Contemporary Literature Main Texts
These are the main texts we will focus on this year in Contemporary Literature.
The Kite Runner
The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, follows the life of Amir, a boy who grew up privileged in Afghanistan in the 1970's. It follows Amir's life through the invasion by the Soviets , his immigration to the United States, and his eventually return to Afghanistan in the early 2000's. Amir is called back to Afghanistan to attempt redemption for a mistake he made when he was 13, a mistake that has shaped the majority of his life. The novel allows students to learn new information and gain a new perspective on Afghanistan, a country that has had a major impact on our lives today. It also allows students to consider questions such as "is redemption possible?" and "can one event truly change your life forever?" as well as themes about the importance of family and how certain relationships can shape a person.
The Things They Carried
The Things They Carried, by Tim O'Brien, is a fictional novel set mainly during the Vietnam War, although it includes some glimpses into life before and after the war for select characters. The novel is a collection of vignettes that, combined, make a powerful statement about the author's thoughts on war, the friendships that develop during war, and how people are altered by their experiences. Throughout the book, O'Brien seeks to explain to readers who have never experienced war what it is like and to accomplish this he creates his own versions of the truth and lies, fiction and non-fiction. O'Brien is masterful writer, and reading this novel gives the students the opportunity to discuss the various writing techniques he uses to achieve his goals and illustrate his themes.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot, tells the story of a poor black woman named Henrietta Lacks. In 1951, Lacks was diagnosed with cervical cancer and went to John Hopkins Hospital for treatment, during which doctors took a biopsy of her tumor. The cells from that biopsy were used to develop the first immortal human cell line, now known as HeLa. HeLa cells have since formed the basis for modern cellular research and have been integral in developing the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping, as well as research on various other diseases. Neither Henrietta Lacks, who died in 1953 from cancer, nor her family was made aware her cells were being used for medical research until many years later. Scientists and corporations made millions of dollars in profit from the HeLa cell line, yet the Lacks family received nothing and still today lives in poverty.
This non-fiction book is split into three narratives which are seamlessly interwoven together: the life of Henrietta, the present life of her descendents, and the science around cellular research. Through reading this text students will get to discuss and explore many ideas including: biomedical ethics, the factors race and socioeconomic level played on health care in the past, as well as today, court cases and legal precedent involving research on human tissue, as well as many others.
This non-fiction book is split into three narratives which are seamlessly interwoven together: the life of Henrietta, the present life of her descendents, and the science around cellular research. Through reading this text students will get to discuss and explore many ideas including: biomedical ethics, the factors race and socioeconomic level played on health care in the past, as well as today, court cases and legal precedent involving research on human tissue, as well as many others.