Brief Biography of Bram Stoker
One of seven children, Bram Stoker was born to upper-middle-class Irish Protestant parents in the middle of the nineteenth century; he suffered a grave illness at age seven, which caused him to turn to reading and probably prompted his interest in literature. As a young man, Stoker attended Trinity College, Dublin, and studied mathematics. He then embarked on a career in the theater, moving to London and working for the Lyceum, befriending such intellectuals as Oscar Wilde, and working as the Lyceum's stage and business manager for over a decade. Stoker later took a job at the London paper The Daily Telegraph, working as a literary reporter and critic. He began writing Dracula, his only successful novel, during this period of employment; it went on to become a sensation on its publication in 1897. Stoker wrote other novels and short stories before his death, of stroke, in 1912, but none approached the popular acclaim of Dracula. The novel has become a part of the Western popular imagination, drawn as it was from Victorian ideas of morality and reinterpretations of Central European myths about "wampyrs," or vampires. Ben Florman and Justin Kestler, LitCharts Editors. "LitChart on Dracula." LitCharts.com. 22 Feb 2016. Web. |
Module OneJohn William Polidori, born 7 September 1795 and died 24 August 1821, was an English writer and physician of Italian descent. He is known for his associations with the Romantic movement and credited by some as the creator of the vampire genre of fantasy fiction . His most successful work was the 1819 short story, The Vampyre , the first vampire story in English. Although originally and erroneously accredited to Lord Byron , both Byron and Polidori affirmed that the story is Polidori's.
Baldini, Cajsa C. "John William Polidori | The Vampyre." John William Polidori | The Vampyre. ASu.edu, 25 Oct. 2011. Web. 22 Feb. 2016. Assignment: Read Polidori's work "The Vampyre". It is located in the link below. Be prepared to use the work in discussion. The actual story goes from p. 14-31. |
Module TwoThe project for Dracula is film based. You have options as to what type of film you can produce. The final project is due 3/31/16. The following are your options:
1. Movie Trailer-The trailer must encapsulate the novel as a whole. At least five major scenes from the novel must be identifiable. You must use voice over and/or character dialogue in your production. 2. Film Short- Recreate at least three major scenes from the novel. Dialogue must be included and scenes should easily be identifiable. The short can be animated. The film can also contain modernized elements or be a parody. 3. "Between Two Ferns"- Create an episode in which the interviewer has a character from the novel as a guest. Use pieces of the text to question the character. 4. Music Video-Find a song that thematically embodies the novel. The actions during the music video should mirror elements to the novel and fit the vocals of the song. 5. Mockumentary-Create a mockumentary based on the lives of some of the major characters in the novel: Jonathan, Mina, Van Helsing, Dracula, etc. Question the characters about their lives and follow them during a normal daily routine. |
Module ThreeLinks to student projects.
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