Holcombe/DeVesty 2013
Independent Contemporary Novel Project
For this quarter project, you will read one contemporary novel that you have not
read before (use the provided list to choose your novel). While reading the novel,
consider the various literary elements and techniques as described in detail below.
As you are aware, the nature of the AP exam is such that while you cannot know
exactly what will be on the test, you can practice by applying literary analyses to a variety
of works. As a result, being well-read is extremely beneficial – both for this course and for
your future collegiate endeavors. The purpose of this assignment is to expose you to a
contemporary work that we wouldn’t otherwise have the chance to study in class. The
hope is that you will both benefit from and enjoy the opportunity to choose your work of
study.
Due Dates:
 Read your assigned novel in accordance with the chunked deadlines provided for
you in class.
o Novel chosen and acquired by: September 8th
o Half of novel read by: September 16th*
o Suggested completed novel due: September 26th
o Sections I-IV checked for completion via turnitin.com: October 17th
o Final project submitted in its entirety via turnitin.com: October 27th
 This assignment will NOT be accepted late. If you are absent, you should still
make plans to turn it in remotely. Remember: You received this assignment the
first week of school. No excuses.
*Expect a general novel quiz any date after this point.
Formatting Directions:
 All answers in your final product should be typed in Times New Roman font, size
12, with the standard 1 inch margins on each side.
 Label all categories appropriately. Single space each item of a category, and
double space between them.
 Though you may complete this project in any order you choose, your answers
need to be in the order of the directions provided.
 There should be a header on each page with your last name and a page number.
 A title page should be included with your name, the title and author of your novel,
and the date and period of your class.
Grading
This quarter-long project will count as your quarter exam grade. You are being
given this assignment on the first week of school so that you can be confident and have
plenty of time to create a quality product. This is an opportunity to plan exam grade,
which may be especially helpful for students who are finding adjusting to the
expectations of a college level course challenging.
Devesty/Holcombe 2012
Components of Analysis
Directions: Complete the following for your contemporary novel.
I. Plot and Structure
a. Write a couple sentences about each of the following parts of the structure of your
story: Exposition, Complication, Crisis, Climax, Resolution
b. In TWO paragraphs discuss the significance of the structure of the story, considering
its arrangement and purpose and analyze this importance in relationship to the
conflict and its developments. DO NOT SIMPLY RETELL THE STORY. Analyze. Use at
least TWO quotations from the book to support your ideas. (For example: the
significance of chronological order vs. beginning in medias res; the use of flashbacks
as a primary literary device; the use of multiple narrators; etc.)
II. Characterization
a. Give a different (a.) character trait, (b.) a quotation, and (c.) an 3-sentenceminimum explanation for EACH of the following ways a character is developed:
1. Character’s action
2. Character’s appearance
3. Character’s thoughts
4. Character’s words
5. Statements/thoughts of another character about the protagonist
6. Statements of the author as storyteller or observer
b. Discuss a flat or static minor character who played a major role in the story. Cite 4
passages from the novel to describe this character. What was this character’s role
and why was it significant?
III. Point of View
a. Discuss what point of view (or points of view) was used in the novel: first person,
second person, third person omniscient, limited third person, etc. Why did the
author choose that point of view? Cite from the novel to support your ideas.
This should be at least a well-developed paragraph.
IV. Setting
Discuss the following purposes/functions of setting in relationship to your novel. Cite
(quote) 2 examples from the text to support your ideas. NOTE: ONLY DISCUSS 3 OF
THE 7.
a. Setting and Character
b. Setting AS a character
c. Setting and symbols
d. Setting and atmosphere
e. Setting and Irony
f. Contrasting settings
Holcombe/DeVesty 2013
V. Style
a. As you read the novel, look for examples of the following literary elements. Number
each literary device and label with
(a) the literary element;
(b) the quotation as the example and page number; and
(c) an explanation of how this example enhances the plot, theme, character
development, etc.
Do any ten.
analogy
euphemism
metaphor
hyperbole
parallelism
oxymoron
connotation
atmosphere/mood
personification
aphorism
extended metaphor
simile
metonym
satire
understatement
pedantic
allusion
synecdoche
colloquialism
homily
paradox
syllogism
ambiguity
repetition
inference
alliteration
didactic
imagery
conceit
apostrophe
invective
VI. Diction
Explain your take on the author’s overall use of diction in your novel. Write a
substantial paragraph in which you analyze the word choice. You may wish to select a
particular passage to use as your example. Below are some elements of diction that you
may wish to include in your discussion:
 formal/high, neutral/middle, informal/low
 specific vs. general
 concrete vs. abstract
 denotation vs. connotation
VII. Symbolism
Discuss one potential symbol from your novel. In addition to your initial explanation, cite
three quotes that illustrate the symbol, followed by 2-3 sentences that explain the symbolism
and its significance.
VIII. Idea and Theme
Discuss two main ideas/themes in the novel. Discuss how/where you discovered the
idea/theme: direct statements by the authorial voice, direct statements by the firstperson speaker, dramatic statements made by characters, figurative language, characters
who stand for ideas, the work itself as it represents ideas.
 You should have one paragraph for each idea/theme. Each paragraph should
include at least two quotes that exemplify this theme. Each quote should be
followed by two-three sentences of specific analysis about those quotes.
Devesty/Holcombe 2012
Contemporary Novels
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Zora Neale Hurston
An enduring Southern love story sparkling with wit, beauty, and heartfelt wisdom. Told in the
captivating voice of a woman who refuses to live in sorrow, bitterness, fear, or foolish romantic
dreams, it is the story of fair-skinned, fiercely independent Janie Crawford, and her evolving selfhood
through three marriages and a life marked by poverty, trials, and purpose.
A Thousand Acres
Jane Smiley
A successful Iowa farmer decides to divide his farm between his three daughters. When the youngest
objects, she is cut out of his will.This sets off a chain of events that brings dark truths to light and
explodes long-suppressed emotions. A Thousand Acres takes on themes of truth, justice, love, and
pride, and reveals the beautiful yettreacherous topography of humanity.
The Secret Life of Bees
Sue Monk Kidd
Set in South Carolina in 1964, The Secret Life of Bees tells the story of Lily Owens, whose life has
been shaped around the blurred memory of the afternoon her mother was killed. Taken in by an
eccentric trio of black beekeeping sisters, Lily is introduced to their mesmerizing world of bees and
honey, and the Black Madonna.
All the Pretty Horses
Cormac Mccarthy
The tale of John Grady Cole, who at sixteen finds himself at the end of a long line of Texas ranchers,
cut off from the only life he hasever imagined for himself. With two companions, he sets off for
Mexico on a sometimes idyllic, sometimes comic journey to a place where dreams are paid for in
blood.
Catch-22
Joseph Heller
Set in Italy during World War II, this is the story of the incomparable, malingering bombardier,
Yossarian, a hero who is furious because thousands of people he has never met are trying to kill him.
But his real problem is not the enemy—it is his own army
All the King’s Men
Robert Penn Warren
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, this classic book is generally regarded as the finest novel ever written on
American politics. It describes the career of Willie Stark, a back-country lawyer whose idealism is
overcome by his lust for power.
The Handmaid’s Tale
Margaret Atwood
In the world of the near future, who will control women's bodies? Funny, unexpected, horrifying, and
altogether convincing, The Handmaid's Tale is at once scathing satire, dire warning, and tour de force.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Ken Kesey
With One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Kesey created a work without precedent in American
literature, a novel at once comic and tragic that probes the nature of madness and sanity, authority
and vitality.
She’s Come Undone
Wally Lamb
In this extraordinary coming-of-age odyssey, Wally Lamb invites us to hitch a wild ride on a journey of
love, pain, and renewal with the most heartbreakingly comical heroine to come along in years.
One Hundred Years of Solitude
Gabriel Garcia Marquez
One Hundred Years of Solitude tells the story of the rise and fall, birth and death of the mythical town
of Macondo through the history of the Buendía family. Inventive, amusing, magnetic, sad, and alive
with unforgettable men and women, this novel is a masterpiece in the art of fiction.