Objectives: Students will be able to make personal connections to the protagonist Jay Jackson, an outsider in American culture by “translating a line or scene” from the play into a style of their own choice, e.g. a poem, a personal essay, an editorial, a visual ,a poster or a song, etc.
Do Now: Reflect on the play and select a scene or line that resonates with you the most. Briefly explain why.
Procedures
Teaching Points
- What is “translation”? What’s the process like?
- Your translation should contain the essential content element of the original source.
- You will want to choose a source type that your audience is relatively familiar with so that when they read your translation, they recognize and appreciate the transformation.
- You will also want to select a source with a fair degree of stylistic difference from the style that you want to translate into, e.g. you may not want to write a monologue or a scene in this case since The Royale is a play after all.
- Your understanding of style will significantly impact the quality of your translation. Style isn’t only about your vocabulary and sentence structure; it also involves ideological ( beliefs, values and assumptions) and epistemological ( source and application knowledge) elements.
- Your own creative work of “ translation” should demonstrate the following-
- Need to do more that convert words, phrases associated with one style into words and phrases associated with another
- Reflect the values, understanding, conventions; expectations and knowledge of the style you use reshape the content (theme) of the play.
- Review a couple of sample “translation” work.
- Write a reflection on why you decide to choose this particular style to “translate” the meaning of the play or make connection with the central character.
Student Independent Practice
Students will work in small groups of three and do the following activities-
- Share their “highlighted moments” in the play and jot them don on a poster paper ( to be displayed in class).
- Recollect scenes or specific lines by any of the character in the play and explain to each other the significance of the scene or the words.
- Discuss in why ways Jay Jackson is an outsider not only in ( mainstream) American culture at the turn of the 20th century but also his own African American culture of that time. How does he cope with the alienation?
- In what way do you feel that Jay Jackson represents you to certain extent? Why?
- Help each other recollect the scene or lines from the play as accurately as possible and discuss in what style you will “translate” the scene to demonstrate your connection with the character.
Reflection: How do you feel the play can be timeless in a sense of personal struggle against alienation and personal identity?
Homework: and translate a scene or line from The Royale. Select an appropriate style that you believe best reflects and represents your understanding of the play of main character, Jay Johnson.