PENGUIN READERS Teacher’s notes LEVEL 5 Teacher Support Programme
Tales of Mystery and Imagination
Edgar Allan Poe namesake who has been following him everywhere since his schooldays. Wherever he goes, he cannot escape his unwanted double: he is always there to foil his plans and snatch success away from him. In the story’s tragic conclusion the main character loses control and reacts in a terrible and violent manner. In The Gold-Bug we follow a man’s obsessive search for buried treasure. After finding a bug of real gold, the man is convinced that it will lead him to the treasure and make his fortune. Despite the scepticism of his friend, the man persists with his search, uncovering clues and breaking a secret code until finally, with the help of his servant and of his friend; he sets off on a journey into the hills that About the author ultimately leads them to an amazing discovery. Edgar Allan Poe was born to a Scots-Irish family in Boston The Fall of the House of Usher tells of some very strange on 19 January 1809. He was the second child of actress happenings. A man goes to visit an old friend who appears Elizabeth Arnold Hopkins Poe and actor David Poe, to be suffering from some strange mental disorder. His Jr. Tragedy struck Edgar Allan Poe very early in life – sister is very ill and he has been very badly affected by his father abandoned the family when he was just one this. He has lost his taste for life and is extremely afraid of year old and his mother died of consumption a year later. the future. He feels strongly that the very walls of his old Poe was raised by John and Frances Allan, a family of crumbling house have gained an influence over him. His Scottish merchants from Richmond, Virginia. Although friend tries to help him by talking to him and painting they never formally adopted him, the Allans did give him with him, but when the man’s sister finally dies, things the name Edgar Allan Poe. go from bad to worse. The man is not convinced that Poe attended school in England from 1815 until 1820. his sister is really dead and worries that he has buried her In 1826 he went to the recently-opened University of alive. The story reaches a dramatic climax when the dead Virginia. sister reappears at the door of the house. In 1835, he started work as an editor for the Southern The Red Death tells the story of how a group privileged Literary Messenger. The following year he married his people, led by their Prince shut themselves away in a cousin, Virginia. For the next ten years, during which time remote castle in an attempt to avoid being infected with a his wife was often ill, Poe worked for various newspapers terrible disease that is killing the population of the country and magazines. He also wrote the stories for which he They live a life of luxury and pleasure until one day the is now famous, though he did not always make a lot of Red Death itself comes to pay a visit and wreak revenge … money from them. Also during this period, he began to The Barrel of Amontillado is another story of terrible drink heavily and for the rest of his life he had problems revenge. A man lures his rival into a deep cellar with the with alcohol. In 1847, Virginia died. Poe planned to promise of tasting an expensive Spanish wine. The victim’s remarry but it was not to be. He died in mysterious pride and his single-minded desire to give his opinion on circumstances after being found wandering around the the wine prevent him from seeing the trap he is walking streets of Baltimore in October, 1849. into. Even at the last moment, as he is being walled into his death cell, he seems unable to fully comprehend the Summary terrible nature of his predicament. The ten tales are stories of the supernatural, of revenge, The Whirlpool describes the very frightening near-death near-death experiences and some of the very first detective experience of an old Norwegian fisherman. As his listener stories. observes the scene from a high point on the rocky In William Wilson a man is haunted in a strange and coastline, the fisherman shows him the power of the disturbing way. He is convinced that he has an identical enormous whirlpool of the Maelström just a few miles
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Tales of Mystery and Imagination off the coast. He tells the story of how he and his brother The story called Metzengerstein recounts the rivalry were once sucked into the whirlpool. The fisherman between two rich families and the descent into madness survived thanks to keen observation of how things were and death of the young heir to the Metzengerstein fortune. being sucked down towards the seabed, but his brother, When his neighbour and head of his hated rival family through his terrible fear, was unwilling to heed his advice dies in a fire, a beautiful but strange red horse comes into and perished. The fisherman survived, but his experience the young man’s possession. The horse appears to have had turned him into a white-haired old man. been branded with the initials of the dead neighbour, In The Pit and the Pendulum a prisoner recounts his but nobody at the household can confirm that the horse experiences at the hands of the Spanish Inquisition. He belonged to the dead man. The young Metzengerstein is thrown into a dark cell and soon realises there is a deep becomes increasingly obsessed with the horse and begins pit in the middle of the room from which there would to spend all his time riding it, avoiding the company of be no escape. Having successfully avoided falling into the people. When a fire breaks out at his property, horse and pit, he awakes to find himself tied to the bed beneath an rider gallop into the flames. enormous swinging pendulum at the end of which there is Background and themes a sharp blade. As the blade slowly descends, coming ever- closer to his chest, he begins to give up hope of survival. Death and its physical signs: Some of Poe’s most But suddenly an idea occurs to him that brings him recurring themes can be found in the stories presented new hope and he manages to avoid being sliced by the here: death and its physical signs, the effects and nature of swinging knife by attracting rats to eat through his bonds. decomposition, concerns of premature burial, the coming All his efforts seem to have been to no avail however when back to life of the dead, and the process of mourning. the walls of the cell begin to close in on him, forcing him Poe’s stories are remarkable for their inventiveness, towards the deep pit in the middle of the room … their fine construction, their vivid descriptions and In The Stolen Letter the Paris police look for a letter that their psychological insight. Since their first publication, holds great power. They know who has taken the letter, Poe’s powerful stories have captured the imagination of but despite two thorough searches of the man’s home, generations of readers. Many of the stories have been they are unable to find it. And yet, the letter must be in made into films or television dramas or they have been the the man’s house. The police cannot find the letter because source of inspiration for countless adaptations. Poe’s fame they are unable to put themselves in the place of the nowadays rests more on his macabre tales of mystery and person who hid it. It turns out that the letter was right in horror than on his poetry or literary essays. But he did not front of their noses the whole time. It is ultimately found invent the horror story. by Monsieur Dupin, a very intelligent and wily Parisian Mystery, horror and violence: In Poe’s youth, one of the private detective, who presents the letter to the chief of most popular types of fiction was the gothic novel and his police in return for a handsome reward. stories owe a lot to the gothic style. These novels typically We find Monsieur Dupin at work again in The Murders in dealt with mystery, horror, violence and the supernatural the Rue Morgue. Two women have been savagely murdered and the stories often took place in dramatic, romantic in their home in an apparently motiveless attack. Although settings such as ruined castles. They were extremely the women had money in the house, nothing was stolen. popular at the end of the eighteenth century and the Witnesses didn’t see anything, but nearly all of them beginning of the nineteenth. Perhaps the most famous say they heard two voices – from inside the women’s example of the genre is Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818). apartment. One of the voices was that of a Frenchman, Fictional detective: In the gothic elements of his stories, but the witnesses all give a different account of the second Poe was tapping into an existing tradition. However he voice – one says it was a Russian voice, another thinks can be credited with creating the world’s first fictional it was an Italian voice, others say they heard English or detective in the figure of C Auguste Dupin. A number of German sounds … Dupin doubts that the voice was aspects of Dupin’s character (his methods of deduction, his human at all … slightly eccentric personality and his generally low opinion of the police force) have all served as a model for many if not most detective story writers ever since.
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Tales of Mystery and Imagination
The power of the imagination: One idea that obviously not they agree with this statement and why (or why interested Poe is the power of the imagination and how not). After a few minutes, ask individual students to it can possess or haunt a person. We see this theme read out their answers. Write the key points up on the board. Keep the discussion going for as long as the developed in a number of stories, particularly William students’ interest remains high enough. Wilson, The Fall of the House of Usher and Metzengerstein. Poe was also interested in analysing how a person (often The Gold-Bug a lonely figure) reacts in moments of extreme terror or Before reading 5 Discuss: Put the students into groups of three or four. despair facing death or torment. We see this in The Pit Each student thinks of a real or imaginary story of and the Pendulum, The Fall of the House of Usher and buried treasure. They write down a few details of the The Whirlpool. Poe examines the themes of revenge and story and then share the information with the other punishment in The Barrel of Amontillado, The Red Death members of their group. Then the students choose and Metzengerstein while in the detective stories his one of the stories and recount it to the rest of the class. underlying theme is the power of deductive reasoning to solve a seemingly insurmountable problem. After reading 6 Pair work: Ask the students to look at the coded Discussion activities message on page 21 and its translation on page 23. Make sure the students know the expression ‘to break Before reading a code’. Put the students into pairs and ask each pair 1 Discuss: Give students the following list of different to invent their own code using number and other types of fiction and ask them to put them in the order symbols. After ten or fifteen minutes, get each pair to of their own personal preference: write a short message using their code and to swap horror stories stories of the supernatural messages with another pair. The pairs now try to mystery stories detective stories break each other’s codes. When they have finished, stories of suspense call on one of the pairs to come to the front of the After a few minutes, put students into groups of class and explain how they managed to break the four or five to compare and discuss their preferences. code. Encourage them to give their reasons and to cite 7 Role play: Put the students in pairs. Tell them to examples of the types of stories they enjoy. imagine that Jupiter, the servant, has agreed to be interviewed by a popular newspaper. Ask the students William Wilson to think of the questions that the journalist would After reading want to ask him. You might need to prompt them by 2 Role play: Put the students into pairs. Tell each pair making a few suggestions such as How long have you to think of some questions that they would like to been working for Mr Legrand? Did he tell you what you ask William Wilson. After about ten minutes, get the were looking for? Were you scared when you climbed the students to form new pairs and to take it in turns to tree etc. After a few minutes, get the pairs to act out ask and answer each other’s questions. Finally, ask the interview. Invite one or two pairs to perform their some of the pairs to act out the conversation in front interview in front of the whole class. of the whole class. 8 Role play: Put the students into groups of four. 3 Discuss: Working individually, give the students ten Tell them to imagine that they are to appear on a minutes to make a list of all the positive and negative television programme in order to discuss the story qualities of William Wilson mentioned in the story. The Gold-Bug as someone wants to make it into a Then write the following questions on the board: film. Allocate the following roles: Student A is the Do you feel any sympathy for William Wilson? Why/Why television presenter and organiser of the debate – not? Working individually for another five minutes or he or she must keep order and remain impartial; so, the students note down their answers. Then put Student B is the president of the Edgar Allen Poe the students into groups of four or five and ask them fan club and thinks that the story is wonderful and to exchange their views on the following question: will make an excellent film; Student C thinks that Does William Wilson deserve our sympathy? Encourage the story is terrible and finds fault with everything; the students always to give reasons for their answers. Student D thinks the story is interesting but doesn’t Finally, call on the groups to present their views to the think it is realistic enough. Give the student ten rest of the class. minutes or so to prepare for their roles and then have 4 Debate: On page 1 we can read the narrator’s opinion each group discuss the story for at least a further ten that ‘Men usually grow evil by degrees.’ Working with minutes. It is Student A’s job to make sure each of the the whole class, ask the students to write whether or participants speaks for their fair share of the time.
c Pearson Education Limited 2008 Tales of Mystery and Imagination - Teacher’s notes of 5 PENGUIN READERS Teacher’s notes LEVEL 5 Teacher Support Programme
Tales of Mystery and Imagination
The Fall of the House of Usher fabrics used for the walls, the curtains, the furniture, Before reading the decorations, etc. Give the students fifteen minutes 9 Discuss: Ask the students to think of a place they to come up with their ideas and then ask each group have been in which they felt anxious or afraid. If to present their design to the rest of the class. Tell they can’t think of a place, ask them to think about them they should be prepared to say why they think a film they have seen. Give them a few minutes to the changes would make the classroom better. write down a few notes about the place and how it 14 Discuss: Write the following question on the board: made them feel. Then put the students into groups What would you have done if you were in Prince of three or four and tell them to tell each other about Prospero’s shoes? Working individually for five minutes, their experiences. Each group chooses the scariest the students write down their ideas. Then put the experience and one of them presents it to the rest of students into groups of four or five and have them the class. discuss the question together for a further ten minutes – they must decide whether they would have reacted After reading in the same way as Prospero or not. Finally, call upon 10 Pair work: On page 25, the narrator says ‘Although, each of the groups to explain their decision to the rest as boys, we had been the best of friends, I really knew of the class. little about Roderick Usher.’ Working individually, 15 Write: Working individually or in pairs, the students each student thinks of a friend they had when they imagine that they have received a letter from Prince were younger and that they haven’t seen for a long Prospero asking them to join him inside his castle. time (if they are too young to have such a friend, they They must decide whether or not to accept the should invent one). They write down a few details invitation and to write a letter in reply to the prince describing the friend and prepare to recount one or to explain their decision. two anecdotes about what they did together. After about ten minutes, put the students into pairs and tell The Barrel of Amontillado them to ask and answer questions about each other’s After reading friend. 16 Role play: Put students in pairs and have them act 11 Role play: When Roderick Usher tells him how he out the dialogue between Montresor and Fortunato feels that the house is a living creature, the narrator on pages 38–39. They should start at ‘My dear admits that ‘I did not know what answer to make Fortunato …’ and end at ‘… he cannot tell a Spanish to my friend.’ Working in pairs, tell the students to from an Italian wine.’ Ask two or three of the pairs to imagine they are in the narrator’s shoes – what would act out the dialogue in front of the whole class. they have said to Usher if he had said the same things 17 Discuss: Write the following question on the board: to them? Give them a few minutes to prepare and What did Fortunato do to Montresor to make him hate then get one student from each pair to change places him so much? With the students working individually, with a student from another pair. These new pairs give them five minutes or so to jot down their ideas. now imagine a conversation between Usher and the Then put them into groups of four and tell them to narrator. After ten minutes the pairs practise the exchange and compare their ideas. After a further ten conversation. Finally, call upon some of the pairs to minutes, invite each group to present their views to act out their dialogue in front of the whole class. the whole class. 12 Discuss: Ask the students to write down one or two 18 Pair work: Put the students in pairs and tell them sentences describing their opinion of the story – to imagine the conversation that takes place between Did you find the story interesting / boring / difficult / Montresor and Lady Fortunato later on the day of complicated / obvious / etc? Why? After five or ten the murder. Lady Fortunato is worried about her minutes, ask one of the students to read out one of husband as he has not returned home and she their sentences. Then ask another student to react to wonders if Montresor has any idea where he is. their opinion. Keep the debate going around the class Go around the class while they are preparing and for as long as the students are interested. give help on vocabulary if necessary. Once they have written the dialogue, the students practice it out loud The Red Death in pairs. Finally, ask some of the pairs to play out After reading their dialogue in front of the whole class. 13 Draw: The story makes much of the effect that light 19 Debate: Is it ever justifiable to seek revenge? Divide and colour can have on the atmosphere of a room. the class into two equally-sized groups. Tell them that Put the students into group of three and ask them to they are going to have a debate on the above question. think about how they might redesign the classroom Write the following statement on the board: This they are working in order to change the atmosphere house believes that it is never justifiable to seek (for the better). They should think of the colours and revenge. Regardless of their personal views, allocate to
c Pearson Education Limited 2008 Tales of Mystery and Imagination - Teacher’s notes of 5 PENGUIN READERS Teacher’s notes LEVEL 5 Teacher Support Programme
Tales of Mystery and Imagination
one half of the class the role of arguing in favour of 24 Role play: Write the following question on the board: the statement, and to the other half, allocate the role How do you think the policeman felt when Dupin gave of arguing against the statement. Give the groups him the letter? Working with the whole class, conduct enough time to prepare their arguments and to elect a short discussion around this question. Write up two spokespersons. Then proceed with the debate, some of the students’ suggestions. After five or ten with the two speakers in favour going first. At the end minutes, put the students in pairs. Student A takes of the debate have the class vote on the question. the role of the policeman, Student B takes the role of Dupin. Tell the students to imagine that the The Whirlpool policeman goes to visit Mr Dupin again some time After reading after the end of the story. He wants to tell Dupin 20 Draw: Tell the students to re-read the description on about how he felt when he gave him the letter and to pages 43 and 44 of the coastline of Lofoden and the ask him how he found it. In their pairs, the students two islands Put the students into pairs, and ask them write a dialogue and then practise it. Finally, invite to draw and label a simple map of the area, including some of the pairs to perform their dialogue in front the two islands. Call on volunteers to draw their map of the whole class. on the board and to present it orally to the rest of the 25 Discuss: Ask students what they think about the class. Ask the rest of the class if they agree that the character of Dupin. Put them in small groups. To map is a good representation of the scene. help them tell them to answer the following questions 21 Discuss: Ask the students to think about the scariest Is Dupin a good person or a bad person? What do you journey they have ever made. It might be, as in the think of the way he behaved towards the policeman? Do story, a journey made at sea, or it might be a journey you admire his cleverness? Do you think he is deceitful? by plane or on land. Give the student five of ten minutes to jot down a few details concerning the Metzengerstein journey and then put them in groups of four or five After reading and get them to tell each other their stories. Have 26 Discuss: Talk about opinions of the story. Have the each group decide which was the scariest journey and students jot down one or two sentences about their to recount it to the rest of the class. reaction to the story. Did they enjoy it? Why/Why not? After a few minutes, put the students in small groups The Pit and the Pendulum and have them share and justify their preferences. After reading 22 Role play: Put the students in pairs. Tell them to The Murders in the Rue Morgue imagine they are television journalists. They are going After reading to interview the prisoner after he escapes death at the 27 Debate: In the story, no one seems to blame the sailor end of the story. They can ask a maximum of eight for the behaviour of the orangutan. Divide the class questions. Tell the students to prepare a list of into two equally-sized groups. Tell them that they are questions they would like to ask. After a few minutes, going to have a debate on the issue of the keeping of get the students to act out the interview – with one dangerous animals. Write the following statement on member of each pair playing the journalist and the the board: This house believes that the owner of animal other playing the prisoner. Tell them to practice it that injures or kills a person should be prosecuted. a few times and then to switch roles. Finally ask Regardless of their personal views, allocate to one different pairs to perform their interview in front of half of the class the role of arguing in favour of the the whole class. proposition, and to the other half, allocate the role of arguing against the proposition. Give the groups The Stolen Letter enough time to prepare their arguments and to elect After reading two spokespersons. Then proceed with the debate, 23 Discuss: Write the following question on the board: with the two speakers in favour going first. At the end Have you ever looked everywhere for something only to of the debate have the class vote on the question. find it right under your nose? Give the students five minutes to jot down their answers. Then put the Vocabulary activities students in groups of four and have them recount For the Word List and vocabulary activities, go to their anecdotes to each other. Call for volunteers from www.penguinreaders.com. each group to tell their story to the whole class.
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