A Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson 1886 11-30-15 through 12-11-15

Read and Respond If someone you loved were in trouble? What would you do? Would you interfere and try to help or would you back away and respect their privacy? Is there a time to interfere and a time to respect someone’s privacy? Explain.

A Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Authors use imagery to provoke you senses as you read. Close your eyes and listen to the passage. After imagining this scene, write for 5 minutes about what you visualized. How does the man look? See his eyes, his mouth, his face, and his hair. How is he standing? What is he wearing? What does he do next? Guided Imagery 1. In this exercise students listen to a detailed description of the setting (with excerpts taken from the novel, pp. 38-39) and then are encouraged to record the impressions provoked by the imagery. They can compare their descriptions and discuss the following ideas: how a writer builds expectations in readers, what happens when expectations are met or not met in the story, how judgments of character are based on outward appearances. Have students relax, close their eyes, and listen for the images of the setting as you slowly read the guided imagery to them. A Teacher’s Guide to the Signet Classic Edition of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde 5 You are out for a Sunday walk. It is 1865, and you are in a busy quarter of London in a drab and dingy part of town. But you walk down a brightly decorated side street that is lined with shops on both sides. The storefronts are very attractive—they stand along the street with an air of invitation, like rows of smiling saleswomen. Even on Sunday, when it veils its more florid charms and lies comparatively empty of passage, the street shines out in contrast to its dingy neighborhood, like a fire in a forest; and with its freshly painted shutters, well-polished brasses, and general cleanliness and gaiety of note, instantly catches and pleases your eye. Two doors from one corner, the line of shops is broken by the entry of a courtyard; and just at that point, a certain sinister block of building thrusts forward its gable on the street. It is two stories high; shows no window, nothing but a door on the lower story and a blind forehead of discolored wall on the upper story; and bears in every feature the marks of prolonged and sordid negligence. The door, which is equipped with neither bell nor knocker, is blistered and stained. Tramps have slouched into the recess and have struck matches on the panel. You stare at the sinister looking door and wonder who could be living behind it. A cold chill and feeling of dread creeps upon you. Then, before your eyes, the door slowly opens and a man emerges from it. He gives you a long and menacing look. In spite of your fear, you look closely at the man. How does the man look? See his eyes, his mouth, his face, and his hair. How is he standing? What is he wearing? What does he do? Now slowly open your eyes and return to this classroom. Take five minutes to quickly write a description of the man you saw emerge from the door. What does he look like? Describe the features of his face and his general appearance, and then write a sentence or two about what the man does when he sees you. You will share your descriptions with a partner, and then discuss as a class.

A Little Information about Robert Louis Stevenson Born in 1850 in Scotland Father wanted his son to study engineering but he chose to study literature. He wrote The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde after having a nightmare so strange that he decided to use it as the basis of the novella. This became one of his most popular creations. He also wrote: Treasure Island (1883) A Child’s Garden of Verses (1885) Kidnapped His reputation after the year 1890 was to be one of the “most beloved storytellers of his time” (Glencoe McGraw-Hill 2). He died in 1894, at the age of 44.

Time and Place of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde The novella takes place in London in the 1880s in a neighborhood where many distinguished doctors have their houses and offices. Mr. Hyde’s house is in Soho, a part of London known for its immigrant populations. At this time in the novella, society is changing from a very prosperous time to worry and pessimism, mostly due to financial changes in their world.

Did You Know? Robert Louis Stevenson intended that the last name of his famous doctor be pronounced JEEK-uhl. Such a pronunciation would have been more common in the author’s Scottish dialect. Stevenson himself tried hard to convince his readers that the name was pronounced with a long e. In spite of Stevenson’s preference, the tormented doctor has come to be known as JECK-uhl by almost every reader, actor, and critic since the first appearance of the story.

Discussion Logs Each Day: Every day you will receive a new discussion log. The first page of this log will be the same for each section of the novella you will read. The back page will have specific questions for you and your group to discuss. After, you will write your response. If you are absent or you did not finish reading n class, you are expected to complete this on your own. Let’s take a look at today’s Discussion Log together. Each Day: You will finish the reading during the first half of the class. Then you will finish the worksheet during and after the discussion.

As you read this novella consider… What would you do if Dr. Jekyll was a dear friend; someone you were very close to and did not want to see harmed in any way? Would you interfere and try to help or would you back away and respect their privacy? Is there a time to interfere and a time to respect someone’s privacy? Explain. What if you were in a similar situation? How would you want your friends and loved ones to respond to you? Would it depend on the situation?