• Explain the function of character 

• Explain the function of setting 

• Explain the function of plot and structure 

• Explain the function of the narrator and speaker 

• Explain the function of word choice, imagery, and symbols 

• Explain the function of comparison 

• Develop textually substantiated arguments about interpretations of a part or all of a text

Students will look at all of these literary elements and utilize them in the analysis of poetry, short fiction, and longer fiction works.

Ms. Busby graduated from the University of Alabama with a B.A. in English and an M.A. in English Language Arts plus 12 doctorate hours of English. She has been a teacher for 22 years and taught AP Lang and/or AP Lit for 14 years.  She teaches Dual Enrollment English for Jefferson State at Hoover and has been an English instructor at Shelton State for 3 years. She has been an AP Reader since 2020.  She has also been an A+ College Ready Consultant for 14 years presenting AP study sessions across the state in person and virtually. 

"AP Literature is the broad study of the human experience through the stories, the poetry, the ideas, and the understanding of what it means to be human culturally, socially, and individually.  We will analyze literature from many critical perspectives and analyze the human experience and the natural world through creativity, communication and critical thinking.

Officially, AP English Literature and Composition is an introductory college-level course designed “to engage students in the careful reading and critical analysis of imaginative literature” (“Introduction” “AP English Literature and Composition Course Description”, May 2007). Through the directive to “get to know a few works well” and “write and read with increasing complexity and sophistication” (“Goals”  “English Literature and Composition Course Description”, May 2007),  the course includes developing critical reading skills by understanding a work’s complexity—the social and historical values it reflects-- and analyzing how that meaning is embodied in the literary form and artistry.  In conjunction, the course will develop the student’s expression of interpretation through subjective and objective writing that reinforces the reading.  Reading and writing assignments focus on the critical analysis of literature and include “expository, analytical, and argumentative essays” designed to develop ideas in  “clear, coherent, and persuasive language” (“Goals”  “English Literature and Composition Course Description”, May 2007)."

Please note that AP English Language is a prerequisite for this course. Ms. Busby recommends advanced classes in order to prepare for this course.