Five Novels of Change

Course Overview

In this course, you will read and write about five novels that have emerged as American literary classics: Mark Twain's "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," J.D. Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye," Ernest Hemingway's "The Old Man and the Sea," Kurt Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse-Five," and Ernest J. Gaines' "A Lesson Before Dying." Although they span more than one-hundred years in American literary history, the novels share a common theme: personal growth and change.
NOTE: The novels in this course deal with mature but important themes.

This course is designed for high-school seniors.

Prerequisite

English 9 and 10 strongly suggested, but not required.

Required Materials

The following books are required for this course:

Gaines, Ernest J. A Lesson Before Dying. Vintage Books, 1997. ISBN (9780375702709)

Hemingway, Ernest The Old Man and the Sea. Scribner, 1999. ISBN (9780684801223)

Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Lb Books, 1991. ISBN (9780316769488)

Twain, Mark Huckleberry Finn. Penguin, 1985. ISBN (9780142437179)

Vonnegut, Kurt Slaughterhouse-Five. Dell Publishing Company, 1991. ISBN (9780440180296) 

(Alternative versions of each book may also be used, however all page numbers etc. referred to in the course are specific to the above versions.)