AP Literature and Composition Summer Reading
Welcome to English Literature and Composition. You are about to embark on an entirely
new journey into English literature. This course is infinitely DIFFERENT than the AP Language and
Composition class that you just completed. This is not an extension of that course. Be prepared to
think about texts in an entirely new way. You have spent the last year working on expository,
argumentative and persuasive writing and thinking. You will spend your senior year learning how to
write and think analytically.
I expect you to be prepared for each new unit without me having to drag you through your
reading assignments. Our first unit is the Anglo-Saxon epic. We will study “Beowulf” and will
compare the epic poem to a modernist novel (Grendel) written in 1971 which explores the plot of
the epic from the point of view of the monster. Both of these texts should be read and annotated by
the first block period of the school year as we are jumping into the curriculum head first. If you are
not prepared you will find yourself lost from the word go. Your work for this summer is as follows:
The Easy Part
Please e-mail me a letter of introduction by June 9th. The e-mail address is
melanie.lindsey@venturausd.org. Clue me in on your learning preferences: types of literature,
assignments, class activities. Also let me know your English strengths and weaknesses. Tell me
about you: sports, hobbies, likes, dislikes etc. Tell me something about you that no one knows.
Use this e-mail as a way for us to start to get to know one another before the year begins. I will
use your e-mail addresses to set you up on the NING (which will be used for discussion) and
contact you throughout the summer so you will out of the loop if you do not send me an
introductory e-mail.
The Fun Part
This part is OPTIONAL, you will not be penalized if you cannot bring yourself to watch these
movies; they will, however give you an insight into mythology that is more alive and in depth. The
“fun” is viewing an epic film series rich in literary allusions, classical themes and characters. Yes
you can watch ALL SIX Star Wars movies, or The Harry Potter series, or even Indiana Jones.
While you will not be able to use these on the test, they will introduce you to themes, character
traits, and allusions that we will be addressing all year long. These movies have literary
connections to “Beowulf”; they are essentially modern mythology. You will be asked to draw
comparisons between the poem, the novel and the movies in your summer blogs.
The Reading Part
 Purchase and read the Seamus Heaney translation of “Beowulf”. The book can be
purchased from www.prestwickhouse.com for $13.95 or from Barnes and Noble. All works
being dealt with next year are available from this website or from Barnes and Noble. It is
recommended that you purchase all works for the year. If you cannot, please come and see
me and I will help you in any way that I can.
 Purchase and read John Gardener’s Grendel.
Be ready for a discussion on issues such as:
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The Anglo-Saxon hero
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The hero’s journey
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Nihilism within the texts
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Symbols used (weaponry, armour, gold)
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Grendel as protagonist and antagonist in the different texts
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Beowulf as hero and anti-hero
 Read Genesis, Revelation and any one of the gospels in the Bible. Many of the texts and
poems that that we will study refer to elements or events in the Bible, you need to be
familiar with the references. It is also recommended that you be comfortable with the style of
English used in the KJV. Follow the Biblical Allusions list attached. BibleGateway.com is a
great source for this information if you do not want to purchase a Bible.
The NING
 You will respond to “Beowulf”, and Grendel through a Ning. I will post discussion
topics starting August 1st, so again, it is imperative that you have e-mailed me so that
I can send you Ning info. If you do not have access to a computer over the summer,
please make a FIRE appointment with me before the end of the year so that we can
make alternate arrangements for your responses.
The Dialectical Journal
 While you do your reading, keep a dialectical journal (this will be your first grade of
the year). The left hand page of the journal is for notes on the text, the right hand
page is for questions, reflections, thoughts, ideas, recognition of patterns etc.
 I will expect you to complete reading journals throughout the year, especially for
Shakespeare and The Sound and The Fury. Many college classes use reading
journals so consider this practice.
 I have included an example of a dialectical journal. If you need more direction, there
are many examples of dialectical journals online.
The Shopping Part
For this class you will need to purchase all the texts that we are going to use. Please make sure
to purchase the specific edition that I mention so that we are all on the same page at the same
time. These works are available from prestwickhouse.com or Barnes and Noble.
1. “Beowulf” – Seamus Heaney
2. Grendel – John Gardner
3. King Lear – Shakespeare
4. The Divine Comedy – Dante Alighieri
5. Gulliver’s Travels – Swift
6. The Importance of Being Earnest – Oscar Wilde
7. The Sound and the Fury – William Faulkner
Recommended Reading (but not required)
8. How to Read Literature Like a Professor – Thomas C. Foster
All poetry will be provided, you do not need to purchase an anthology.
Should you have any questions about the course, please contact me at 289-0023 ext 2308 or at
melanie.lindsey@venturausd.org.
Have a great summer.
Yours in learning,
Captain Lindsey
Types of Novels
Type
Picaresque
Description
Presents the life story
of quick witted rogues
and their adventures
in a quick-witted style.
Examples
Moll Flanders
Don Quixote
Gothic
Combines a desolate
setting and
mysterious events to
create an atmosphere
of terror.
Frankenstein
Gothic Romance
Presents a stormy
love relationship
within a violent,
brooding atmosphere.
Wuthering Heights
Jane Eyre
Novel of Manners
Defines social mores
of a specific group,
often the uppermiddle class, which
controls the actions of
the characters.
Pride and Prejudice
Satirical
Reveals human folly
and vices through wit,
scorn, ridicule, and
exaggeration, with
hope for reform.
Gulliver’s Travels
Animal Farm
Realistic
Portrays life
objectively, without
idealization; reveals
unpleasantness.
Jude the Obscure
Great Expectations
Naturalistic
Pessimistically
portrays sordidness,
squalor, and violence
through characters
who have no control
over their destinies.
American Tragedy
Sociological
Depicts the problems
and injustices of
society; makes moral
judgments and offers
resolutions.
To Kill a Mockingbird
Lord of the Flies
Psychological
Emphasizes internal
motives, conflicts,
opinions of main
characters, which
then develop the
Siddhartha
The Stranger
Student List
Historical
Science Fiction
external action.
Centers on
individuals, society, or
events from the past,
combined with
fictional
characterizations.
Imagines the impact
of real or hypothetical
scientific
developments on
individuals or society.
Tale of Two Cities
1984
Fahrenheit 451
Regional
Represents accurately
the habits, speech,
and folklore of a
particular
geographical section.
Huckleberry Finn
Stream-ofConsciousness
Presents the total
range of thoughts,
memories,
associations of a
character in
uninterrupted, endless
flow.
Sound and Fury
Ulysses
Dialectical Journal Example
Suppose you have been assigned to read about Japan's Feudal Age and create a
dialectical journal as you read.
Paraphrases
Student Response
The emphasis of loyalty to one's lord was really obvious in
Shogun when all the samurai were willing to unquestioningly
give their lives if the Shogun commanded it.
The samurai developed their This is similar to the code of chivalry among European
own code of values known as knights. Both were loyal to their leader and received land in
bushido. (pg. 26)
return for military service
If Japan had an emperor, why did they give the power to the
Shogun?
The Shogun was a military leader, primarily. Perhaps the
Emperor depended on the Shogun to keep the peace in
The shogun held the real
return for land, as in Europe. This would mean that the
power. (pg.26)
samurai served as the standing army for the Emperor.
This is like the agricultural revolution that came to Europe
and led to a population increase there, too. This same type of
event occurred in Asia, as well. It was known as the Green
Revolution and helped to provide food to Asia’s population,
but the increase of food also led to huge population
Food surplus leads to
increases. Asia’s population is currently the largest of any
population growth. (pg.27)
continent in the world.
Peasants were armed and
"The warrior does not care if
he's called a dog or beast.
This seems a little different from the idea of being samurai. I
The main thing is winning."
know they cared about winning, but the idea of being called a
(pg.28)
dog or a beast is undignified.
On the left side: Students Paraphrase the text or jot down the quote. Make sure to include
the page number of the reference.
The paraphrases should be fairly brief (around 1-6 sentences, depending on the length of
the text).
On the right side: Respond to the reading with questions, thoughts, connections to your
own life/ the world, including current events/ things you have read or seen previously/ other
historical events, etc. The responses should be fairly lengthy (around 3-10 sentences).
The dialectical journal encourages the habit of reflective questioning
and critical reading.
Journals can be handwritten or typed. Just make sure that they are legible.
Biblical Allusions
Some of our reading in AP Lit and Comp requires knowledge of the most basic Biblical allusions.
We are NOT studying the Bible, nor am I asking you to believe anything that is in the Bible, I am
asking you to look at it as a piece of LITERATURE that is commonly referenced.
Most of the allusions that you will need to know are found in the books of Genesis and Matthew or
Luke. However a reading of the books of Exodus and Revelations will leave you more capable of
seeing references that others will not.
At the very LEAST you should do some reading or research and understand what an author is
talking about when they reference:
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The Creation
The Fall of Man
The Flood
The Mark of Cain
The Tower of Babel
Sodom and Gomorrah
Lot and his wife
The Ten Commandments
David and Goliath
The Prodigal Son
The Nativity
The Passover
The Sermon on the Mount
Lazarus
The Last Supper
The Betrayal
30 pieces of silver
Golgotha
The Crucifixion
The Resurrection
The Holy Spirit
Apocalypse
Armageddon
Doubting Thomas
The Fall of Lucifer