New Literature for College-Bound Students: Fitzgerald's "This Side of Paradise"

This classic is the debut novel for F. Scott Fitzgerald, published in 1920, depicts a young man's coming of age, following the antagonist Amory Blaine from childhood through adulthood. The time period spans from the turn of the 20th century through his prep school years, college, WW I, and into the jazz age of the Roaring 20’s. Readers will experience Armory's transition from an egotistical young man to one who is forced to face the realities of the real world.

This novel is unique in that Fitzgerald blends different styles of writing: It is, at times, a fictional narrative, at times free verse, and at times a narrative drama, interspersed with letters and poems from Amory. The occasional switch from third person to second person gives the hint that the story is semi-autobiographical. 

All my classes are interactive where students are encouraged to ask questions, make observations, and share their opinions. Classes are largely discussion, some assignments in the form of worksheets to be completed as they read may be required. And, of course, reading--a lot of reading. This course is designed to be casual, with an open, free-flowing discussion to discover the meanings behind these great literary works. Most of all, this class will be fun--who says learning can't be fun??

In class, we will discuss the author's writing style, use of figurative language and the themes, symbolism, and motifs in each novel. Many classes will be cross-curricular where historical or political significance will be discussed. The "Spring/Summer Book Club"  is an excellent opportunity for your child to read several of the novels they should be exposed to in middle/high school, but sadly are often left out of today's classroom lesson plans because of time or money.

When available (for free), we will watch movie adaptations of the novels, so students may compare and contrast the two.

Studying this classic work of literature will help students:

-Increase their vocabulary;
-Understand and identify elements of a plot; 
-Identify themes; 
-Use of symbolism;
-How authors develop characters; 
-Using textual evidence to infer meaning;
-How figurative language and other literary devices are used to enhance the reading experience.

Each of the above will be discussed for each section of each book.

"This SIde of Paradise" class overview:

Lesson 1: An introduction of our author, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and his classic, This Side of Paradise, will be covered in lesson 1. This class will include reviewing the author's biography, his style of writing, a vocabulary list pertinent to the next assigned reading, a brief summary of the book's plot, addressing potential themes, and cross-curricular learning opportunities (English, history, and  government) for students to watch for as they read. 

Lesson 2: This lesson will cover Book 1, chapters 1-3.  Included will be the vocabulary and the exposition elements of the novel (characters, setting, historical context, inciting incident, identification of the protagonist, inciting incident, etc.) For each day's assigned reading, the class will discuss and identify any symbolism and literary devices used by the author.  

Lesson 3: This lesson will cover Book 1, chapter 4, the Interlude, and Book 2, chapters 1 and 2. We will address vocabulary, rising action, character development, and more. In addition to the topics above, themes of the novel will be discussed, including a post reading theme activity that will lead to class discussion. 

Lesson 4: This lesson covers Book 2, chapters 3, 4, and 5. We will address vocabulary, climax, falling action, resolution, character development, and wrap-up with analysis of story themes.

Lesson 5: This lesson will recap the novel including themes, symbolism, etc. 

Below are a few testimonials from parents and students who have taken Brin's literature classes:

"This is a great course! Mr. Brin is an amazing teacher and is super knowledgeable about this book! We have taken his Animal Farm course also and loved that as much as this! We would recommend this course to everyone who wants a deeper understanding of this book! This is a must-take course if you are learning about dystopian stories or just want to read this amazing book!"
--Outschool Student and Parent

"Thank you," Mr. Lewis!  My son loved this class!  I especially appreciated the weekly questions you sent out, as well as the list of literary terms.  We appreciate you helping our son dive into a great piece of literature and analyze its content.  Thank you!"
--Outschool Parent

"This class was amazing. The discussions were very fun, and I loved talking about my favorite parts of the book. The teacher explained everything amazingly, and the class was very organized. I would definitely recommend this class to anyone."
-Outschool Student

...for many more testimonials, please see my profile.

Thanks for reading this far into the description. I look forward to seeing your child in this class--let's develop your child's greatness--one word at a time.

Best,

Brin Lewis