Summer Reading Assignment for English 1 Honors
Over the summer you are required to read Night by Elie Wiesel and Mythology by Edith Hamilton and
complete the following assignments detailed below by the first day of school.
Part I
Elie Wiesel’s Night
(Suggested ISBN 9780374500016)
Active Reading:
• As you read, underline/highlight and label irony, metaphors, similes, personification, imagery,
and any other literary devices you find
• Every time you see the word night or silence circle it.
• Box and look up any unfamiliar words as you read
• Highlight/underline and star important quotes.
**Needs to be your own book with your own annotations
Literary Analysis
You are required to write a 1-2 page literary analysis on each of the following sections of the book:
1. Commentary #1: Foreword-pg. 28
2. Commentary #2: pgs. 29-84
3. Commentary #3: pgs. 85-115.
Your analysis should include your personal thoughts and commentary on the reading. You may
comment on a section and apply it to a theme or use a quote and comment on it. You may not,
however, just summarize what you have read.
Part II
Edith Hamilton’s Mythology
(Suggested ISBN 9780316223331)
Selected Reading for Mythology by Edith Hamilton:
• Introduction to Classical Mythology
• Part One: The Gods, The Two Great Gods of Earth, How the World and Mankind Were Created
• Part Two: Cupid and Psyche, Eight Brief Tales of Lovers, The Quest of the Golden Fleece, Four
Great Adventures
• Part Three: Perseus, Theseus, Hercules
• Part Four: The Trojan War, The Fall of Troy, The Adventures of Aeneas
•
Extra Credit: Read Part One (The Earliest Heroes) and Part Six. Write a short summary of each
extra myth you read.
Directions:
After reading the assigned sections of Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes by Edith
Hamilton, prepare the following reading assignment. Type or write neatly in complete sentences.
Be sure to annotate your book as you read as there will be a book check during the first week of
class. Please bring your assignment and book to class on the first day.
Introduction to Classical Mythology
1. What is the difference between primitive and classical mythology?
2. How did the Greeks make their gods in comparison to Egyptians and Mesopotamia?
3. According to the most modern idea, a real myth has nothing to do with religion. It is an
explanation of what?
4. Explain the difference between myths and tales.
Part One: The Gods, the Creation, and the Earliest Heroes
Chapter 1, The Gods
5. The Greeks consider Heaven and Earth the first parents. Who were their children?
6. Who was the most important Titan?
7. Describe 2-3 of the notable Titans.
8. Create a glossary of the major gods mentioned in this chapter. Give each name and a one to two
sentence definition/identification. List them in the order in which they are presented in the text.
Do not just provide information about the 12 Olympians. Include them and other significant
characters. You don’t need to include the Roman gods, but be familiar with the Roman names for
Greek gods/goddesses.
Chapter 2, The Two Great Gods of the Earth
9. Summarize the story of Demeter and Persephone.
10. Give at least 5 facts about Dionysus.
Chapter 3, How The World and Mankind Were Created
11. Summarize the Greek story of the creation of the world.
12. Describe the five races of man.
13. What does Pandora mean, why was she created, and what did she do?
14. What happened to Prometheus? Why?
Part Two: Stories of Love and Adventure
Chapter 5 and 6, Cupid and Psyche and Eight Brief Tales of Lovers
15. What similarities do you notice between these stories and specific modern-day love stories (either
from literature, movies, or television – include the titles)? Be sure to explain your choices.
Response should be 5-7 sentences.
Chapter 7: The Quest of the Golden Fleece
16. What admirable qualities and flawed traits does Jason demonstrate in this story? Include specific
examples from the text. Response should be 5-7 sentences.
Chapter 8: Four Great Adventures
17. What morals or lessons are presented in the stories of Phaëthon and Daedalus? Be sure to explain
your choices with specific examples from the text
Part Three: The Great Heroes Before the Trojan War
Chapter 9-11: Perseus, Theseus, and Hercules
18. Which of these heroes is the most heroic and why? Which one is the least heroic and why? Be sure
to include specific examples from the stories. (Write one paragraph to respond to each question.)
Also, at the end of each paragraph, include at least one statement that addresses the opposition.
Part Four: The Heroes of the Trojan War
Chapter 13, The Trojan War
19. What was the cause of the Trojan War?
20. Name someone who was destined to die in battle.
21. What saved Paris when he faced Menelaus in battle?
22. What saved Aeneas when he faced Diomedes in battle?
23. Why does Patroclus put on Achilles’ armor? What happens to Patroclus because of this?
24. Who killed Hector? Why? Who finally got Hector’s body for burial?
Chapter 14, The Fall of Troy
25. In her attempt to make Achilles invulnerable, what had his mother, Thetis, done when he was
born?
26. Who got Achilles arms (armor)? What did that decision mean?
27. What famous trick was devised to get the Greeks into Troy?