- A chronological survey of American literature from the Puritan Age to the 21st century. Consideration will be given to the transition of cultural thought from one literary period to the next. Texts studied include the classic works The Scarlet Letter and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as well as more modern or contemporary pieces such as The Great Gatsby and The House on Mango Street. In conjunction with analysis, this course emphasizes a varied approach to the appreciation and understanding of literature.
- This course serves as an introduction to all genres from classic to modern literature. Various artistic forms will be studied including epic poetry, the novel and short stories. Emphasis will be placed upon fundamental written analysis and literary interpretation.
- Teacher: Erica Cantley
This course focuses on developing an increased compassion for the human condition via storytelling and writing. Course material includes myths, legends and Bible stories, modern short stories, classical fairy tales, To Kill a Mockingbird, multiple Shakespearean works and A Raisin in the Sun. A grammar review, as well as multiple essay-writing workshops, are designed to enhance the students’ writing ability. Students give frequent oral presentations, write essays, critical analyses, original stories and reading responses, as well as entries in their own journals. They will also complete one research project.
- Teacher: Douglas Reuter
Young men need to be stirred intellectually and morally. This course aims to do both. Aside from surveying a handful of critical approaches to literature, this course examines what it means to be a good citizen, a good husband, and a good father. As for the texts, in the case of good books, it’s not how many you get through, but rather how many get through to you. The written works for this course are: Elements of Style (Strunk and White), Beowulf (Burton Rafel, Translation), Ordinary People (Judith Guest), The Things They Carried (Tim O’Brien), Bright Lights, Big City (Jay McInerney), Life of Pi (Yann Martel), One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Ken Kesey), Hamlet (William Shakespeare), and How Green Was My Valley (Richard Llewellyn).
Senior English provides an opportunity for boys to acquire knowledge of a literary nature. The course then asks the boys to take their knowledge and apply it to their own lives—for applied knowledge is intelligence. But the course doesn’t stop there. Senior English ultimately looks to help young men to develop wisdom by aligning their intelligence with charity. No small thing.
This course deals with literature from the 1800's to the modern day and how the moral dilemmas encountered everyday are the same as they were 200 years ago. The course will examine the role of authors as the moral compass for their society. In the classroom, group activity and discussion will be common.
- We are on a journey. We will venture into unknown lands; I am your guide. I point the way and lead you, but it is up to you to DISCOVER what is in this new land.
The purpose of this journey is to provide a proving ground in which you may improve your English-oriented skills including, reading comprehension, literary analysis, grammar, composition, and verbal expression. Through our examination of short stories, novels, plays, and multimedia projects we will hold the mirror up to your everyday life.
