THE INVISIBLE MAN BY H.G. WELLS
Preface I: Essential Questions | Answer each of these in a paragraph or two. Focus on articulating your beliefs. Use specifics.
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To what extent is it true that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely?
To what extent is violence justified when dealing with others?
At what point and for what reasons should a group stop an individual from doing what he or she wants?
To what extent does pure evil exist? Does every evil character also contain some good?
How do those closest to us affect our decisions?
What does it mean to be truly alone? To what extent can we survive when isolated?
To what extent are human beings self-destructive?
Preface II: Introductory Narrative | Write a two-page (roughly 500 words) or longer narrative essay detailing what your main
character—you, a version of you, or an invented protagonist—did while invisible.
Directions | Start by defining any bolded terms below. Keep these definitions in a separate document.
Choose a first-person or third-person omniscient point of view.
Choose one of the lines below (under “Opening Lines”) as your first sentence.
Decide on a protagonist (a persona, a character, or yourself), an antagonist (of any kind), and a conflict.
Decide on other elements of narrative writing as necessary: setting, mood, symbolism, and so on.
Decide on a theme of your choosing. Look at your answers to the essential questions for guidance.
Finally, write a narrative about what your main character did when granted the powers of invisibility. Use the story
to explore the theme you settled on. Follow the requirements below.
Complete the metacognition assignment outlined below (under “Metacognition Assignment”).
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Requirements | Continue to define bolded terms first. Keep these definitions in a separate document.
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While you are invisible, you are not intangible. You remain corporeal.
Your story takes place in the present, but you can choose any setting you wish.
Type your narrative in Google Drive and share it with your teachers.
Make your narrative at least 500 words. You can check your word count in Google Drive.
Opening Lines | Choose one of the following.
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“When I woke up that day, I found myself invisible.”
“When she/he* woke up that day, she/he* found herself/himself* invisible.”
“I had been invisible at that point for a month.”
“She/he* had been invisible at that point for a month.”
*Choose one pronoun.
Metacognition Assignment | Continue to define bolded terms first. Keep these definitions in a separate document.
Complete the following in a separate Google Drive document after you finish your narrative:
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Explicate the theme of your narrative by referring to specific characters, events, and so on.
Explicate the central conflict of your narrative by referring to specific characters, events, and so on.
Preface III: Expository Background | Continue to define bolded terms first. Keep these definitions in a separate document.
Work in your groups or alone to find the following information. Do not simply copy and paste from whatever websites you
use; instead, paraphrase the information. Keep track of your websites, and for each response, include why you believe this
source to be valid and credible.
Ultimately, this is not about memorizing information, but about how you found the information, and how you know it is
accurate. You will eventually discuss this information, either by writing about it or through an adversarial circle.
Remember to include why each of your answers and each of your sources is valid and credible.
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What was the zeitgeist of the Victorian Era?
Who wrote The Invisible Man during the Victorian Era, and when was it first published?
What patterns are there in contemporary reviews of The Invisible Man? What do these reviews suggest?
What films and novels have been influenced by The Invisible Man?
What student resources — e.g., SparkNotes, eNotes — exist for The Invisible Man? Which seem most useful?