Literary Studies Novel List
Your task: Research the novels/dramas below, rank your top picks, and create a rational for
why your group should read certain novels/dramas together. Each type of novel has a quick
description for you so that you might better understand the type of literature. Your group
should select no more than two novels from any category. Total, your group will choose six
novels from at least four categories to read, analyze, and synthesize. (I would suggest
reading at least one novel from each category).
*Should your group come up with additional titles that fall within these categories, you can
see me to possibly get them approved.
Gothic Texts:
These texts have influenced the ghost story and horror story. The stories are designed to thrill
readers by providing mystery and blood-curdling accounts of villainy, murder, and the
supernatural including wild and desolate landscapes, ancient buildings, torture chambers,
secret doors, and winding stairways, apparitions such as phantoms, demons, and an
atmosphere of brooding gloom, and youthful, handsome heroes and fainting heroines who
face off against corrupt aristocrats, wicked witches, and hideous monsters. Thus, both horror
and romance are combined.
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Frankenstein- Mary Shelley
The Romance of the Forest- Ann Randcliffe
The Man in the Iron Mask- Alexandre Dumas
Interview of a Vampire- Anne Rice
Dracula- Bram Stoker
The Turn of the Screw- Henry James
The House of the Seven Gables- Nathaniel Hawthorne
Beloved – Toni Morrison
Phantom of the Opera- Gaston Leroux
The Haunting of Hill House- Shirley Jackson
Wuthering Heights- Emily Bronte
Castle of Otranto- Horace Walpole
Realism/Naturalism Texts:
Realism attempts to be mimetic: it attempts to portray an image as true to life in a very
concrete way. Realism presents the character exactly who he or she is. Naturalism, on the
other hand, goes beyond this using environment and heredity that help shape the individual’s
actions. Realism shows everyday happenings. Naturalism is like realism but it also probes the
inner life of a person to show who he/she truly is.
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The Call of the Wild- Jack London
Freedom Evolves- Daniel C. Dennett
The Jungle- Upton Sinclair
Of Mice and Men- John Steinbeck
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Sister Carrie- Theodore Dreiser
Rip Van Winkle- Washington Irving
Pudd’nhead Wilson- Mark Twain
Maggie: A Girl of the Streets- Stephen Crane
The House of Mirth- Edith Wharton
A Portrait of a Lady- Henry James
Daisy Miller- Henry James
Victorian Texts:
Victorian writers emphasized nationalism and absolutism. They believed in a single way of
looking at the world, and in absolute clear cut between right and wrong, good and bad, and
hero and villain. They saw the world as being governed by God's will, and they believed each
person and thing in this world had a specific use. Finally, they saw the world as neatly
divided between "civilized" and "savage" peoples. The "civilized" were those from
industrialized nations, cash-based economies, Protestant Christian traditions, and patriarchal
societies; the "savage" were those from hunter-gatherer tribes, barter-based economies,
"pagan" traditions, and matriarchal (or at least "unmanly" societies). It is very much about
social structure; while they may want to question the social norm, they have a difficultly
directly doing so.
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Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland- Lewis Carroll
Through the Looking Glass- Lewis Carroll
Treasure Island- Robert Louis Stevenson
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer- Mark Twain
Hard Times- Charles Dickens
Three Men in a Boat- Jerome K. Jerome
Sherlock Holmes- Arthur Conan Doyle
Jane Eyre- Charlotte Bronte
Emma- Charlotte Bronte
The Woman in White- Wilkie Collins
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde- Robert Louis Stevenson
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall- Anne Bronte
Little Women- Louisa May Alcott
Modernist Text:
This type of text attempts to break the classical or traditional norm and social structures. The
Modernist writers rebelled against the Victorian writers, blaming Victorianism for such evils
as slavery, racism, and imperialism. Later for World War I--Modernists emphasized
humanism over nationalism. Modernists emphasized the ways in which humans were part of
and responsible to nature. They argued for multiple ways of looking at the world, and
presented antiheroes and challenged the idea that God played an active role in the world.
Modernists argued that no thing or person was born for a specific use; instead, they found or
made their own meaning in the world. Modernists presented the Victorian "civilized" as
greed. It is also anti-mimetic: portray in literature what painting can do, capturing a single
image or multiple images simultaneously. They want to capture movement in language,
playing with language and utilizing new techniques.
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The Great Gatsby- F. Scott Fitzgerald
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The Sound and the Fury- William Faulkner
Heart of Darkness- Joseph Conrad
Mrs. Dalloway- Virginia Wolfe
The Sun Also Rises- Ernest Hemingway
The Importance of Being Ernest- Oscar Wilde
The Wasteland- T.S. Eliot
The Trial- Frank Kafka
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man- James Joyce
The Glass Menagerie- Tennessee Williams
Catch-22- Joseph Heller
20th Century Texts:
This literature spans from 1901-2000. It is sometimes provocative, others political, can be
historical, or full of excitement. It is written to create debates and arguments and multiple
interpretations. It is often closely related to an event in history or attempting to make a
specific point.
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The Metamorphosis- Frank Kafka
The Color Purple- Alice Walker
Dangerous Liaisons- Choderlos de Laclos
The Catcher in the Rye- J.D. Salinger
The Lord of the Rings- J.R.R. Tolkien
1984- George Orwell
Animal Farm- George Orwell
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest- Ken Kesey
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn- Betty Smith
The Sun Also Rises- Ernest Hemingway
Their Eyes Were Watching God- Zora Neale Hurston
The Things They Carried- Tim O’Brien
Contemporary Texts:
In the same way as 20th century texts, modern or contemporary literature is written today by
authors who attempt to solve or expose issues, understand history, or give the audience a
thought provoking story to read.
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Nineteen Minutes- Jodi Picoult
One Day- David Nicholls
11/22/63- Stephen King
The Da Vinci Code- Dan Brown
The Lovely Bones- Alice Sebold
The Time Traveler’s Wife- Audrey Niffenegger
The Help- Kathryn Stockett
Water for Elephants- Sara Gruen
The Hunger Games- Suzanne Collins
The Five People You Meet in Heaven- Mitch Albom
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Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close- Jonathan Safran Foer
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy- Douglas Adams
Cat’s Cradle- Kurt Vonnegut
Slaughterhouse Five- Kurt Vonnegut
The Road- Jack Kerouac
Dear Parent/Guardian,
This year, literary studies students will have six novels to read within peer groups. They will
utilize these novels to practice analyzing and synthesizing texts, improve writing skills, and
enhance their knowledge of different types of literature. In addition, they will complete
group projects concerning the text. Students may obtain the text from the school or local
libraries without expense or if you choose through bookstores or an online purchase.
Students have been given a selection of novels from which to choose. In that some of thes
novels contain mature material, please review your child’s novel selections listed below, then
sign and date that you acknowledge your child is reading and working with the selected
text, and return this form to Miss Contristano.
If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to email me at contristanoa@hasdpa.net.
Thank you,
Miss Contristano
Student Name: _________________________________________________________________
Selected Texts:
1. __________________________________________
2. __________________________________________
3. __________________________________________
4. __________________________________________
5. __________________________________________
6. __________________________________________
I acknowledge that my child will be reading and working with the above text throughout
the 2012-2013 school year.
Parent Signature: __________________________________________________
Date:____________
Novel Selection Assignments:
Task 1: Create a schedule.
As a group, you will typically have 2 days/week to work on your group project, discuss
reading, and complete your individual assignments. These days will typically take place on
Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Final Papers and Group Projects, as well as journal logs and discussion notes will be due as
follows:
Novel 1: September 10-October 16
Novel 2: October 16-Novemeber 19
Novel 3: November 19-Jan 7
Novel 4: Jan 7-February 22
Novel 5: February 22-April 15
Novel 6: April 15-May 28
Create a schedule for your group so that each member stays on track with his/her reading.
The schedule for Novel 1 is due to me by September 9, 2012.
Task 2: Assign Roles
Choose a day each week that you will discuss parts of the novel (you may utilize both days
for this process if your group chooses to do so on the schedule). When you are reading
independently, take note of specific passages on a separate sheet of paper or by using post its.
Come prepared to discuss with your group what you have found. You may want to decide on
your individual paper topics before assigning what you will be looking for in the text. In
addition, take note of what your group members are writing about to help to assist their
process.
This is your time to meet with, discuss, and understand the novel better. Any material you
hear or share can be utilized for your individual paper or group project. Individual notes from
group meetings will be handed in with your papers.
Task 3: Individual Papers
Three of your novels will be based on critical lens theory. You may choose a Feminist,
Marxist, Archetypal, or Psychoanalysis Lens. In these essays, you should explore what critics
have said about your novel. You may site any material you or your group finds in research.
You should be explaining how the theory applies to the text. This means you must be specific
by showing specific passages in the text as evidence. In addition, you must reveal how this
lens impacts the reader.
Three of the papers will be based on literary devices that the author uses to write the text. For
instance, does the author employ characterization or irony or imagery or conflict? Be specific
by identifying the type of device and specific passages in the text where the author shows
this. Your job is to show how the author uses this device and why it helps the reader to
understand the textual theme.
***NOTE: MEMBERS OF THE SAME GROUP CANNOT HAVE THE SAME THESIS
STATEMENT. THIS MEANS THAT EACH OF YOU MUST BE PROVING
SOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT THE TEXT.
Task 4: Group Project
You must apply one project to each novel and you cannot repeat a project. This project is to
be completed by the entire group. You will receive a group grade for the project.
1. Create an Animoto Video that represents your book. You may use up to 25 words and
up to 35 images. Choose music that clearly reveals the theme of your novel. This
video will be presented to the class.
2. Create and film a 2-3 minute movie trailer for the movie version of your book. Each
group member must play a part and have lines. Highlight the specific scenes within
the novel. We should be able to fully understand the plot and theme of your novel
from the trailer. Make us want to read it! Your trailer will be presented in class.
3. Create a word and picture collage representing the entire novel. This must be done on
a large sheet of drawing paper or poster board (8 x 11 is too small). By viewing the
collage, we should understand the plot and theme of your novel.
4. Create a website or online page publicizing your novel. The website should include all
aspects of the novel including protagonist and antagonist, central theme, literary
devices, critique, and plot summary. Utilize pictures and graphics to make your
website more appealing to those who view it.
5. Take a series of freeze frame pictures. Each member of your group should dress as a
character or “thing” in your novel. Then pose to imply important scenes in your book.
You should have at least 10 photos. Arrange the photos so that we are able to have a
sense of your characters and the events within your novel. Be prepared to present the
pictures.
6. Utilize your own creativity to develop a project that reveals how critical lens theory
applies to your novel. Utilize each lens: feminist, Marxist, archetypal, and
psychoanalysis. BE CREATIVE… the more creative, the better the project!!!