Introductory explanation about the author: Bram Stocker

Abraham Stoker (Bram) stoker was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1847. Stoker was no a

healthy child and so had plenty time to read and develop a taste for literature. As

university student at Trinity College, Dublin, however, he became a champion athlete.

Later, he joined his father in the Irish civil service and worked as a drama critic for the

Dublin Mail. Stoker met his idol, the famous actor Sir Henry Irving, in in 1876 and

from then on devoted himself to managing Irvings career. In 1878, he married Florence

Balvombe, a former girlfriend of the author Oscar Wilde.

Stoker published several books: Mystery of the Sea (1902), Personal Remembrances of

Henry Irving (1906) and Famous Imposters (1910). His first book, Dracula, published in

1897, was by far his most successful and remains popular to this day. It is based on

Eastern European myth and superstition. It was written in the form of a Gothic horror

romance and is strongly reminiscent of an eighteenth-century comic book. Bram Stoker

died in 1912.

Historical Background

Vampires:

These creatures are part of the folk tradition in many countries. In Eastern Europe,

where most of the tales originated, vampires were believed to be the victims of other

vampires, doomed to sleep in their coffins by day and to drink the blood of the living by

night. Garlic, holy water, the cross, Host and the light of day could all be used against

them. It was believed that vampires had the ability to turn into animals, as well as into

fog and smoke. People thought that they had superhuman strength, hearing and sight,

and that they were able to control their victims and read their minds. TO kill a vampire,
it was necessary to drive a stake through its heart, cut off its head and fill its mouth with

Garlic to prevent it from being restored by other vampires. It was also believed that the

vampire died if exposed to sunlight.

Count Dracula:

The character is based on the historical figure, Vlad the Impalater, a prince of Walchia

who fought against the Turks on the borders of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the

1400s. His father had been granted the title Dracula, Son of the Dragon, for his

services in defending the boarders of the realm. Vlad and his brother were sent to turkey

as hostages when they were boys, and it is speculated that the cruelty Vlad encountered

there may have unhinged his mind. After he came to power, Vlad became known for his

ruthless towards the enemy Turks and his own people. It is said that he handled the

problems of poverty in his domain by inviting the poor to a feast in his fortress and then

ordering his archers to shoot them.

Bats:

While bats are often thought of as frightening creatures, most bats are harmless to

people and perform a valuable service by consuming huge amounts of insects. Bats are

the only mammals that can fly. Many live in caves, usually in large groups of thousands

or even millions. Others, live in churches, trees or barns. Wherever they live, they sleep

during the day, hanging upside down by their toes and only come out at night. One type

of bat, the vampire bat, bites the skin of a sleeping animals with its sharp teeth and feeds

on its blood.

BEFORE READING ACTIVITIES. DEBATE

Exercise 1

In pairs, students ask and answer the following questions.

-Where is Romania? What do you associate with the region of Transylvania?

-Do you believe in Vampires? Why? Why not?

-Have you read any books or stories about vampires? Have you seen any films -about

vampires? Why do you think Dracula is so fascinating in the society?

-What are the similarities between and bats?

-Have you ever visited a castle? Describe what it was like.

-What are some of the superstitions you know about? What do people do or not do

because of them?

-Do you keep a diary? Why?

Exercise 2. Vocabulary

1-Relate the following key vocabulary on the theme of vampires:

Evil eye, coffin, vampire, wolves, Host, garlic, sunlight, blood, churchyard, chapel, bat,

cemetery.

2-Think of different words and expressions that can be related in the vampires themes.

BEFORE READING ACTIVITIES

Answer the following questions about the book.

1.Look at the picture on the front cover of the reader. Why do you think that one of the

character is wearing a cross?

2. Look at the picture on page 10. Can you imagine what kind of story refers to? Is it a

frightening or a humorous story? Does it appear to be a sad or happy story? Describe

why you think the picture is sad, happy, frightening, humorous, etc.

3. Read the first paragraphs of the chapter on page 11, which describes Count Dracula.

What kind of character do you think he is? What do you think his role will be in the

story?
ACTIVITIES ABOUT CHAPTERS 1-5

1.Use the adjectives and nouns to make word pairs. You can use a word more than once,

and there is more than one correct answer.

BOOK: DOCTOR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE

LIST OF MAIN CHARACTERS

Dr Jekyll: a scientist.

Mr Enfield: Mr Uttersons friend.

Mr Hyde: an evil, violent man.

Dr Lanyon: a friend of Mr Utterson and Dr Jekyll.

Mr Utterson: a middle-aged London lawyer.

Poole: DrJekyllsbutler.

PLOT SUMMARY

Every Sunday, Mr Utterson and Mr Enfield go for a walk together. One day, they pass

the door of an old building and Enfield tells Utterson about a strange man called

Edward Hyde, who sometimes comes to the building. Hyde once cruelly hurt a little girl

and her family demanded money from him. Hyde gave themcash and a cheque in

somebody elses name. Utterson recognises the name, Hyde, and thinks he knows the

man whose name was on the cheque. He is worried. At home, Uttersonre-reads the will

of one of his clients, Dr Henry Jekyll. The will states that if Jekyll dies or disappears,

his money and possessions will go to Edward Hyde. Utterson is curious about Hyde and

goes to his house to meet him. He dislikes Hyde and feels he is evil. Utterson then goes

to Jekylls house around the corner. Jekylls laboratory and the back door of Hydes

house open onto the same courtyard. Jekylls butler, Poole, tells Utterson that Hyde has
got a key to Jekylls laboratory and often goes there with Jekylls permission.Utterson

suspects that Hyde is blackmailing Jekyll. Jekyll denies this, saying he is in control and

can get rid of Hyde at any time.

Almost a year later, a maid witnesses Hyde murdering an old gentleman and calls the

police. The police find a letter to Utterson in the gentlemans pocket. They give the

letter to Utterson, who identifies thevictim. Utterson takes the police to Hydes house. In

Hydes rooms, they find a partly burned chequebookand the murder weapon. The police

start to search for Hyde.

Utterson thinks Jekyll is hiding Hyde, but Jekyll says hes no longer in contact with

him. Jekyll shows Utterson a letter from Hyde saying that he will not return, which

Utterson shows to his clerk, who is a handwriting expert. A note from Jekyll arrives for

Utterson. Strangely, the handwriting on the letter and the note is identical. Shortly after

this, Jekyll becomes ill and refuses to see anyone, staying in his laboratory most of the

time. Lanyon is also very ill. Utterson visits him and tells him that Jekyll is ill, but

Lanyon is distracted. Lanyon dies, leaving Utterson a letter, to be opened only after

Jekylls death or disappearance.

One day, Utterson and Enfield enter the courtyard behind Jekylls house and see Jekyll

at the laboratory window. They talk to him, but Jekyll suddenly looks terrified and

abruptly closes the window. Soon after this, Poole asks Utterson to come to Jekylls

house because he fears something has happened to Jekyll. His voice has changed and he

refuses to open the door. He is desperate for a certain chemical and sends Poole to buy it

many times, but then throws away every batch Poole brings, claiming it isnt pure.

Poole says the man inside the laboratory wears a mask and is much shorter than Jekyll.

Poole suspects it is Hyde.

Utterson goes to the laboratory and demands to be allowed in. The man inside refuses

and Uttersonrecognises Hydes voice. While Utterson and Poole break the door down,

Hyde drinks a chemical and commits suicide. When Utterson and Poole enter the room,

they find Hydes dead body, dressed in clothes which dont fit him. Certain that Hyde

has killed Jekyll, the two men look for Jekylls body. They find a new will and a note to

Utterson, in Jekylls handwriting, written that day. The note instructs Utterson to read

Lanyons letter first and his letter afterwards. Utterson goes home to read both letters.

Lanyons letter describes a frightening meeting he had with Hyde, who then turned into

Jekyll. This meeting affected Lanyons health and led to his death.

Jekylls letter describes the chemical experiments he did to divide his body into the

good Dr Jekyll and the bad Mr Hyde. After Hyde committed murder, Jekyll knew the

experiments couldnt continue and he stopped taking the potion. But a few weeks later,

Jekyll turned into Hyde, without taking any potion. This happened several times. Each

time, he took the potion to become Jekyll again. But there was only a little potion left.

He tried to buy new chemicals but they didnt work, as one ingredient was missing.

Jekyll knew that the next time he became Hyde, he wouldnt be able to turn himself

back into Jekyll. As he didnt want to live as Hyde, he chose to end his life instead.

Introductory explanation about the autor: Robert Louis Stevenson

Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. He was a very

sickly child. At first,he studied engineering but as he was not physically strong enough

for that profession, he decided to study law instead. By the time he finished his studies,

he had already decided to become a writer. Stevenson had a chronic bronchial condition

and spent much of his life looking for a suitable climate to live in.
Stevenson loved the bohemian life, the sea, the outdoors and adventure. He also loved

to read literature and history, especially Scottish history. These interests provided much

of the background for his novels.

In 1876, Stevenson went to France, where he met an American woman, Mrs Fanny van

de Grift Osbourne, who was studying art in Paris and separated from her husband.

Fanny returned to the United States and after she got a divorce, Stevenson followed her

to California, where they married. Treasure Island, Stevensonsfirst full-length novel,

was published in 1883. In 1886, two more novels were published: Kidnapped and

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, a horror story that delves into the presence

of good and evil that is found in every person. The Master of Ballantraeand Catriona,

the sequel to Kidnapped, were published in the next ten years.

Stevensons romantic novels were a reaction against the realism that influenced the

literature of the late 1800s. He was optimistic and his plots were melodramatic. His

characters, especially the pirates and soldiers, were theatrical. Stevenson felt that novels

provided adventure for people who led unexciting lives.

In 1888, Stevenson and his family settled in Apia, Samoa. He got to know the islanders

very well and some of his poetry is based on Samoan legends. He was very popular with

the islanders, who called him Tusitala, teller of tales. He died in Samoa of a brain

haemorrhage in 1894 and was buried on the top of a mountain overlooking Apia

harbour. The inscription on his gravestone comes from one of his own poems, Requiem,

and reads:

Here he lies where he longed to be;

Home is the sailor, home from the sea,

And the hunter, home from the hill.

Historical Background

Scotland Yard is the headquarters of the London Metropolitan Police force in

England. However, ithas now become synonymous with the Criminal Investigation

Department, or the CID, which handles criminal investigations. Scotland Yard is famous

all over the world for its ability to solve the most puzzling crimes. Other police

departments in the United Kingdom turn to Scotland Yard for help with difficult cases.

Scotland Yard is supposed to have got its name from the fact that the building once

belonged to the Kings of Scotland. When they or their ambassadors were in London,

they stayed there.

They called it Scotland, so the courtyard was called Scotland Yard.

The 19th century was a time of great interest and progress in science and technology.

Chemists began to study chemicals and microorganisms and their effect on the body.

One of the most important discoveries in medicine was by the French chemist, Louis

Pasteur (1822-1895). Pasteur proved that one species of microorganism can kill another.

This research led to the later invention of antibiotics. The developments in the 19th

century changed the way the world worked and brought it into the modern technological

age.

DIALOGIC ACTIVITIES BEFORE READING

Students have to answer the questions in pairs or in small groups. Then, they will

discuss together their impressions.

1. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is a horror story. What kinds of things do you expect to find

in a horror story?

2. Some people have different, conflicting sides to their personality. In what ways can

this conflict appear?

3. What instruments do you need to do a scientific experiment? What happens when you

mix different chemicals?

4. In the story, the butler has worked for his employer for 20 years. What do you think

their relationship islike after such a long time? (They know each other well; they trust

and respect each other; they worryand care about each other; they feel responsible for

one another.)

5. What should you do if you see or suspect a crime? (call the police; tell the criminals

you know they are doing something illegal; nothing because its too dangerous)

BEFORE READING ACTIVITIES. DEBATE

1. Look at the picture on the front cover. What do you think is happening?

2. Look at the picture on page 9. When and where do you think the story takes place?

What are the people doing? Describe the man in the front of the picture. What can you

guess about him?

3. Read the last four lines of Chapter 1 on page 10. What do you learn about the

character called Hyde?

4. Read lines 4-7 on page 17. What do you learn about Dr Jekylls relationships with Mr

Hyde and Mr Utterson?

5. Look at the picture on page 21. What do you think happened in the room?

6. Read the letter on page 24. What do you think the writer means by saying a way to

escape?

ACTIVITIES CHAPTERS 1-5

DIALOGIC ACTIVITIES AFTER READING

After, the Reading of the whole book students have to answer in small groups the

following questions:
1. Why do you think Dr Jekyll wanted to divide himself into two different people?

2. What was the conflict between Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde?

3. Do you think that Mr Hyde can be blamed for his bad behaviour? Explain your

answer.

4. Imagine that you are Mr Utterson. What would you do after reading Dr Lanyons and

Dr Jekylls letters?

5. After Carews murder, Dr Jekyll tells Utterson, I learned a lesson, a terrible lesson!

What was the lesson?

6. Do you think Poole was correct or incorrect to turn to Mr Utterson instead of to the

police? Givereasonsforyouranswer.

GROUP WORK ACTIVITIES

1. In small groups, work together to design a WANTED poster for Mr Hyde. Draw a

picture of him. Writea few words on your poster, in English, describing him and his

crime. Offer a reward for his capture.

2. Work with a partner. Discuss Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Make a list of their similarities

and differences. Then compare your list with another pair of students.

3. Work in groups of three. Each of you must choose a character in the story, but dont

tell your group who youve chosen. The group must guess who your character is by

taking turns asking questions. You may only answer Yes or No. When you have finished,

decide which of the characters was the hardest to guess.

4. Work in groups of five or six students and act out the scene after Mr Hyde hurt the

little girl in the street.

5. Work with a partner and act out one of the following scenes: a) Hydes midnight visit

to Dr Lanyon; b) Uttersons subsequent visit to Dr Lanyon; c) Pooles visit to Mr

Utterson.
6. Mr Hyde is looking for a new housekeeper. Write an advert for a newspaper. Include

all the relevant information you can think of, e.g. the working conditions and the

characteristics that will be important to him.

7. Work with a partner. Act out the conversation that Utterson has with a policeman

from Scotland Yard after he notifies them of Carews death.

8. Imagine you are Dr Jekyll. Write the entry in your diary to describe how you felt the

last time that Poole brought you the wrong chemicals.

9. a. Write two short notes. Try to change your handwriting in each. Then compare the

shape, size and slant of each letter in each note. Which letters are the same in both

notes? Which are different? Was it easy to change your handwriting?

b. Now use an encyclopedia or search the Internet to find out information about

handwriting and graphology. Write a paragraph and read it to the class.

The dialogic learning process differs from the way of evaluation of the current
educative system. It is opposed to the fact that the educative goals and proceedings are
decided without taking into account the necessities of the people involved. In the great
number of cases these type of decisions are taken by a minority group such as
politicians, without taking into account Vygotsky, L.S. (1978).