Course: American Literature

 

Who should take this course?

• Juniors and seniors, college-prep level.

Course focus/umbrella questions:

• How does language help us clarify human experience and contribute responsibly to our multifaceted society?

• How have language and ideas influenced the developing American literary and cultural heritage?

Non-negotiable assignments required of all students who take this course:

Students will write at least one literary analysis essay.

 

Required reading:

• The Crucible

• The Great Gatsby

American literature is designed for 11^th or 12^th grade students interested in exploring how language and ideas have influenced America’s literary and cultural heritage. Progressing chronologically, students will trace the factors that have contributed to our multifaceted literary history:

I. Native American (ex. The Way to Rainy Mountain)

II. Puritanism (ex. The Crucible)

III. Rationalism (ex. Franklin)

IV. Romanticism/Transcendentalism (ex. Poe, Emerson)

V. Realism and Naturalism (ex. Twain, Crane)

VI. Modernism (ex. The Great Gatsby)

 

What makes this course different from other companion courses?

This course examines how historical changes have influenced American literature and culture.

 

Work in the course includes reading, analyzing, and writing about challenging college-preparatory selections, including novels, plays, essays, non-fiction, short stories, and poetry.