Literature and Composition

Students in this course will deepen their understanding of how to read literature and how to write about literature as they encounter some of America's greatest authors. We will begin by learning how to read closely and interact with texts through the use of annotation. Then we will looking at the specific tools authors use to craft their stories: setting, characters, plot, conflict, literary devices, point of view, tone, allusions, among others. We will also discuss the different world views found in stories and how those compare to a Christian worldview. Students will use these skills to compose several literary essays throughout the year in addition to more frequent, shorter writing assignments.

This class will count for 1 credit in English.

Course Objectives

1. To understand and recognize the basic elements of a story.
2. To practice and develop the habit of the art of annotation as a means to have a dialog with story.
3. To understand what comprises and be able to write several literary essays.
4. To understand various worldviews and how they compare to the Christian worldview.
5. To be able to read closely and understand the layers of meaning within the selected texts.

Texts

• The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
  • My Antonia by Willa Cather
• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
• Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
• A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
• Various Short Stories by Hemmingway, O'Connor, Twain, Faulkner, Chopin, etc. provided by instructor