in the characteristics and actions of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Then analyze the theme or message of the story. Dr. Jekyll Traits and Actions Mr. Hyde Traits and Actions What is Stevenson saying about human nature? 19

20 Close Reading Analysis Creative Presentation Duration: 5-10 minutes (including setup and take down) In pairs, students are to select a rich quotation from Robert Louis Stevenson s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and complete a close reading analysis of the passage, which they will present to their classmates in a creative presentation. Your Name; Partner Name and Contact Info: 1. Name: 2. Partner Name & Contact Info: Part One of the Close Reading Analysis: Information The Information component of the Close Reading Analysis must be demonstrated in the creative production of the quotation. Students are encouraged to communicate key information items (themes, conflicts, characters, setting, etc.) through the dramatic presentation of the quotation, using a variety of strategies, including skits, videos, props, costumes, dance, sound effects, and/or music. The quotation must be displayed throughout the presentation. Part Two and Three of the Close Reading Analysis: Analysis and Interpretation The Analysis and Interpretation components of the presentation will follow in a seminar format. Each student will be responsible for the analysis and interpretation of either the imagery or diction of the quotation selected. Be sure to include the significance of any literary devices when explaining either imagery or diction. Requirements: Students must check their quotation with their instructor. Only one page of the text will be assigned per pair on a first come, first served basis. The quotation can be 5-7 sentences. Students may use cue cards and/or PowerPoint presentation slides for the analysis, but these must only contain point-form notes (no sentences) with key terms to help navigate the presentation. Cue cards must be submitted to the instructor for inspection prior to the presentation. Students must independently submit their analysis and interpretation to TurnItIn.com the day before the presentations by 23:59. Each presentation will be evaluated by the instructor. Due Date: 20

21 Close Reading Analysis Creative Presentation Independently Evaluation Name: The student uses various presentation techniques such as voice, tone, posture, stress, props, costumes, and memorization to present the passage and seminar. Identifies key points from the passage that apply to diction. Diction Student considers connotation, level of language, figures of speech. Provides proof from the passage to support points. Student explains how diction is used to create or enhance significant meaning in the passage. Student looks at how the diction connects to the literary elements of the text. Total for Independent Mark /25 Grand Total (including group mark) /53 Name: The student uses various presentation techniques such as voice, tone, posture, stress, props, costumes, and memorization to present the passage and seminar. Identifies key points from the passage that apply to imagery. Imagery Student considers sensory details, symbols, allusions, and figures of speech. Provides proof from the passage to support points. Student explains how imagery is used to create or enhance significant meaning in the passage. Student looks at how the imagery connects to the literary elements of the text. Total for Independent Mark /25 Grand Total (including group mark) /53 21

22 Name: The student uses various presentation techniques such as voice, tone, posture, stress, props, costumes, and memorization to present the passage and seminar. Identifies key points from the passage that apply to literary devices. Literary Devices Identifies all literary devices evident in the passage (considers similes, metaphors, personification, etc.). Provides proof from the passage to support points. Student explains how literary devices are used to create or enhance significant meaning in the passage. Student looks at how literary devices connect to the literary elements of the text. Total for Independent Mark /25 Grand Total (including group mark) /53 In pairs The performance reflects the ideas, themes, and issues present in the passage The performance of the passage is creative, imaginative, and incorporated a variety of dramatic presentation strategies (consider kinesthetic, audio and visual components) Presentation is rehearsed and well-organized. 0 Presentation meets the time requirement Comments: 22

23 Test Review 1. Read the text again. 2. Review your literary terms and devices sheets from the beginning of the year. Know these terms! 3. Record 15 (or more!) unfamiliar words in the text, and write down their definitions. 4. Make sure to read the footnotes in the back of the text. 5. Record three quotes to describe the following characters: Jekyll, Hyde, Lanyon, and Utterson. 6. Find four different settings in the text. How is each described? Why is the setting significant? 7. Create a detailed plot graph for the events in the text. 8. Make notes on the important documents in the text (e.g. the will, letters, etc.) 23