We have read two accounts of the dramatic last night of Dr.
Jekyll’s life, those of Mr. Utterson and Mary Reilly. Now, we get to hear from
Mr. Poole, Jekyll’s staid, stiff butler. Your job is to write Mr. Poole’s
account of the event. To do this, follow these steps:
1.
Re-read the sections in both books that describe the night Mr.
Poole and Mr. Utterson break into Dr. Jekyll’s cabinet.
As
you read, keep a sheet of notes in which you:
(1)
plot the sequence of events, and
(2)
write down Mr. Poole’s actions, words, expressions, reactions, etc.
The
night in question can be found on:
§ pages
38 – 47 of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and
§ pages
246 – 249 of Mary Reilly
2.
Review your notes and create a rough outline for your story.
As this is an adaptation of a very popular piece of literature, it’s important
that you get all the details right. In your outline, be sure to include what
Mr. Poole says and when: you’ll need to include his actual dialogue in your own
story.
3.
Write a rough draft of your story. Keep your notes on Mr.
Poole in front of you as you write to help you stay true to his character. Your
story should be written from Mr. Poole’s first-person perspective and should
provide insight into both his character and the event itself.
4.
Let at least one day pass before you begin revising.
5.
Revise your story. Look for grammatical errors and awkward
sentences, but also think about the degree to which you have managed to write a
convincing Mr. Poole.
6.
Bring all components of the assignment (final draft, rough draft, outline, and notes) to class on Thursday, 4/26 or Saturday, 4/28, and be prepared to share your story with the group.
Formatting:
This assignment must adhere to standard MLA guidelines. This
means:
§ Typed
§ Times
New Roman, size 12
§ 1”
margins on all sides
§ Double-spaced
§ Title
centered on the first page
§ Your
name, my name (Ms. Schulz), class (9/10 Book Club), and date in upper left hand
corner
§ Your
last name along with the page number on each page
§ STAPLED!
For help with formatting, refer to the formatting handout.
