AP English Literature and Composition Summer Reading
Ms. Rosenburg
Room 209
I. Summer Reading
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
You may buy the above books from any distributor, bookstore, or locate at your local library.
1. You are expected to read the books listed above, unabridged, during the summer and be ready to be
TESTED on each one as of the first week of classes. The evaluation will be detailed and demanding.
2. Study guides (such as CliffsNotes and SparkNotes) may NEVER be used as a substitute for the
reading assigned or as a resource, although you will often need to refer to outside sources for
information related to the text for the Data Sheet.
II. Summer Writing
1. Complete a Data Packet (you must see me to get a copy of this packet-Room 209 or Guidance)
for Pride and Prejudice. The purpose of the Data Packet is for you to create your own study guide for
the novel. Each section is to be approached analytically, not literally.
For example, the section on setting requires that you identify not only the physical location of the
plot(s), but also the atmosphere and significance of that location. Write or type neatly and legibly.
2. See me for the marginal notes handout. Complete the following assignments for Crime and
Punishment:
a. Trace the Lazarus and Christ allusions throughout Crime and Punishment and
determine their effects on the novel as a whole.
b. Summarize the various dreams present in the novel and discuss the insight each
reveals about the dreamer.
c. Consider the theme of suffering in the novel by answering these three questions: (a)
Who suffers? (b) Why do they suffer? (c) What is the effect of the suffering on each
character? You must ultimately formulate a general statement regarding Dostoevsky’s
use of suffering in the novel.
III. Upcoming Mythology and Folklore Pageant
You will each represent a god, goddess, person, or entity at the pageant (you will receive an entry card
showing the name of the entity you are to represent). On that day, you must be dressed for the part and
must have at least one significant or symbolic attribute. The presentation itself will consist of the most
important details on the half-sheet study guide that you must provide for each member of the
“audience.”
You must (1) dress for the part, (2) provide a copy of the completed half-sheet for everyone, and (3) be
able to identify the most important element of this person or figure. At the end of the period, there will
be an opportunity to elect the winner of the pageant, who will be awarded five extra-credit points
(students may not vote for themselves).
(Do not put this work off until September.)
Your half-sheet study guide must be typed and include the following. Please use complete sentences.
Name (and origin) of entity:
Attribute or defining characteristic:
Function/significance in literature/culture:
Summary of myth/legend/tale:
Mythology Resources for Students:
Literature:
Mythology by Edith Hamilton
Web Sites:
Oxford Classical Mythology Online
www.classicalmythology.org
The online companion guide to Classical Mythology, 7th edition, by Mark P. O. Morford and Robert J.
Lenardon is an excellent glossary that students and teachers can use directly from the Web. It can also
be printed and photocopied.
Mythweb
www.mythweb.com/index.html
This searchable encyclopedia of Greek mythology is a thorough source of information for teachers and
students.
Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
www.fact-index.com/l/li/list_of_biblical_figures.html
For biblical sources, I prefer this encyclopedic resource, which provides detailed and multi-perspective
entries on important biblical terms.
Mythology Terms to Know:
Achilles
Adonis
Aeneas
Ares/Mars
Argus
Athena/Minerva
Atlas
Augean stables
Bacchus/Dionysus
Hiawatha
Judgment of Paris
Jupiter/Zeus
Laocoön
Leda
Midas
Nemesis
Odin
Cassandra
Cerberus
Ceres/Demeter
chimera
Circe
Daedalus
Damocles
Delphic oracle
Electra
Pan
Pandora’s Box
Paris
Parnassus
Prometheus
Proteus
Pygmalion
Romulus and Remus
Any questions at any time, email Ms. Rosenburg at
baboobites@yahoo.com
Elysian Fields
fauns
Golden Fleece
Hades
Holy Grail
Hector
Henry, John
Hera/Juno
Hermes
Scylla and Charybdis
Sisyphus
Tiresias
Titan
Vesta
Zephyr
Venus/Aphrodite