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: The Anglo-Saxon hero The hero’s journey Nihilism within the texts Symbols used (weaponry, armour, gold) Grendel as protagonist and antagonist in the different texts 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: 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