Joseph Conrad's Secret Agent

Joseph Conrad’s A Secret Agent

Grade Level: 5-12, college

Subject: Language Arts

Film: A Secret Agent

MPAA Rating: R for some moments of violence.

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from the soundtrack for A Secret Agent

Author: Cynthia Kirkeby

Affiliation: ClassBrain, Inc.

Date: 28 November 2003

Duration: 1 - 2 Class Periods

Summary:
This movie brings to life Joseph Conrad’s story of Verloc the anarchist, and those his life touched tragically along the way. Winnie and her brother Steve pay the highest price, but Verloc’s need to prove his worth as a spy sets off a chain of events that changes many lives along the way.
Topic

Discussion Questions?:
Did Winnie do a good thing when she married a man she didn’t love to protect her brother?
What would you do to protect a family member?
How do you view anarchism? Is it a necessity of politics or the rantings of madmen?
Who are the anarchists of today’s political world?
Are there any significant differences between the film and the book?

Projects
Project 1: Create a collage from news magazines that explores one of the themes of the film/book:
a. Anarchism
b. Political unrest
c. Tragic consequences of terrorism
d. Manipulation of young people in terrorism (DC Sniper for instance)
e. Alienation

Project 2: Contrast and compare the movie and the story.

Learning Links

A Secret Agent - Movie Facts
Learn the details of the cast and crew involved in this presentation of Joseph Conrad’s A Secret Agent.
Source: IMDb

A Secret Agent - The Trailer
Watch the trailer of this Joseph Conrad classic.
Source: Video Dectective

A Secret Agent - Movie Facts
Learn the details of the cast and crew involved in this presentation of Joseph Conrad’s A Secret Agent.
Source: IMDb

The Joseph Conrad Society - UK
This group looks to provide a resource for scholars interested in Joseph Conrad and his works.
Source: Joseph Conrad Society

Conrad Web Sites
This web site lists a number of e-texts, and related web sites. It also contains a nice timeline of Joseph Conrad’s life.
Source: matsuoka@lang.nagoya-u.ac.jp