Humanities is taught by Ms. Small. This class explores what it means to be human by analyzing a variety of texts and completing assignments based on them. Humanities at Mass Academy is similar to a mix of traditional English and History courses, but it focuses on developing a unique understanding of the world over developing specific skills or memorizing specific facts.
This assignment involved creating a skit based on the life of Henry David Thoreau, the author of Walden. Walden is a book that describes the ideas and experiences of Thoreau during his time living in a secluded cabin next to Walden Pond. This book explores ideas of transcendentalism, minimalism, and self-reliance. My group chose to create a skit where Henry David Thoreau would be placed on the island from Lord of the Flies, and he would interact with the boys as well as impart some lessons along the way.
This assignment focused on analyzing a satirical text to examine the devices it employs and the purpose behind their use. In my essay, I compared A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift and Babycakes by Neil Gaiman, two satires that present different critiques of humanity and society. Both texts had many examples of well used satirical devices, and it allowed for a nuanced approach to analyze each work. This essay draws on several months of studying satire and rhetorical strategies.