The goals of the AP English Literature class are to read, discuss, analyze, evaluate and write about significant works of nonfiction and literature from various periods and genres, not only from the assigned texts but also from contemporary newspapers and periodicals in order to deepen our understanding of the ways writers use language to provide both meaning and pleasure to their readers. We will experiment with various writing styles in order to grow as writers who are adept not only at critical analysis but also skilled at writing personal essays. In addition, we will be attentive to language and the various techniques and strategies authors use to evoke response from readers. In addition to preparing for the Advanced Placement English Literature exam, the larger goal of AP English is to instill a love of and respect for language as well as a sense of the transformational quality of great literature.
The reading list: 1984 by George Orwell, Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, Hamlet by William Shakespeare.
Textbook(s): Literature (short stories, poetry, plays) Robert Diyanni, essays, poems and stories from The New Yorker, American Poetry Review, etc.
Prerequisites: English 11 Honors, or recommendation from English 11 instructor
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