ICSA - AP Language and Literature
2015– 2016 Summer Assignment
kbrundage@icsabidjan.org
The summer assignment will introduce you to the concept of Active Reading as well as 2 novels we will
explore as a class. Completing it will not only show commitment from your part but it will help ensure
we are all ready for the first day of class so we can have a successful year. It consists of two parts and
is attached to this document. However, before getting to the summer assignment, read the following:
1. The first thing is to obtain a signature by 8am on Wednesday, June 3, 2015. Some of you will have to
write a placement essay during the final exam. Once that is completed, you can start on your summer
assignment. It has two parts and it is due the first day of school (not the first day we meet – so please
send it to me online by the first day of school if you will not be here). YOU MUST ALSO TURN
IN A HARD COPY OF YOUR WORK ON THE FIRST DAY OF CLASS. Remember that your written
assignments are an important part of your grade and this particular assignment will be your first grade.
It is worth 200 points.
Commitment Statement:
Everyone who enrolls in the class has to send me an e-mail (title of the e-mail should be your last name
followed by “commitment statement”: ex. brundage_commitment_statement) by June 10th. In the
body of your e-mail, state the followings:
I, …… (replace the dots by your complete name), decided to enroll in the AP Language and Literature
class so I could develop my critical analysis and essay writing skills. I will work diligently inside and
outside of class and engage in independent work so
I am ready for the AP exam. I understand that I will have more work to do than the students
who enroll in the general English classes and I commit to punctually do all the work required of me to
the best of my ability. In addition,
 I will complete the summer reading and I will turn it in by the first day of school.
 I will keep my dialectical journal in a neat and organized fashion.
 I will read all assignments before each class and I will be ready for assessments on assigned
readings before they are even discussed in class.
 I will complete all homework before class and turn them in on time.
 I will actively participate in classroom discussions and I will anticipate independent work
that might be needed for me to do (and I will do it) so I am prepared for assigned topics to
be discussed in class.
 I will respect my classmates and their opinion whether I agree with them or not.
 I will be an effective group member (whether I choose the members of my group or not).
Dear AP English Literature Students:
This note is to inform you of your required reading and writing assignment for AP English
Literature/Language to be completed before class begins in August 2015.
ASSIGNMENT#1: Read 2 books of literary merit and annotate text.
The more you read, the better chance of success you have in my class, on the AP exam, in college,
and in life. Reading is also a key component to becoming a good writer. Below is a list of books
(fiction and nonfiction) that will expose you to the variety of literary periods, cultures, themes,
characters, settings, and vocabulary that we will be studying in class. Read two books from this list
(that you have not read before). Before choosing a text, please review several of the books in order
to find one that you believe you would enjoy. I will be more than happy to help you choose a book.
When you come to class the first day of school, you will need to bring the book along with your
annotations and/or dialectical journal (as described on the assignment page-Assignment #1).
Happy reading and writing!
Sincerely,
Ms. Brundage
Mandatory Reading (choose 1)
The Cather in the Rye
The Great Gatsby
Brave New World
Connections
Flight
The Adventures of Huckleberry
Finn
Optional Choose 1
Fahrenheit 451
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Things Fall Apart
Joys of Motherhood
Native Son
Invisible Man
The Poisonwood Bible
1984
One Hundred Years of Solitude
The Alchemist
House of Spirits
Cry, the Beloved Country
Pride and Prejudice
Anything by Ernest Hemingway
(topic war and manhood)
Fahrenheit 451
Books by theme:
Troubled Youth
Women’s Issues
Romance
The Catcher in the Rye
A Fine and Private Place
The Life of Pi
The Secret Life of Bees
My Antonia
Their Eyes Were
Watching God
The Color Purple
To the Lighthouse
Like Water for Chocolate
Madame Bovary
Jane Eyre
Pride and Prejudice
Racial /Social
Issues/Political
Native Son
Invisible
Catch 22
The Bluest Eye
To Kill a Mockingbird
The Poisonwood Bible
ASSIGNMENT #1 Dialectical Journal
AP English Literature
Reading and Annotation of Book of Literary Merit--Recommended Books List
Email: kbrundage@icsabidjan.org
Dialectic means “the art or practice of arriving at the truth by using conversation involving question and
answer.” The “dialectic” is the method Socrates used to teach his students how to be actively engaged in
deriving the meaning of an unfamiliar or a difficult text.
In preparation for the 2015-16 school year, every student enrolled in AP Literature is required to read a
book listed on the attached approved reading list and compose 20 dialectical journal entries per booktotally 40 entries. I will collect the assignment when you return in August. Moreover, you will be asked
to refer to these journal entries while writing an in-class essay. The following rubric will be used in
scoring the journals, which will be factored into the fall semester grade. Please review the attached
dialectical journal format sheet and the sample journal entry before completing the assignment.
Dialectical Journal Format The dialectical journal consists of 3 columns: Quote/Evidence, Commentary,
and Literary Device. Before the first journal entry, identify the title of the book and the author. Take care
to underline or italicize the title of the book.
Instructions:
1) Quote/Evidence: Choose your quotes as you read. Set goals. You should have one quote every
chapter. The quotes should demonstrate your understanding of the plot, but also the author’s
technique, so pay attention to the literary devices he/she uses.
a. Cite the quotes using MLA format
b. Write out the entire quote do not abbreviate
c. Choose quotes of an appropriate length to comment upon
d. Include 1 sentence of context for each quote
2) Commentary: In this section, you need to respond to the passage you chose in a number of
ways.
a. You must analyze it for meaning.
b. Connect to character, themes, setting, irony, metaphors, similes, tone, allusions, new
vocabulary, things that surprise you, and anything else that you believe is important
c. Show how the language (literary devices are working)
d. Connect to another novel from the list
e. Look at plot development
3) Literary Device
a. Simple: Identify the literary device – explain if necessary
Sample Dialectical Journal Entry
Title: The Glass Castle
Author: Jeannette Walls
Evidence
When describing her family
visiting her in the hospital as a
three year old, Jeannette Walls
writes: “Everyone always turned
and stared at Dad. I couldn’t
figure out if it was because he
called people ‘pardner’ or
‘goomba’ and threw his head
back when he laughed” (12).
Commentary
As a young girl, Walls naturally
would not perceive her father’s
eccentric behavior the way
other adults would – as
obnoxious and loud. Stating
that one of the reasons she
thought her father, Rex, caused
awareness was his strikingly
attractive looks shows that
Walls’ perspective of Rex at the
time will always be innocent
and naïve, much like her
personality as a toddler. I
understand where Walls is
coming from when she says
this, because I also tend to view
my father in a positive light. If
he makes a mistake, I naturally
forgive him easily, although my
father did not put me through
any of the horrors Rex Walls’
children endured. This
connects to the theme in
Freud’s Oedipus Complex…..
Literary Device
characterization
Online Dialectical Journal
Title:
Author:
Evidence
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Commentary
Literary Device
Alliteration - the repetition of initial sounds in successive or neighboring words
Ex. “During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day . . .” – Edgar Allan Poe
Allusion – a direct or indirect reference to something which is presumably commonly known, such as an event, book,
myth, place, or work of art. Allusions can be historical, literary, religious, topical, or mythical. There are many
more possibilities, and a work may simultaneously use multiple layers of allusion.
Ex. “Plan ahead: it wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark” - Richard Cushing
Atmosphere – the emotional mood created by the entirety of a literary work, established partly by the setting and
partly by the author’s choice of objects that are described. Even such elements as description of the weather
can contribute to the atmosphere. Frequently atmosphere foreshadows events.
Figurative language – writing or speech that is not intended to carry literal meaning and is usually meant to be
imaginative and vivid.
Hyperbole – a figure of speech using deliberate exaggeration or overstatement. Hyperboles often have a comic
effect; however, a serious effect is also possible. Often, hyperbole produces irony.
Ex. “So first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself” - Franklin D.
Roosevelt
This stuff is used motor oil compared to the coffee you make, my love.
Imagery - the sensory details or figurative language used to describe, arouse emotion, or represent abstractions. On
a physical level, imagery uses terms related to the five senses; we refer to visual (sight), auditory (hearing),
tactile (touch), gustatory (taste), or olfactory (smell) imagery. On a broader and deeper level, however, one
image can represent more than one thing. For example, a rose may present visual imagery while also
representing the color in a woman’s cheeks and/or symbolizing some degree of perfection (It is the highest
flower on the Great Chain of Being). An author may use complex imagery while simultaneously employing
other figures of speech, especially metaphor and simile. In addition, this term can apply to the total of all the
images in a work. On the AP exam, pay attention to how an author creates imagery and to the effect of this
imagery.
Irony - the contrast between what is stated explicitly and what is really meant. The difference between what appears
to be and what actually is true. In general, there are three major types of irony used in language; (1) In a
verbal irony, the words literally state the opposite of the writer’s (or speaker’s) true meaning. (2) In
situational irony, events turn out the opposite of what was expected. What the characters and the readers
think ought to happen. (3) In dramatic irony, facts or events are unknown to a character in a play or piece of
fiction, but know to the reader, audience, or other characters in the work. Irony is used for many reasons, but
frequently, it’s used to create poignancy or humor.
Metaphor – a figure of speech using implied comparison of seemingly unlike things or the substitution of one for the
other, suggesting some similarity. Metaphorical language makes writing more vivid, imaginative, thoughtprovoking, and meaningful.
Mood – the prevailing atmosphere or emotional aura of a work. Setting, tone, and events can affect the mood.
Onomatopoeia – a figure of speech in which natural sounds are imitated in the sounds of words. Simple examples
include such words as buzz, hiss, hum, crack, whinny, and murmur.
Oxymoron – from the Greek for “pointedly foolish,” an oxymoron is a figure of speech wherein the author groups
apparently contradictory terms to suggest a paradox. Simple examples include “jumbo shrimp” and “cruel
kindness.”
Personification – a figure of speech in which the author presents or describes concepts, animals, or inanimate
objects by endowing them with human attributes or emotions. Personification is used to make these
abstractions, animal, or objects appear more vivid to the reader.
Point of view – in literature, the perspective from which a story is told. There are two general divisions of point of
view, and many subdivisions within those. (1) The first person narrator tells the story with the first person
pronoun, “I,” and is a character in the story. This narrator can be the protagonist, a participant (character in a
secondary role), or an observer (a character who merely watches the action). 2) The third person narrator
relates the events with the third person pronouns, “he,” “she,” and “it.” There are two main subdivisions to
be aware of: omniscient and limited omniscient. In the “third person omniscient” point of view, the narrator,
with godlike knowledge, presents the thoughts and actions of any or all characters. This all-knowing narrator
can reveal what each character feels and thinks at any given moment. The “third person limited omniscient”
point of view, as its name implies, presents the feelings and thoughts of only one character, presenting only
the actions of all remaining characters.
Style - The consideration of style has two purposes: (1) an evaluation of the sum of the choices an author makes in
blending diction, syntax, figurative language, and other literary devices. Some authors’ styles are so
idiosyncratic that we can quickly recognize works by the same author (or a writer emulating that author’s
style). Compare, for example, Jonathan Swift to George Orwell or William Faulkner to Ernest Hemingway.
We can analyze and describe an author’s personal style and make judgments on how appropriate it is to the
author’s purpose. Styles can be called flowery, explicit, succinct, rambling, bombastic, commonplace,
incisive, or laconic, to name only a few examples. (2) classification of authors to a group and comparison of
an author to similar authors. By means of such classification and comparison, we can see how an author’s
style reflects and helps to define a historical period, such as the Renaissance or the Victorian period, or a
literary movement, such as the Romantic, Transcendentalist or Realist movements.
Symbol/symbolism – generally, anything that represents itself and stands for something else. Usually a symbol is
something concrete – such as an object, action, character, or scene – that represents something more
abstract.
Syntax – the way an author chooses to join words into phrases, clauses, and sentences. Syntax is similar to diction,
but you can differentiate them by thinking of syntax as the groups of words, while diction refers to the
individual words. In the multiple-choice section, expect to be asked some questions about how an author
manipulates syntax. In the essay section, you will need to analyze how syntax produces effects.
Theme - the central idea or message of a work, the insight it offers into life. Usually theme is unstated in fictional
works, but in nonfiction, the theme may be directly stated, especially in expository or argumentative writing.