Using the classic American novel The Great Gatsby to explore the themes of disillusionment and the American Dream, I want students to really dig into the characters and their motivations to gain an understanding of the tragedy that is unfolding …
In the midst of the modern civil rights movement, Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson is more relevant now than ever before. Diving into the injustices embedded in today’s institutions, Stevenson intertwines stories of unjust treatment and punishment of those who …
I am teaching analysis of the novel Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte and I will focus on the theme of character, as the book’s protagonist puts a lot of effort into preserving and sustaining her own character, despite the many …
Lao Tzo’s quote, “To lead the people, walk behind them,” can ignite conversation on the dichotomies of strength vs. dominance, humility vs. passivity, ends vs. means, and how leaders respond to conflict and influence. This can help students to better …
I’m teaching William Golding’s The Lord of the Flies and I’m interested in the theme of power and how it can be abused over time. I start off with the John Adams conversation to explore ideas of power and trust …
In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel, The Great Gatsby, Gatsby puts himself in ruthless pursuit of wealth and love without regard to the cost. Although his ambition eventually leads to his own murder, it begs the reader to wonder about …
In the Time of Butterflies, by Julia Alvarez, is a great novel with which to explore the theme of self-expression; in it four sisters navigate dictatorship in Latin America, fighting back to different degrees and in different ways. The Audre …
Henry David Thoreau’s time spent at Walden Pond was not a fluke; it was a carefully planned and executed choice to live deliberately according to Thoreau’s transcendental beliefs. I would use a study of Walden to connect to the Lao …
In “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes, I could teach the theme of perspective by examining the message the speaker gives her son– to never give up when times are hard. Before reading the poem, I could use the Theodore …
Khaled Hosseini’s “The Kite Runner” is a modern tale seen in classrooms more and more often. This epic story contains a major theme of forgiveness. When teaching this story, I would connect it to the conversation with Mahatma Gandhi on …
In The House on Mango Street, Esperanza says, “I knew then I had to have a house…One I could point to. But this isn’t it…For the time being, Mama says…But I know how these things go” (Cisneros 5). Esperanza (“Hope”) …
When teaching the novel Into the Wild by John Krakauer, I can focus on the theme of the pursuit of happiness and introduce the Susan B. Anthony conversation and the concept of Freedom at the beginning of the novel. At …
