AP Literature and Composition, Fall 2010
Mr. Szott
tomszott@greensboroday.org
http://168.215.123.9/~szottt/index.htm
Goals and Course Description: The course goals are: 1) to read with pleasure and understanding
some of the world’s acknowledged masterpieces; 2) to think, talk, and write about these masterpieces
perceptively; 3) to recognize subtleties of theme and style; 4) to explore the literary work’s particular
and universal reflections on the human condition; 5) to take the skills and knowledge gained through
this careful study and apply it to the various types of questions presented on the AP exam in May.
Greensboro Day School Honor Statement:
In order to foster an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect and to promote a positive and
productive learning environment for every member of the Greensboro Day School
community, I pledge that I will not lie, cheat or steal, or accept the actions of those who do.
In class, the two most frequent honor issues that arise are cheating and plagiarism. As we
progress through the year, specific guidelines will be given for particular assignments
regarding the honor code. In general, however, each student is expected to do his or her own
work on any type of graded assignment and violations will not be tolerated. For homework,
it would be inappropriate for a student to copy from another student, and it is also wrong for
someone who has not read an assignment to have another student tell them the story.
However, two students who have done the reading are encouraged to discuss it together in
order to further their understanding. For tests, students are expected to again do their own
work and not to communicate the content of tests to those who are taking it later. For essay
assignments, students are expected to give credit for source material by using quotation
marks and appropriate citations, which will be explained as assignments are worked on.
Students should know up front that any essay can be checked for plagiarism by the
turnitin.com service, and those suspected of plagiarism will be brought before the Honor
Board. In short, the goal is to make students honorable scholars who can think independently
and avoid the temptations of shortcuts.
Grades will be derived from a variety of assignments:
 Tests are generally in-class essays designed to examine students’ understanding of the
texts, literary concepts, and ability to structure written responses efficiently. At times,
they may include short-answer questions to test factual knowledge as well.
 Papers allow students to present clearly written compositions that reflect intellectual depth
and original thinking, as well as a strong command of language.
 Quizzes that emphasize reading comprehension are given periodically. These announced
quizzes may be supplemented at any time by the dreaded pop quiz. Keep up with your
reading!
 Homework assignments may include short, informal writing as well as presentations or the
leading of a discussion.
A general breakdown of grade weighting is as follows: Semester exam (20%), Quizzes (20%),
Homework (10%), and Tests/Papers (50%) The general AP scoring guidelines for written work will
determine your grades on in-class essays.
Late work: For essays, the deduction is 3 points/day late. Late homework receives 50% credit. The
key, as always, is to communicate with me when you foresee problems.
FORMAL PAPER FORMAT OPTIONS: You must type and email out-of-class papers. Use Times
New Roman 12 point and standard margins. Computer malfunctions will not excuse a late paper. My
standard penalty is three points per day late. All papers must have titles, preferably interesting but not
obscure.
UNITS OF STUDY
SUMMER READING
Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Penguin Classics, 2003
Dickens, Great Expectations, Bantam Classics, 2003
Leopold, A Sand County Almanac, Oxford, 1989
THE EPIC
The Epic of Gilgamesh, Penguin Classics, 1972; trans. N. K. Sandars
“Genesis” 6-11 (handout)
Homer, The Odyssey, Farrar, Strauss & Giroux, 1998; trans. Robert Fitzgerald
Beowulf, A Mentor classic, 1963; trans. Burton Raffel
TRAGEDY
Sophocles, Oedipus Rex and Antigone, Fitts and Fitzgerald
Shakespeare, Hamlet, Norton Critical Edition, 1963; ed. Cyrus Hoy
Stoppard, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Grove Press, 1967
SATIRE
Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales, Penguin Classics, 1977; trans. Nevill Coghill
Swift, Gulliver’s Travels, excerpts
Voltaire, Candide, Penguin Books, 2005; trans. Theo Cuffe
THE LYRIC
Shakespeare sonnets, Metaphysical poems,
British Romantic Poetry in Discovering Poetry and online
NARRATIVE FICTION
Stevenson, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dover Thrift Edition, 1991
Kafka, The Metamorphoses and other Stories, Dover Thrift Edition, 1996
Solzhenitsyn, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, Farrar, Strauss & Giroux, 1991, trans.
Willets
Bulgakov, The Master and Margarita, Penguin Books, 1997; trans. Pevear and Volohonsky
Huxley, Brave New World, Perennial Classics, 1998
AP ESSAY SCORING GUIDELINES
These descriptions are adapted from the general standards applied by AP readers to
student essays. They will be in effect for all essays and papers in AP English Lit &
Comp. Please familiarize yourself with them thoroughly.
A (8-9): Writers of these well-written essays clearly understand the relationship
between the question/topic and the literary work(s) under discussion. They perceive
complexities, include TEXTUAL EVIDENCE, and contain no factual errors about the
literary work(s). These essays demonstrate stylistic maturity by an effective command
of grammar, sentence structure, diction (vocabulary), and organization. The writing
need not be completely free of mechanical errors, but it must reveal the writer’s ability to
choose from and control a wide range of the elements of effective writing.
B (6-7): These essays also accurately discuss the question/topic in relationship to the
literary work(s), but they do so less perceptively than do essays at the top level. Their
discussion may be less thorough and specific. They are well-written in an appropriate
style but with less maturity than the top essays. Some lapses in diction or syntax may
appear, but the writing demonstrates sufficient control over the elements of effective
writing to present the writer’s ideas clearly.
C (4-5): These essays discuss the question/topic, but they do so imprecisely or less
effectively than the essays at the A-B levels. Their discussion may be TOO GENERAL.
They may even misunderstand some aspects of the literary work(s). These essays are
adequately written but may demonstrate inconsistent control over the elements of
effective writing. Organization is evident, but it may not be fully realized or particularly
coherent.
C- (2-3): These essays address the main ideas involved in the question/topic, but they do
so inaccurately or without the support of APPROPRIATE TEXTUAL EVIDENCE.
The discussion may be insufficiently developed or may concentrate on only one point
or idea. Some may contain a significant misunderstanding of the question/topic or the
literary work(s). The writing is sufficient to convey the writer’s ideas, but it suggests
weak control over grammar, sentence structure, diction, or organization. These essays
may have some serious errors of grammar and/or other mechanics of good writing.
D (1): These essays show some effort at addressing the question/topic and may make
some accurate observations about the literary work(s), but they supply little or no
evidence for their ideas. They generally omit analysis and rely instead on PLOT
SUMMARY. Essays that are poorly written on several counts of grammar, sentence,
diction, and mechanics or are UNACCEPTABLY BRIEF belong at this level. The
writing reveals consistent weaknesses in the elements of effective writing.
Resources and Help
Throughout the year, students are encouraged to consult a number of Websites for
Grammar and Writing Help, such as:
www.collegeboard.com/apstudents: the main website to learn more about the course and
exams
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/: Purdue University's online writing lab
http://www.powa.org: Paradigm Online Writing Assistant, a very useful site for help
with many writing tasks
The GDS Writing Center is also an invaluable resource for assistance with any stage of
the writing process for out-of-class essays. Feel free to make appointments to consult
with me as well.