Marina High School: Honors English 2
Summer Reading Assignment 2014-2015
NAME: _______________________________
Overview
This summer, incoming English Honors 2 students are required to read two different texts:
Edith Hamilton’s Mythology and an abridged version of Alexandre Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo.
These books are readily available at libraries, bookstores, and through on-line vendors. (Check your local
library for copies of the assigned texts.)
Hamilton’s Mythology has gone through several different printings over the years, but the text is the
same in all editions; thus, any copy of the book is acceptable.
The Count of Monte Cristo exists in various forms. The original novel was written in French, and
there are several different abridgements and different translators. Students are encouraged to obtain an
abridged copy, translated by Lowell Bair. If this translation is not available, any abridged version of the
novel will suffice.
Rationale
The focus of Honors English 2 is world literature, and thus it is essential that students have an indepth knowledge of the myths and legends that pre-date Western writing. These stories form the basis for
some of the earliest literature in the Western world and continue to shape and influence contemporary
literature as well. Hamilton’s Mythology presents these stories in a clear and organized manner, and reading
this text will help students with the literature to be studied this year in English Honors 2.
The Count of Monte Cristo has been selected because it has literary and historical value, and it is
also an extremely enjoyable and entertaining novel. Students frequently claim this to be one of their
favorite books and find it to be an engaging summer reading experience. By having the students read the
novel over the summer, we can use it to begin the year with a discussion of analysis and essay writing,
rather than have to wait several weeks into the school year to address these essential skills.
Questions
If you have any questions about the summer reading assignments, please e-mail either Mrs. Cooper
(hcooper@hbuhsd.edu or Mr. Rasmussen (csrasmussen@hbuhsd.edu). This document will also be available
via a link on the Marina High School home page (www.marinavikings.org).
Assignments
The Count of Monte Cristo Summer Reading & Writing Assignment
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Read the abridged version of the novel.
Annotate the novel (write your notes into the book or use sticky notes) to help you keep track of plot,
characters, literary devices, etc. You should highlight and annotate anything that could be useful for
the essay prompt below. Focus on justice, injustice, vengeance, and revenge.
This reading activity is prewriting for an essay assignment on the novel during the first few weeks of
school. Your annotations will not be collected or checked; this is a task to help you comprehend the
reading.
Read the following essay prompt:
In a novel by William Styron, a father tells his son that life “is a search for justice.” Choose a
character from The Count of Monte Cristo who responds in some significant way to justice or injustice.
During the 1st few weeks of school, you will write a well-developed essay in which you analyze the
character’s understanding of justice, the degree to which the character’s search for justice is successful,
and the significance of this search for the work as a whole (In other words, what is the author’s message
(theme) about justice/injustice?) Do not merely summarize the plot.
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You may start the essay during summer break, but it is not required.
The essay will be officially assigned during the first few weeks of school.
(Assignments / directions continue on the back.)
Edith Hamilton’s Mythology Summer Reading & Writing Assignment
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Read Chapters 1-12.
Complete the written assignments below.
Pay attention to the due dates. You will receive a unit calendar for our study of mythology during
the 1st week of school with specific due dates for each assignment below.
There will be a test on these chapters at the end of our mythology unit.
Address the following questions / topics with insights and details. Must be typed.
Chapter One: The Gods Due 8/27 (first day of school)
1. Create a glossary of the major gods mentioned in this chapter. Give each name and a one to two
sentence definition/identification. List them in the order in which they are presented in the text. Do not
just provide information about the 12 Olympians. Include them and other significant characters. You
don’t need to include the Roman gods, but include the Roman names for Greek gods/goddesses.
Chapter Two: The Two Great Gods of Earth Were Created Due 2nd or 3rd week of school
2. Write a thorough and thoughtful paragraph discussing the similarities and differences between Demeter
and Dionysus. Include their personalities and actions. Explain with evidence from the text.
Chapter Three: How the World and Mankind Were Created Due 2nd or 3rd week of school
3. Bullet the eight key events of this creation story. For each bullet point, write 2-3 complete sentences
with details. Be sure they are in chronological order. Be sure your bullet points cover main ideas from
throughout the chapter.
Chapter Four: The Earliest Heroes Due 3rd week of school
4. Write a brief synopsis of Zeus’ role in each story (“Prometheus and Io,” “Europa,” The Cyclops
Polyphemus,” and “Flower-Myths: Narcissus, Hyacinth, Adonis”); then, write a paragraph analyzing
your overall opinion of Zeus based on his actions in these myths. Explain with evidence from the text.
Chapters Five and Six: Cupid and Psyche / Eight Brief Tales of Lovers Due 3rd week of school
5. What similarities do you notice between these stories and specific modern*-day love stories (either from
literature, movies, or television – include the titles)? Be sure to explain your choices. There are 9 myths
in these two chapters. You must connect to at least 5 of the myths. *modern = post ancient civilizations
Chapter Seven: The Quest of the Golden Fleece Due 4th week of school
6. Write a paragraph analyzing the admirable qualities and flawed traits that Jason demonstrates in his
story. Include specific examples from the text.
Chapter Eight: Four Great Adventures Due 4th week of school
7. What morals or lessons are presented in the stories of Phaëthon and Daedalus? Try to avoid clichés.
Include multiple morals or lessons from varying perspectives. Be sure to explain your choices with
specific examples from the text.
Chapters Nine – Twelve: Perseus, Theseus, Hercules, Atalanta (and the boar hunt) Due 4th week of school
8. Which of these heroes is the most heroic and why? Which one is the least heroic and why? Be sure to
include specific examples from the stories. (Write one paragraph to respond to each question.) Also, at
the end of each paragraph, include at least one statement that addresses the opposition (address why
someone may disagree with you, but refute his/her argument).
* “Explain with evidence from the text” means to include/incorporate direct quotations &/or paraphrase of the plot. Then analyze
each example and explain how it proves the topic/your ideas.
A note from Mrs. Cooper and Mr. Rasmussen:
 Don’t let the summer reading overwhelm you. The Count of Monte Cristo looks long, but it’s a
favorite amongst many students.
 Instead of having the mythology written assignment all due on the first day of school, we spaced it
out this year. If, however, you’d like to complete the entire assignment and get it out of the way, you
may. But, you must read Ch.1-12 by the 1st week of school.
 We look forward to seeing you all next year. Have a great summer!