Overarching Questions: 1. How have the importance of language and rules for speaking developed and changed over time? 2. What historical influences of the Victorian period can be found within the selected texts? 3. How do selected modern texts connect to ones from the Victorian era? 4. How can selected texts be viewed from different lenses of criticism (historical, cultural, feminist, etc.)? Pre-Assessment Text 1 Text 2 Text 3 Text 4 Text 5 Victorian Intro Unit Presentations (Nonfiction Research Assignment) The Myth of Pygmalion from Metamorphoses (Ovid) and Bulfinch s Mythology The Lady of Shallot, Alfred, Lord Tennyson Pygmalion, George Bernard Shaw Mating and Personality Types, David Markley What Twitter Says to Linguists, Katy Steinmetz What are specific topics that reflect the Victorian Era? Reflect the ability to utilize appropriate, credible sources to convey information on the group s specific topic. Explain the irony in Pygmalion creating a female statue. Compare/contrast Ovid s reasons for creating the statue and her appearance versus Bulfinch s Give textual evidence from the poem that shows the Lady s isolation (and why is she wearing white???). What is the Lady yearning for? What Describe the tensions that are already present at the beginning of the play between Mother (later Mrs. Eynsford Hill), the Daughter (later Clara), and the son, Freddy. Summarize key passages for meaning. Identify the thesis and main examples that support it. Summarize key passages for meaning. Identify the thesis and main examples that support it. Comparing
What are specific facets of these topics that contribute to the understanding of the Era (i.e., specific laws regarding fashion, marriage, etc.) Consider how texts from this time period will reflect these topics in different ways. Compare how Aphrodite grants Pygmalion the wife in this version versus Bulfinch s. Language: Summarize Pygmalion s prayer to Aphrodite (especially note his careful attitude with semantics Who is more responsible for the statue awakening? Pygmalion or Aphrodite? Explain. What rights does the statue (who later becomes real) have? Because he is her creator, is Pygmalion s love for the statue self-love, or is it real does she want? Give cited textual evidence to support your answer What is/are the pattern/s found within the poem s writing (there may be several)? What was the Lady of Shalott s sole purpose? How would one analyze the purpose through a feminist lens? Look at the two paintings of the Lady of Shallot in your book; which one do you think is Summarize how the Eynsford Hills (Mrs. Eynsford Hill, Clara, and Freddy) interpret Eliza s new talk at an impromptu meeting with Mrs. Higgins during one of her athome days. What does this show us about Henry Higgins and his philosophy about language? What coincidences in the first act seem likely to structure the rest of the play? Shaw offers stage descriptions and Provide examples of how the meaning of this text is reflected within society. Comparing Texts: Explain how this text relates to Pygmalion by providing specific passages and examples for both texts. Evaluate whether the writer is persuasive in his argument. Texts: Explain how this text relates to Pygmalion by providing specific passages and examples for both texts. Evaluate whether the writer is persuasive in her argument.
Ovid s story has been told numerous times throughout society. There have been several examples of a creator whose creation has unforeseen consequences/implications. Compare this myth s plot to a movie, piece of literature, song, or a television show. a more accurate depiction of her? Why? Give cited textual evidence to support your answer. Explain how Lancelot s reaction towards the Lady of Shalott washing up on the shore reflects the attitude of men during the setting/time period of the poem directions and includes explanation about Henry Higgins' personality. Why characterize the personality when, in most plays, we get a sense of personality from the events and dialogue? In the Preface, Shaw explained that good art is always didactic (in fact, he said it should never be anything else). What is the lesson that he was imposing upon us in Pygmalion?. Is Eliza the only character to undergo a
transformation? Consider her father and Henry Higgins, himself. Whose transformation is the most significant? Why? Use textual evidence from the play to support your answer. Shaw titled his play Pygmalion: A Romance in Five Acts. Do you think that Pygmalion is a romance? Shaw claims in the Preface that this play is a didactic piece about phonetics and language, but the critics argue that it is a satire with a socialist message about class structure. Consider
the characteristics of satires, comedies, and romances, and offer specific textual evidence from the play to support your answer. Craft an argument for one of these interpretations. Vocabulary: See vocabulary lists.
Culminating Assessment: Socratic Seminar utilizing all texts and research presentation information.