The Pimpernel is one of literature’s great heroes, and students will enjoy the way he outwits his pursuers. As a pre-reading exercise, have students list fictional heroes they admire, and, in small groups, discuss what qualities make these heroes admirable or enjoyable. Make a list on the board of the qualities each group comes up with, and then discuss the merits of these various traits; tell students to watch out for these qualities in the book. As they read each chapter, have them jot down adjectives that describe the Pimpernel; you can compare these to the pre-reading list the class generated.
“The Scarlet Pimpernel” provides a perfect way to introduce dramatic irony, wherein the readers are aware of truths that the characters do not know. Your students will learn that Sir Percy is really the Pimpernel long before his wife finds out; discuss the ways in which this situation increases suspense and affects their opinions of Lady Percy. Compare the Pimpernel to other heroes who use secret identities, such as Zorro, Batman and Spider-Man. How is dramatic irony used in their stories? Students may be interested to learn that the Pimpernel’s unusual name comes from the red flower with which he signs his notes.
Although written in the early 20th century, “The Scarlet Pimpernel” is set in 1792, during the bloody aftermath of the French Revolution known as the Reign of Terror. Depending on students’ grade level, you can help orient them to this historical context in various ways, perhaps working together with a history teacher to create joint lessons or showing movies or documentaries on the era. Advanced students can be assigned pre-reading research questions to illuminate the context, such as “What were the goals of the leaders of the Reign of Terror?” or “What was the impact of the Reign of Terror on the working and peasant classes?”
One particularly accessible way to introduce the context is through paintings of the revolutionary period, many of which are available online. Literary editors Jeanne M. McGlinn and James E. McGlinn suggest such examples as “The Oath of the Tennis-Court,” by Jacques-Louis David; “Study for the 10th of August 1792,” by Francois-Pascal-Simon, Baron Gerard; and “The Siege of the Bastille,” by Briffault de la Charprais and Mme. Esclapart. Have students draw their own pictures to illustrate scenes from the book, or, conversely, have them write stories to accompany the period pictures they study.