Materials Needed

• Pen/Pencil and Notebook/Journal
• Access to brief excerpts (physical or digital) from:
  • Shakespeare (e.g., Hamlet - "To be or not to be...")
  • Charlotte Brontë (e.g., Jane Eyre - The red-room or Lowood sections)
  • Charles Dickens (e.g., David Copperfield - Murdstone's arrival or the factory scenes)
• Large sheet of paper or digital canvas for the "Architecture Map" project
• Markers/Colored Pencils (Optional)

Introduction: The Foundations of Identity (10 minutes)

Hook: The Real-Life Protagonist

Educator Prompt: Imagine you are writing a novel about your life right now. What are the two biggest obstacles—internal or external—that challenge your identity or goals? Is it a social rule, a family expectation, or something internal like doubt?

Literature often presents heroes who are fighting similar battles against their world. Today, we are going to look at three literary giants—Shakespeare, Brontë, and Dickens—and discover how their protagonists build their identities, often from the ground up, against immense pressure.

Learning Objectives (I Will Be Able To...):

• Identify and articulate the core internal and external conflicts driving protagonists in literature.
• Analyze how historical and social settings (the 'architecture' of the world) shape a character’s identity.
• Create a "Literary Architecture Map" that applies these concepts to a chosen literary figure.

Success Criteria

You will know you have succeeded when you can clearly explain the difference between Hamlet's internal conflict and David Copperfield's external conflict, and you can map these elements onto your final project.

Body: Building the Literary Self

Phase 1: I DO – Modeling Literary Architecture (15 minutes)

Concept Presentation: The Three Levels of Conflict

We are going to think of a literary character as a piece of architecture. Every character needs a foundation, walls, and a roof, and they are constantly exposed to external weather (social forces).

1. The Foundation (Internal Conflict): The character’s deepest thoughts, moral dilemmas, and self-doubt. (Example: Hamlet's indecision and contemplation of life/death.)
2. The Structure (Immediate External Conflict): Direct interpersonal conflict—the people trying to control or manipulate the protagonist. (Example: The Murdstones controlling David Copperfield.)
3. The Weather (Societal External Conflict): The rigid, unfair rules of the world, class systems, or gender expectations. (Example: Jane Eyre facing the limitations placed on working women in the Victorian era.)

Modeling: Shakespeare’s Foundation (Hamlet)

Educator Analysis: Shakespeare’s focus is often the Foundation. Hamlet is a tragic hero whose world is structurally fine, but his internal foundation is crumbling. His famous soliloquies ('To be or not to be') aren't about needing money or a better job; they are about philosophical paralysis. The 15-year-old Jaspen can relate to massive existential questions that feel impossible to solve. Hamlet shows us that identity is often built first in the mind.

Formative Check: Based on this, which of the three levels of conflict (Foundation, Structure, Weather) seems most pressing for Hamlet?

Phase 2: WE DO – Guided Analysis of Structure and Weather (25 minutes)

Activity: Identifying Brontë’s Walls and Dickens’ Weather

We will now look at excerpts from Brontë and Dickens to see how they prioritize Structure and Weather.

1. Brontë (Structure): Read an excerpt from Jane Eyre focusing on her life at Lowood or the red-room.
   • Discussion Prompt: How does Mrs. Reed or Mr. Brocklehurst attempt to control Jane’s identity? Does Jane internalize their negative judgment, or does she use it to strengthen her own inner structure?
   • Connection: Unlike Hamlet, Jane is constantly fighting people who tell her *who she is*. Her identity is forged by pushing back against rigid, controlling structures.
2. Dickens (Weather): Read an excerpt from David Copperfield focusing on his childhood labor or the poverty of his circumstances.
   • Discussion Prompt: David is often a victim of circumstances far larger than any single villain. How does the Victorian class system, the sheer poverty, and the lack of social safety nets act as ‘bad weather’ that constantly batters him? How does he find stability?
   • Connection: David's journey is about proving his moral worth despite being repeatedly thrown into the lowest rungs of society. His identity is built through resilience against the social "weather."

Transition:

We’ve seen that Shakespeare focuses on the internal Foundation, Brontë on the immediate Structure, and Dickens on the overwhelming Social Weather. Now, you will apply this model.

Phase 3: YOU DO – The Literary Architecture Map (35 minutes)

Assignment: Mapping the Identity Struggle

Jaspen will choose one character from the three studied (Hamlet, Jane Eyre, or David Copperfield) or a character of their choice (e.g., Heathcliff, Miss Havisham, or a modern fictional character) and create a visual map or written analysis of their identity architecture.

Instructions:

1. Draw a simple sketch of a building (or use the digital canvas).
2. Label the three zones clearly: Foundation, Structure, Weather.
3. Fill in each zone with specific evidence:
   • Foundation (Internal): What is the character’s primary fear, hope, or philosophical dilemma? Quote or paraphrase a thought or internal monologue.
   • Structure (Immediate External): Name the specific person or group who controls or restricts them. Describe one key interaction.
   • Weather (Societal External): Identify the specific social system (class, gender, monarchy, poverty) that puts pressure on them.
4. The Roof/Resolution: Summarize (in 2-3 sentences) what the character ultimately achieves regarding their identity.

Success Criteria Check-In:

Ensure that the evidence used in the map specifically differentiates between external people (Structure) and systemic issues (Weather).

Conclusion: Recap and Future Application (10 minutes)

Recap: The Core Takeaways

We established that great literature helps us understand the complex forces that shape who we are. Shakespeare provides the deep internal dive (the Foundation); Brontë provides the fight against immediate control (the Structure); and Dickens shows the grind against unfair society (the Weather). All three demonstrate that forging an identity is an active, often painful, building process.

Learner Reflection

Educator Prompt: Look back at your Literary Architecture Map. If you could give your character one tool to help them reinforce their weakest structural point, what would it be? (e.g., self-confidence, financial independence, political power?)

Summative Assessment: Exit Ticket (3-2-1)

On a piece of paper, write down:

• 3 characters or concepts that struggle with social 'Weather.'
• 2 ways Jane Eyre reinforced her 'Structure.'
• 1 definition (in your own words) of the literary 'Foundation.'

Adaptations and Differentiation

Scaffolding (For Struggling Learners or Time Constraints)

• Pre-Selection: Provide the character and pre-highlighted quotes for the Foundation, Structure, and Weather. The learner only needs to categorize and explain them, rather than searching for evidence.
• Simplified Map: Use a Venn Diagram instead of a complex architectural drawing, focusing only on Internal vs. External conflicts.

Extension (For Advanced Learners or Deeper Study)

• The Modern Architect: Instead of the classics, Jaspen must choose a protagonist from modern young adult fiction, film, or a historical figure (e.g., a modern social activist) and map their identity architecture using the same three categories.
• The Architect’s Voice: Write a short soliloquy (like Hamlet’s Foundation work) for David Copperfield or Jane Eyre, discussing one aspect of their Weather/Structure conflict. This blends the three literary styles.