As I waded through the vast seas of
Jekyll and Hyde
adaptations and criticism, I considered how to narrow the scope of the unit for freshmen English classes. Wanting to focus on repression, I used this concept as a guide for choosing which adaptations to include. By focusing on what is repressed in each telling of the
Jekyll and Hyde
story, as well as what the characters lose as a result of that repression, we will be able to explore what each different culture fears and values. By instructing students about the contexts of each adaptation and exposing students to this type of analytical lens, I hope to lead them beyond their preoccupation with plot and help them become more sophisticated thinkers and writers. In addition, I believe that a focus on repression will be meaningful to their own lives, asking them to consider who they are vs. who society wants them to be.
With these considerations in mind, I have developed the unit objectives.
Throughout the course of the unit, students will…
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explore the differences between adaptation and allusion.
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examine how a culture’s norms and fears influence the telling of stories.
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analyze the effect of the choices authors/directors make when producing adaptations.
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reflect on the consequences of repression and how this relates to oppression.
Based on these objectives, I chose the following texts for the unit.
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Robert Louis Stevenson’s
Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
– using excerpts from the original novel will allow students to consider the origins of the story and give them a starting point for exploring the differences that each subsequent adaptation introduces. By studying aspects of Stevenson’s life and the late Victorian time period, we will practice connecting a text to its cultural influences. The excerpts we read will come primarily from the end of the novel, when Dr. Jekyll states his case. This will allow us to focus on the repression inherent to the story. I will also include excerpts from Mr. Utterson’s narration and Dr. Lanyon’s letter, which will allow us to explore the implications of Stevenson’s narrative structure.
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Rouben Mamoulian’s 1931 film and Victor Fleming’s 1941 film – these two films will allow us to explore the impact of the demands of cinema on the story. Additionally, as they each contain Freudian imagery, we will be able to examine how Jekyll’s repressions change as a result of shifting scientific and cultural knowledge.
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Frank Wildhorn’s
Jekyll and Hyde: The Musical
–songs from this piece will trigger our discussions of what relevance the
Jekyll and Hyde
story has for our modern world.
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Jay Murray’s
Bottled Up
– not only will this text allow us to study the difference between adaptation and allusion, but it will also continue our study of the repressions our modern society demands.
At the end of the unit, there will be two culminating activities that will allow me to measure these objectives and make a final assessment of student learning.
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Literary Analysis Paper: Students will work through the writing process to compose an analytical paper in response to the question –
How do Jaye Murray’s allusions to the Jekyll and Hyde story influence character, symbol, and/or theme in her novel,
Bottled Up
?
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Jekyll and Hyde
Adaptation Project: Students will create their own adaptations of the
Jekyll and Hyde
motif. They may use any art form and will be able to freely choose how faithful an adaptation to create. As they plan their projects, they will need to consider the repressions their own society requires and how our modern cultural concerns should show up in their work.