Using the production to prepare for the English Literature exam Here are some tasks which will encourage students to think about the language, structure, and themes of the novel in comparison to the stage text – this will help with studying or revising the novel for the GCSE English Literature exam.
1. Interpretations of Utterson
3. Creating a Gothic atmosphere
Ask students to use the novel and make a mindmap of how they interpret Utterson in the novel, backing this up with quotes from the text.
Ask students to look back at chapter one and find evidence of how Stevenson creates a Gothic atmosphere. For example, they could look at this extract from chapter one:
Then ask students to consider the stage adaptation, and think about how Utterson was interpreted on stage – was this similar or different? Throughout act 1, Utterson becomes visibly more dishevelled, his hair becomes looser, his body language becomes less restrained – what does this show about how the character is changing? 2. Characterisation of Enfield Ask students to consider how Enfield is presented on stage – and how he responds to Dr Stevenson (calling her Miss instead of Dr). Even though Dr Stevenson is not in the novel, how does this connect to his character in the novel? How does Enfield act around different characters? How does Enfield react when questioned about why he was in the street at 3am? How does this link to the themes of the novel?
22 Using the production to prepare for the English Literature exam
Two doors from one corner, on the left hand going east, the line was broken by the entry of a court; and just at that point, a certain sinister block of building thrust forward its gable onto the street. It was two storeys high; showed no window, nothing but a door on the lower storey and a blind forehead of discoloured wall on the upper; and bore every feature, the marks of a prolonged and sordid negligence. The door, which was equipped with neither bell nor knocker, was blistered and distained. How does this description of the door create a sinister mood? Students should consider the use of language, and how this links to the duality in the novel. Then ask students to consider how the Gothic atmosphere was created on stage – how were lighting and sound used to do this?
