Advanced Placement English: Literature & Composition
2013-2014
Mr. Freeburg
Room N196
e-mail: freeburg@arrowheadschools.org
Phone: 262-369-3612 ext. 3251
Home Phone: 414-630-3580 (serious freakouts only)
Course Description:
This course is a college level course that engages students in the study of imaginative literature. Students are expected to read
carefully and perceptively to deepen their understanding and appreciation of literature. Critical standards for interpreting the effects
of an author's artful manipulation of language are developed throughout the course. Students also study writing and speaking skills
that will allow them to express their interpretations precisely and logically.
Each semester, students develop skills in literary analysis and composition through a variety of writing, speaking, and reading
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assignments. These assignments will cover a range of English literature from the 16 century to the present. Some significant works
by non-English authors may be read in translation. Selected literature will challenge the students and require careful, deliberative
reading.
Curricular Requirements (from the College Board: "AP English Literature & Composition
Curricular Requirements"):
The course includes an intensive study of representative works such as those by authors cited in the AP English Course Description so
that by the time the student completes AP English Literature and Composition she or he will have studied during high school
literature from both British and American writers, as well as works written in several genres from the sixteenth century to
contemporary times.
The course teaches students to write an interpretation of a piece of literature that is based on a careful observation of textual
details, considering the work's: Structure, style, and themes; elements such as the use of figurative language, imagery, symbolism,
and tone.
The course teaches students to write an interpretation of a piece of literature that is based on a careful analysis of the social and
historical values it reflects and embodies.
The course includes frequent opportunities for students to write formal, extended analyses and timed, in-class responses.
The course requires writing to understand: Informal, exploratory writing activities that enable students to discover what they think
in the process of writing about their reading (such assignments will include annotation, free-writing, journaling, and
response/reaction papers).
The course requires writing to explain: Formal expository, analytical essays in which students draw upon textual details to develop
an extended explanation/interpretation of the meanings of a literary text.
The course requires writing to evaluate: Formal analytical, argumentative essays in which students draw upon textual details to
make and explain judgments about a work's artistry and quality, and its social and cultural values.
Both before and after students revise their writing they will work to develop: A wide-ranging vocabulary used appropriately and
effectively; a variety of sentence structures, including appropriate use of subordination and coordination; logical organization
(enhanced by specific techniques to increase coherence, such as repetition, transitions); a balance of general and specific, illustrative
detail; an effective use of rhetoric, including controlling tone, establishing and maintaining voice, and achieving appropriate
emphasis through diction and sentence structure.
Composition and Course Work:
Each semester, students develop skills in literary analysis and composition through a variety of writing, speaking, and reading
assignments.
Writing
According to the College Board’s "AP English Literature & Composition” guidelines, “writing instruction includes attention to
developing and organizing ideas in clear, coherent and persuasive language. It includes study of the elements of style. And it attends
to matters of precision and correctness as necessary.
Throughout the course, emphasis is placed on helping students develop stylistic maturity, which, for AP English, is characterized by
the following:
•
•
•
•
•
a wide-ranging vocabulary used with denotative accuracy and connotative resourcefulness;
a variety of sentence structures, including appropriate use of subordinate andcoordinate constructions;
a logical organization, enhanced by specific techniques of coherence such as repetition, transitions and emphasis;
a balance of generalization with specific illustrative detail; and
an effective use of rhetoric, including controlling tone, maintaining a consistent voice, and achieving emphasis through
parallelism and antithesis.”
Writing will be addressed through handouts, exercises, and models available on the course web site or university web sites. These
materials include but are not limited to:
 Purdue University On-line Writing Center Handouts. Available on-line
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/index.html
 Strunk, William J. The Elements of Style. New York: Bartleby.com, 1999
Available on-line at http://www.bartleby.com/141/
 University of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Handbook. Available on-line http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/Style.html
Approximately 7 times each semester, students will complete a timed, in-class essay exam based on a passage or complete work of
literature by an author on the course-reading list. Exams will be formatted in a manner similar to that of the AP free-response
questions and will require students to analyze how an author's manipulation of language contributes to the meaning and purpose of
the work as a whole. These essays will foster a precise understanding for the variety of literary devices authors use to create
attitude, mood, tone, and meaning.
Revision
On at least one occasion each semester, students will be required to revise in-class essays. Required revisions will not be
announced. The teacher will provide feedback and written evaluative comments for in class essay drafts based the evaluation
standards for in-class writing. These standards will be adapted to the unique features of individual prompts and texts.
Superior Essays (Score Range 8-9: Grade range A- to A 160-140 points)
The essay offers a persuasive interpretation of the text in question and presents an insightful analysis concerning the relationship
between the text’s ideas and the literary techniques or rhetorical strategies the author uses to convey his or her meaning. Essay
moves efficiently from general to specific and specific to general: textual references are apt, specific, and rationally explained. Essay
demonstrates consistent and effective control over the elements of composition: the essay is thoughtfully organized; demonstrates
an ability to structure concise, graceful sentences; and reflect the student’s efforts to engage the reader through mature and
precisely chosen diction. At all times the writing is clear, sophisticated and persuasive.
Very Good Essays (Score Range 6-7: Grade range B- to B+ 139-120 points)
The essay provides a convincing reading of the text; its interpretation of the text is perceptive and offers a reasonable explanation of
textual evidence and the relationship between the text’s ideas and the literary techniques or rhetorical strategies the author uses to
convey his or her meaning; however, the writing does not move quite as efficiently from general to specific and specific to general as
it does in the very best essays. The writing is clear but not sophisticated or as fully persuasive as it is in the top tier essays. The
essays demonstrate good control over the elements of composition but may lack the structural variety, concision, and immediacy
that the top tier essays reflect. The essay’s diction is properly chosen for the occasion but lacks the precision and variety exhibited
in the very best essays.
Adequate Essays (Score Range 5: Grade range C to C+ 119-100 points)
Essay offers a plausible interpretation of the text but presents a superficial analysis of the relationship between the text’s ideas and
the literary techniques or rhetorical strategies the author uses to convey his or her meaning. Essay moves adequately from general
to specific and specific to general, but is often pedestrian or plodding in its development. Essay demonstrates some lack of precision
in its analysis of themes and techniques. Essay also lacks precision regarding the effective control over the elements of composition:
organization may be lacking; sentences structures may be repetitive, wordy, and pedestrian; word choices are adequate for
conveying basic ideas but lack the variety, precision, and maturity of better essays.
Weak Essays (Score Range 3-4: Grade range D+ to C- 99-80 points)
Essay fails to offer an adequate interpretation of the text and presents merely a superficial analysis of the relationship between the
text’s ideas and the literary techniques or rhetorical strategies the author uses to convey his or her meaning. Essay exhibits only
minimal skill in moving from generalization to specific observation and or from specific observation to generalizations. Essay relies
on paraphrase or summary with little implicit or explicit analysis. Demonstrates control of language, but the writing is marred by
surface errors and/or problems in organization and development. Sentence structures are elementary and word choices may reflect
a limited, informal or immature vocabulary.
Inadequate Essays (Score Range 1-2: Grade range F to D 79-50 points)
Some attempt to answer the prompt has been made but the essay may ignore or give little emphasis to the text. Textual references
are slight and/or misconstrued. The essay contains serious misreadings or misunderstandings about the text. Essay demonstrates a
lack of control over the elements of composition: inadequate development of ideas, accumulation of errors, inconsistent focus,
repetitive. Essay also lacks clarity and organization. Essay contains serious errors in grammar and mechanics.
Good essays should include or exhibit the following elements:
1. An engaging opening sentence—one that is interesting in terms of its content (its response to the prompt) and its
structure
2. An opening paragraph which cites the author’s name accurately and which makes an explicit, meaningful and
somewhat developed statement about what the work as a whole is supposed to mean or be about.
3. Frequent references to the author’s last name followed by strong, active voice verbs which capture an accurate sense
of that author’s attitude regarding his or her topic.
4. All senseless repetition and hollow writing has been deleted or replaced with more precise, explicit vocabulary.
5. Improved subordination: ideas should develop immediately, not ploddingly; varieties of parallelism are a must.
Structures must make full use of all elements of punctuation.
6. Frequent textual references which are properly introduced, punctuated, and explained.
7. Improved tone: all mechanical and predictable forms of expression must be replaced with more formal, impassioned
word choices.
8. Eliminate all platitudes, cliché, and hackneyed expression.
Speaking
Participation in formal and informal discussions is also required. Conversation is vital to the process of discovering and clarifying
ideas about literature; therefore, students will be required to make frequent speeches and oral presentations. Many of these
presentations will be brief and somewhat informal, but on at least one occasion each semester, students will be required to
complete a longer, formal oral presentation.
Reading
For every primary source reading assignment, students are required to complete multiple- choice and short answer reading quizzes
that assess the quality of their reading. Most multiple-choice quizzes are formatted to resemble the multiple-choice format students
will encounter on the AP Literature & Composition Exam. Reading quizzes assess not merely a student's basic comprehension or
recall of a text, but also require the application of higher cognitive domain tasks such as interpreting, analyzing, evaluating, and
critiquing. Some quizzes will be unannounced and may be based on secondary source reading assignments as well as primary
sources.
Students are expected to annotate all readings and will keep a response notebook where observations, questions, insights, and
connections can be recorded and used as a basis for understanding, in-class discussion, and writing.
Main Text (bring to class every day):
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Michael Meyer, ed., The Bedford Introduction to Literature 5 ed.
Supplementary Texts:
Thomas Foster, How to Read Literature Like a Professor
Richard Wright, Native Son
Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness
Edwidge Danticat, Krik? Krak!
William Shakespeare, As You Like It
William Shakespeare, Hamlet
Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse Five
Tennessee Williams, A Streetcar Named Desire
Tom Stoppard, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
Additional supplementary handouts will be provided by the instructor.
Course Outline
Units rotate between poetry, drama, novel, and short story and may be further subdivided into topic, theme, interest, time period,
etc. Units feature opportunities for both formal and informal, graded and ungraded reading, writing, and speaking. Interspersed
throughout will be test preparation, grammar, and vocabulary/idiom lessons. The semester one final will consist of an AP practice
exam. The semester two final will consist of a student-directed literary exploration project.
Semester One
Unit 1:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
BOOTCAMP
In-class timed essay on summer reading (Brave New World and/or Their Eyes Were Watching God)
Summer reading objective exams
Pre-test Multiple Choice exam
Literary Terms pre-test
How We Talk About Literature presentation
Literary Terms introduction and deadline
Essential Ideas presentation selection.
Rubric review/Line of Death explanation
Book Discussion
Unit 2: BLACKBERRIES
1. About/Do/Mean Analysis & Thesis writing explanation
2. Analyze & Discuss: “Blackberry Eating” and “Blackberry-Picking”
3. Analyze & Discuss: “Blackberrying” and “August”
4. Analyze & Discuss: “Blackberries for Amelia” and “Blackberry Picking”
5. Analyze & Discuss: “Blackberries”
6. In-class timed writing
7. AP score examples
8. Vendler Technique Introduction
9. Analyze poem of choice from Unleashed, using Vendler technique, present results to class via PPT.
Unit 3: Heart of Darkness
1. Introduction
Unit 4:Othello
Unit 5: Rottweiler Synthesis Essay/Project
Unit 6: Short Story/Critical Analysis
The Swimmer, John Cheever
Analytical Essay Construction Notes, Freeburg
Assignments:
 Journey Map
 Thesis Roundup
 Outline Essay
Unit 4: Novel
Slaughterhouse Five, Kurt Vonnegut
Assignments:
 Daily response journal
 Analytical Essay (Refer to Appendix B)
Unit 5: Poetry—Word Choice, Word Order, and Tone
She being brand, EE Cummings p.721 (Bedford)
Flower Feet, Ruth Fainlight, p. 724
Hazel Tells Laverne, Katharyn Howd Machan, p.725
Woodchucks, Maxine Kumin, p.727
To the Virgins, Robert Herrick, p. 728
To his Coy Mistress, Andrew Marvell, p. 729
A Late Aubade, Richard Wilbur, p. 732
A Fine, A Private Place, Diane Ackerman, p.734
Bored, Margaret Atwood, p.737
The Convergence of the Twain, Thomas Hardy, p.738
Titanic, David R. Slavitt, p. 739
Sex Without Love, Sharon Olds, p. 740
The English are So Nice!, DH Lawrence, p. 745
Juventud (Both Translations), Pablo Neruda, p. 748
Assignments:
 Comparison Essay
Unit 6: Drama
Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller
Unit 7: Short Story
Point of View, pp. 174 – 179 (Bedford)
The Lady with the Pet Dog, Anton Chekov
The Lady with the Pet Dog, Joyce Carol Oates
Assignments:
 Very Short Story Annotation
Unit 8: Novel
Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad
Assignments:
 Intertextuality lesson
 Historical context essay
 Visual annotation presentation
Unit 9: Poetry—Imagery
On Being Served Apples, Bonnie Jacobson, p. 753
Dover Beach, Matthew Arnold, p. 757
The Dover Bitch, Anthony Wright, p. 1096
London, William Blake, p. 762
Dulce Et Decorum Est, Wilfred Owen, p.763
Deer Among Cattle, James Dickey, p. 766
Food For Love, Carolyn Kizer, p. 769
Chess, Rosario Castellanos, p. 779
The Hand That Signed The Paper, Dylan Thomas, p. 781
Schizophrenia, Jim Stevens, p. 788
Come Home From The Movies, Lucille Clifton, p.791
The Joy of Cooking, Elaine Magerrell, p. 792
Acquainted With the Night, Robert Frost, p. 798
The Haunted Palace, Edgar Allen Poe, p. 800
Ad, Kenneth Fearing, p. 803
Recipe, Janice Mirikitani, p.803
next to god of course america I, EE Cummings, p. 805
The Frying Pan, Conrad Hilberry, p. 807
Snowbanks North of the House, Robert Bly, p. 809
Indian Movie, New Jersey, Chitra Banerjee, p.819
Sitting Down To Dinner, Robert Bly, p. 824
Assignments:
 Standard poetry explication essay
Unit 10: Short Story—Literary Criticism
Story of an Hour, Kate Chopin
Assignments:
 Group Presentation of story through one of the major modes of literary criticism
o Formalist
o Biographical
o Historical
o Marxist
o Feminist
o Reader response
o Deconstructionist
Unit 11: Poetry—Ye Olde Stuff
The Author to her book, Anne Bradstreet, p. 778 (Bedford)
A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning, John Donne, p. 790
My Last Duchess, Robert Browning, p. 821
The Chimney Sweeper, William Blake, p. 822
Song, John Donne, p. 844
Delight in Disorder, Robert Herrick, p. 865
Shall I compare thee, William Shakespeare, p. 881
My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun, William Shakespeare, p. 882
I will put Chaos into fourteen lines, Edna St. Vincent Millay, p. 882
Desire, Molly Peacock, p. 883
The Apparition, John Donne, p. 1089
Batter my heart, John Donne, p. 1089
The Flea, John Donne, p. 1090
When I have Fears that I may cease to be, Joh Keats, p. 1103
The Passionate Shepherd, Christopher Marlowe, p. 1108
I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud, William Wordsworth, p. 1127
The Solitary Reaper, William Wordsworth, p. 1128
Assignments:
 Creative writing: poetry workshop
 Poem presentation
Semester Two
Unit 1: Novel
Native Son, Richard Wright
Assignments:
 In-class essay
 In-class debate
Unit 2: Poetry—Langston Hughes
The Negro Speaks of Rivers, p. 1010
I, Too, p. 1014
Negro, p. 1016
Danse Africaine, p. 1017
Jazzonia, p. 1017
Dream Variations, p. 1018
Lenox Avenue, p. 1022
The English, p. 1024
Harlem, p. 1030
Frederick Douglass: 1817-1895, p. 1034
Perspectives on Hughes pp. 1034-1043
Assignments:
 Research/Synthesis essay: culture and its influence on poetry
Unit 3: Drama
Hamlet, William Shakespeare
Assignments:
 In-class essay
Unit 4: Short Story—Flannery O’ Connor: Faith, Distortion, and Violence
Flannery O’ Connor pp. 369 – 429
Assignments:
 Select one of the “Critical Thinking and Writing” options and write a 2-page essay in response to one of the prompts.
Unit 5: Novel
Portrait of the Artist as A Young Man James Joyce (Refer to Appendix C)
Assignments:
 Haiti Historical/Cultural Roundup
 In-class essay: symbolism
Unit 6: Poetry—Perspectives
Latin Night at the Pawn Shop, Martin Espada, p. 726
We Real Cool, Gwendolyn Brooks, p. 743
Ethnic Poetry, Julio Marzan, p. 816
Mexicans Begin Jogging, Gary Soto, p. 923
Vasectomy, Thom Ward, p. 920
Ellis Island, Joseph Bruhac, p. 921
The Mother, Gwendolyn Brooks, p. 1081
Monsoon Season, Yusef Komunyakaa*
For Saundra, Nikki Giovanni*
So that you will hear me, Pablo Neruda*
In a Dark Time, Theodore Roethke*
The Second Coming, William Yeats*
*Poems online
Unit 7: Drama
A Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee Williams (Refer to Appendix D)
Unit 8: Poetry—Life and Death
Casual Wear, James Merrill, p. 817
Death be not Proud, John Donne, p.1090
To an Athlete Dying Young, AE Housman, p.1101
Because I could not stop for Death, Emily Dickinson, p. 948
Letter with no Address, Donald Hall, p. 1153
First Party at Ken Kesey’s with Hell’s Angels, Allen Ginsberg, p.917
In the Summer Kitchen, Carolynn Hoy, p. 916
The Ruined Maid, Thomas Hardy, p. 1093
This be the Verse, Philip Larkin, p. 1105
To a Wasp, Janice Townley More, p. 782
Grief, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, p. 765
Richard Cory, Edwin Arlington Robinson, p. 802
Bluebird, Charles Bukowski
Facing It, Yusef Komunyakaa, p. 1162
Thinking of Bill, Dead of AIDS, Miller Williams, p.1125
Unit 9: Exam Prep
Unit 10: Final Project: Author Fight Club
Assessment/Grading:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Grading and learning are not the same thing.
If I had to choose which was more important, I’d pick learning.
Since you may not share my opinion (due to college aspirations, parent pressure, insurance premium reductions, societal
pressure, internal pressure, superiority complexes, conditioning, etc.), I strive to be as fair and flexible as possible, allowing
you maximum control over how you choose to define success in this course. Ultimately you are responsible for the quality
and timeliness of your work for this class.
I follow the school’s grading scale (100-90 = A, 89-80 = B, 79-70 = C, 69-60 = D, 59-50 = F).
In accordance with the school’s policies, I do not round up on grades. An 89.99999999999999% is still a B. Sorry. That’s the
way it is.
Academic Honesty/Cheating/Plagiarism:
My personal philosophy regarding cheating is—don’t do it! If you find yourself in a position where cheating seems like a good
option, I urge you to contact me immediately, and we can make a plan for you to be successful without resorting to cheating. If you
chose to cheat, and get caught, a host of bad things will happen to you.
Refer to the school handbook.
Cheating is defined as a dishonest act to obtain or help others obtain information that could affect their grade. A violation occurs
when answers to a test, quiz, homework, assignment or anything else that would be graded, either given verbally or written, are
passed along from student(s) to other students. ALL students involved are in violation. A violation also occurs when a student
obtains answers or information from any other source (i.e. pre-programmed calculators, previous tests, cheat sheets, notes or other
students with them not knowing it).
Disciplinary Action
1. First Offense – Zero for that grade. Parent and administration must be informed.
2. Second Offense – The cumulative grade for the six-week period will be lowered one full grade. Parent and administration
informed. Refer to activity office for conduct unbecoming a student.
3. Third Offense – Drop from the course and fail semester. Parent and administration informed. Refer to activity office for conduct
unbecoming a student.
Help:
Many resources exist to help you achieve success (however you choose to measure it) in your AP course journey.
Me:
At any point, I encourage you to contact me when you have a question, problem, issue, etc. See contact information at the top of
this syllabus. I also would prefer to speak with you first (parents second) in any instance—most of you are technically and legally
adults, and even if you aren’t you should practice managing your own affairs.
Ms. Passler
If I can’t help you or you’d prefer a different opinion, I’d recommend her as the voice of experience.
Arrowhead’s Writing Lab/Online Writing Lab Resources (OWL, etc.)
Even though we’ll be drafting, revising, and workshopping in class, there are times you may need a fresh pair of eyes. The Writing
Lab is located in the NC Library. Hours vary.
Any English teacher:
They have all been to college and have studied this material. Don’t be afraid to ask.
Arrowhead’s AP Coordinator:
For logistic information, test dates, protocol, college stuff, etc. See Guidance Department.
College Board Website:
Information specifically about what you’re going through: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/about.html
Appendix A:
ANALYTICAL ARGUMENTATIVE POETRY WARMUP ESSAY
This is just a warmup. You will not have to come up with the “right” interpretation of a poem to get an “A” on this paper.
What you will do is enlighten your reader to the various techniques, meanings, symbols, and images which a poet has
crammed into a work. Through analysis of the work’s artistry and quality, you will make it a better poem, more likable,
more fun, more meaningful, more moving, more technically excellent, for a reader of both the poem and your essay. You
may not write more than two double spaced pages!
Choose one of the following as your subject:
 Do Not Be Afraid of No, Gwendolyn Brooks
 Preface to a Twenty Volume Suicide Note, Amiri Baraka
 Pity this busy monster, manunkind, e.e. cummings
 A Blessing, James Wright
 The Waking, Theodore Roethke
 The Heaven of Animals, James Dickey
Before you start writing, you might want to make a list of all the dazzling points the author has scored with you. This
should take a few readings – and maybe discussion with somebody who is doing the same poem.
Do not run to the Internet first. Do the grunt work and get it rolling. At that point, you may consult other sources. Make
sure if it’s not your opinion that you cite where you took it from. This essay should be at least 90% you.
When you have a lot of ammunition, try to organize it into subgroups. Then come up with a thesis which mentions those
groups. (“e.e. cummings uses old typewriter tricks and one perfect symbol to make the word “loneliness”even sadder
and lonelier.”) Note, you aren’t expected to come up with a statement of what the poem means, necessarily. Your thesis
statement is about what the poet did, and why it is so cool.
Your intro could be about a quote, or the author, or the time period, or another similar work of art or literature, which
you then connect with your thesis. Then, the last sentence of the intro is the thesis itself. Do not give some generic
statement about what poetry does or what everybody thinks about once and a while.
Subsequent paragraphs (more paragraphs – better writing) are only about the poem you are targeting. Every sentence
shows me a symbol, an image, a poetic device, a meaningful word choice, etc. and explains why it works so well in this
poem. You do not have to explain the meaning line by line, unless it is the meaning that you feel needs illumination.
In the final paragraph, you may place your personal reaction to the poem, but be specific. None of this “The poem was
kind of hard at first, but now I really appreciate it.” baloney. Do not repeat or summarize in the last paragraph! Get in.
Punch me in the face. Get out.
Here is how your essay will be graded:
Start at 50
+3 for every interesting aspect of your intro
+3 for every specific aspect of your thesis
+3 for each detail from the poem which support the thesis
+3 for each insight about the details
+3 each time you freak me out
-10 if you have no thesis
-5 for vague theses
-3 for each instance of verbosity
-3 for lies (for instance, if you had said “Oh,Oh” was about rabbits.)
-3 for each grammatical, mechanical, or spelling mistake. (including paragraphing.)
-1 for each punctuation error
Appendix B:
ANALYTICAL ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY—SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE (CHOOSE ONE)
1) One definition of Madness is " mental delusion or the eccentric behavior arising from it." But Emily Dickinson wrote
Much Madness is divinest Sense-To a discerning Eye –
Novelists and playwrights often see madness with a "discerning Eye." Select a novel or play in which a character's
apparent madness or irrational behavior plays an important role (Slaughter House Five, in this case) . Then write a
well-organized essay in which you explain what this delusion or eccentric behavior consists of and how it might be
judged reasonable. Explain the significance of the "madness" to the work as a whole.
2)"The true test of comedy is that it shall awaken thoughtful laughter." - George Meredith
Choose a novel, play or long poem (Slaughterhouse Five in this case) in which a scene or character awakens
"Thoughtful Laughter" in the reader. Write an essay in which you show why this laughter is "thoughtful" and how it
contributes to the meaning of the work.
3) A Critic has said that one important measure of a superior work of literature is it's ability to produce in the reader a
healthy confusion of pleasure or disquietude.
Select a literary work (Slaughterhouse) that produces this "healthy confusion." Write an essay in which you explain the
sources of the pleasure and disquietude" experienced by the readers of the work
4) In some works of literature, a character who appears briefly, or does not appear at all, is a significant presence.
Write an essay in which you show how such a character functions in Slaughterhouse Five . You may wish to discuss
how the character affects action, theme, or the development of the other characters. Avoid plot summary.
5) Show how a literary work, a myth, a poem, another author, or a religious text from outside of a novel or play is used
by the author (In this case, of Slaughterhouse Five) to enhance theme or character development.
Choose from among the following to generate a thesis worthy of a two page essay. Then write the essay. Your thesis
must be deep, complex, thought-provoking and disturbingly beautiful. For instance “Vonnegut thinks war is bad”
would be a lame thesis. “Vonnegut thinks war steals not only the lives, but the dignity and the humanity of all
involved” would be better.
I)
II)
III)
IV)
V)
VI)
What is Kurt Vonnegut ( Not Billy Pilgrim, Vonnegut, the author/narrator/minor character of the book)
saying about
a) Obscenity or
b) Women or
c) Manliness or
d) Soldiers or
e) Free-will or
f) Humanity or
g) America or
h) England
or
i) Religion or
j) Literature or
k) Death
or
l) Business or
m) Pick your own, but don’t pick “war” because he obviously loathes it.
Is the structure of this book meaningful? How?
Aren’t Roman Numerals cool?
What is Vonnegut’s purpose in using the Tralfamadorians?
Other than “So it Goes,” discuss the effect Vonnegut creates by using repetition.
Pick a single vignette or quote from the book and show how the work as a whole is crystallized in that one
smaller part.
Appendix C:
ANALYTICAL ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY—PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG MAN
--Explain in detail exactly how, why and in what ways Stephen's psyche grows, develops or awakens in the passage you
have been assigned. Set the context before you attempt to explain: What events/circumstances have brought Stephen
to this point? What point is he at in his life anyway? What specific events have preceded or precipitated the events of
the passage you have been assigned to read? How old is Stephen here? What is happening to Stephen in school, in his
family, in his relationships? What are his thoughts & emotions entering this experience? What are his thoughts and
emotions as he emerges? Cite evidence for what you say.
--Describe the sentence structures Joyce employs in the passage. Consider variations in length and structure (e.g. loose
vs. periodic; simple, compound, complex, compound-complex; instances of parallelism, accumulation, chiasmus, etc.)
Describe how such structures are sequenced and explain how Joyce's manipulation of these structures affects the
rhythm, tempo, mood and tone of the passage. How do these rhythms, tempos, tones and moods underscore or
reinforce Stephen's thoughts and emotions in the passage?
--What motifs, images, words, and phrases do we see Joyce repeating in this passage? Where else in the novel have
similar words, motifs or ideas appeared? What kinds of parallels is Joyce trying to establish with other parts of the book?
Discuss the purposes for these instances of repetition. What ideas or aspects of Stephen's character are they intended to
highlight or amplify?
--Where in the passage does Joyce arrange instances of alliteration, consonance or assonance? Why? How do these
stressed sounds influence rhythm, tempo, tone and mood? How are these sounds intended to influence the reader's
perceptions of Stephen?
--Given you responses to questions 1-4, how do you think a professional actor or reader should read the passage? What
should he/she emote through the voice as he/she reads? Where should the shifts in tempo, I tone, volume occur and
why?
Exploratory Writing Assignment: Students will be required to “mine” a total of 20 important quotations from the text.
They will need to provide short explanations justifying their selections: Why does the student consider this quotation to
be one of the novel’s most essential statements? This assignment will include explicit instruction on the skills of
paraphrasing, integrating quotations, interpreting sentence structure, and vocabulary development.
Students may use any one of the prompt options below as the basis for the formal take home essay in this unit.
Evaluative/Persuasive and Secondary Source Prompts
1. Read Seamus Deane's introduction in the book, paying particularly close attention to the principles and
traditions of the Roman Catholic Church that he outlines in his discussion of Ireland during the late 19th, early
20th centuries. Apply Deane’s discussion to an analysis of how Stephen's upbringing in the traditions of the Irish
Catholic Church influence his attitudes and perceptions of the women in his life. Consider the ways in which
Stephen's changing perceptions of women play a role in his development as an artist.
2. After watching and taking notes on Joseph Campbell’s lecture The Wings of Art, revisit pages 221-235 in the
novel. Reread these pages carefully. Once you feel you have a precise and thorough understanding of Stephen’s
esthetic goal, evaluate the degree to which the novel A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man succeeds in
meeting the criteria & goals of "proper art" as defined by Stephen. Obviously you will need to explain how the
novel presents and develops overall thematic concerns, but you may also wish to consider elements of the
novel's narrative point of view, its overall structure, its primary archetypal images, and its special emphasis on
the sound and rhythm of the language.
Expository and Secondary Source Prompts
3. Read Seamus Deane’s introduction to the novel, paying particularly close attention to his comments about
Joyce’s use of repetition throughout the novel. Apply Deane’s analysis to your own observations about
repetitive patterns that occur throughout the novel. What are these repetitive patterns intended to imply about
Stephen’s development throughout the novel?
4. Read Richard Ellman’s discussion of the novel Portrait of the Artist As a Young Man from his biography James
Joyce. Apply Ellman’s comments to your own explanation of how Joyce uses recurring patterns of water imagery
in order to develop key themes and ideas in the novel as a whole.
Appendix D:
Analytical Argumentative Essay Prompt--Streetcar Named Desire
Remember, you may only write about the play, not the movie! In all cases, pull details from the text to support
your claims (argument) and to show the quality of decisions the author made.
1) Take one symbol, or one unified group of symbols and explain how Tennessee Williams incorporates that
symbol into the meaning of his play. Make sure to say exactly what your choice symbolizes in your thesis.
Here are your choices:
Light Color Clothes Sound effects The Bathroom/water Music The Chinese lantern The Streetcar Blanche Stella
Stanley The “Quarter” Food and Drink Cigarettes Sweat
2) In many works of literature, past events can affect, positively or negatively, the present actions, attitudes,
or values of a character. Write an essay showing how some character’s relationship with the past contributes
to the meaning of Streetcar Named Desire as a whole.
3) One definition of madness is “mental delusion or eccentric behavior rising from it.” But Emily Dickinson
wrote “Much madness is divinest sense – to a discerning eye-“
Explain how a character’s apparent madness or irrational behavior might be judged reasonable, and explain
the significance of the madness to Streetcar Named Desire as a whole.
4) Scenes of weddings, funerals, parties and other social occasions often reveal the values of characters or of
the society in which they live. Choose such a scene from Streetcar Named Desire and discuss the contributions
of that scene to the meaning of the whole work.
5) In literature, a confidant (male) or a confidante (female), often a friend or relative of the hero or heroine, is
sometimes present when the main character needs a sympathetic ear. According to Henry James, this
character van be as much “… the reader’s friend as the protagonists. Choose such a character from Streetcar
Named Desire and discuss the various ways this person functions in the work. ( What are Williams’ purposes in
creating this character?)
6) Choose one of the following schools of literary criticism we looked at earlier this year - feminist, mythic,
Marxist, historical, or cultural – and write an essay discussing how a such a critic might view the themes,
messages and purposes behind what Tennessee Williams has done with Streetcar Named Desire. OR Choose
two schools of criticism and demonstrate how the play can be interpreted different ways when analyzed from
different perspectives.