You are now in the world because you are in the air and it is in the world.
- Aristotle, Athens, 4th century BCE
A man sets out to draw the world. As the years go by, he peoples a space with images of provinces, kingdoms, mountains, bays, ships, islands, fishes, rooms, instruments, stars, horses, and individuals. A short time before he dies, he discovers that that patient labyrinth of lines traces the lineaments of his own face.
– Jorges Louis Borges, Buenos Aires , 1960
As if Japan weren't small enough to begin with, I fail to understand why it is necessary to think of it in even smaller units. No matter where I go in the world, although I can't speak any foreign language, I don't feel out of place. I think of the earth as my home. If everyone thought this way, people might notice just how foolish international friction is, and they would put an end to it. We are, after all, at a point where it is almost narrow-minded to think merely in geocentric terms. Human beings have launched satellites into outer space, and yet they still grovel on earth looking at their own feet like wild dogs. What is to become of our planet?
– Akira Kurosawa, Tokyo, 1981
My father was kidnapped in Nigeria on a Saturday morning in early May. My brother called to tell me, and suddenly there was not enough breathable air in the world.
– Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, New York City, 2015
Welcome to the homepage for World Literature at New West Charter High School for the 2017-2018 school year!
In World Literature, students immerse themselves in literary cultures outside the Western (or Global North) perspective, while also studying the global origins of the Western canon – those Ancient, Classical and Early Modern stories that continue their influence today. For these reasons, you will need a map. This site will act as much as possible as a comprehensive online resource for both College Prep (CP) and Honors (H) classes. Think of it as a sort of GPS for the course.
In scope and depth, the study of World Literature is intimidating yet familiar. On one hand, students are exposed to literature from dozens of countries, cultures, traditions – separated not just by geography but also time, years, centuries, even millennia! However, letters penned long ago in distant lands have the ability to influence current events, songs written in another tongue thousands of miles away still tug at our hearts, and the oldest stories known are often the very ones we retell the most. World Literature is an adventure, a voyage, an epic exploration into uncharted water – as well it is a mirror, reflecting back the narratives and stories we hold most dear, on a human scale and a personal one.
Throughout the year, students will practice critical engagement with World Literature through four primary tasks: READING, WRITING, SPEAKING and LISTENING. As straightforward as that may sound, World Literature is nothing if not full of contradictions. This course values attention to detail AND creativity. This course values eloquence AND awkward silence. This course views unsuccessful attempts at personal work AND strong disagreements between classmates as essential steps toward academic excellence. This course respects unspoken, difficult and hitherto unimaginable thinking AND lifelong passions, customs and beliefs that help shape and define individual students.
It is a goal of this class that students ...
To succeed and thrive in this course, most days you will only need to bring four objects to class:
Click here for more information on student responsibilities and the grading system.