As seniors reach the end of their high school journey, they may take a moment to reflect on a different journey – their literary one. As English is a required class all four years of high school, seniors have had a wide range of reading encounters, from Shakespeare to contemporary fiction, to magical realism.
Recently read, a popular book in AP Literature was “A Tale for the Time Being,” by Ruth Ozeki. Taught by all AP Lit teachers at the same time,”A Tale for the Time Being” sparked discussions among all lit students about the uniqueness of the novel. “’A Tale for the Time Being’ was very different from the past books we’ve read in English class. The novel is told from the perspective of two women, one of whom is reading the diary entries of the other. I like that their stories are intertwined, making each alternating chapter very interesting to read. During class, we analyzed the numerous references to Japanese culture in the novel, which elevated the reading experience,” senior Dena Shao said.
Another popular book was read in students sophomore year. “Night,” by Elie Wiesel, is a memoir of a young boy’s survival and experiences in the Holocaust. “’Night’ was probably my favorite book because it was the first book to invoke powerful emotions in me,” senior Shreyas Bachu said. “The portrayal of the story made it so real and saddening and hard to put down.”
Senior Thirishaa Pothini Balaji agrees, stating that “Night” is one of her favorite English books along with “Hamlet,” by William Shakespeare. “’Night’ was great because it felt very raw and emotional. ‘Hamlet’ was a great play to read because there is so much room for interpretation and I just like reading Shakespeare,” Pothini Balaji said. “The man has a lot to say.”
While the book needs to be personally enjoyable, how the entire class interacts and discusses the book can affect students’ overall interest and understanding. “’Macbeth’ was fun because we had really great class discussions and all the kids were super into it. We would read it out loud in class, and people were literally fighting for the chance to read to the point of secretly reserving spots with the teacher,” senior Jessica Lee said. “’Pride and Prejudice’ was enjoyable to read on my own, especially because my mom is a big Jane Austen fan so I would read it out loud to her and it made the language more understandable. Also, the characters are just so fun and dramatic. It took a while for people to get into it, but once the rest of the class got used to the writing style there were pretty heated discussions.”
The overall experience for students in English class can affect them in a multitude of ways. Shao’s experience in English classes impacted her decision to major in English at Dartmouth College in the fall. “In ninth and 10th grade, my teachers assigned many different creative writing prompts, which sparked my interest in English. I wrote some of my favorite short stories at school, a few of which I submitted to writing contests, and was met with success,” Shao said. “After taking AP Lang and AP Lit, I feel that I’ve learned how to write more efficiently and with complexity – two skills I will carry with me to college and beyond.”
