Students examine major works of literature organized into thematic units. Each unit contains poetry, short stories, and a novel that revolve around the theme for the unit. Themes include the self, relationships, alienation, choice, and death. As students read these works, they have the opportunity to reflect on these important themes by writing in multiple modes and creating cross-disciplinary projects.
“There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so” – Shakespeare. Welcome to the contemporary world literature course. In this course you will experience the novels, short stories, poetry, and non-fiction from countries around the world. You will discover that the writers in this course have ideas and lives as interesting as their work. You will discover many writers have unique writing styles, unique ideas, unique lives, and unique approaches to their art. You will also have the chance to do some unique work of your own. By reading contemporary work and some work of the 20th century you will also discover that “no matter what a writer’s origins, certain themes and events have been hard to run away from in the 20th and early 21st centuries.” As you read, it is my hope that you will come to an understanding that, “. . .reading literature from around the world is unlikely to teach you everything there is to know about a culture. But it may help. . .” Along this journey you will use technology, writing, reflection, vocabulary, research, and other academic and personal skills to help you learn to enter the world of your community, your country, and your world. As the poet Gwendolyn Brooks said, “I believe that we should all know each other, we human carriers of so many pleasurable differences. To not know is to doubt, to shrink from, sidestep or destroy.” So, begin your own journey through the world, and do this by reading, writing about what you read, and experiencing the work of writers.
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