English (Cont.) the dramatic structure, character development, creative dialogue, and theatrical technique. Through studying and writing in the style of different theatrical forms, we will seek to tell our beautiful and diverse stories in authentic and honest ways. Regular second semester classes will end when the seniors depart for their externships. For non-senior students, the month of May will be dedicated to studying the art of the personal essay, including specific instruction of the college essay. This course fulfills the writing requirement.
Advanced English Seminar: Philosophy of Good & Evil (0.5 credit, fall or spring)
Prerequisites: Fundamentals of Literature and Composition, Genre Studies and Departmental recommendation 11th/12th
In this course, students will examine theories of good and evil as they appear in the branch of philosophy known as ethics. Students will study moral philosophers and ethical dilemmas, as well as classic literary texts centered around the themes of good and evil. Some philosophers we may study include Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, and Aristotle. The aim of the course is to acquire a deeper understanding of the concepts of good and evil, scrutinize the arguments philosophers make outlining how we should or should not behave in a moral sense, and investigate how these ideas might be applied to our modern lives, The course will conclude with an independent research project that will allow students to synthesize one or more conception(s) of good & evil and a literary work of their choice. Students in advanced courses should be prepared to write with clarity and technical proficiency and to display critical and creative thought in extended arguments. Advanced second semester classes will continue through the end of May, culminating with a final exam. One week will be given in May to instruction of the college essay.
Advanced English Seminar: Postcolonial Literature: The Colonized Voice in the English-Language Novel (0.5 credit, fall only) Prerequisites: Fundamentals of Literature and Composition, Genre Studies and Departmental recommendation 11th/12th
In this course, students will dive deeply into issues raised by colonialism, postcolonialism, and globalization by exploring the English-language literature of formerly colonized people from all over the British Empire. We will ask essential questions such as: How does the painful history of colonization manifest in the artistic and cultural record? How do cultural and environmental locations inform who we are and how we see others? As we encounter new landscapes, peoples, and worldviews, how do our understandings of self, other, and place transform? How does America’s past as both a colony and a colonizer inform and complicate our position as readers of postcolonial texts? Our primary emphasis will be on celebrating the voices of colonized people, and exploring how people from colonized or formerly colonized groups have used their art to combat oppression. As part of this exploration, we will lean on postcolonial theory from scholars like Aimé Césaire, Edward Said, and Gayatri Spivak, and students will be expected to incorporate independent research into their analytical work. Assessments will include significant independent work, personal narrative writing, analytical assignments, and open-ended creative work, as well as graded discussions and other skill-based tasks. Students in advanced courses should be prepared to write with clarity and technical proficiency and to display critical and creative thought in extended arguments.
Advanced English Seminar: Shakespeare 1: Page, Stage, and Screen (0.5 credit, fall only)
Prerequisites: Fundamentals of Literature and Composition, Genre Studies and Departmental recommendation 11th/12th
This course offers students the opportunity to dig deeply into Shakespeare’s genius using the many resources available in the Washington area. Students start with close textual analysis of the playwright’s works, augmented by film and/or live performances. Works being studied might include Part I of Henry
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