3 Major Themes in English 11
American Dream, Belief, and Immigration
American Dream
Throughout the literature in English 11 you will see these three common themes. You might think you know something about the motivating force that brings people to America (often called the "American Dream"), but are your aware of your American Dream? Some think the American Dream is only about an individuals success... realize that there is probably more to this concept of American Dream than you thought. As you read about it this week ask yourself what your American Dream is.
Belief
Belief matters, belief changes things, belief is the motivation for people's actions and therefore our history as well. This country was founded on more than just strong feelings on how government should run. Faith in God is directly sited over and over in legal documents, personal narratives, and early American experiences. We will be studying these documents in their original form to see this theme.
Immigration
From 1820-1920 over 37million immigrants came to America seeking freedom, and the opportunity to increase their personal wealth. Do you think this had an impact on what, and who was writing at the time? We will be learning how immigration affected the nation through those who were writing at the time.