Historical Trials Reimagined: From Fact to Fiction
Explore how real-life American trials, tragedies, and disasters have inspired works of fiction, delving into the creative transformation of historical events into captivating narratives that resonate with audiences. From the Salem Witch Trials to the Civil War era and modern tragedies like 9/11, witness the power of storytelling in reshaping reality through a lens of imagination.
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Topics What will you research to find an element of history/reality to adapt into a fictive piece of fiction or drama? You are encouraged to choose an event or person in which you are highly interested. If you aren t even sure where to begin, consider one of the suggestions on the following slides.
Examples We Know From this course, or other English classes, where have you seen the thread of truth fictively re-imagined into a play or novel or short story?
Tragedy/Disaster Examples of nonfiction to fiction: Sinking of the Titanic into love story of the movie Titanic or The Unsinkable Molly Brown (musical) Columbine shootings inspired Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult Civil War events into Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell Chicago Fire: Oct 8-9, 1871 Great Fire of London: 1666 Black Death: 1348 Cholera Outbreak in US June-December 1832 Flu Pandemic 1918 Chernobyl: April 25-26, 1986 Hurricane Katrina Newtown, CT shooting, December 2012 Boston Marathon Massacre, April 2013 Recent airplane incidents Polio Outbreak in US-1950s Hindenburg Disaster: May 6, 1937 Spaceship Columbia Disaster: Feb. 16, 2003 Challenger Explosion: January 28, 1986 Ferguson/Michael Brown Shooting, Fall 2014 Colorado movie shooting, July 2011 9/11 Hurricane Sandy, 2012
American Trials Examples of nonfiction into fiction: Salem Witch Trials into The Crucible by Arthur Miller Scopes Monkey Trial/McCarthyism into Inherit the Wind by Jerome Lawrence and Robert Edwin Lee Lizzie Borden (1893): Lizzie disliked her stepmother and subsequently resented her father for marrying the woman. When both turned up axed to death, Lizzie was put on trial for their gruesome murders. John Hinckley, Jr. (1982): He attempted an assassination of President Reagan. The Catcher in the Rye was found among his things (bad influence?) and he had been stalking actress Jodie Foster (was he trying to impress her?). Timothy McVeigh (1997): He was put on trial for the bombing of a federal building in Oklahoma in 1995. It was the worst act of terrorism ever committed by a US citizen. Brown vs. Board of Education (1954): Case ruled against segregation in schools. Rosenberg Trial (1953): Immigrants Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were accused of passing atomic secrets to Russia during the McCarthy Era. They were found guilty and electrocuted. Triangle Shirtwaist Fire and Trial (1911): a fire started in a factory that employed many young women. Doors were locked and there were no fire escapes. Lives were lost and the building owners were put on trial Black Sox Trial (1921): Deals with the fixing of the 1919 World Series Scopes Monkey Trial (1925): Tennessee teacher taught evolution alongside Creationism and was put on trial Hauptman (Lindbergh) Trial (1935): Charles Lindbergh s child was kidnapped and killed. Hauptman was accused/found guilty, but defended his innocence. APD Trial (Rodney King beating) (1992): Police in LA pulled over speeding Rodney King, whom they had trouble subduing. Questions arose over use of force (was it too much) and racial issues (police were white, King was black) prompted riots over perceived unfair treatment
Ghost Stories Examples of nonfiction into fiction: Stanley Hotel inspired Stephen King s The Shining Hull House inspired Rosemary s Baby by Ira Levin Banshees (local to Ireland) Resurrection Mary (local to Chicago) NJ Devil Chupacabra Marie Laveau in St. Louis Cemetery #1 in New Orleans
Haunted Places Eastern State Penitentiary Alcatraz Tower of London Oprah Winfrey s Harpo Studios building in Chicago Jane Addams Hull House (Chicago) Lincoln Theater (local to Decatur, IL) Gettysburg, PA Waverly Hills Sanitorium, Louisville, KY Winchester Mystery House, California (partial inspiration for King s Rose Red) Gravity Hill, PA Dark Hollow Road, PA Fonthill Mansion, PA
Interesting People King Tut Cleopatra Stephen Colbert Bono Michael Jordan Michael Phelps The Obamas Vladimir Putin Steven Spielberg John Lennon Van Gogh daVinci DB Cooper Marie Antoinette Bonnie and Clyde Coco Chanel Anastasia Queen Elizabeth (I and II) Dr. Suess (Theodore Geisel) Houdini Einstein Sir Edmund Hillary J.K. Rowling Walt Disney Steve Jobs Mark Zuckerberg
People - Politics Donald & Melania Trump President Prince William British Royalty Princess Catherine British Royalty (Pippa Middleton too!) Gabrielle Giffords Congresswoman Chris Christie Governor of NJ (Bridgegate) Hillary Clinton Former Secretary of State Bernie Sanders-Senator, presidential candidate Sean Spicer-current White House press secretary
People Entertainment Alec Baldwin-Actor Amy Poehler Actor Tim Burton-Film director Oprah Winfrey Television Pioneer John Lasseter Filmmaker (Pixar) Ryan Murphy TV Writer (Glee, The New Normal, American Horror Story) Bruno Mars Musician and Artist Sting Musician and humanitarian Mark Wahlberg Actor and Producer
People Entertainment Viola Davis Actor Rihanna Performer Kristen Wiig Actor Chelsea Handler Comedian Adele Singer Stephen Colbert Actor/Talk Show Host/Comedian
People Athletes Colin Kaepernick Shaun White Venus and Serena Williams Michael Jordan Kobe Bryant Tom Brady Women s US Ice Hockey team (recently threatened a strike over wage gap) Ibtihaj Muhammad (1st Muslim-American woman to win an Olympic medal for fencing in 2016)
People Innovators Reed Hastings Netflix CEO Sarah Burton Creative Director/Alexander McQueen Warren Buffett Businessman/Philanthropist Walt Disney-Animator Elon Musk-commercial space travel Samuel Alderson-crash test dummy Thomas Edison-lightbulb, film innovation Ruth Wakefield-chocolate chips/cookie recipe
