Fostering academic excellence and biblical virtue to equip students for lives as local and global Christian servants.

English 5/6 College World Lit and Comp

Course Catalog ID:
4111
Subject Categories:
College Dual Credit, English Language Arts, Literature and Media, Writing and Composition
Description

The history and literature of the world is like an expansive complex spiderweb. The labyrinthine twists and turns, connections and contradictions, languages and layers all come together to create an incredible weave of ideas and influences. This course explores the works of many countries and cultures, comparing and analyzing the effects of major historical events and movements and the ways they appear in different literary places. Through brief studies of world religions and their sacred texts as well as myths and philosophical writings both ancient and modern, students can understand the foundational beliefs that have built and changed complex cultures and societies, which in turn have fostered influential works of fiction and nonfiction. Students will read and compare the influences of the Enlightenment and Romanticism in Alexander Pushkin’s novel in verse Eugene Onegin and Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe’s epistolary novel The Sorrows of Young Werther; they will journey back to medieval, classical, and early modern China and Japan to the worlds of dynasties, samurai, and madmen through novels, poetry, and plays. They will analyze and discuss the post-colonial world of many African voices as well as the post-war literature of Holocaust survivors and surveyors. Through various plays, students will study and critique the performative nature of drama and how that influences the way the story is depicted and perceived, from the controversy and comedy of Molière’s Tartuffe to the struggles of 19th century women in Henrick Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler. Finally, a collection of essays from contemporary American writers will challenge students’ perceptions of what it means to be American and what constitutes “American” literature. And throughout the course, students will receive direct writing instruction and expert feedback on research-supported essays featuring textual analysis, interpretation, and persuasion.

Prerequisites
Grade Levels*:
11, 12
* Enrollment restricted based on Date of Birth and Grad Year (whichever is more limiting). Enrollment outside these levels requires written concurrence from TPS Support.
Notes and Conditions

Alternating Years: This course is taught in alternating years, offered next in 2025-26.

Flexible Scheduling: This course may be taken with live class attendance reduced or waived (recording only) if the student has a time zone or schedule conflict. Select this option when you enroll or notify TPS for approval.

College Credit: This course is pre-approved for college credit (Belhaven ENG 203, 3 credits). Upon successful completion of this course, the student may apply for a college transcript from Belhaven University for this course. These transcripted credits may be transferred to other colleges. More information is here.

Mature Content: The content and subject matter of this course are mature and challenging. For this reason, the course is targeted for grades 11 and 12, and has prerequisites consistent with its level. To be approved for this standout course, students must demonstrate strong upper-HS level background in literary analysis and analytical essay writing that has prepared them to study complex works from authors and cultures outside the “Judeo-Christian” tradition.

Transcript Planning: Students typically take two or more English 4/5/6 courses. They may generally be taken in any order, though some sequences may be better for some purposes (e.g., preparation for a particular AP course).

Similar or Related Courses
Reviews from Students and Parents

“I loved the literature in this class and how so many different cultures were covered. It broadened my knowledge of literature a lot, and it was fun to have a class that broke away from the typical literature covered in English classes. The teacher was amazing and I improved my essay writing so much because of her. This class was challenging but really fun at the same time.”

Jubilee B
-
Student