Tasked with writing a 10 page literary criticism, students in Dan Doyle’s AP English class submitted their final papers on January 8th.

“This project is a good experience for [preparing] students for the rigor of college,” said Doyle.

Students were given freedom to determine their angle.  Papers attacked literature from a variety of view points, including from an anti-capitalist perspective, a non-western perspective, and even a feminist perspective, which is what senior David Gomez Siu did.

“My novel focuses on the story of a man and his son, without any women,” said Gomez Siu. “I tried to explore it because it raises interesting questions.”

Senior Audrey Moore said the project helped her connect with her family. “The novel I picked, The Good Earth, was given to me by my grandmother when I was in fourth grade,” said Moore. “I found the book fascinating because it gave me a feeling of ‘I don’t know what happened.’ This project gives me the opportunity to explore my relationship with the text and my family. It gives me a better sense of where she came from.”

Doyle adapted the project from one he read about in a Harvard University English department article. “I proudly steal from others,” said Doyle. “I wanted to give my students a taste of the highest level.”