Mrs. Adams’s Honors Literature and Composition class has taken on an exciting unit this semester titled “Following the Crowd”. The class has read through various short stories to explore literary themes, types of conformity, and connections to real-world topics.

This unit deep dived into the effects of conformity and the reasons why a society or person may feel pressured to conform. Common types of conformity the students saw in the stories include compliance, identification, and internalization. The class finished reading “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, which left some in shock… and others in tears. Additionally, they watched the short film for “The Lottery” and likely left even more traumatized- Whoops! I mean knowledgeable and enlightened.

Nevertheless, the class has discussed the foreshadowing and symbolism in the short stories and will continue to apply these themes to their personal lives because herd mentality and peer pressure can be seen all throughout the lives of adolescents. The teacher, Mrs. Adams, states, “I think one of the reasons I’m excited is because I like the overarching theme.” She also states that she enjoys teaching things that apply to everyday life. This class is moving swiftly through the units. Therefore, we are thrilled to see their progress and look forward to what they will accomplish next.