Madison Public Schools – Summer Assignment
Honors 10: American Literature
Mrs. Vilarino
Assignment rationale/Objective
Welcome to Honors 10! The first unit of study for the course is American Romanticism.
Therefore, reading one of the most important American Romantic writers, Nathaniel
Hawthorne, will allow the class to jump right into an analysis of a Romantic text.
Reading this novel before the start of the school year will introduce students to some of
the major themes and stylistic techniques of the Romantic period.
Also, throughout the year a skill that students will be expected to master is the skill of
close textual; reading and annotation. This skill was focused on during the Honors 9
course, and those foundational skills will be built upon during Honors 10 as the course
becomes more complex and the pace more rigorous. This summer assignment will allow
students to begin reading the way they will be expected to read during the academic
year: slowing down, focusing on the details and annotating the text. Part of annotating
is paying attention to new vocabulary. In addition to making note of their questions,
observations, and analysis in the text, students will be expected to create a separate
vocabulary log (a list of new words drawn from the text with at least 30 words and
definitions given the context of the text).
The Scarlet Letter is a challenging read, but an important work to begin our discussion
of Romanticism in September. Please remember that struggling through a difficult text
leads to growth in your reading skills. Also, keep in mind that this type of close reading,
annotating, and attention to vocabulary will be expected of you all year with every text
you read.
Required Materials:


A purchased copy of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter (If you cannot
purchase a copy of the book, borrow one from the library and use post-it notes for
your annotation. Be sure, however, that you do not have to return it until a week
or two after school begins as you will need it for the first few weeks of class).
Post-its, highlighters, or a pen – whatever your method of annotation calls for
Overview Instructions:
Purchase (or borrow) a copy of Nathaniel Hawthornes’ The Scarlet Letter, read and
annotate the text over the summer, and maintain a vocabulary log. Annotating the text
allows me to see what you are seeing in the text, what your questions are, what passages
you feel are important, what connections you are making, and your original analysis.
You can’t annotate Sparknotes or Shmoop – it won’t work. This forces you to actively
engage with the novel, writing and marking up as you read.
What are the expectations for annotation?:
As Honors students, your gut reaction may be to write down EVERYTHING and
annotate EVERY page. However, that is NOT necessarily effective annotation and
volume alone won’t get you more points on the assignment. Please read these
expectations and look at the rubric.
 Close Reading and Annotating of Texts
Annotate words, phrases, and passages that strike you. Perhaps you like an idea, a
phrase, a character, or an image, or perhaps you are struck by a section of dialogue,
or maybe you are puzzled or mystified by a passage. Underline, bracket, circle, or
highlight any such item.
Also, in the margins, make notations for:
o Questions that a passage raises for you
o Analytical comments – what you think about a passage
o Summaries of what a passage is saying
o Connections that a passage suggests with anything else you have read,
thought about, or experienced

"I never know what's important. How do I do this?"
o Finish reading a "chunk" (paragraph/page/chapter) before you mark
o Be selective: Marking everything does not help Too much on a
page is hard to review and ascertain the important facts.
1.Use your own words--don't try to be fancy. Remember, this is for you.
2. Be systematic. Just marking without a system is the same as just
highlighting an entire book. Circle new words, underline repetitive ideas,
use post-it notes, or try a sentence or two at the beginning of the chapter to
sum up the main ideas.
3. Use the guidelines I have given you (guidelines for annotating The
Scarlet Letter and the elements of Romanticism) and look for details that
connect to those as you read.

Other ideas for annotating include:
 Underline a word or phrase that puzzles you. Maybe even log it on your
vocabulary log.
 Circle a word or phrase you like. Perhaps you like the language, style, diction
or image it evokes.
 Mark visual images, grammatical patterns, or repetitions of words or images.
 Once you discover themes, track them throughout the text.
 Note figurative language throughout the text. Mark similes, metaphors,
personification, and other examples of figurative language.
 Keep a list of questions you encounter while reading; you may want to bring
them up during class discussion.
 Follow the passage of characters throughout the novel. You may want to
choose a color for each character and mark passages/events significant to the
development of that character.
 Note things you like and dislike, what seems confusing or unusual, or what
predictions or reactions you may make.
 Make connections: I noticed that . . . Why does . . . This scene reminds me of .
. . I now realize or think that . . . The setting is important because . . .
Annotation Guidelines Courtesy of:
http://www.sunnyvaleisd.com/cms/lib3/TX01001155/Centricity/Domain/35/Summe
r%20Reading-%20English%20III%20Honors.pdf
What are the expectations for the Vocabulary Log?
You are required to create a list of 30 vocabulary words from the text. This will begin a
vocabulary list of words taken from the texts we are reading that you will continue to
add to all year. This will allow you to add to your vocabulary and will be invaluable to
you as you approach PSATs, PARCC, and SATs.
Please be selective and pull words from the entire text, not just a chunk of the text. In
other words, all your vocabulary words shouldn’t come from Chapter 1.
Your vocabulary log should be typed in the following format:
1. Word: (Chapter, Page #): Part of Speech: Definition that fits the context in
which the word is used.
Context (The sentence from the novel that contains the word - Hawthorne’s
sentences tend to be very long, so you can abbreviate them, as long as what you
include still contains the context for your definition)
Example:
1. Edifice: (Chapter 1, pg. 46): noun: a building, especially a large, imposing one
“Before the ugly edifice, and between it and the wheel-tracked street, was a grass
plot, much overgrown with…”
You will be graded on 30 words in the Vocabulary Log. You are welcome to log more
words, but it will not increase your grade. See rubric.
I suggest reading and annotating the book first, making note of unfamiliar vocabulary as
part of your annotation, and then going back and selecting 30 words from your
annotations to create the vocabulary log.
TO RECAP: When you return to school in September:
Come to the first class with your annotated copy of The Scarlet Lette On the
first day of school, you will be expected to have in class:


A copy of The Scarlet Letter with annotations
A vocabulary log with 30 words from the text and definitions
Estimated time for completion/Suggested pacing
Pacing:
Reading and annotating: 15-20 pages an hour = 12-17 hours*
*This estimation was estimated on the Everbind version of the book that has 259 pages.
ALSO: Reading is a very personal skill. It may take some students more time, it may
take some less. The time it takes to complete the assignment will truly depend on the
student’s reading and annotating skills. Be sure to review the guidelines for annotating
– students are NOT expected to make a notation about every single detail.
Percentage of first marking period grade
Annotated Book: 25 pts (See Rubric)
Vocabulary Log: 15 points (See Rubric)
Narrative Assignment: 50 points – This assigned during the first few weeks of
school.
This novel and the accompanying assignments will make up 90 points of the 1st marking
period grade. Typically, there is about 400-500 points in a marking period.
Process for requesting help over the summer
If something in this packet is unclear, you are welcome to contact Dr.
DeBiasse, head of the Humanities department.
ANNOTATING THE SCARLET LETTER:
As you read the novel, be sure to look and annotate the following:

Evidence of Characterization (Direct and Indirect)

Internal and External Conflicts

Prominent Symbols

Perspective of the Narrator

Author’s Tone

Prevalent Themes
As stated earlier, The Scarlet Letter is a Romantic work. As you read and
annotate, make note of the following Romantic characteristics, attitudes,
subject matter etc. as you see them in the novel. When you come across
something that might be considered “Romantic,” make an annotation. Use
the following “American Romantic Notes Handout” to guide your
annotations.
Characteristics of American Romanticism
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Values feeling and intuition over reason
Values the imagination over reality
Civilization is bad. Nature is good.
Educated sophistication is bad Youthful innocence is good
Individual freedom is important
Nature is the way to find God
Progress is bad
Most settings are in exotic locales or the supernatural
Poetry is the highest expression of the imagination
Lots of inspiration from myths and legends
Characteristics of the American Romantic Hero
o
o
o
o
o
o
Young (or at least acts young)
Innocent and pure
Sense of honor higher than society’s honor
Has knowledge of people and life based on a deep understanding, not based on education
Loves nature
Quests for a higher truth
The Transcendentalist View of the World
o
o
o
o
o
Everything in the world (including humans) is the reflection of the Divine Soul (God)
Nature is a doorway to the spiritual world
People can see God’s spirit looking at nature or at their own souls
Self-reliance and individualism is more important than outside authority and conformity
Spontaneous actions are better than planned ones
Elements of Romanticism
1. Frontier: vast expanse, freedom, no geographic limitations
2. Optimism: greater than in Europe because of the presence of frontier
3. Experimentation: in science, in institutions
4. Mingling of races: immigrants in large numbers arrive to the US
5. Growth of industrialization: polarization of north and south; north
becomes industrialized, south remains agricultural
Romantic Subject Matter
1. The quest for beauty: non-didactic, "pure beauty"
2. The use of the far-away and non-normal - antique and fanciful:
a. In historical perspective: antiquarianism; antiquing or artificially aging; interest
in the past
b. Characterization and mood: grotesque, Gothicism, sense of terror, fear; use of the
odd
3. Escapism - from American problems
4. Interest in external nature - for itself, for beauty:
a. Nature as source for the knowledge of the primitive
b. Nature as refuge
c. Nature as revelation of God to the individual
Romantic Attitudes
1. Appeals to imagination; use of the “willing suspension of disbelief”
2. Stress on emotion rather than reason; optimism, geniality
3. Subjectivity: in form and meaning
Romantic Techniques
1. Remoteness of settings in time and space
2. Improbable plots
3. Inadequate or unlikely characterization
4. Authorial subjectivity
5. Socially "harmful morality;" a world of "lies"
6. Organic principle in writing: form rises out of content, non-formal
7. Experimentation in new forms: picking up and using obsolete patterns
8. Cultivation of the individualized, subjective form of writing
Sources:
“Characteristics of American Romanticism.” 21 Sept. 2013.
www.lordalford.com/amromantic/American.
Reuben, Paul. “PAL: Perspectives in American Literature - A Research and Reference
Guide - An Ongoing Project.” 20 Nov. 2011. 21 Sept. 2013.