---
title: American Literature gets reel
description: Junior class at Friends Academy watches Nope as part of their American Literature class.
---

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# [American Literature gets reel](https://www.friendsacademy.org/news/american-literature-gets-reel)

 Written by [Andrea Miller](https://www.friendsacademy.org/news/author/amiller) | Sep 27, 2023 10:59:23 PM

Occasionally, the English classroom teacher at Friends Academy uses film and videos in order to illustrate a particular curricular-related concept. On Sept. 27, with much excitement, the FA English department presented an opportunity for the entire 11th Grade to watch Jordan Peele's film, *Nope*, as a part of the American Literature course opening unit: "Foundations, Origins, and Myths."

On stage after the film, FA faculty members Jozeph Herceg, Brad Wetherell, and Scott Hertrick, engaged in a brief discussion about themes and ideas, which overlap with foundational American texts from the opening unit, including John Ford's *The Searchers*.

"Students will be asked to do the same in their classes later in the week," noted Mr. Herczeg, as they explore ideas about legitimate/illegitimate American identities (as an extension of Mary Rowlandson, John Ford, and Natalie Diaz); individualism, exceptionalism, self-reliance (extension of Hector St. John Crevecoeur, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and John Winthrop); and captivity narratives (as an extension of Rowlandson, Ford).

In conjunction with the written literary analysis asked of them in class on a daily basis, the department hopes that through the analysis of this exciting visual text, students will have a fun, contemporary conversation that reinforces their literary and historical understanding of the American story and their own place in it.

*Photos by Alvin Caal/Friends Academy*

[View full post](https://www.friendsacademy.org/news/american-literature-gets-reel)

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