Adriana Handono
3 December 2008
English 112B
Warner
Vampires and Monsters and Werewolves! Oh My! Surveying
the Supernatural through Epic Poetry and Young Adult Fiction
According to the Third College Edition of Webster's New World Dictionary, the word, "supernatural," is an adjective and defined as something that is "being above or beyond what is natural; unexplainable by natural law or phenomena and attributed to ghosts, goblins, or other unearthly beings." Nowadays, books that deal with the topic of the supernatural have characters that range from vampires, witches, werewolves, and shape-shifters. The topic of the supernatural in Young Adult literature is a blossoming genre which allows for an exciting escape, or a break, from everyday life. Although it can be viewed as a "nonessential" or superstitious and child-like subject for a literary genre, the category of the supernatural provides an outlet for exploring our emotions, and in general can be both an enjoyable and entertaining experience. In today's technology driven world, these novels of the supernatural provide a sense of fulfillment, and also serve as a reminder that our humanity exists through imagined worlds found in literature (214 Donelson).
The combination of the epic and the supernatural exists in the canonical work of Beowulf, which is one of the oldest existing works in English. Beowulf is considered to be an epic, which is a long poetic composition told by a narrator in an elevated style. The epic is usually centered upon a hero who goes through a series of great achievements or events. Beowulf was most likely composed in the eighth century A.D. and its original author is unknown, although it has been speculated that it was written by a Christian poet who was in turn, addressing a Christian audience. Beowulf reflects a feudal, newly Christian world full of heroes and monsters, blood and victory, life and death.
The unique text of Beowulf deals with the themes of heroism and the conflict
between good and evil. It is an
epic that takes you on an adventure, while the supernatural elements help lead
you into another world—the world of the unknown. Beowulf provides a riveting read for the adventurous and
imaginative minds of readers of all ages, and I think this unit of study will
help provide a memorable experience to this literary classic as well as provide
a great introduction to the genre of the supernatural.
Launching
the Unit
Although
the viewing of a Hollywood adaptation of a canonical text such as Beowulf (the Baz Luhrmann directed Romeo + Juliet is often viewed in addition to the Shakespeare
drama, for example) can be a good addition to the unit, showing the movie in
its entirety would probably not be in the best interest of the class, since the
Hollywood version of Beowulf (directed
by Robert Zemeckis) is rated R
and contains many instances of action and violence that may not be suitable for
younger high school students.
Instead, showing a clip from the movie as a way of introducing the book
to the class would be more applicable.
Choosing a clip that showed the goodness of Beowulf's character is vital
and would provide an exciting introduction to this literary masterpiece. Advising students to view the movie on
their own time with their parent or guardian's permission after their reading
of Beowulf would be the best
option for both the teacher and the students.
Inside
the Text
Beowulf is a glorious, thrilling epic poem in its own right, but how would
it look illustrated? In the
graphic novel, Beowulf by Gareth
Hinds, this masterful illustrated version of the heroic epic between good and
evil honors the spirit of the original and also attracts modern readers. Initiate a fun and creative project
among the students relating to the three battles Beowulf goes through to prove
his heroism. Using Hinds'
illustrated version of the classic as inspiration, have the students try their
hand at making their own Beowulf illustrations of the battle against Grendel, Grendel's
mother, and the dragon in the form of a contemporary comic book. Or allow the students to act out a
reenactment of one of the scenes from the text. You could even take it a step further by assigning the
project in advance and having the students record their interpretation of one
of the key scenes on video. Capturing
the spirit of adventure found in Beowulf can be applied in fun and exciting ways, allowing for a greater
appreciation of this action-driven poem.
Also allow for
class discussion related to some of the themes and events in the text. Some jumping points for discussion
would be to ask the students for any examples from the book or ideas they
remembered that demonstrate the pure evil of Grendel and Grendel's mother
further leading into a discussion on the main conflict between good and evil
that is core to Beowulf. Or lead a discussion on the main
examples of good conquering evil in the text. By asking specific questions related to Beowulf, students will be able to master the key concepts
and gain further knowledge on the text
Also, trips to the library where research is done on life during eighth
century A.D. would be key, as well as providing a brief overview of the history
of England during that time period.
A 3-4 page essay regarding the unknown author's use of contrast and
parallel to clearly demonstrate Beowulf's journey of heroism and the cycle of
life and death or the conflict of good and evil would be the capstone to the
unit of study.
Extending the
Unit
While Beowulf
serves as the canonical text for the unit of study, students may be turned on
by suggestions of other Young Adult books that deal with the supernatural.
From the ghosts in The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold and Restless: A Ghost's Story by Rich Walllace, to the vampires in Twilight by Stephenie Meyers and The Night World Series by L.J. Smith, to the werewolves found in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and New Moon by Stephenie Meyer, these works of fiction will provide a great introduction into the various characters found in books of the supernatural. These books can be read for pleasure by students, and should definitely be shared among them. As most of these books are in my collection, I would happily let students borrow them to read for their own enjoyment and satisfaction. This array of books from the Young Adult supernatural field serves a great introduction to my most beloved genre of books. Also, a fun way to get the students "in the mood" for the topic of the supernatural would be to play and have them listen to the 1962 novelty song, "The Monster Mash" by Bobby Pickett.
Additional
Young Adult Literature and Media
Beowulf (2007 film version): Featuring groundbreaking
animation, stunning visuals, and a talented cast, Beowulf has in spades what more faithful book adaptations
forget to bring: pure cinematic entertainment. (Annotation from Rottentomatoes.com)
Beowulf translated by Burton Raffel: Burton Raffel's modern
language translation from the original Old English remains the most celebrated
introduction of the poem to students and the general reader alike. (Annotation
from Amazon.com)
Beowulf by Gareth Hinds: This exhilarating graphic-novel
edition of an ancient classic honors the spirit of the original as it attracts
modern readers. Grendel's black
blood runs thick as Beowulf defeats the monster and his hideous mother, while
somber hues overcast the hero's final, fatal battle against a raging dragon.
Speeches filled with courage and sadness, lightning-paced contests of muscle
and will, and funeral boats burning on the fjords are all rendered in glorious
and gruesome detail. Told for more than a thousand years, Beowulf's heroic saga
finds a true home in this graphic-novel edition. (Annotation taken from Goodreads.com)
Beowulf: A Hero's Tale Retold by James Rumford: Award-winning author and illustrator James Rumford forges his own account of Beowulf with the few Anglo-Saxon words still present in our language. These iron-strong ancient words recall the boldness of the original poem and, together with Rumford's pen-and-ink illustrations, they fashion an unforgettable story of a hero who never gave up—no matter how difficult the struggle—no matter how deep and dark the night. (Annotation taken from Goodreads.com)
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold: When we first meet Susie Salmon, she
is already in heaven. As she looks down from this strange new place, she tells
us, in the fresh and spirited voice of a fourteen-year-old girl, a tale that is
both haunting and full of hope. In the weeks following her death, Susie watches
life on Earth continuing without her-her school friends trading rumors about
her disappearance, her family holding out hope that she'll be found, her killer
trying to cover his tracks. The
Lovely Bones is luminous and astonishing, a novel that builds out of grief the
most hopeful of stories. In the hands of a brilliant new writer, this story of
the worst thing a family can face is transformed into a suspenseful and even
funny novel about love, memory, joy, heaven, and healing. (Annotation taken from Goodreads.com)
Restless: A Ghost's Story by Rich Wallace: Herbie is about to enter his senior
year of high school and his days are packed with football, cross-country, and
the pursuit of a potential girlfriend. Herbie is nothing short of an
exceptional teenager, but he is also a prime conduit for ghostly energy. And
Herbie's brother, who died ten years ago, is desperately trying to make
contact. His brother Frank is a soul trapped without a body, and Herbie may be
Frank's only way to get free. Frank has been trying to talk to Herbie for years-watching,
waiting, reaching out to Herbie in his dreams. Finally, he is moving closer to
meaningful contact. At long last, Herbie is becoming aware of his brother's
presence. (Annotation taken from
Goodreads.com)
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer: In Twilight, an exquisite fantasy by Stephenie Meyer, readers discover a pair of lovers who are supremely star-crossed. Bella adores beautiful Edward, and he returns her love. But Edward is having a hard time controlling the blood lust she arouses in him, because--he''s a vampire. The precision and delicacy of Meyer''s writing lifts this wonderful novel beyond the limitations of the horror genre to a place among the best of YA fiction. (Annotation taken from Goodreads.com)
New Moon by Stephenie Meyer: . In New Moon, Stephenie Meyer
delivers another irresistible combination of romance and suspense with a
supernatural twist. The "star-crossed" lovers theme continues as
Bella and Edward find themselves facing new obstacles, including a devastating
separation, the mysterious appearance of dangerous wolves roaming the forest in
Forks, a terrifying threat of revenge from a female vampire and a deliciously
sinister encounter with Italy's reigning royal family of vampires, the Volturi.
Passionate, riveting, and full of surprising twists and turns, this vampire
love saga is well on its way to literary immortality. (Annotation taken from Goodreads.com)
Night World No. 1: Secret
Vampire; Daughters of Darkness; Spellbinder
by L.J. Smith: Vampires, werewolves, witches, shape shifters -- they live among
us without our knowledge. Night World is their secret society, a secret society
with very strict rules. And falling in love breaks all the laws of the Night
World. If you think light romantic horror has to be poorly written, you haven't tried L.J. Smith.
Meet the denizens of the "Night World," a secret society of
"creatures of the night" that has only two rules: never reveal its
existence to humans and never
fall in love with them. Smooth and exciting, this is froth at its best. (Annotation taken from Goodreads.com)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of
Azkaban by J.K. Rowling: Harry
Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is the
third novel in the Harry Potter
series written by J. K. Rowling and features Remus John Lupin, nicknamed Moony,
who first appears in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of
Azkaban as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor and, unknown to the
students, is a werewolf.
(Annotation taken from Wikipedia.org)
Works Cited
(http://www.amazon.com>
Beowulf. Dir. Robert Zemeckis. Perf. Ray
Winstone, Anthony Hopkins. Sony Pictures Imageworks, 2007.
Donelson, Kenneth L. and Aileen Pace Nilsen. Literature for Today's Young Adults. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc., 2005
Meyer, Stephenie. Twilight. Little, 2005.
Meyer, Stephenie. New Moon. Little, 2006.
Rumford, James. Beowulf: A Hero's Tale Retold. Houghton,
2007.
Sebold, Alice. The Lovely Bones. Little, 2002. p. 209
Wallace, Rich. Restless: A Ghost's Story. Viking, 2003.
<http://www.wikipedia.org>