This 11th Grade Literature Class is a Survey Course. Students in this type of course are expected to read, note, and remember key characters, events and themes in each book. We will compare and contrast these with other books in our semester. The intention is to finish discussion of a book every 3 - 4 weeks. By the end of the semester students will be able to critically dissect, analyze and discuss characters, plots and events. 

Most of these books are heralded as classics. In this literature course – we will use the following criteria to decide if a book is a classic or not – 1) Can we relate to the characters, situations, places or plots today? 2) Can we connect with (and emphasize for) the main characters and 3) does the main character’s story arch inspire, excite or revive us? Each student will measure, decide and share at the end of each book if it is a classic or not.

Course books will be selected from the following list. The books change each semester)

Central Books (These are taught each semester)
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald – This novel was published in 1925. While Similar to John Knowles’ “A Separate Peace”, “The Great Gatsby” tells of the misadventures of Jay Gatsby in 1920s New York. 

Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglas by Fredrick Douglas – First in a series of Autobiographies by Frederick Douglas, “Narrative” gives an unapologetic view of slavery in early America. This autobiography is as relevant today as it was when it was first published.

The Chosen By Chaim Potok – In 7th Grade Lit, we reviewed the Holocaust through the eyes of characters in European Countries. With this book, we see how it was truly a global event by examining its impact on a Jewish Community in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith – is another World War II story set in Brooklyn. Whereas “The Chosen” focuses on the bond of friendship between the two characters, “Tree” focuses on one family’s perseverance in trying social, political, familial, and financial situations. It stresses the strength of both family and community. 

(Rotating Books)

Moby Dick by Herman Melville
Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway
Death of A Salesman by Arthur Miller
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Our Town by Thorton Wilder
The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane