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Objective

Objective: Dashiell Hammett was one of the forerunners of hardboiled detective fiction. The aim of this lesson is to learn about Hammett as a writer and person.

1) With the students brainstorm what they already know about Dashiel Hammett. What influence has he had on popular culture? What other books has he written? Do his books tend to be similar in their styles and themes? Divide the students into pairs and ask them to research Hammett's life and write a short biography. End the lesson by comparing the students' work.

2) With the students brainstorm what they know about Hammett's other novels. What are the about the books about? What themes do they cover? Divide the students into pairs and assign them each a book to research. Ask them to look at the story, the characters and themes. On their return, discuss if the books share similar themes and...

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