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Lesson 1 (from Chapter 1-2)

Objective

Chapters 1-2.

Gaudy Night, a detective novel written by Dorothy Sayers, is about a female detective fiction writer. This lesson discusses the author of Gaudy Night and her connection with her main character Harriet Vane.

Lesson

1) Class discussion: Dorothy Sayers was a writer of detective fiction and was also one of the first women to graduate from Oxford University. Who is the main character of Gaudy Night, what is her occupation, and from where did she graduate? Are these similarities more than coincidental? Do you think Gaudy Night is somewhat autobiographical?

2) Group discussion: In a group, discuss the following questions in light of the first two chapters in Gaudy Night. Is it inevitable for an author to insert some aspect of him or herself into the characters? Does Dorothy Sayers do this? Considering what you know about the characters and setting so far, what are some...

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