Dracula+-+English+V+Honors



In these activities, students will engage closely with the text of Dracula, developing original research and formulating an understanding of the epistolary genre, while simultaneously considering the powerful allure of vampires over our collective imaginations.

When it comes to vampires, Bram Stoker literally wrote the book. Dracula, published in London in 1897, established the genre of the vampire story, and its legacy lives on today, most notably in Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series, but also in a variety of TV series (think Buffy the Vampire Slayer and more recently The Vampire Diaries and True Blood) and movies (from Nosferatu in 1922 to Bela Lugosi’s 1931 Dracula and so on).

Goals and Questions

 * Essential Questions **
 * How does Bram Stoker establish the vampire tradition in his novel Dracula, and how have his ideas and conventions been carried through and/or modified in other forms of the story?
 * What is a vampire, how do we recognize one, and how do we get rid of them once they have entered our lives?
 * What is original research, and how might we conduct original research on an author’s use of words and imagery using an electronic text? Along these lines, how might we form a thesis based on this research?
 * What is an “epistolary novel,” and what conventions are associated with this literary genre?
 * Goals **
 * To read and discuss a classic, seminal work of literature;
 * To understand the role this work of literature has played in the development of culture, and especially pop culture, as represented in books, movies, and television shows;
 * To locate and evaluate text in Dracula with the goal of answering specific questions related to vampires and vampire culture, and to quote and explain this text in the creation of a “vampire primer”;
 * To locate an electronic version of a text and to download it onto one’s computer workspace;
 * To conduct original research on this e-text, looking for patterns of language and ideas that may yield insight into this particular story and/or the nature of the vampire story genre in general;
 * Based on these findings, to create a “working,” and then a final, thesis about Stoker’s use of language and/or imagery in the novel;
 * To understand the nature of the “epistolary novel” genre of literature and, based on this understanding, to create a short original piece in the epistolary mode.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[|Brainstorm on Padlet]
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Activity 1: **


 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Padlet code: DraculaVHonors **

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 1. Horror characters <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Students brainstorm some typical horror characters; for example, ghost, witch, vampire, etc. Are there reoccurring characteristics in the villains? Why do they think the heroes usually don’t have special powers or gifts while the villains do?

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Students choose one of the horror characters to write a description, describing their physical appearance as well as movement, voice, powers.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Once created, the class will vote on the best villain (Edmodo)! This villain (or 2) will be the lead in our class Horror story!

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 2. Horror symbols <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> What are symbols? What symbols are typical of horror stories and movies? Brainstorm and list symbols together as a class (padlet) for our story.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 3. Horror plots <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Brainstorm what usually happens in a horror story. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Discussion starters:
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">How do they usually start?
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">What happens in the course of the story?
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">What difficulties do the heroes usually face before they defeat the evil villains?
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">How do the stories end?

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Assessment: Horror story assignment (Create story on Wikispaces page entitled "Horror Story") <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> The class will create its own horror story. You are to make sure you create a spooky tone by making the story descriptive (using adjectives, verbs and adverbs) and by using the senses. The story should have some elements of the checklist as well as including at least one villain and one hero/heroine.

(https://debiwebb.wikispaces.com/Horror+Story)

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> **Dracula After Reading Assignment (Post to Edmodo).** <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> In class and out-of-class reading will be necessary for this activity.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Questions:
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">1. Look back at pp 96–100. Who is Renfield? Why is he dying? What has he done that scares them so much? When they get to Mina what do they find? What is the significance of Dracula bleeding? How is Dracula described, especially in terms of his reactions. What is the significance of the cross burning Mina?
 * 2) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">2. Add more detail to Dracula’s character description. What do his actions towards Lucy, Mina, Renfeld tell us about him? What about the fact that he has more than one property in London: what does this tell us about him?
 * 3) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">3. Look at the chase back to Transylvania. Why does Dracula go back there? How do they know how to find him?
 * 4) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">4. What job does Van Helsing have? Why does he do these jobs while Jonathan especially is charged with killing Dracula? Link back to the killing of Lucy.
 * 5) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">5. Did they enjoy reading the novel, why, why not? What were they expecting from it given the image of Dracula? Did they prefer the abridged or original version of the story? Why, after extended analysis do they think it is labelled a classic?

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Themes: What do they think the novel is saying is important? Think science, faith, loyalty. Find quotes to support those ideas.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Social context and moral code. Use the theme work to discuss the following: Horror stories reflect the values and fears of that society. What was valued and feared in Stoker’s time? What do our present day horror stories tell us about our values and concerns? Does this and other horror stories reinforce the safety of the moral code?