Mrs. Dalloway Lesson Plan

Doubling Debate

Kind of Activity:

Group Work

Objective:

Students will present and defend arguments based on a close reading of the text and practice debate rhetoric.

Common Core Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.1, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.3

Structure:

Introduce the idea of Septimus as a dark double of Mrs. Dalloway, and the critical notion that the might represent two sides of Woolf's own personality, given her Bipolar II diagnosis. How much credence does this really have? What evidence is there that Clarissa has anything at all in common with Septimus. After all, she is a politician's wife and he is a madman in dire straits. Nevertheless, an argument can be made...