This outline is intended as an aid to individual study and as a tool for assisting the development of teaching materials including especially the arts, whether for the development of children's literature focusing on a certain period or episode of the early history of the Faith, for large-scale youth and adult productions in film or on stage, as a basis for inspiration in the visual, graphical, and musical arts, or as an aide in personal recollection of the events for inspiration and teaching. "Feel impelled appeal entire body American believers to henceforth regard Nabíl's soul-stirring Narrative as...source of inspiration in all literary and artistic pursuits..." (Shoghi Effendi, cablegram dated June 21, 1932,Messages to America 1932-1946, p. 1) though this is not to be taken exactly literally: "Certainly, the Guardian cannot have intended, when he commended Nabil's Narrative to the friends as a source of inspiration, that there were not other sources by which their imagination could be stimulated." (email on behalf of the Universal House of Justice, dated 10 February 1998)
The outline is based on the Table of Contents contained in the Dawnbreakers . The page number is included next to the heading for ease of reference to the original. It is assumed that the reader will not rely on the outline as a primary source of information, but rather as a tool for gaining the gist of a chapter or section before delving into further study. The summaries of the outline at the end of each chapter are intended as an even more cursory overview of the events that transpired; these are for use not only in individual study, but also could be used as a tool in developing large scale productions which require a survey of all that might occur in the play or film (in a relatively quick glance - though God Passes By summarizes much of this, a separate summary/summaries was thought important since God Passes By does not always include the details of action and dialogue. This may thus be of interest when telling its stories (by whatever medium)).
One useful technique of study is to memorize the structure of the outline and then fill in the details with what one recalls from the reading, perhaps giving a talk on what they have read at Feast (as is encouraged for Bahá'ís to give; note: youth are particularly encouraged to give speeches) or some other Bahá'í meeting or just rehearsing the sequence to oneself. 'Abdu'l-Bahá encourages the holding of special weekly meetings called "spiritual meetings" (now called training institutes) for instructing youth in, among other things, the early history of the Faith (see compilation Bahá'í Meetings the Nineteen Day Feast and The Importance of Deepening our Knowledge and Understanding of the Faith for more on these "spiritual meetings"). Shoghi Effendi names study outlines as a tool that may be used in connection with study through centers of Bahá'í learning. Whether as part of a local spiritual meeting or as a regional training course, such outlines can be of use.
For some of the longer chapters, I have included multiple outlines-of differing detail. The most detailed outline can be of use in referring to events mentioned in the Table of Contents but not necessarily sufficient to conjure up all its details (e.g., "Account related by Siyyid Husayn-i-Yazdí") whereas the briefer summaries will probably be of greater use for memorizing or planning a general sequence of events.
In the case of referents, it should be clear by the context who is intended: by the use of capital letters for references to the Báb, Bahá'u'lláh, or other Prophets, by the mention of a name in the preceding heading, or by a continued reference to a particular individual.
For the references to God Passes By listed in the Other Summaries of this Chapter sections, one might wish to add these references to the paragraph in question in the Dawn-Breakers (and God Passes By).
Further works/additions
Summaries of multiple chapters (e.g., 5 and/or 10 chapters) and a whole book summary (including authentic summaries given by 'Abdu'l-Bahá from Promulgation of Universal Peace, etc.) could be added in the future to meet different study or artistic purposes. The present shortfall of this work, in its insufficiently condensed summaries in the later chapters and less fleshed out summaries in the earlier chapters, would also ideally be resolved in the future. Some editing may also need to be done to the present work to ensure it is more accurate in summarizing the text contents where shortcomings exist.
An added/corrected index for the text would be most useful. An improved index of the characters would also be useful for helping actors/actresses to understand their roles.
Viewing history also from a strict time sequence, from a location (historical atlas for a site, person, the Cause), etc., can help anchor the events in one's memory, as well as can items found relevant for teaching and deepening (e.g., demonstration of virtues by a character's behavior in certain events).
As such, these chronology/categorizations could also be useful in such a study.