Amber Kaiser
5/2/07
Engl 112B
Dr Warner
Exploring the Supernatural and its Relation to Reality
Often times day to day to life can be overwhelming and cause a need for escape. In these times, mankind often turns to the unknown or unreal, the supernatural, exploring the seemingly endless possibilities that reality often does not provide. �We have demanded answers to the unknown but have rarely found them, and so we have settled on myths and legends about superior and unseen beings. Such explanations are satisfying because when we are fighting the inexplicable, they make winning more pleasing and losing more acceptable� (Donnelson 192). In addition to allowing humans to better explain the outcome of their struggles, the supernatural can also reflect the same themes and issues that occur in reality, masked behind a veil that appears less threatening.
As young adults face more responsibilities as they grow older, along with encouragement to �stop playing and grow up,� important traits like imagination, creativity and curiosity often get lost in the shuffle. As teachers, there is a certain obligation to put less emphasis on rules, regulations and paperwork, and instead inspire students to think and question. Hopefully this allows students to carry with them the ability to ponder and analyze, opening their eyes to new methods and thinking outside the box. I think that the supernatural is also a great way to introduce topics that are not quite the norm, but still hold useful lessons and ideas.
One canonical text that perfectly fits the supernatural genre is Bram Stoker�s Dracula. The novel explores the ideas of immortality, feminist roles and sexuality, willpower, Christianity and the general forces of good and evil. The novel is written in the form of journal entries and letters between the various characters, which allows students a glimpse at a less explored form of fiction. While the subject of immortality and the existence of vampires are not part of everyday life, the presence of good and evil, as well as finding strength to resist temptation, are issues that students face on a daily basis. Dracula offers a non-traditional exploration of the ability of the human spirit to overcome the impossible. I think this would be a refreshing and memorable unit for students, allowing them to explore the exaggerated version of real issues.
Ideas for pre-reading activities
1. Have students consider whether or not they would want to be immortal, or give the gift of immortality to someone they know. Have them write 1-2 pages regarding the subject as homework. Use this exercise to play philosophical chairs in class. Students who favor immortality take one side. Those opposed to immortality take the other side.
2. Take students to the library to do online research. Students can choose to find information on Bram Stoker, the Gothic time period or the history and legends regarding vampires. Spend class time sharing information, building background knowledge for reading.
3. Have students read �Pulling Up Stakes� by David Lubar in the short story collection First Crossing: Stories About Teen Immigrants. Use this piece to launch a discussion about how we view vampires. Have students think about different books, movies, and television programs and how they depict vampires. Are they always evil? Are there reasons to sympathize with vampires? Discuss the fascination with horror and the supernatural, allowing students to voice their preference or dislike of the genre.
As students read Dracula, the text can be supplemented with related poems, songs and film clips to help further the understanding of the themes and enhance the tone and setting of the novel. Discussion should be held regularly according to the material in the novel as it progresses. Students should pay close attention to the roles the characters play and the choices that they make. Have students create a character graph to help with the reading. They can take a piece of paper folded into six rectangles. As they read they can make notes for six characters they choose, regarding actions, emotions or questions they might have. This exercise can be used as a spring board for a detailed and illustrated presentation to the class of one character when the novel has been completed. In addition, assign a daily or weekly reader response journal. Students can keep a running log of thoughts and reactions to the reading. These responses can be used to start discussions or break students into small groups to discuss their journals. Once students are fairly familiar with the form of the novel, have them create their own letter, journal entry or newspaper article from the viewpoint of one of the characters. Immortality can be emphasized not only with the character of Dracula, but in the ability of storytelling and writing keeping someone alive forever. Keep activities creative and fun and hopefully students will remain engaged with the reading.
As students finish reading the novel, the focus can shift to their own everyday life and struggles. Many tools are used in the novel to combat evil. Have students reflect on the presence of traditional and non-traditional evils that take place in their lives and the world around them. Continuing with this idea, discuss different tools and methods that help students to remain positive in the face of negativity. This can include their future goals and means of achieving them, their support systems or people they can rely on for help, as well as hobbies or activities they use to improve their lives. To conclude the unit have students write a casual 2-3 page essay comparing the problems and solutions in the novel to their own modern day problems and how they have or are learning to overcome them.
There are numerous works that can emphasis the different themes and issues that arise in Dracula. Looking at Edgar Allen Poe�s short stories and poetry would be an excellent supplement, stressing the gothic nature of the novel. Following this novel with Shakespeare�s Hamlet, Macbeth or Romeo and Juliet would also work rather well. Shakespeare�s Sonnet 18 �Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer�s Day� would also help to stress the idea of writing as a means of immortalizing someone. Listening to the song �Bela Legosi is Dead� by Bauhaus and discussing the lyrics would also be another fun tie in to the character of Dracula.
Edgar Allen Poe�s Tales of Mystery and Madness: This exceptionally well-produced collection of four tales will, perhaps, reach a wider audience. The gently abridged retellings are in Poe's original language, and Grimly's wonderfully ghastly, full-color spot and full-page art splendidly depicts the mayhem that leads to murder in "The Black Cat," the partying in the "The Masque of the Red Death," the vicious genius of "Hop-Frog," and the dual connotations of "The Fall of the House of Usher." In addition to varied sizes and presentation of images, Grimly uses different typefaces to set off aspects of the narratives, which flow across the pages in the traditional manner rather than appearing in comics-style panels. With high-production values and gothic sensibilities thoroughly reflected in both text and art, this is an essential purchase for libraries. Adults can use it to lead young people to some great literature; readers will pluck it off the shelves themselves for creepy, entertaining fun. (Annotation taken from Amazon.com)
Hamlet: Prince of Denmark by William Shakespeare: This tragedy by William Shakespeare is one of his best-known works, and also one of the most-quoted writings in the English language. Hamlet has been called "Shakespeare's greatest play" and it is universally included on lists of the world's greatest books. It is also one of the most popular of Shakespeare's plays, judging by the number of productions. Hamlet is a tragedy of the "revenge" genre, in which the title character and two other characters as well, seek revenge for their father's deaths. It incorporates other major human themes, including love, justice, good and evil, and most notably, madness. (Annotation taken from Wikipedia.com)
Macbeth by William Shakespeare: Macbeth is among the most famous of William Shakespeare's plays, as well as his shortest surviving tragedy. It is frequently performed at professional and community theatres around the world. The play, loosely based upon the historical account of King Macbeth of Scotland by Raphael Holinshed and the Scottish philosopher Hector Boece, is often seen as an archetypal tale of the dangers of the lust for power and betrayal of friends. (Annotation taken from Wikipedia.com)
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare: This tragedy concerns the fate of two young "star-cross'd lovers". It is one of the most famous of Shakespeare's plays, one of his earliest theatrical triumphs, and is thought to be the most archetypal love story of the Renaissance and indeed the history of Western culture. (Annotation taken from Wikipedia.com)
Shakespeare�s Sonnets by William Shakespeare: The Sonnets comprise a collection of 154 poems in sonnet form exploring such themes as love, beauty, politics, and mortality. (Annotation taken from Wikipedia.com)
Dracula (1931 Film Version): The film launched both Lugosi's baroque career and the horror-movie cycle of the 1930s. It gets off to an atmospheric start, as we meet Count Dracula in his shadowy castle in Transylvania. Eventually Dracula and his blood-sucking devotee meet their match in a vampire-hunter called Van Helsing. If the later sections of the film are undeniably stage bound and a tad creaky, Dracula nevertheless casts a spell, thanks to Lugosi's creepily lugubrious manner and the eerie silences of Browning's directing style. (Annotation taken from Amazon.com)
First Crossing: Stories About Teen Immigrants by Donald Gallo: The contemporary teen immigrants in Gallo's newest story collection hail from a mix of countries--Cambodia, Haiti, Kazakhstan, Mexico, South Korea--reflective of current immigration trends. Among the 10 stories, readers will encounter teens who have left homelands behind for reasons not so different from those of earlier generations. Lubar takes a comic look at a Transylvanian immigrant who finds unexpected friends among his school's vampire-obsessed Goths. (Annotation taken from Amazon.com)
Works Cited
<http://www.amazon.com>.
Bram Stoker�s Dracula. Dir. Francis Ford Coppola. Perf. Keanu Reeves, Gary Olman, Winona Rider and Sir Anthony Hopkins. Sony Pictures, 1992.
Donnelson, Kenneth L. and Aileen Pace Nilsen. Literature for Today�s Young Adults. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc., 2005
Dracula. Dir. Tod Browning. Perf. Bela Lugosi. Universal Studios, 1931.
Gallo, Donald R. First Crossing: Stories About Teen Immigrants. Candlewick; Reprint Edition, 2007.
Interview with the Vampire. Dir. Neil Jordan. Perf. Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Antonio Banderas and Kirsten Dunst. Warner Bros., 1994.
Poe, Edgar Allen and Gris Grimly. Edgar Allen Poe�s Tales of Mystery and Madness. Atheneum, 2004.
Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Penguin Classics, 2001.
Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Washington Square Press, 2004.
Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet. Washington Square Press, 2004.
Shakespeare, William. Shakespeare�s Sonnets. Washington Square Press, 2004.
Stoker, Bram. Dracula. Penguin Books; New Edition, 2007.
<http://www.wikipedia.com>