AP English Literature and Composition Summer Reading Assignment Ms. Wayne

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1 AP English Literature and Composition Summer Reading Assignment Ms. Wayne Incoming AP English Literature and Composition students are required to read several texts in preparation for the class and the College Board AP exam. One portion of the exam, the Free Response essay, demands that students have familiarity with a wide body of literary works from which they can draw when writing the essay. The goal of the course s reading, however, is not only to prepare you for the exam but to provide you with the opportunity to interact and reflect on texts that will engage and challenge your thinking. If you have any questions please me at wayne_b@cneschools.org. I do receive work s to my cell phone, but I also work during the summer. I will try my best to respond within 2-3 days! All assignments are due on August 20, 2018 in order to reserve the first two days of school for any questions/clarification. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE TO TRY TO COMPLETE THE ASSIGNMENTS. Any students who do not turn in all summer reading assignments by the due date will be recommended for a schedule change to a CP English course. Assignment #1 - Two Books Please read the required book first, then do your book of choice. Each has its own assignment. 1. Purchase or borrow (from a local library OR we have a limited number of copies here at the school) a How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster. a. Take notes on each chapter in a spiral bound or composition notebook. *Skip the first 3-4 pages of the notebook, before beginning this assignment.* These notes will be checked for grading purposes, but you may do them in the format of your choice. Here is a website with the 4 most widely used note-taking formats You will be using this notebook throughout the year, so be sure they are copious notes -- don t skimp, or you are not only hurting your grade but you are also setting yourself up for frustration later! 2. Choose a novel from the list below. You should choose something in which you will be interested. Interested does not mean that the task will be fun in the usual sense. In fact, it may be, should be hard. But doing well and succeeding at something hard can be fun. It does require discipline to train yourself to read hard texts and think deeply about them, but it is worth it, not only for the AP exam, but also for college and beyond. a. Novel Options: i. The Color Purple by Alice Walker ii. Emma by Jane Austen iii. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley iv by George Orwell

2 v. Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw vi. Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut b. After reading this novel, choose one of the following prompts that you feel you can most successfully respond to in a 3 page paper. (MLA format) i. Many plays and novels use contrasting places (for example, two countries, two cities or towns, two houses, or the land and the sea) to represent opposed forces or ideas that are central to the meaning of the work. Choose a novel that contrasts two such places. Write an essay explaining how the places differ, what each place represents, and how their contrast contributes to the meaning of the work. Avoid mere plot summary. ii. In some works of literature, a character who appears briefly, or does not appear at all, is a significant presence. Choose a novel of literary merit and write an essay in which you show how such a character functions in the work. You may wish to discuss how the character affects action, theme, or the development of other characters. Avoid mere plot summary. iii. According to critic Nortrhrop Frye, Tragic heroes are so much the highest points in their human landscape that they seem the inevitable conductors of the power about them, great trees more likely to be struck by lightning than a clump of grass. Conductors may of course be instruments as well as victims of the divisive lightning. Select a novel in which a tragic figure functions as an instrument of the suffering of others. Then write an essay in which you explain how the suffering brought upon others by that figure contributes to the tragic vision of the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary. iv. Critic Roland Barthes has said, Literature is the question minus the answer. Choose a novel, and, considering Barthes observation, write an essay in which you analyze a central question the work raises and the extent to which it offers answers. Explain how the author s treatment of this question affects your understanding of the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary. v. In Kate Chopin s The Awakening (1899), protagonist Edna Pontellier is said to possess That outward existence which conforms, the inward life that questions. In a novel that you have studied, identify a character who outwardly conforms while questioning inwardly. Then write an essay in which you analyze how this tension between outward conformity and inward questioning contributes to the meaning of the work. Avoid mere plot summary. vi. In a literary work, a minor character, often known as a foil, possesses traits that emphasize, by contrast or comparison, the distinctive characteristics and qualities of the main character. For example, the ideas or behavior of a minor character might be used to highlight the weaknesses or strengths of the main character. Choose a novel in which a minor character serves as a foil for the main character. Then write an essay in which you analyze how the relation between the minor character and the major character illuminates the work. Avoid mere plot summary

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4 Assignment #2 - Allusions Much of the quality literature that we will be reading as well as many pieces that appear on the AP exam frequently contains allusions to common Biblical and mythological stories. It is vital that students spend time reading and becoming acquainted with the most common of these stories to deepen their appreciation and comprehension of the literature they read. An allusion is a reference, explicit or implicit, to something historical or a previous work such as in literature. This is an important literary concept that you will encounter repeatedly in poetry, drama, and fiction (Foster spends time addressing this as well). With allusions, authors can engage the reader in making associations and creating meaning. However, if you are unaware of allusions you will miss some of these meanings. This is not okay for an AP student! For its literary merit, the King James Version is recommended, however more modern versions (New American Revised Version, for instance) are sometimes easier to understand. You may use whichever version(s) you prefer, but be sure to cite which version(s) you use in your notes because there can be small variations in the language used. Stay away from children s Bibles and mere summaries as they usually leave out details you will need to know for the purposes of this class. The same applies to the mythological references -- I highly recommend Edith Hamilton s Mythology as a good overview of Greek and Roman myths. Overall, be mindful of the credibility of the resources you utilize. Please understand that in no way am I attempting to push beliefs on anyone! It is strictly for literary purposes. I also understand that many students are coming from various levels of background knowledge with these selections; however, it is imperative that you do not skip this assignment! See the attached Allusion Study Guide to know how to be prepared for the assessment.

5 AP Literature & Composition Summer Reading Assignment #2 Biblical and Mythological Allusion Study Guide For best results : Familiarize or re-familiarize yourself with the details of the following items. As I mentioned before, I understand that people are coming from various levels of background knowledge on the following topics. This small selection is simply an idea of the types of references made in literature we will read throughout the year through the use of allusion or allegory. Keep track of these selections in your class notebook. The Bible Students are required to be familiar with all of the following books of the Bible for literary purposes only: Genesis, Exodus, Ruth, Job (pronounced jōb), Ecclesiastes, Matthew, Luke, and Revelation, paying particular attention to the major events listed below. Be sure to cite which version of The Bible you used; alternately, you could also opt to view the selections using the approved source if you prefer watching and listening over reading. David and Goliath I Samuel 17 The Nativity Matthew 1, Luke 2 The Sermon on the Mount Matthew 5-7:27, Luke 6:17-49 The Prodigal Son Luke 15: Lazarus John 11:1-12 The Last Supper Mark 14, John 13 The Garden of Gethsemane Matthew 26 The Betrayal Matthew 25, 26 The Denial Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 22, John pieces of silver Matthew 26:33, Mark 15:22, John 19:17 The Crucifixion Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, John 19 The Resurrection Luke 24, John 20, 21 The Holy Spirit Acts 1,2 Review these stories from the Book of Genesis: Adam, Eve, and the Garden of Eden; God s test of Abraham; Noah and the Flood; Joseph and his brothers; Cain and Abel; brothers treatment of Joseph; Sodom and Gomorrah; Lot and his wife; the coat of many colors; Joseph and Pharaoh; Joseph and Benjamin Review the story of Moses as told in the Book of Exodus. Include each of the following topics: the discovery of the baby Moses; the Passover; the burning bush; the journey through the Red Sea; Moses and the Pharaoh; manna from heaven; the plagues of Egypt; the Ten Commandments; the Ark of the Covenant

6 The Book of Matthew tells of Jesus Sermon on the Mount. Verses 3-12 of Matthew 5 are called the Beatitudes. Be sure you are thoroughly familiar with all of these. Many writers allude to the other sections of this sermon, in addition to the Beatitudes. 1. Read the story of Ruth. What is the major theme of this story? 2. List the problems that plague Job. 3. Characterize the contents of the Book of Ecclesiastes. Who is the Preacher? 4. Summarize the story of the Crucifixion. Identify the role played by each of the following: Pontius Pilate, Peter, Barabbas, Judas, Mary Magdalene Mythology - I recommend checking out Mythology by Edith Hamilton, but regardless of which source(s) you use, be sure to cite. Prometheus (and Io) Narcissus The Golden Fleece Orpheus and Eurydice Daedalus (and Icarus) Cupid and Psyche Pygmalion and Galatea Daphne (and Apollo) Perseus Theseus Hercules Oedipus (including Sphinx) Antigone Pandora Midas Bacchus Leda and the Swan Agamemnon, Orestes, and Electra (also known in whole as The Oresteia) The Trojan War (including the fall of Troy, Achilles, Hector, Paris, Helen, and the Trojan Horse) Odysseus/Ulysses (Know who he is; you do not need to read the entire epic poem The Odyssey )