Poe’s Character

Introduction

Edgar Allan Poe is considered by many literary scholars to be the master of the horror story. He created the first detective story, and his twisted, tormented characters create psychological thrillers that have haunted our imaginations for decades. In this webquest you will delve into the dark, mysterious world of Poe’s imagination by creating character analysis’ for five of his most famous characters.

Task

At the conclusion of this lesson, you and your partners will have created five physical, mental and psychological profiles (analysis’) of the following characters: Roderick Usher (The Fall of The House of Usher); Narrator (The Tell-Tale Heart); Narrator (The Raven); Montresor (The Cast of Amontillado); Narrator (The Pit and The Pendulum).

1. As a class, we will read the above stories. After reading each story we will discuss the aspects of direct and indirect characterization.

2. You will then work in groups of five, each choosing one character from the above list for a character analysis.

Process

1. As you begin to discuss ideas with your group, focus on these certain aspects: Who is the narrator of the story? How is the central character in each story characterized by Poe? What emotions and feelings does the character demonstrate? Discuss the setting, plot, central themes, and whether the story is a first or third person narrative. Specifically, discuss how Poe creates conflict in both the literature and the reader. Use the following links as resources:

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Allan_Poe
2. http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/poe.htm
3. http://www.poemuseum.org/selected_works/index.html
4. http://www.wtv-zone.com/Abiablus/Poe/poe.pg1.html

Evaluation- Your grade will be determined by how well you answer the 14 questions on the character analysis form (download PDF file from above link). The following writing rubric will be used to assess the written artifact:

Grading for Written Work:

D/F work has an inadequate thesis (sometimes just plot summary), and little development or support, or sometimes demonstrates no control of academic English (that is, repeatedly uses sentence fragments or comma splices, many spelling errors, etc.). It does not address the assignment’s requirements.

C work tends to have an obvious thesis, but is riddled with difficulties in organization, and doesn’t seem to be addressed to anybody in particular. The effort is also accompanied by problems with the mechanics of academic English. It repeats words from the assignment but shows limited understanding of the underlying concepts.

B work has a more perceptive thesis than “C” work, or more thorough development, or both; is clearly addressed to a particular audience; mechanics are under control. It demonstrates clear understanding of all terms of the assignment and responds to them.

A work has a suitably complex idea as a thesis, organization that guides the reader without drawing attention to itself, development that explores the thesis thoroughly, evidence to support development, a keen awareness of its audience, few divergences from academic English, and a fluid style. It only fulfills the formal requirements of the assignment but shapes these into an independent work. Occasionally it discusses the assumptions underlying an assignment or otherwise shows an awareness of the structuring principles of discussion.

100-95=  A

94-90=  A-

89-86=  B+

85-82=  B

81-79=  B-

78-76=  C+

75-73=  C

72-70=  C-

69-67=  D+

66-64=  D

63-60=  D-

 Teacher Resources:

http://www.cfv.org/guides/3236.pdf#search=%22Edgar%20Allan%20Poe%20characterization%22

http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=442