1. Show students the Romeo and Juliet illustration. Students will recognize that, had Romeo and Juliet had the ability to send text messages without their families knowing, the central conflict of the play would be quite different. Would they have averted the final outcome had Juliet simply texted her plans to Romeo? On the other hand, had they communicated more, perhaps they would have found they didn't have much in common and weren't such a perfect match after all.
2. Have the class informally vote to choose a familiar story or fairy tale, such as "Cinderella." Elicit the story's plot and jot the main points on the board as they talk. Then ask how each major event would be different if the characters had access to today's communications technology such as the Internet, cell phones, text messaging and so on. Also ask how the characters might think and act differently if they had today's technology.
3. For example, if Cinderella had had a cellphone, she could have called or texted the fairy godmother to say she'd be late because she was with the prince, asking to extend the spell past midnight. Or, if the characters had access to Facebook, the prince may have been able to find Cinderella online without counting on her trying on the glass slipper. And if Cinderella had Internet access, she may have found comfort and support in online friendships—she could have opted to spend the night of the ball writing or using Skype to talk to them instead of going to the ball.
4. Ask: As our lives become more and more "connected," do you think readers will be turned off by literature that has now-obsolete conflicts about communicating? What, if any, sorts of plot points might start to seem silly or quaint? How can today's writers keep stories interesting given all that technology makes possible? What will happen to classic story plot points involving people getting lost, out of touch or unaware of information anyone could find instantly online?
5. Tell students the article they will read today considers scenarios like this. As a class, read and discuss the article "If Only Literature Could Be a Cellphone-Free Zone", focusing on the following questions:
a. Why do many writers today have "a brewing antagonism for today's communication gadgets"?
b. How have some writers mentioned in Richtel's article gotten around the problem of having to make a current-day character incommunicado?
c. What literary works, films, or television shows would be ruined by characters having cellphones and Internet access?
d. What are some works whose use of technology is so well-done, crucial to the story, etc. that without it, the works would not succeed?
6. Explain to students that they will work in pairs to"update" a literary work (or film, if they wish) with the inclusion of today's technology.
7. Distribute copies of the handout "The Plot Thickens?" Tell students that in introducing technology elements from "the future" into a work that is set in the past, they will create a mash-up of the original genre and science fiction. In so doing, they will create a fictional world that has the potential to be quite different from the one the original author intended. Remind students that as in any plot, one event can lead to not just one, but a series of events that can change a character's life in small or drastic ways—a whole new story can result. Encourage them to go into the story as deeply as they can, and to look for as many alternate plot possibilities as they can.
8. For instance, with today's technology Victor Frankenstein could have videotaped himself bringing life to his creature, and in posting the footage on YouTube, he may have inspired would-be scientists to make multitudes of creatures—or the authorities would see the video, raid his laboratory, arrest him and take custody of the creature--leading both their lives, and possibly the world, to be quite different. And if his creature could have used sites such as Facebook and Twitter to find sympathetic friends and, in feeling accepted, he might not have had to spend his life roaming and hiding (and ultimately killing). How would "Frankenstein" turn out in this alternate universe? Have students share their ideas in a discussion at the end of class.
Homework Collected: The Plot Thickens
Homework Given: Earnest Test Tomorrow, Independent Reading: try to finish book by the last week of school and email Mrs. Tyler a response to the book, Term Paper 4 due on May 7th, no late papers after May 14th
Handouts given out: The Plot Thickens
To Read: Click here to read "If Only Literature Could Be a Cellphone-Free Zone"
