20th Century
Pop Culture
Literature
Welcome to Mr. Black’s Literature Page!
Check out what we get to read...
The Lord of the Flies, by William Golding.
Young school boys, evacuated from Britain because of nuclear warfare, are stranded on an uninhabited island. As they attempt to create their own society, the boys come into conflict with each other and with the society they have created.
Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck.
This novel tells the tragic story of two migrant ranch hands in Depression Era California. The two men form an unusual bond of friendship and loyalty, which is questioned by fellow workers. Their dependence on each other sets them apart from their contemporaries.
"The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet," by William Shakespeare.
Romeo and Juliet act in conflict with their families’ beliefs and societal beliefs when they fall in love. Their rash decisions and hasty actions mutiply their woes until their support systems of family and friends cannot save them from their demise.
Black Boy, by Richard Wright.
Wright's autobiography takes us from one of his earliest memories, through his coming of age and development as a writer, to his departure for the North. We learn what life is like for a black boy in America in the early part of the twentieth century.
"The Odyssey," by Homer.
The famed story of Odysseus and his 20-year journey home after the Trojan War. Held captive, attacked by terrible monsters, tormented as well as aided by the gods, and praised by all humans, Odysseus must return to Ithaca to reclaim his kingdom and sought-after wife.
The Language of Literature, a McDougal Littell textbook.
Our textbook offers a tremendous collection of short stories, plays, and poems by the likes of Dickinson, Longfellow, O. Henry, Capote, Whitman, Frost, Cummings, Shakespeare, Hughes, Angelou, London, Cisneros, Bradbury, King, etc. In addition, it does a terrific job of weaving the California State Language Arts Standards with its extensive collection of stories, thus augmenting our studies in class with a pragmatic and comprehensive alternative to our literature-based district curriculum.
