On the first day of school last year, I walked into English 9 already dreading the subject. Having never been a fan of English before high school, I expected my relationship with it to remain unchanged. My teacher, Michael Manson, had us introduce ourselves, and then handed out a stack of books we would read throughout the year. Within 20 minutes, we were already reading and discussing our first book, The Odyssey, translated by Emily Wilson. Once we stopped reading, Manson assigned us a paragraph writing task—and our first reading homework. Hearing that we would have reading and writing homework on the first day of classes, I couldn’t help but to think one thing: this is going to be the hardest class I have ever taken.
Looking back now, after completing English 9, I can confidently say it was one of the most challenging classes I have ever taken—but also one of the most rewarding. Not only did it challenge me intellectually, but it also helped me discover a new appreciation for literature and sharpened my skills as a writer. What made this experience so valuable, however, wasn’t just the books we read, but the approach we took to understanding the literature.
We learned about how cultural anthropology, the branch of anthropology concerned with the study of human societies and cultures and their development, ties to literature. English 9 was the first time I had truly examined the concept and how it shapes both individuals and societies. We discussed how culture—our values, beliefs and traditions—shapes our identities and worldviews. The connection from cultural anthropology between books and my own life made the books’ themes more relatable.
In English 9, this focus on identity was particularly transformative. Through the texts we studied and the discussions we had, I was able to examine not only the characters’ identities but also my own. It wasn’t just about learning the content—it was about finding myself in the stories, discovering my voice and understanding how my values, beliefs and experiences influence how I interpret the world.
Through texts like The Odyssey and Romeo and Juliet, I found myself connecting with characters who were navigating their own struggles with identity and societal expectations. These characters’ experiences mirrored some of my own, especially in the way they wrestled with questions of belonging and self-worth. For instance, reading about Odysseus’ journey of self-discovery helped me understand my own need to question assumptions about what is right and just. It also helped me recognize how my personal experiences—like growing up in a multicultural environment—shaped the way I interpreted themes of justice and inequality similarly to Odysseus’ journey returning home.
English 9’s success in fostering this kind of transformation can be attributed to its structure. The absence of honors or extended levels meant that the class was diverse in terms of academic abilities, but more important, it was diverse in terms of perspectives. Our discussions weren’t just about dissecting a text—they were about sharing how the text resonated with us personally. I recall one particular discussion about Their Eyes Watching God, where one classmate shared how the novel’s portrayal of ambition reminded him of the pressures he faced to live up to his family’s expectations. This discussion prompted me to reflect on my own relationship with ambition and success.
Although English classes at GDS vary from teacher to teacher, one common theme is that English 9 helps teach students many valuable skills. All English classes have required texts that everyone in the grade will read, but also have choice texts that the teacher gets to choose. The choice texts are approved by English Department Chair Katherine Dunbar. She helps develop the curriculum for all English classes.
Dunbar explained in an interview that although classes do not read books in chronological order, in terms of when they are set, all books are related to one another. “English 9’s thematic idea is the journey to self. It should help every student to find their voice, not just in the classroom but also in the world,” she said.
(Julia Fisher, the Bit’s faculty advisor, teaches English 9.)
Sophomore Mae Lazerow took Jade Hage’s English 9 class last year. “English 9 taught me many skills that have helped me a lot so far in English class this year and also sparked my interest in writing and analysis,” she said.
Sophomore Julian Shishkin was in Nina Prytula’s English 9 class last year and was forever grateful to be able to have her. “It taught me not only how to read between the lines of text to see the passage’s undertones and be perspicacious in my analysis, but also gave me a certain verve for reading and loving literature in a new way,” he said.
English 9 was more than just an English class; it was a journey of self-discovery through the lens of literature. And for that, I’m incredibly grateful. I walked into that classroom expecting to hate English and instead emerged at the end of the class bearing that new love, a truer sense of self and of the world.