Honors English 4 and AP Literature and Composition
Summer Reading Assignment 2014-15
Pamela Kiel
Pamela_Kiel@catawbaschools.net
Welcome to Honors English 4 and for some of you next semester, AP English Literature and
Composition. This class will focus on preparing you for the rigors of college-level reading and writing
as well as for the national Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition exam in May. We
will explore a wide variety of American, British and world texts through the summer reading and
throughout the school year. Enjoy your summer; I look forward to seeing you next year prepared and
ready to share your thoughts and ideas.
*All summer reading assignments are due the 2nd day of school in the fall.
Part I Novel Reading
You will be reading Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, which you may obtain from our library, the public
library, or you may choose to purchase your own. Do NOT read an abridged version. I strongly
suggest annotating this book as you read, noting passages/quotes that puzzle, surprise, or confuse you
as well as passages that you find illuminating to your understanding of the book and of human nature
(these often will include irony, character motivation, theme, symbolism, etc.). Expect a reading quiz
on the book on the second day of school.
Part II Critical Analysis
1. After having read Frankenstein, find 2 critical/analytical reviews or commentaries on your novel.
You may easily access these through the SSHS Media’s website, by going to the Research Help
Desk, selecting Bloom’s Literary database and using the log-in: st-stephenshs password:
indians. Include copies of these articles (with sources cited correctly in MLA format) to submit
with your responses. We also have many of these in the reference section of our library as does
the public library. Shmoop, Sparknotes and Wikipedia should NOT be used for this section.
2. Read and annotate these texts. React to the critics in one paragraph per criticism. Whether you
agree or disagree the critic’s position, make sure to include your reasoning to support your
argument for or against the critic’s. You could note anything novel or illuminating in the critic’s
discussion, anything that bothers you about his/her interpretation, etc. Highlight/write on your
copy of the criticism and refer to it in your paragraph.
Part III Literary Criticism Selection
1.
Find a copy of Thomas Foster’s How to Read Literature like a Professor. I recommend Amazon
or Half.com for new/used copies; however, Barnes and Noble has been forewarned that
SSHS students will be looking for this text. The public libraries also have copies.
2.
Read the book (it is easy and entertaining) and complete the attached assignment for How to
Read Literature like a Professor by the second day of class. Whenever possible, use
Frankenstein to complete sections of this assignment. (For example, you should use
Frankenstein to respond to Ch. 10 on weather, but you won’t be able to use it for Ch. 20 since it is
about poetry).
Do not rely on online resources only. Our library will be open on Tuesdays this summer and the
public library is accessible daily. Both have much richer resources with far less searching.
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Part IV. Literary Merit
1. Was this book worth reading? Why or why not? Support with specific reasoning.
2. Who is the best audience for this novel? Why?
3. What historical/social or cultural information can be inferred from reading this novel?
Part V. Filmography
View a “classic or old school” Gothic/Romantic movie such as Citizen Cane, Dracula,
Rebecca, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, The Phantom
of the Opera, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, etc.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Define Gothic and Romantic (with a capital R, not romantic).
What specific elements from the film were Gothic? Romantic?
How were the main characters developed?
What was used to create suspense (music, sound/special effects, specific camera angles,
lighting, etc.)? Be specific in your answer.
Part IV. First draft (typed) of essay/personal statement
1. Write a complete personal statement and/or an admissions essay for the college you will be
applying to in the next few months. Follow the guidelines for word count and format (go the
college admissions website for complete directions). ASU does not require a personal
statement, but UNC’s honor college does. If your college does not require either, find a
scholarship you are eligible for and write the essay required for that.
2. Attach the prompt and requirements to the top of the essay.
3. Good News: These are usually shorter word counts than you expect; look at the prompt now
(or at the beginning of summer) so you can start processing where you will take the essay.
4. Optional but strongly recommended: the summer is an excellent time to look over
the admissions prompts and to begin to sketch out your responses to them. Many students
find fall semester especially stressful because they have waited to work on their college
admissions essays and are trying to write them while taking a full course load that includes a
rigorous English honors course. Save yourself some stress by working on these essays (and
requesting letters of recommendation from your teachers) over the summer.
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Honors English 4 Summer Reading
How to Read Literature Like a Professor:
A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines
by Thomas C. Foster
In Arthur Conan Doyle’s “The Red-Headed League,” Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John
Watson both observe Jabez Wilson carefully, yet their differing interpretations of the same
details reveal the difference between a “Good Reader” and a “Bad Reader.” Watson can
only describe what he sees; Holmes has the knowledge to interpret what he sees, to draw
conclusions, and to solve the mystery.
Understanding literature need no longer be a mystery -- Thomas Foster’s book will help transform you from a
naive, sometimes confused Watson to an insightful, literary Holmes. Professors and other informed readers see
symbols, archetypes, and patterns because those things are there -- if you have learned to look for them. As
Foster says, you learn to recognize the literary conventions the “same way you get to Carnegie Hall. Practice.”
(xiv).
Note to students: These short writing assignments will let you practice your literary analysis and they will help
me get to know you and your literary tastes. Whenever I ask for an example from literature, you may use short
stories, novels, plays, or films (Yes, film is a literary genre). If your literary repertoire is thin and undeveloped,
use the Appendix to jog your memory or to select additional works to explore. At the very least, watch some of
the “Movies to Read” that are listed on pages 293-294. Please note that each of your responses should be
multi-paragraphs -- not pages!
Even though this is analytical writing, you may use “I” if you deem it important to do so; remember, however,
that most uses of “I” are just padding. For example, “I think the wolf is the most important character in ‘Little
Red Ridinghood’” is padded. As you compose each written response, re-phrase the prompt as part of your
answer. In other words, I should be able to tell which question you are answering without referring back to the
prompts.
Concerning mechanics, pay special attention to pronouns. Make antecedents clear. Say Foster first, not “he.”
Remember to capitalize and punctuate titles properly for each genre.
Introduction: How’d He Do That?
How do memory, symbol, and pattern affect the reading of literature? How does the recognition of patterns
make it easier to read complicated literature? Discuss a time when your appreciation of a literary work was
enhanced by understanding symbol or pattern.
Chapter 1 -- Every Trip Is a Quest (Except When It’s Not)
List the five aspects of the QUEST and then apply them to something you have read (or viewed) in the form
used on pages 3-5.
Chapter 2 -- Nice to Eat with You: Acts of Communion
Choose a meal from a literary work and apply the ideas of Chapter 2 to this literary depiction.
Chapter 3: --Nice to Eat You: Acts of Vampires
What are the essentials of the Vampire story? Apply this to a literary work you have read or viewed.
Chapter 4 -- If It’s Square, It’s a Sonnet
Select two sonnets and show which form they are. Discuss how their content reflects the form. (Submit copies of
the sonnets, marked to show your analysis).
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Chapter 5 --Now, Where Have I Seen Her Before?
Define intertextuality. Discuss three examples that have helped you in reading specific works.
Chapter 6 -- When in Doubt, It’s from Shakespeare...
Discuss a work that you are familiar with that alludes to or reflects Shakespeare. Show how the author uses this
connection thematically. Read pages 44-46 carefully. In these pages, Foster shows how Fugard reflects
Shakespeare through both plot and theme. In your discussion, focus on theme.
Chapter 7 -- ...Or the Bible
Discuss the Biblical allusions and connections that are found in Frankenstein.
Chapter 8 -- Hanseldee and Greteldum
Think of a work of literature that reflects a fairy tale. Discuss the parallels. Does it create irony or deepen
appreciation?
Chapter 9 -- It’s Greek to Me
Discuss the connections to Greek mythology in the title Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus.
Chapter 10 -- It’s More Than Just Rain or Snow
Discuss the importance of weather in Frankenstein, not in terms of plot.
Interlude -- Does He Mean That
Chapter 11 --...More Than It’s Gonna Hurt You: Concerning Violence
Present examples of the two kinds of violence found in literature. Show how the effects are different.
Chapter 12 -- Is That a Symbol?
Use the process described on page 106 and investigate the symbolism of the fence in “Araby.” (Mangan’s sister
stands behind it.)
Chapter 13 -- It’s All Political
Assume that Foster is right and “it is all political.” Use his criteria to show that one of the major works assigned
to you as a high school student is political.
Chapter 14 -- Yes, She’s a Christ Figure, Too
Apply the criteria on page 119 to a major character in a significant literary work. Try to choose a character that
will have many matches. This is a particularly apt tool for analyzing film -- for example, Star Wars, Cool Hand
Luke, Excalibur, Malcolm X, Braveheart, Spartacus, Gladiator and Ben-Hur.
Chapter 15 -- Flights of Fancy
Select a literary work in which flight signifies escape or freedom. Explain in detail.
Chapter 16 -- It’s All About Sex...
Chapter 17 -- ...Except the Sex
OK...the sex chapters. The key idea from this chapter is that “scenes in which sex is coded rather than explicit
can work at multiple levels and sometimes be more intense that literal depictions” (141). In other words, sex is
often suggested with much more art and effort than it is described, and, if the author is doing his job, it reflects
and creates theme or character. Choose a novel or movie in which sex is suggested, but not described, and
discuss how the relationship is suggested and how this implication affects the theme or develops
characterization.
Chapter 18 -- If She Comes Up, It’s Baptism
Think of a “baptism scene” from a significant literary work. How was the character changed or different after
the experience? Discuss.
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Chapter 19 -- Geography Matters...
Discuss at least four different aspects of a specific literary work that Foster would classify under “geography.”
Chapter 20 -- ...So Does Season
Find a poem that mentions a specific season. Then discuss how the poet uses the season in a meaningful,
traditional, or unusual way. (Submit a copy of the poem with your analysis.)
Interlude -- One Story
Write your own definition for archetype. Then identify an archetypal story and apply it to a literary work with
which you are familiar.
Chapter 21 -- Marked for Greatness
Figure out Harry Potter’s scar. If you aren’t familiar with Harry Potter, select another character with a physical
imperfection and analyze its implications for characterization.
Chapter 22 -- He’s Blind for a Reason, You Know
Chapter 23 -- It’s Never Just Heart Disease...
Chapter 24 -- ...And Rarely Just Illness
Recall two characters who died of a disease in a literary work. Consider how these deaths reflect the “principles
governing the use of disease in literature” (215-217). Discuss the effectiveness of the death as related to plot,
theme, or symbolism.
Chapter 25 -- Don’t Read with Your Eyes
After reading Chapter 25, choose a scene or episode from a novel, play or epic written before the twentieth
century. Contrast how it could be viewed by a reader from the twenty-first century with how it might be viewed
by a contemporary reader. Focus on specific assumptions that the author makes, assumptions that would not be
acceptable or relevant in this century.
Chapter 26 -- Is He Serious? And Other Ironies
Select an ironic literary work and explain the multivocal nature of the irony in the work.
Chapter 27 -- A Test Case
Read “The Garden Party” by Katherine Mansfield, the short story starting on page 245. Complete the exercise
on pages 265-266, following the directions exactly. Then compare your writing with the three examples. How
did you do? What does the essay that follows comparing Laura with Persephone add to your appreciation of
Mansfield’s story?
Envoi
Choose a motif not discussed in this book (like the horse reference on page 280) and note its appearance in three
or more different works. What does this idea seem to signify?
Adapted from Assignments originally developed by Donna Anglin.
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