Course Philosophy: To be an educated person in today’s world is to have some knowledge of the culture of sundry people in varying times and places and to be skilled in communicating one’s understanding of the written word. This American Literature course is a college-prep course of challenging reading (novels, short stories, dramas, and poetry) and literary analysis, as well as other writing and presentation. This course is designed to challenge students to stretch beyond current levels of skill to better meet the challenges that they will face in a college setting.