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2012-2013 AP LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION (11th Grade)
SUMMER ASSIGNMENT
A Message from Mrs. Pearce:
Welcome to AP Language and Composition 2011-2012. I look forward to our time together next year.
Congratulations for choosing a challenging, yet rewarding curriculum which dedicated students should enjoy.
This is a two-part assignment designed to give future AP students (1) a foundation of knowledge upon
which to build throughout the course next year and (2) an idea of the level of work and dedication involved in
completing a college placement class.
(1) The first part of the assignment requires reading the provided book, from cover to cover, including
all Notes, Biographies, Reading Pointers, and Glossaries. The purpose of this is to gain a better
understanding of American Literature in terms of both purpose and style. Additionally, to be able to
compare and contrast these to each other and recognize characteristics that point to the following:
realism, naturalism, determinism, existentialism, and absurdist literature. In addition to these terms,
it is also imperative that students learn the vocabulary provided in the glossaries. There will be a
test given at some time during the first week of school on both vocabulary and basic short story
knowledge (including authors, settings, character motivations, themes, and symbols found in the
short stories as well as the terms mentioned above). All of these things will provide a basis upon
which to build throughout the course.
(2) The second part of the assignment requires students to compose essays which answer specific
prompts listed on page two of this assignment.
Students are required to write three (3) essays (one of each type):
1. An expository/explanation (explain using details from text)
2. A persuasive essay (persuade your reader that your ideas are valid)
3. A comparison/contrast essay (compare and contrast characters, ideas, or works)
These are NOT necessarily 5-paragraph (FCAT type) essays. They are simply essays with a specific purpose.
The purpose is to answer the prompt(s) provided in a clear, organized, and complete manner (well-organized,
well-developed, and well-supported). Please refer to the prompt choices provided on the following page.
Remember, only choose three (3) of the prompts to answer; however, be sure to answer one (1) of each
specific TYPE. Students may either write these essays neatly on notebook paper IN INK or type responses in
12 pt. Times New Roman font. As this is academic writing, third person rules apply. Students are to write or
type the entire prompt that is being answered at the top of the paper. Please write EACH different essay on
separate pieces of paper as they will be handed in separately (dependent upon the purposes and prompts
chosen).
I truly look forward to working with each of you next school year. Do the work, but also enjoy the
summer!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Pearce
AP Language and Composition
Educate Yourself.
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Essay Prompt Choices for AP Summer Assignment 2012-2013
Expository/Explanation Essay (choose 1):
1. Explain how the story “Bartleby, the Scrivener” could be seen as a precursor to existentialism and
absurdist literature. Be sure to back up your ideas with details from the text.
2. Explain Harte’s purpose in using stereotypical characters in his story “The Outcasts of Poker Flat.” Be
sure to back up your ideas with details from the text.
3. Discuss the comment that Kate Chopin is making on prejudice in her story “Desiree’s Baby.” Be sure to
back up your ideas with details from the text.
4. In Sherwood Anderson’s “Hands,” explain the effect of the recurring images of the dreams and
dreaming, and the expressions related to birds. Be sure to back up your ideas with details from the text.
Persuasive Essay Choices (choose 1):
1. An allegory is an extended metaphor. “Young Goodman Brown” can be considered a moral allegory in
that the story represents something else. The reader can read the story as that of a young man who
journeys into the forest to meet the devil, or the reader can find a more symbolic meaning behind the
events. What lessons do you believe Hawthorne is trying to reveal through this short story? Be sure to
back up your ideas with details from the text.
2. Crane’s “the Open Boat” depicts men struggling against a natural world that is both destructive and
indifferent; however, the story also explores how the men create a sense of community in the midst of
trying to survive. How does Crane succeed (or not) in creating a story that effectively deals with both
themes? Be sure to back up your ideas with details from the text.
3. In “Desiree’s Baby,” Chopin creates a character who acts upon her husband’s advice to leave the
home. Use the background information about Chopin and the information in the story to discuss
whether or not Desiree acts as a result of her character, or if she acts in such a way because she is
mirroring what is expected in society.
4. Keep in mind the philosophies of Determinism and Naturalism, and explain whether or not the reader
can hold the man in “To Build a Fire” responsible for his own death.
Comparison/Contrast Choices (choose 1):
1. “Young Goodman Brown” and “Bartleby, the Scrivener” are centered around characters who withdraw
from life. The protagonists in both stories share many similarities and differences. Use passages from
both short stories to explain the reasons why both men have withdrawn from life. Then, explain the
ways in which they withdraw, and what happens as a result. Be sure to focus on the similarities AND
differences between the two characters.
2. “To Build a Fire” and “The Open Boat” are examples of naturalistic fiction. Explain how these two
stories are similar and different. What do these similarities and differences tell us about each writer’s
view of humanity and nature?
3. Compare and contrast the use of humor in Twain’s “The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County”
and Harte’s “The Outcasts of Poker Flat.”
4. Compare the relationships between men and women in “Desiree’s Baby” and “The Gift of the Magi.”
How does each author portray love and use the settings of the story to highlight their message about
love?