Robert Louis Stevenson s Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, adapted by Alan Grant and Cam Kennedy

Transcription

1 FOURTH LEVEL LEARNING RESOURCES Robert Louis Stevenson s Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, adapted by Alan Grant and Cam Kennedy Resource created by Michael Stephenson

2 Contents 2 Introduction 3 Time savers and useful links 4 Activity 1: Introduce your pupils to graphic novels 5 Activity 2: Utterson s Dream extract to hand out to pupils 6 Activity 2: Utterson s Dream notes for teachers 7 Activity 2: Utterson s Dream pupil worksheet 8 Activity 3: Meeting Mr. Hyde notes for teachers 9 Activity 3: Meeting Mr. Hyde pupil worksheet 10 Activity 4: Mr. Hyde character analysis pupil worksheet 11 Comics & graphic novels Introduction The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson was published in The book follows the lawyer Utterson s entanglement in the affairs of Dr. Henry Jekyll, an upstanding gentleman who masks his infernal alter ego Mr. Hyde. It is a dark, gothic tale of the duality in human nature. The inspiration for the book was conceived from the duality of Edinburgh, a vibrant city with a dark heart, although the story is set in London. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was adapted into a graphic novel by Alan Grant and Cam Kennedy in The graphic novel stays almost entirely faithful to the original dialogue of Stevenson s novella. It is an excellent text for reluctant readers, and there are also versions available in Gaelic and Scots. The text is suitable for a wide range of ages and abilities. This resource is mainly aimed at pupils working towards level 4. This resource was developed by Michael Stephenson of Inveralmond Community High School. It is available in Word or PDF format. To help you use the resource, you may want to refer to Michael s blog about his experiences: Michael has also produced two other units on adapting text, using the novella Coraline by Neil Gaiman. This novella is also available as a graphic novel see the final page of this resource for details. This resource should be used in conjunction with Michael s powerpoints, which are available on Scottish Book Trust s website. Where an activity has a connection to one of the powerpoints, this has been indicated. 2

3 Time savers and useful links Edinburgh s UNESCO City of Literature campaign This is an excellent starting point for those unfamiliar with the conventions of graphic novels. There are lots of resources on The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde which give an insight into how a narrative is put together in a graphic novel. Duke University s Writing About Graphic Novels handout Again, a good resource for those who want to get to grips with how to deconstruct graphic novels. %20Visual%20Literacy.pdf National Centre for Technology in Education s Guide to Terminology A very useful resource which explains the meaning of important terminology. 3

4 Activity 1: Introduce your pupils to graphic novels The pupils will need to familiarise themselves with the conventions of graphic novels. The Powerpoint entitled Making a Graphic Novel provides an introduction to graphic novels, including their structure, artwork and dialogue. You can find the Powerpoint on Scottish Book Trust s website at The handout on the next page is very useful for pupils as they attempt to familiarise themselves with how text is presented in a graphic novel. 4

5 Activity 2: Utterson s Dream extract to hand out to pupils 5

6 Activity 2: Utterson s Dream notes for teachers In this activity, pupils will analyse and deconstruct a page of the text. The handout and the worksheet are on the following pages. The Powerpoint presentation entitled Utterson s Dream will be a useful accompaniment to this lesson. You can find the Powerpoint on Scottish Book Trust s website at These notes are designed to give teachers suggested answers to the questions on the worksheet. They are by no means exhaustive! The three categories for analysis are taken from the great resource on graphic novels and visual literacy which Duke University have made available online at PAGE LAYOUT First quarter-page panel establishes situation (long shot of Utterson s bedroom, Utterson asleep) central panels develop narrative of his dream by presenting four images from his dream in sequence, final panel gives emphasis (graphic weight) to figure of Hyde. Central panels overlapping, circular layout suggests Utterson s mind locked in a cycle no escape from these thoughts and images... Final bleed borderless panel sees Hyde s shadowy form extending beyond page an imminent and threatening image, perhaps suggesting how Hyde envelops Utterson s mind... ART STYLE TEXT Colour background transition from blue (cold, nocturnal) to red and its connotations of danger, blood etc. Blue/black palette in central images to evoke nocturnal city. Light and shadow black shadow associated with Hyde mysterious, sinister, threatening etc. Adds to text... The figure had NO FACE! Impressionistic style of lamplight, Hyde s figure evocative of dream but also of intangible fears, lurking danger... Something bat-like in Hyde s figure? Captions used for narration, as opposed to speech balloons for dialogue Text adds to image in terms of detail of situation and event, sound (girl s screams) and imagery scroll of lighted pictures; great field of lamps of a nocturnal city; human juggernaut... 6

7 Activity 2: Utterson s Dream pupil worksheet CfE In this extract from chapter one, Mr Utterson has a troubled night after hearing his friend talk about Mr. Hyde. In this activity, you will analyse how various aspects of the page help to convey Utterson s toiling mind. PAGE LAYOUT How do the panels establish situation and then develop a narrative? Why is the design of the four central panels effective? What is the effect of the bleed at the bottom of the page? Understanding, Analysing and Evaluating: Eng 4-17a, Eng 4-19a ART STYLE How do the following affect the impact of the page? TEXT Choice of image Colour Light and shade Level of detail realistic? Impressionistic? Why are captions used, rather than speech balloons? What does the text add to our understanding of the images? Which words and phrases do you find most effective? Can you comment on the use of metaphor? Which words are lettered in bold, and why? Overall, how effectively do you feel Grant & Kennedy have brought the scene to life and created the anxious, troubled mood of Utterson s dream? 7

8 Activity 3: Meeting Mr. Hyde notes for teachers The Powerpoint entitled Meeting Mr. Hyde is useful as an accompaniment to this lesson and can be found on Scottish Book Trust s website at Below, suggested answers to the worksheet for this activity have been highlighted. Again, these are by no means exhaustive. All at once, I saw two figures: one a little man who was stumping along eastward at a good walk, and the other a girl of maybe eight or ten who was running as hard as she was able down a cross street. Well, sir, the two ran into one another naturally enough at the corner; and then came the horrible part of the thing; for the man trampled calmly over the child s body and left her screaming on the ground. It sounds nothing to hear, but it was hellish to see. It wasn t like a man; it was like some damned Juggernaut. I gave a view-halloa, took to my heels, collared my gentleman, and brought him back to where there was already quite a group about the screaming child. He was perfectly cool and made no resistance, but gave me one look, so ugly that it brought out the sweat on me like running. CfE Understanding, Analysing and Evaluating: Eng 4-19a, Finding and Using Information: Lit 4-15a, Tools for Reading: Lit 4-13a Mr. Hyde was pale and dwarfish, he gave an impression of deformity without any nameable malformation, he had a displeasing smile, he had borne himself to the lawyer with a sort of murderous mixture of timidity and boldness, and he spoke with a husky, whispering and somewhat broken voice; all these were points against him, but not all of these together could explain the hitherto unknown disgust, loathing, and fear with which Mr. Utterson regarded him. There must be something else, said the perplexed gentleman. There is something more, if I could find a name for it. God bless me, the man seems hardly human! Something troglodytic, shall we say? Or can it be the old story of Dr. Fell? Or is it the mere radiance of a foul soul that thus transpires through, and transfigures, its clay continent? The last, I think; for, O my poor old Harry Jekyll, if ever I read Satan s signature upon a face, it is on that of your new friend. 8

9 Activity 3: Meeting Mr. Hyde pupil worksheet In these two extracts from Robert Louis Stevenson s original novel, highlight the key words and phrases from which you learn something about the character of Mr Hyde... All at once, I saw two figures: one a little man who was stumping along eastward at a good walk, and the other a girl of maybe eight or ten who was running as hard as she was able down a cross street. Well, sir, the two ran into one another naturally enough at the corner; and then came the horrible part of the thing; for the man trampled calmly over the child s body and left her screaming on the ground. It sounds nothing to hear, but it was hellish to see. It wasn t like a man; it was like some damned Juggernaut. I gave a view-halloa, took to my heels, collared my gentleman, and brought him back to where there was already quite a group about the screaming child. He was perfectly cool and made no resistance, but gave me one look, so ugly that it brought out the sweat on me like running. Mr. Hyde was pale and dwarfish, he gave an impression of deformity without any nameable malformation, he had a displeasing smile, he had borne himself to the lawyer with a sort of murderous mixture of timidity and boldness, and he spoke with a husky, whispering and somewhat broken voice; all these were points against him, but not all of these together could explain the hitherto unknown disgust, loathing, and fear with which Mr. Utterson regarded him. There must be something else, said the perplexed gentleman. There is something more, if I could find a name for it. God bless me, the man seems hardly human! Something troglodytic, shall we say? Or can it be the old story of Dr. Fell? Or is it the mere radiance of a foul soul that thus transpires through, and transfigures, its clay continent? The last, I think; for, O my poor old Harry Jekyll, if ever I read Satan s signature upon a face, it is on that of your new friend. 9

10 Activity 4: Mr. Hyde character analysis pupil worksheet How do we know? What evidence is there? CfE Understanding, Analysing and Evaluating: eng 4-19a, Finding and Using Information: Lit 4-16a What do we know about the character of Mr Hyde? 10

11 Comics & graphic novels RECOMMENDED READING LIST This suggested graphic novels reading list for teachers has been compiled as a result of Michael Stephenson s module on Adaptation. These suggestions have been gathered verbally from a number of sources, and are intended as a point of departure for teachers interested in using comics and graphics novels in the classroom. Jekyll & Hyde comic by Alan Grant and Cam Kennedy Jekyll & Hyde Scots version translated by James Spence Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped by Grant & Kennedy Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped Scots version translated by Mathew Fitt Nevermore A Graphic Novel Anthology of Edgar Allan Poe's Short Stories by various, Dan Whitehead (ed.) The Classical Comics range offering adaptations of classic horror Frankenstein, Dracula as well as classic novels like Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights Metaphrog's First Men on Mercury strip, too, obviously. Brilliant, faithful version and it can be downloaded free at their website along with teachers' notes from ASLS Coraline, adapted P Craig Russell from Neil Gaiman's novel Maus Art Spiegelman Safe Area Gorazde Joe Sacco Palestine Joe Sacco Persepolis Marjane Satrapi Resistance Carla Jablonski and Leland Purvis Watchmen Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons V for Vendetta Alan Moore, David Lloyd Batman: The Killing Joke Alan Moore Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Frank Miller Ghost World by Daniel Clowes True Swamp - The Memoirs of Lenny the Frog by Jon Lewis Relentless (Cat Woman) by Ed Brubaker The Nikopol Trilogy by Enki Bilal Bone by Jeff Smith From Hell by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell Frank by Jim Woodring Through the Habit Rails by Jeff Nicholson Domu by Katsuhiro Otomo and Adolph by Tezaku 11