Summer Reading for College Prep English 10
Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin
Hello and welcome to 10thGrade English! Below you will find a brief introduction to the work you will
be reading this summer so that when school begins we can “jump right in.” Whether you choose to
read the works early in the summer or, as many of you will do, wait until the week or so before
school begins, please practice the analytical techniques described in the annotating handout and
complete the writing assignment.
Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin
This a true story of one man’s quest to discover what life is like for a victim of racism in the South.
Concerned by the lack of communication between the races and wondering what "adjustments and
discriminations" he would face as a black man in the Deep South, the late author, a journalist and self-described
"specialist in race issues," left behind his privileged life as a Southern white man to step into the body of a
stranger. In 1959, Griffin headed to New Orleans, darkened his skin and immersed himself in black society. He
traveled to several states and experienced firsthand segregation and degrading living conditions.
John Howard Griffin's groundbreaking and controversial novel about his experiences as a white man who
transforms himself with the aid of medication and dye in order to experience firsthand the life of a black man
living in the Deep South in the late 1950s is a mesmerizing tale of the ultimate sociological experiment.
-from Publishers Weekly and the School Library Journal
Please see your assignments below. Be prepared for a reading test on the second day of class. We
will then move into “round-table” discussions of the major themes presented in Black Like Me. We
will then write an essay on the book.
We will apply the situations and impact of this work in reference to other works we read and discuss
throughout the year. I truly hope you enjoy this book, and I look forward to some great discussions
the first week of school.
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Summer Reading Assignment for Black Like Me
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You may not use outside sources for this assignment. I want to see your writing and your ideas.
Choose the specified number of quotes from the reading selection (see below).
Type them using MLA format. (Use your Hacker Manual as a guide if needed.) Be sure to include
quotation marks and parenthetical citations. You must save the document so it is available for
submission to turnitin.com when school starts.
Below the quote, explain its significance. You should write 50-100 words for each quotation. I
am not interested in plot summary. We have all read the book, so explaining what happens is
not necessary. Instead, respond to the work by exploring larger issues and making connections.
The following list will give you some ideas for discussion. They should help them to illustrate the
difference between plot summary and response.
o how the quote relates to the book as a whole
o how the quote reveals insightful or provocative information
o what the quote reveals about the character(s) or the author
o how the quote develops the theme
o the tone of the quote
o how this could be the “quote of the book”
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You will choose TEN quotes from the book to discuss. It is best to keep this in mind as you read
and mark passages that seem important as you go. Otherwise, you will have to search through
the book for passages after reading, which is more work for you (see the handout on
annotating). Remember to look at the ideas for discussion above. Select passages on the
following topics:
o Self-Analysis – Choose and discuss three quotes where Griffin is analyzing his own motives,
behaviors and prejudices. What do they reveal about him?
o The Unexpected – Choose and discuss three quotes where Griffin is caught off guard by the
behavior of the people he encounters. These experiences may be positive or negative. What
do they reveal about the prejudices of the people involved? What do we learn about human
nature?
o The Lesson – Choose and discuss three quotes that illustrate the lessons that Griffin learns
from his experience. What did he gain from the experience? What truths did he reveal?
o The Response of the Public - Choose and discuss one quote concerning people’s response
when they learn of Griffin’s experiment. What do the responses reveal about racism in the
South and the political climate of the time?
Here is an example of a student’s work on a quotation from Of Mice and Men:
“You seen what they done to my dog tonight? They says he wasn’t no good to himself nor
anybody else. When they can me here I wisht somebody’d shoot me. But they won’t do
nothing like that. I won’t have no place to go, an’ I can’t get no more jobs” (57).
Candy, the ranch’s caretaker, certainly does not have an ideal life. He has does not have
any money, friends, or family. He is also practically useless on the ranch because of his
missing hand. His lack of usefulness and his lack of personal relationships must have a
strong, negative psychological affect. This is why his dog is so important. Although it is an
animal, the dog is the one thing Candy has a true relationship with, and it gives Candy a
purpose to live by giving him something to care for. Also, Candy and the dog have many
similarities. They are both old, have physical limitations, and are only a shadow of their
younger selves. These similarities create a strong bond between the two. However, the
dog is now dead, and Candy has no one to turn to for emotional support. Ironically, Candy
seems to see the euthanization of his companion as desirable, as he wishes to be treated
in the same manner. It is apparent that on the ranch, one who cannot work is quickly
discarded, and Candy clearly dreads this fate.
HOW AND WHY TO ANNOTATE
 WHY SHOULD I ANNOTATE?
Have you ever spent your valuable time reading a story or textbook assignment and then
realized that you don’t remember anything you just read? This is not an uncommon occurrence,
BUT the question remains: What can I do so that I REMEMBER what I have read? The answer:
annotate!
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A good reader should be actively involved in what they are reading. This helps you
comprehend and retain what you read. You should read with a pen/pencil and highlighter in
hand. Many readers take notes while they read, but annotating is a superior method of
active reading.
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Note-Taking vs. Annotating:
Serious readers often take notes of some kind when they carefully consider a text, but
many/most readers are too casual about their note-taking. Too late, they realize what notes
they have jotted down are incomplete and/or too random. Then the reader, if he/she is
conscientious, will have to go back and reread in order to get the notes he/she missed the
first time OR just not worry about it. Wouldn’t it have been better to have remembered
more the first time? Many students only take notes when they are cramming for test,
convinced it is better than nothing. Students can improve the depth of their reading
retention and comprehension over longer periods of time if they develop a systematic form
of annotating. This is not difficult and can be adapted to fit one’s own personal style.
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What is the difference between note-taking and annotating?
 Note-taking is reading the text and writing on a separate sheet your thoughts, ideas,
and/or a summary of what is read.
 Annotating, however, is making notes in the margins, above and around, directly onto
the text.
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Why is annotating better?
 First, this system is simply more practical than note-taking:
1. The notes are WITH the text and can’t be lost like sheets of paper or a notebook.
2. The notes are CLOSE to the text being referred to, so it is easy to look back at the
original information.
3. This close interactive physical connection to the text helps improve the RETENTION
of what has just been read.
 Most importantly, the reader gets a deeper initial reading and an understanding of the
text that lasts. This approach literally connects the reader to the author and allows
him/her to question the author’s intentions and purpose and even to argue or
compliment the author’s tactics—INTERACTION.
 When you have to come back to the text—either to write an essay or to prepare for a
test—that first interaction you had with the text is still with you and makes the
preparation for the assignment or test easier.
 HOW DO I ANNOTATE?
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Tools and Format for Annotating:
1. Highlighters — Highlight any important or interesting passages. Yellow is the best color
to use because it emphasizes without interfering, but if you like to use other colors or
even to designate topics or themes to each color, feel free to do what works for you.
Just remember not to highlight too much or it loses its importance. Also, remember that
if you do use multiple colors, you are adding more items to keep up with when you
annotate. I simply use symbols to represent my codes in whatever pen or pencil that I
happen to have available with me when I read.
2. Pencil/Pen – Make frequent marginal notes to help you find important events,
characters, etc. so that later you can easily locate them. Pencil is best because you can
erase your mistakes. If you decide to use ink, be careful it is not “wet ink” or it will sink
into the pages and disturb your reading on the other pages.
3. Symbols can be used to indicate important passages or moments in the book. Check
marks/stars (1 star is important, 2 stars is very important, etc.), question marks (for a
confusing passage), arrows, brackets, and a word to indicate key ideas. Use whatever
works for you. I use stars for important PLOT moments. I draw rectangles around words I
question or might not understand the usage of in that particular passage.
4. Post-it Notes are not necessary, but can be helpful, especially if you have large
handwriting or if the book has small margins. These are very easy to go back and find
later. You can even use colorful ones for different purposes: pink for themes, orange for
characters, etc. However, remember that if you do use multiple colors, you are adding
more items to keep up with when you annotate.
5. The Book—Use the front cover or any blank pages in the front or back. List key
characters or key moments, themes, connections to other works or characters, passages
about the novel’s title, memorable quotations, etc. This part will vary depending upon
what type of work you are annotating. It is also a good idea to stop at the end of each
chapter and write a short summary or list of important events in the chapter.
Make better use of your reading time so that you will remember what
you read. Work smarter, not harder!!!