Argues that William Shakespeare's "The Tempest" is the play that is best suited for the high school English curriculum of the 1990s. Discusses historical and critical aspects the play's key themes. Shows ways of using the play in high school classes, and describes 19 works to read alongside of"The Tempest." (HB)

Describes a technique for teaching poetry that stresses the importance of students' awareness of the creative devices used by the poet. (RB)

Describes a technique for teaching "Oliver Twist." (RB)

Argues that the novel should bear examination from four directions and that not only would each route illumine certain aspects of "The Catcher in the Rye" but also that each would suggest general principles applicable to all reading. (Author/RB)

Sketches a model of the inductive method for teaching literature, using Eugene O'Neill's "The Hairy Ape" as an example. (RB)

In the reaction against biographical and historical criticism, critics have dogmatically emphasized pure textual explication and have thus distorted or restricted responses to literature and art. To correct this improper emphasis, teachers, in addition to stressing the integrity of the art work, should treat individual creations as "different…

For at least three reasons, university English faculties should reassess their attitudes toward children's literature, a field of vital importance in children's education. First, specialists in children's literature are sorely needed in English departments, where courses on the subject properly belong (rather than in colleges of education).…

In terms of structure, the play "Othello" is a distortion of an initiation ritual. Arnold van Gennup, in his book "The Rites of Passage," reduces all initiation rituals into three definable phases: separation, transition, and incorporation. The general pattern of the initiation ritual in "Othello" is as follows:…

Discusses how to use "Animal Farm" for discussions of literary techniques rather than of history or political science. (AA)

Discusses the teaching of "Bleak House" to students who are daunted by its length and complexity. Provides suggestions on how to get beyond those complexities and allow students to understand the central concerns of the book. (SRT)

Presents an interpretation of Eudora Welty's A Worn Path'' that indicates three elements of immortality. (MM)

Analyzes three parts of Tunis' novel in view of the author's opening statement, This is a book about the conscience of a man.''