English III Summer Reading - The Adventures of Tom Sawyer – Mark Twain.
This novel will be closely connected to the English III curriculum as it will be heavily referred to and
analyzed in comparison to Huckleberry Finn during English III. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer will
also be a part of the final exam, so it is imperative that you read this novel closely and carefully. You
are expected to read this during the summer as there will not be any class time or assigned reading
time dedicated to this work during the school semester.
You can download the novel electronically or purchase it here:
http://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Sawyer-Dover-ThriftEditions/dp/0486400778/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1432829914&sr=82&keywords=the+adventures+of+tom+sawyer
Part I: Read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer – Mark Twain

While reading, annotate for content (major moments of epiphany, conflicts, character
development) and literary techniques (characterization, setting, figurative language, style (diction
and syntax), theme, tone). Note passages that interest you, as you will need them for the
assignment part two.
Part II: Create a dialectical journal that will explore the intricacies of style, theme, tone, and technique.

You should complete this journal electronically. You may not copy notes from other sources. The
notes in the journal need to show me that you’ve read the ENTIRE novel, so do not stop just
because you hit the minimum required number of entries if you have not gotten to the end of the
novel. You should also vary your focus of discussion. Go beyond the surface and prove to me that
you have not only read the novel carefully but have also analyzed it in its entirety.

Your dialectical journal should encompass passages from different areas of the novel covering
different topics. You should clearly label the entry with the topic you are choosing to focus on for
the analysis portion. The minimum requirement is 10 entries. These entries need to cover a
variety of passages from beginning through to the end of the novel. In other words, all your
passages cannot be from the first 20 pages of the book.

You should set up your journal as follows:
PASSAGE
ANALYSIS
LABEL THE ELEMENT OF FOCUS
Use MLA format to cite your quotes.
COMMENTARY—Discuss why the quote is important. How
Here you should include quotes that does it contribute to the work as a whole (theme)? What does it
you find interesting, intriguing,
suggest/describe/foreshadow? How does it portray characteristics
enticing, etc. Look for passages that of a certain character OR how does it show their development?
embrace the novel’s themes, author’s What does this quote illustrate about a character or his/her
style, character development, literary motivations?
techniques, motifs, etc.
The following example is from To Kill a Mockingbird:
PASSAGE
ANALYSIS
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT – COMING OF AGE
“Atticus was right. One time he
said you never really know a man
As this quote is taken from the end of the novel, Lee comes
until you stand in his shoes and
full circle in portraying Scout as an innocent, naïve
walk around in them. Just standing protagonist to one that has been influenced by the world and
on the Radley porch was enough”
has come to form her own opinions. Here, Scout embraces the
(Lee 232).
compassion that the society lacks. At the beginning of the
novel, Scout partakes in the mocking of Boo, but after
“walking around in [Boo’] shoes,” Scout sees that he is an
unfortunately misunderstood character in a gossipy town.
*As you can see in this example, it is evident that the entire novel was read carefully, the quote is
carefully analyzed with insightful thought, and the literary technique (character development) is
detailed.
Here is a second example from The Scarlet Letter:
PASSAGE
ANALYSIS
“The door of the jail being flung
SYMBOLISM - THEME
open from within, there appeared,
The door was flung open which shows the power of the town
in the first place, like a black
beadle. But he is compared in the simile “like a black shadow”
shadow emerging into the
which connects the beadle with the pervading dark imagery of
sunshine, the grim and grisly
the Puritan environment. A black shadow is threatening,
presence of the town beadle”
foreboding, oppressive. This image of black seems to continue
(Hawthorne 32).
throughout this novel.
*As you can see in this example, it is evident that the novel’s themes were understood clearly, the
quote is carefully analyzed with insightful thought, and the literary technique (symbolism) is
detailed.
****REMEMBER, YOU ARE ANALYZING THE PASSAGES!!! DO NOT SIMPLY
RESTATE/SUMMARIZE THE PASSAGE/PLOT****
The following is criteria for how these journals will be graded:
Quotations and Coverage should demonstrate a comprehensive and highly insightful understanding of
the significant ideas in quotes. Chosen passages should be worthy of in-depth analysis and should cover
the entire scope of the novel.
Interpretation should cover the proficient analysis of Twain’s use of language, themes, and aspects of
the text. Interpretation should show incredible insight and thorough thought.
Literary Elements should cover a variety of stylistic devices used by the author (figurative language,
irony, tone, mood, diction, imagery, syntax, etc.) and should be analyzed in terms of how they contribute
to the overall novel.
Presentation should be neat, organized, and clear. Proficient grammar, mechanics, and sentence structure
is expected.
This assignment is due on the first day of school. (August 19th 2015) This is regardless if you have
English III in the Spring or in the Fall.
If you have any questions, email me at kridley@delmarvachristian.com
Have a great summer!
Ms. Ridley