11th Grade Summer Reading
The Autobiography of Malcolm X & The Great Gatsby
A driving and compelling component of American history is the belief that everyone can achieve
The American Dream. This is one of the themes we will explore this year. To truly appreciate
The Great Gatsby it is critical to understand the context of when it was written and why. Listed
below are key concepts to understanding its historical significance.
Prior to Reading
Conduct a Web search of some key sites to help you understand the historical context of the
novel. If you do not have access to the Internet over the summer, read the novel and maintain a
dialectical journal.
http://www.kn.att.com/wire/fil/pages/listthe1920ma.html
http://www.shmoop.com/great-gatsby/
http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/Departments/hpolscrv/jbolhofer.html
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americannovel/timeline/lostgeneration.html
1. Describe the American Dream
2. Identify the Lost Generation writers. Describe the impact WWI had on Fitzgerald
and the other expatriates.
3. Describe the effects of WWI on Americans during and after the war. Comment on
the positive and negative events or issues.
4. Explain prohibition and its effect on Americans.
As you are reading
Maintain a dialectical journal. Pull 12 key quotes from the text to support each of the concepts
listed above. There must be at least 3 quotes per concept. In addition to these 12 quotes, include
quotes which reference color, eyes, and the Valley of Ashes. Minimum number of quotes is 20.
Suggested structure for the work:
Concept
Page No.
Quote
1 – American
Dream
2 – Lost
Generation,
3 – Effect on
Americans
21
Copy quote word for word
Ch. 3, pg.
78
Nick says, “I felt a haunting
loneliness sometimes, and felt it
in others – young clerks in the
dusk, wasting the most poignant
moments of night and life.”
How does in reflect the
concept?
Explanation/Interpretation
The devastation of WWI
caused many people to feel
that life was pointless. This
quote emphasizes the feelings
of disgust and despair felt by
the Lost Generation writers
like Fitzgerald.
11th Grade Summer Reading
The Autobiography of Malcolm X & The Great Gatsby
An overarching theme for our AP English Language and Composition course is the examination of
American Voices. Texts we will read, analyze and synthesize will encompass a myriad of ideas,
philosophies and beliefs. As we work with these writers, we will look for immediate and long-term
effects of their words. We will discover the subtleties and nuances of language that make the written and
spoken word moving and powerful – words that can change the world.
The following assignments are due the first day of instruction. You may contact me during the summer at
debra.thomas@ideapublicschools.org for clarification of the expectations, assurance you are one the right
track or to discuss any component of the assignment. Let us begin our journey in Voices with the summer
reading selection The Autobiography of Malcolm X.
Although Americans have endured many hardships in the past few centuries, the Civil Rights Movement
was more widespread and was more highly publicized because were cheaper and in many more homes.
As you read The Autobiography of Malcolm X,
Create a chronological log of Malcolm X’s life that lead up to and through the Civil
Rights Movement. (See below for suggested structure.)
2. Write a 500-word essay describing how X’s work impacted the social and political
times during his life and what impact his legacy has on Americans today.
3. Select two of the following quotes by Malcolm X and write a 150-200 word assertion
paper. (An assertion is the point – the thesis statement, if you will—of a paper
supported by evidence. In this instance you may use evidence from the book to
support your thesis. If you use evidence from the book, cite the page number. Be
sure to identify which quote you are addressing.
a. “A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything.”
b. “There is no better than adversity. Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss,
contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance the
next time.”
c. “Don’t be in a hurry to condemn because he doesn’t do what you do or think
as you think or as fast. There was a time when you didn’t know what you
know today.”
d. “You don’t have to be a man to fight for freedom. All you have to be is an
intelligent human being.”
e. “I am not a racist. I am against every form of racism and segregation, every
form of discrimination. I believe in human beings, and that all human beings
should be respected as such, regardless of color.”
1.
Suggested Chronological Log
Date
May, 1925
June, 1929
Pg. Number
2*
31*
* Information is not accurate
Malcolm’s Age
0
4
Event/Incident
Malcolm is born
House is burned down; arson is suspected