Tales of the Supernatural
Introduction
Monsters have haunted the literary imagination
from earliest times (e.g., the Cyclops, Grendel,
etc.), but a particular interest in horror and the Gothic form
dates back to the 18th and early 19th century. Taking their
name from the Gothic architecture that often served as a backdrop
to the action, these novels present supernatural events in naturalistic
terms, thrilling readers with strange tales filled with mystery
and terror.
Learning Objectives
To explore the origins and development
of a literary genre; to investigate how shared imaginative
concerns link the members of a literary period; to examine
the evolution of a literary tradition; to compare works of
literature from different eras.
1
Begin by asking how many students have read a horror story
or seen a horror movie. Explain the relationship of modern
horror stories to the Gothic novel, and tell students that
at least one writer in the Gothic tradition continues to terrify
readers even today -- Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, who at
age 18 published the classic horror story, Frankenstein, in
1818.
2 Use
the Romantic
Circles website to introduce students to Mary
Shelley and the legacy of her greatest literary creation.
Within the "Scholarly Resources" section of the site, click on "The Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley Chronology & Resource Site" and follow the link to "Other Web Resources." Here your students will
find information about her life, background on the Romantic
circumstances that gave rise to her novel, and (what may be
of most immediate interest to them) images from some of the
many films that have featured her monster. Working with these
images (and any other incarnations of the Frankenstein monster
with which they may be familiar), have students comment on
what the monster has come to mean in our century. Are we terrified
by him as a violation of nature? Do we feel pity for him as
an orphan of science? Do we admire him as an embodiment of
the indomitable will? Why has he continued to lumber through
the popular imagination?
3
Have students read Frankenstein. (The entire text of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is available on UVA's Electronic Text Center) Focus discussion initially on
differences students perceive between the original story and
its translations into the terms of popular culture. In what
respects is the original a horror story? In what respects
is it a serious imaginative exploration of the human condition?
Why have some readers called it the first work of science
fiction? What view of science does the novel present to us?
How is this concern with science signalled by the novel's
subtitle, "The Modern Prometheus"? (Remind students that Prometheus,
credited in mythology with bringing fire from the heavens
to the earth, is usually understood as an emblem of human
creativity, particularly as expressed through science and
technology. Have students search for information about Prometheus
on the
Perseus Project website.) Who is the Prometheus of the
story -- Frankenstein or his monster? And what does this Prometheus
symbolize? Conclude this discussion by having students write
a short critical essay comparing the original Frankenstein
to what it has become in popular culture, arguing either that
much has been lost in the story's transformation or that it
has been refined to its imaginative essence in the retelling.
4 Next have students work in research
teams to investigate some American tales of the supernatural,
using the resources of the Nathaniel
Hawthorne website. Among Hawthorne's own works
they might read "Young Goodman Brown" and "Rappaccini's Daughter"
in Mosses from an Old Manse. Links within the Hawthorne
website will lead them to many examples of the Gothic in the
work of Edgar Allan Poe, stories like "Berenice,"
"The
Fall of the House of Usher," and "The
Tell-Tale Heart," and his well-known poem, "The
Raven." Have each team focus on one story, noting similarities
to the themes and story-telling techniques of Frankenstein,
particularly the part science may play in setting the stage
for the supernatural. After each group has reported on its
story, discuss as a class the distinguishing features of Hawthorne's
and Poe's work in this genre. Ask students to explore the
effect on them as readers of a story by Hawthorne in the third
person and by Poe in the first person. Hawthorne tells his
stories in the third person and shapes them as allegories
and fables, thereby diffusing their emotional impact; Poe,
by contrast, generally tells his stories in the first person
and shapes them to highlight the psychology of the narrator,
thereby tightening their grip on the reader's emotions. Students
can explore the consequences of these alternative techniques
by writing a short film scenario for one episode from each
author.
Extending the Lesson
To conclude, invite students to report
on modern-day tales of the supernatural that they have enjoyed.
These might include the
stories of
Isaac Bashevis Singer, the "Goosebumps" and "Fear Street"
books of R. L. Stine, the novels of Stephen
King, and the vampire novels of Anne
Rice. You can broaden the discussion by inviting reports
on films as well, particularly films like the "Alien" and
"Jurassic Park" series which highlight the connection between
the supernatural and science first established by Frankenstein.
Is science still an important ingredient for this genre of
fiction? Encourage students to cite other motifs that modern
tales of the supernatural share with their 19th-century precursors.
Explore also the competing tendencies within the genre toward
allegorical or symbolic meaning on the one hand and the creation
of extreme emotional effects on the other. As a follow-up
to this class discussion, have students write a critical review
of a contemporary tale of the supernatural, evaluating it
against the standards set by the Romantic-era originators
of the genre.
Standards Alignment
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