Reflections of an English Class

As part of the Global Scholar Diploma Program, all students must reflect on the classes they have taken with a global emphasis. Adeline Thames reflects on her sophomore English class with Mr. Reynolds.

“In Honors English, we read literature set in a melangerie of countries, cultures, and time periods and delved into themes that remain prominent across literary settings. The class discussions were very passionate and intriguing, and they allowed me to see and understand parts of a text that I may have missed otherwise. Our teacher, Mr. Reynolds, helped to cultivate a fun and intriguing environment for literary analysis, particularly of “zesty” novels/phrases, as he liked to put it. Each day, I looked forward to the class because the individual perspectives of my classmates coupled with interesting themes and motifs that we read about helped me to try and comprehend fascinating concepts, in literature and in life. Mr. Reynolds helped to foster my already grand love of reading by encouraging passionate discourse and intellectual dialogue, sprinkled with “juicy” new vocabulary words and “delicious” motifs (He really liked to describe books with appetizing adjectives). We read books such as Brave New World, Into the Wild, Frankenstein, Macbeth, The Swallows of Kabul, The Snows of Kilimanjaro, Where the Bluebird sings to the Lemonade Springs, and Heart of Darkness. I loved reading such diverse, beautiful texts because they each presented unique characters, places, ideas, and challenges, all of which led to a deeper understanding of struggles or themes beyond what I have myself experienced. The struggles endured by literary characters serve as lessons to me and help me better understand the world around me and its vast diversity.

Possibly my favorite part about reading is that through a book, poem, or story, I get to have a glimpse into another world—a chance to live a life different from my own. Literature is a portal for the imagination, a time-travel machine, and a cheap international flight all in a thick stack of ink and paper. Being surrounded by other lovers of literature in Honors English furthered my passion for it, and I still crave books every day. Reading satisfies part of my soul, and books have immensely helped me become a more well-rounded person. I love stories from around the globe, and I hope to one day experience much of what I can read about.”

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Adeline Thames ’19 is four-year senior from Flagstaff, Arizona. Adeline’s GSD research will focus on Eating for the Environment: Food Sustainability . Adeline is an active student leader as a Resident Advisor in the Penrose East girls dorm and president of the Environmental Protection Club and the French Club.