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English Courses
The
readings of the freshman year investigate four basic genres: short
story, drama, novel and poetry. The sophomore year focuses primarily on
American literature, and the junior year adopts a thematic approach.
Students read a play by Shakespeare in each of the first three years.
In their senior year students choose among a wide variety of elective
courses or opt for the Advanced Placement Seminar.
Believing that students profit from learning to read insightfully
and from writing clear, logical and persuasive prose, the department
teaches writing throughout its curriculum. To accustom students to
expressing themselves in writing and to teach proper usage and diction,
the freshman year emphasizes informal descriptions and narratives.
Throughout the sophomore year expository writing and analytical essays,
usually based on the reading material, gradually assume greater
importance. In their junior year students further develop their
expository writing, devoting much of the fall term to writing
analytical and personal essays in preparation for senior electives,
which require substantial reading and regular literary analysis.
- English I
English 1010 develops a student’s ability to read perceptively and to write accurately and effectively. Organized around genres, this course allows students to study short stories, dramas, novels and poetry. Writing progresses from the construction of single paragraphs to multi-paragraph compositions, developing students’ skills in crafting both interpretive essays and personal narratives. Throughout the year the course emphasizes vocabulary, grammar and punctuation. Representative readings include Homer, The Odyssey; a Shakespearean play; poetry; short stories; classic and contemporary fiction. Read more
- English II
The literature studied in this course covers a wide range, primarily of American authors. The writing instruction encourages students to work toward establishing and developing a clear, carefully focused thesis and toward achieving greater maturity in style. This course reviews the skills taught in English 1010 and continues the emphasis on vocabulary, grammar and punctuation. Representative readings include Shakespeare, Macbeth; Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter; Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath; Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God; poetry; and short stories. Read more
- English III
As they read more complex texts, juniors review, develop and extend the skills taught in the first two years. Students work on close reading, considering a variety of literary techniques and themes. Writing assignments include both literary analysis and personal essays. Representative readings include Shakespeare, Hamlet; Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby; Paton, Cry the Beloved Country; Sophocles, Oedipus Rex and Antigone; poetry; short stories; essays. Read more
- English III Advanced Seminar
This course requires students to read major works of literature and to develop their skills for writing both analytical and personal essays. Benefitting students whose greater experience with language and literature allows them to succeed with more challenging reading and writing assignments, this course assumes significant student participation in class discussion. Prerequisite: permission of the department and successful completion of the Proficiency Test. Readings include those listed for 1030 and additional works by Shakespeare, Hardy or Austen, and other authors selected by the instructors. Prerequisite: permission of the department. Read more
- Writing Workshop
As part of their work in English, sophomores take Writing Workshop, which meets once a week through the year. New juniors are enrolled for the fall term and may continue as needed in the winter and spring. The workshop program includes organized instruction in writing and a systematic review of grammar before students take the required English Proficiency Test. Read more
- African American Literature
This course closely examines literature written by black Americans from the 18th century to the present day, and seeks to show how, as Toni Morrison argues, African American literature is inextricably linked to and necessarily a part of what we consider American literature, such that “this black presence cannot be permitted to hover at the margins of our literary imagination.” Authors include Baldwin, DuBois, Ellison, Hughes, Larsen, Morrison, Wheatley, Wright and others. Read more
- Creative Writing
This course gives students the opportunity to study the techniques and styles of professional writers; to study the work of other students; and to practice writing personal essays, short stories, parodies, narratives and poetry. Substantial readings include essays by E.B. White and fiction by a variety of authors, both contemporary and traditional. Prerequisite: permission of the department and successful completion of the Proficiency Test. Read more
- Literature of the Sea
In this course students consider various perspectives on the mysterious, beautiful and threatening nature of the sea. Beginning with The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and continuing with readings selected from the works of Melville, Conrad, Hemingway, Crane and Kipling the course also involves contemporary works by Junger, Proulx and Casey. Students deepen their understanding of literature of the sea as they consider both artistic and musical renderings. Read more
- Satire
As a literary genre, satire has been around as long as writers have had the audacity to address the foibles of humanity. Juvenal, the Roman satirist, once said, “It’s hard not to write satire,” suggesting that targets abound for those willing to poke fun at their fellow human beings and their many institutions. Focusing primarily on satirical novels, this course explores both how and why satire works, considering in the process the role of humor, irony, hyperbole, mockery, derision, and other tools of the trade. Students read works by authors such as Burgess, Heller, Lewis, Swift, Twain, Voltaire, Vonnegut and Waugh. Prerequisite: permission of the department. Read more
- Short Story
By reading various kinds of short stories, students increase their understanding of the craft of the short story writer. Students review reading and writing skills and study different narrative techniques. Texts may include Story and Structure, The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction, The Palace Thief or The Things They Carried. Read more
- The American Dream
America traditionally has been regarded as a land of opportunity, a place where one can begin anew and create both an ideal personal life and a perfect society, free of the errors of older nations . As the country has developed, however, the dreams have taken many forms and have met with varying degrees of fulfillment. Students examine the progression of these dreams in the works of such authors as Albee, Cather, Hansberry, Hawthorne, Irving, Miller, Millhauser and Stegner. Read more
- Women in Literature
Students study the roles of women both as characters in literature and as creators of literature. Discussion focuses on woman’s awareness of self, her relation to others and to the society in which she lives, and the attitude of the writer toward her. Readings include works by Cather, Chopin, Lahiri, Munro, Petry and Wharton. Read more
- Writing About Reality: The Craft of Nonfiction
In this course, students examine the ways that writers convey reality. Even though newspaper reporters and writers of creative nonfiction tell the truth, they convey a selective reality. The details they choose and the techniques they employ shape the truth they tell and the messages they convey. Moving from newspaper writing to creative nonfiction, the course considers a variety of writing tools, including imagery, symbolism, dialogue and vivid description. Students apply these techniques to create articles and essays, using their readings as examples. Readings may include recent articles from newspapers and magazines, as well as works by Capote, Didion, Dillard, Hersey, Kidder, McPhee, Talese and Wolff. Read more
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