ENG IV AP: Ms. Maclin
2015 Summer Reading Assignment
During the summer, all students are expected to continue the habit of reading, both
for enjoyment and as a supplement to their upcoming literary studies. With these
goals in mind, Ms. Maclin chooses texts to enhance each student’s understanding of
the curriculum as well as to provide a new or different reading experience.
This year, incoming AP English IV students will read and annotate both texts below.
All AP English IV students must have the annotated copy of their text as well as any
notes with them on the first day of school. Students will complete an in-class
assignment on that day.
Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward
Madea by Euripides
Jesmyn Ward, the National Book Award-winning author of Salvage the Bones says of
her novel, “It’s about family, loyalty; about love. It’s about attempting to find your
way in the world.” Described by the critics as “raw,” “fierce,” and “poetic,” initially
Salvage the Bones is not easy to relate to. But its heroine, motherless Esch, a
pregnant, “precocious, passionate and sensitive” 14-year-old with an obsession for
Greek myths and Medea in particular, is a character anyone can warm to. With the
menace of Hurricane Katrina advancing on the family, the story takes on mythical
dimensions, evoking the drama and desperation of classical tragedy.
ASSIGNMENT
You are to read and annotate Salvage the Bones (see notes on annotation) with an
eye to gaining some understanding of the world that Esch and her brothers come
from, a world of abandonment, neglect, deprivation, deep, desperate attachments,
and blood-letting. In Medea, we find similar elements. As you annotate, look for
parallels between the two works. Bring both books to your first full day of class.
(**You are not required to annotate Medea, and I will not be checking that text, but
for your own understanding, it makes sense to do so, as you will be writing an essay
on what it is in Medea that resonates so much with Esch.)
Book Annotations: Below are some of the elements that you should consider and
mark in your texts and come to class prepared to discuss intelligently:
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Style
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Diction
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Imagery
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Allusions
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Irony
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Characterization
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Literary Elements
Point of View
Syntax
Similarities and differences between the two works (this will mostly concern
theme)
Theme
Vocabulary
Typewritten Notes: Type out your responses to the following questions, using the
same a, b, c, format. Answers to all the questions should be derived from your
annotations and then formulated into typewritten notes, using your most
sophisticated expression and correct MLA. First person is permitted. (By now, it is
assumed that you have internalized the prohibition against “to be” verbs, so,
although their use should of course be minimal, there will be no penalty for each
occasion they are used. When we begin class, you will be writing an essay on a
theme common to both works, so keep that in mind when deciding on your answers.
Submit hard copy of your typewritten notes on the first full day of class.
a. Epigraphs: Review the term epigraph, and, after reading the three epigraphs at
the beginning of the novel, comment on their relevance to the novel’s themes.
b. Subject: In the first three chapters of Salvage the Bones, several types of love are
mentioned (at least ten). Identify five, and comment on which one you believe is the
most important and why.
c. Style: Salvage the Bones has been praised for its poetic style. Do you recognize it?
Select a passage that is rich in imagery and literary elements (no less than a full
paragraph) from the novel, reproduce it in your notes, and analyze its style. What
imagery, figurative language, rhetorical or sound devices were used and to what
effect?
d. Allusions: Besides Medea, Esch refers to other mythical figures. Find the allusions,
and explain in full the stories of at least two of the characters mentioned. What
purpose do they serve in the narrative?
e. Characterization: How do the protagonists of each work reveal themselves? Write
a paragraph about your impression of the two female characters. In Esch’s case, take
your clues from the first chapter alone. In Medea’s case, you will need to consider
the entire play.
f. Chapter Titles: In Salvage the Bones, the titles of some of the chapters may contain
more than one meaning. Select two, and comment on what else the title could be
referring to.
g. Point of View: Salvage the Bones is written completely from the first person point
of view; that is, solely through the eyes of Esch. She is the only one telling the story,
so the reader must decide whether she is a reliable or an unreliable narrator. Are
her impressions of the events and characters in the stories believable? Based on
your annotations, write a full response giving your opinion and citing relevant
textual evidence to corroborate your ideas.
h. Theme: Identify the main subjects in the two works, then determine the theme
(what the author seems to be saying about that subject) and type, MLA-style, at least
two thematic statements for each literary work. (What is a thematic statement?
Isolate a universal subject from the book, usually one word, (love, marriage, war,
alienation, etc.) and then explain the author’s view on that subject (usually a full
statement of theme).
i. Figurative Language: In her novel, Ward composes unusual similes and metaphors.
Choose three and fully explain their effect. What imagery is conjured up? How apt is
the comparison? See if you can determine the common origin of many of her similes.
j. Poetry: Find a poem written by a well-established, anthologized poet that mirrors
a situation found in Salvage the Bones. Include a copy of the poem in your notes and
in a paragraph or so, explain why the poem you chose is relevant to the novel.
Rubric for Written Notes for Salvage the Bones and Medea
Name: ____________________________________ Block _______
Grade
MLA
Observations on epigraphs and quotations
Types of love and commentary
Allusions (two), description and purpose to
enhancing the narrative
Style analysis and effect
Figurative language and other literary elements
Characterization: Esch and Medea
Point of View and Chapter Titles
Theme
Poem
Your annotated novel and typewritten notes will be taken up on the first full day
of AP English. If you are not prepared, and do not bring this assignment to your
first AP ENG class, then your commitment to the class will be questioned, and
you may find yourself being transferred to regular English for your senior year.
As soon as the class roster is official, you will be required to submit your
responses to turnitin.com.
Please note, we are aware of the study guides online and, while they may be
useful in some ways, we advise staying away from them, as they offer mostly
pedestrian interpretations of the work, and we would far rather hear what you
have to say.
Finally, if you run into any difficulties and consider it important enough to
disrupt our summer, please feel free to contact me (bmaclin@bdcs.org) for any
clarification. I am happy to assist hardworking students. We look forward to
getting to know and work with you in your senior year. Have a great summer,
and happy reading!
Maclin AP ENG IV Annotation Notes
WHY you are required to do this: Annotating, on its most simple level, means
marking the page with comments, notes, and questions as you read. The primary
reason you should annotate a text is to aid you in your understanding of themes,
symbols, motifs, allusions, and purpose. When important passages occur, mark them
so that they can be easily located when it comes time to write an essay or respond to
the book. Marking key ideas and passages will enable you to write about or discuss
the reading with more textual support, evidence, and/or proof than if you rely on
memory. This is a skill that you should carry into college and beyond.
HOW to go about it:
o When annotating, you will have to get over your resistance to marking up a
nice, new book.
o The more permanent your annotations are the better. In time, pencil fades, so
pen is best.
o Highlighting alone without accompanying comments is not acceptable. You
may not remember why you highlighted that particular passage if there is no
commentary.
o Use different colors; perhaps blue for figurative language, yellow for sound
devices, green for diction, orange for character development, etc.
o Highlighting stands out from the page and allows you to scan a page quickly
for information. BUT BEWARE, do not mark too much. If everything is
highlighted or underlined, then nothing stands out as important.
o If you find annotating distracts from your enjoyment of the novel, then go
back and do it later.
WHAT to look for:
o anything that will help you answer the questions above
o point of view
o shifts
o key words, phrases, or sentences
o questions or comments you have about the works
o important ideas or passages
o motifs, connecting ideas, or repetitions
o juxtapositions, antithesis, rhetorical strategies
o literary devices or evidence of the author’s STYLE
o passages that are important to the understanding of the work, and then
commenting on their significance
o words that are unfamiliar and then defining them in the margin
o passages that you liked for whatever reason (explain)
o passages you disliked for whatever reason (explain)
o allusions—look them up, they may be important
o character description
o literary elements (symbolism, theme, foreshadowing, etc.)
o figurative language (similes, metaphors, personification, etc.)
o plot elements (setting, mood, conflict, etc.)
o diction (effective or unusual word choice)
o unfamiliar vocabulary words—look them up and write out the definition
WHAT I’m looking for:
o intelligent comments
o an accurate sense of the passage and what’s going on
o observations beyond the obvious (“Wow!” “She died,” “He’s sad” etc. don’t cut
it).
o literary elements beyond similes—look for anaphora, polysyndeton,
synecdoche, etc. maybe even logos, ethos, or pathos!
o sustained, relevant comments on passages that relate to meaning. Isolated
random comments on every page don’t mean much.
o comments that can be shared and discussed in class
WHEN to annotate:
o any time day or night
o when you are free of all electronic distractions
o in the car (as long as someone else is driving)
o at the carwash
o at your brother’s t-ball game
o at your sister’s piano recital
o while waiting for your ride
o before you fall asleep at night
o first thing when you wake up in the morning (your parents will be
impressed)
o whenever you get bored with texting, swimming, hanging out with friends,
watching movies, etc.
o whenever your mom or dad come looking for you to do chores