Hosting a Lit. Circle

After attending a workshop nine years ago in which a home educator mentioned a Literary Circle as an idea to challenge students to read and discuss literature, I decided to hold a Senior Literary Circle for local home school students reading at a high school level.

Book titles were chosen, with selections from different genres of literature. A book list was provided to students as they registered for the Circle. In preparation, I read the books, making vocabulary lists, and completing the four assignments to aid in grading papers later.

1) The Red Badge Of Courage, by Stephen Crane.

Selected to teach spiritual discernment to students. The theme is very naturalistic and literally declares the author’s reliance on Darwinistic truth.

It is important to include one book in your program for use in instruction of spiritual discernment. Students were reminded that they will encounter this attempt at values clarification every time they read a magazine or newspaper.

2) In His Steps, by Charles Sheldon.

A program should include a Christian Classic.

3) A biography, student or parent choice, selected to give the program flexibility. Parents or students could make a selection which would fit into their curriculum.

4) Hinds Feet On High Places, by Hannah Hurnard.

This selection enabled the group to use many literary terms they had learned in class. Certainly, any poetic work or another allegory such as The Screwtape Letters, by C.S.Lewis would serve the same purpose.

My good friend, Susan Buck, provided outlines of basic information. These consisted of Plot Summary, Author Biography, Character Sketch and Theme Study. Each outline defined student objectives for the aforementioned areas of study. With this information, I studied other literary sources and developed my own outlines for student use in completing assignments. These are available under, "Resources."

The first month we met, got acquainted, and discussed in detail the four assignments. We walked through each assignment step by step so students felt prepared to work on their own after they had read the assigned book. They were encouraged to call for help if needed.

The second month students were expected to have read the book and have completed the assignment they took home. They brought these and stood before the class to read their assignment. We discussed literary terms applicable to this book, unusual vocabulary, author intent, etc. Students turned in assignments for grading and enjoyed a short time of fellowship with snacks until parents arrived for pick up.

The third and fourth months were the same. Month four students were invited to a Tea and given Final Exams, to be returned at the Tea.

Each meeting, students took home a different assignment. By the end of the Five month program, each student had completed all of the four assignments plus a Final exam. Parents and students at the Tea discussed changes and selections for next year.

1) Author Biography Sketch:

Students were to research the author’s life. What has happened in his life will greatly influence the way in which he, in turn, will attempt to influence you.

It is important to recognize the perspective, or point of view of an author. This helps the reader determine the truth of what is read and what to think about it. Use spiritual discernment to evaluate an author’s biography. Did he spend his years recklessly or wisely? Can you trust his philosophy of life, or should you be on your guard?

2) Theme Study:

The theme is the main point the author wants to make, sometimes veiled, sometimes obvious. The student must read beyond the words of the book to the underlying message. The theme could be hopelessness or survival of the fittest if the author is evolutionary in his morality or pantheistic. The author may attempt to force his reality on readers in an effort to rid their consciences of Christian principles that he has already abandoned. If you as a Christian feel unsatisfied with the response or behavior of a character, he/she has probably breached what your renewed mind knows to be correct according to Bible principles, he/she has trivialized or profaned something you hold to be sacred.

Does the author attempt to challenge the reader’s sense of right and wrong? Values Clarification is a persuasive effort to get the reader to abandon or redefine a moral principle by exposing him to a situation where wrong seems to be the only right thing to do. The student must develop literary skills so he can use spiritual discernment when analyzing and discussing a work. The teaching of these skills is the main emphasis of the Literary Circle.

3) Character Study:

Characters usually represent different points of view and types of feelings. When studying characters, try to identify the part of the author’s message each character develops.

4) Plot Study:

Every story should have enough conflict to make the story interesting. The plot is the action, what happens. The storyline lists the main events as they happen, building up rising action to the climax, then falling action to the close of the story. Students were instructed to find the main point, and identify major events.

The following year we studied various Shakespeare plays, utilizing study guides that I wrote during the previous summer. The next year we studied classical works. The last year of my oldest son’s high school experience was spent studying English Literature, from Beowulf to postmodern. My four-year program of study has now been developed to include American Literature, Shakespearean Literature, Classical Literature, and English Literature.