Senior AP English
2013-2014
Course Overview: This course is a rigorous, college-level class in which great literature will be read,
interpreted and analyzed through writing and discussion. The reading is challenging and the writing
constant, requiring an independent, engaged mind. We will undertake compelling themes that reflect the
human condition: ambition, the search for truth, politics and the individual, conformity and rebellion,
love, the American Dream.
A main focus throughout the course is the analysis of writers’ styles and language itself as well as various
literary forms, which will in turn develop independent thought. Students will develop their own writing
styles throughout the course producing papers that will be judged on language, structure, organization,
clarity of intent and argument. A main goal is to learn to become clear communicators who can handle
spontaneous written assignments and write elegant, purposeful college application essays.
Concurrent with these goals, students will prepare for the AP English test taken at the end of the year.
They will complete multiple-choice portions of previous AP exams. Students will also write timed, inclass analytical essays based on former AP exams.
Course Philosophy: Frequent discussions and sharing of ideas will foster a community of learners in
which each student will have a voice. As they initiate and lead discussions, students will develop
rhetorical skills. By listening and questioning, sharing their insight and appreciation of the literary
aesthetic they will become empowered thinkers and seekers of knowledge. Through collaborative
projects, shared observations and written work they will join the collective community of literary
enthusiasts, hopefully something that will continue to flourish beyond high school.
Course Objectives:
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To explore a variety of traditional and contemporary methods of literary analysis
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To develop accurate, perceptive reading through close study of texts
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To enhance writing skills through frequent, challenging assignments
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To further develop individual voice and writing style
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To develop independent thought through avid critical inquiry
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To generate thoughtful, analytical discourse during class discussions
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To create a highly committed, focused and collaborative community of learners
Literature: Since the class emphasis is on literary analysis, the goal is to cover many styles and genres.
Students will make connections between a variety of characters across world cultures. The process of
analysis will stimulate discussion, shape perspectives and lead them on to asking and answering the big
questions of life. Students need to read every assignment with care and on time. This will require
planning and time management as well as a commitment to sharing your thoughts about the reading.
Summer Reading:
The Awakening by Kate Chopin
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Night by Elie Wiesel
Novels: (listed alphabetically by author)
Persuasion by Jane Austen
The Stranger by Albert Camus
Farewell My Lovely by Ramond Chandler
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald
The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
Huck Finn by Mark Twain
Drama
Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
Macbeth by William Shakespeare
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams
Selected Poetry - Classical and contemporary using copied handouts, course text and The Making of a
Poem, Mark Strand and Eavan Boland, W.W. Norton & Co., NY, 2000
Text: --Literature & Composition, Jago, Shea, Scanlon and Aufses. Bedford/St. Martin’s Press, Boston,
2011
Literary Criticism - excerpts from a variety of sources including The New Yorker and the essays of
Harold Bloom
“Literature is a toil and a snare, a curse that bites deep.”
-- D.H. Lawrence
As the preeminent literary critic Harold Bloom states: “What we now call “relevance” will be in the
dustbins in less than a generation, as our society reforms prejudices and inequities. Time, which decays
and then destroys us, is even more merciless in obliterating weak novels, poems, dramas, and stories,
however virtuous these may be. Wander into a library and regard the masterpieces of thirty years ago: a
handful of forgotten books have value, but the iniquity of oblivion has rendered most bestsellers instances
of time’s revenges.”
Considering what Bloom talks about here, I would like my students to understand the difference between
pulp fiction or bestsellers and lasting literature and to also discern what makes a masterpiece a
masterpiece and why some “confections” are no less credible. At the heart of reading is entertainment,
whether you’re reading Beowulf or Agatha Christie. As we dissect works by theme, construction,
character development, etc. I urge students to recognize the value of entertainment, how it compels us to
read and why certain books stand the test of time.
Writing is an extremely important component of this English class as it supports the ongoing reading.
Students will keep a writing folder of their informal free writing as well as structured essays and creative
writing assignments. Among the written work to expect are: analytical essays, including college
application essay, reader response journals, double-entry notebooks, reviews, timed in-class practice AP
essays. The majority of grades are based on written work.
Critical Essays: Students will write several short critical papers, explicating poetry and drama. These
critical essays are based on close textual analysis of structure, style (figurative language, imagery,
symbolism, tone) and social/historical values.
Creative writing assignments will measure the students’ knowledge and application of structures and
styles of literature we read including: diction, syntax, figurative language, symbolism and tone.
Annotating: Students will complete reader responses frequently as a way of seriously engaging the
reading before class and sharing insights. This is mostly reflective in content, recording your reaction to
the writing as well as asking questions for discussion.
Kindles – students will be using three sources for their required reading: the AP Textbook; loaned library
books and Kindles. Unless you own your own Kindles, the devices will be provided through the school
and students will be required to register their account on Amazon.com. The Amazon Kindles is a
convenient, portable reading device, about the size of a paperback and can hold up to 3500 books as well
as a wealth of related functions that enhance reading. Student use is a privilege and patrons must show
extra caution and responsibility. A signed contract will vouchsafe the responsible use of these devices.
Quizzes and Exams: As stated, much of the grading will be based on written work. However occasional
quizzes and tests will be given to assess students’ understanding and application of the reading
Oral Presentations: - Another facet to understanding what we read comes from vocalizing our own
reactions to the works. Students are expected to come to class ready to participate in the discussion. They
will work collaboratively as they debate points in order to make an accurate appraisal of the work.
Through active discussion and observation students will improve the organization and delivery of verbal
communication.
Skills Attainment and Assessment
Literary Analysis Skills:
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Explain how dialogue and dialect contribute to narrative purpose
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Analyze how point of view contributes to the reader response
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Identify types of characterization
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Identify multiple conflicts and how they intersect to form a cohesive plot
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Identify rhyme scheme and explain how it contributes to the poem as a whole
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Identify rhythmic patterns and explain how it contributes to the poem
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Identify figurative language and explain how it contributes to the poem (metaphor, simile,
personification, hyperbole) and prose.
Composition Skills
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Understand and employ revision strategies
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Understand and employ stylistic devices
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Edit and critique peer writing
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Listen to the critiques of peers
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Identify differences in sentence structures
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Use varied sentence structure in writing to a create a unique voice
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Use poetic devices effectively in prose writing
Writing Skills
-Understand and employ elements of the personal narrative
-Analyze characters using an understanding of characterization and textual support in the form of direct
quotes and paraphrasing
Grading
The concentration of content in this course is the study of artistic use of language of increasing
complexity. Evaluation of student progress will include but will not be limited to in-class and out-of-class
writing assignments, participation in class discussion and projects, and tests.
AP English is a rigorous course, and the highest standards will be applied for assessing student
performance. Students will be evaluated on their depth and consistency of outside preparation, in-class
participation and performance, the quality of collaboration in completing group activities, and the quality
of independent and group activities.
Students are expected to gain new skills and apply them throughout the year to show growth and
progress. Intensive reading and extensive revision often aid the growing process.
Assignments and Deadlines
Assignments are balanced over the academic and shop cycles with deadlines spread out.
All work is to be printed beforehand and submitted by deadline. Do not email work. Any late work will
be lowered one half grade per day.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the use of words, ideas, or opinions of someone else without specific acknowledgment of
their source. It is the attempt – whether intentional or not-- to pass off borrowed work as one’s own. All
printed or oral sources of information must be indentified and failure to do so constitutes plagiarism. It is
your responsibility to know what plagiarism is and to scrupulously avoid any suspicion of it in every
piece of written work you produce. See GNBVT policy on Academic Integrity in Student Handbook.
Expectations
It is expected that all students will return on the first day of school with summer reading assignments in
hand. The literary works selected for this course represent a wide array of writing styles, time periods, and
topics. It should be noted that this course is patterned after a college course, and students are expected to
handle sophisticated material with maturity and grace. Many are considered “classics” in the Western
Literary Canon and will hopefully spur students on to be lifelong readers.
Communication
Keep the lines of communication open and be sure to contact me with questions or concerns. You may
see me before or after school or during the day by appointment. My email is lmclean@gnbvt.edu
Term 1: Identity and Culture
“No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself, and another to the multitude,
without finally getting bewildered as to which may be the true.”
---Nathanial Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter
Novel:
Great Expectations (kindle)
Heart of Darkness (AP text)
Drama:
Macbeth (kindle)
Poetry:
Poetry List Q-1
Supplemental Reading from text, reviewing the elements of fiction such as articulating themes; symbols
as part of the setting; and various narrative techniques.
Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri (AP text)
Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? By Joyce Carol Oates (AP text)
In addition to our close study of these works students will:
 Write personal essay for College Admission/Scholarship Application
 Update goals essay and resume for school portfolio
 Practice AP multiple-choice tests & writing prompts
 Review Literary Terms
Term 2: Conformity & Alienation
“Of man’s first disobedience, and the fruit
Of that forbidden tree whose mortal taste
Brought death into the world, and all our woe.”
--John Milton, Paradise Lost
Novels:
Crime and Punishment (kindle)
The Stranger (library)
Supplemental Short Fiction:
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka(text)
A&P by John Updike (text)
Poetry:
“The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Eliot(text)
“The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge (library)
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AP Exam Prep continued.
Through writing assignments and class discussions, students will be able to show that they can
draw parallels and distinctions between the protagonists and antagonists.
Term 3: Love and The American Dream
“Ethos is the daimon, your character is your fate,
and everything that happens to you starts by being you.”
--Harold Bloom
Whether it’s a two room flat in New Orleans’ French Quarter ,the raucous parties of Jazz-age, the
bullfights of Pamplona Spain in the 1920s, or the solitude of a man’s home and memories, things aren’t
always what they seem to be. Scratch the surface and you’ll discover a sinister side. Through various
narratives, we view corruptions of the American dream. How much can we blame on fate, on individual
actions?
Novels:
The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway (library)
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (library)
Drama:
Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller (library)
Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams (library)
Poetry:
Poetry List Q-3
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Paper assignment: Using one or more of the tragic heroes from these main titles, discuss their
downfall and how it represents a corruption of the American Dream as conveyed by the author.
Continue AP Exam preparation
Term 4: Society and the Individual
“Humor is the great thing, the saving thing. The minute it crops up, all our irritations and
resentments slip away and a sunny spirit takes their place.”
“The secret source of humor itself is not joy but sorrow.”
-----Mark Twain
What’s more important: Living for society or yourself? When are lies and deceit hurtful? When are they
acceptable? Does civilization corrupt or improve human beings?
Novels:
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (kindle)
Persuasion by Jane Austen (kindle)
Farewell My Lovely by Raymond Chandler (library)
Drama:
The Importance of Being Earnest (text)
Supplemental Fiction from text
Poetry:Selections from Text and Teacher’s collections
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Paper assignment: Focusing on at least two of the selected works, discuss how the authors’ use of
satire communicate tone and theme. In your discussion you must use direct examples from the
text to support your assertions.
AP Exam - final preparation