SAHS 10 th grade Honors English Summer Reading Assignment
Objective: One of the greatest accomplishments of an advanced English class is providing students an opportunity to navigate challenging texts. This assignment will help students get concrete with a widely acclaimed world literature text, The Count of Monte Cristo. In order to more clearly identify students who will successfully meet the challenges of an advanced class, a summer reading and writing assignment is given.
This assignment is due on your first scheduled day of English, whether it’s an A or B day and is worth 10% of your first quarter grade. Students who cannot meet this expectation will most likely have difficulty succeeding in an advanced English class and may wish to consider transferring to a regular English class.
Students will be graded on completeness of each part of the assignment, clarity of communication, & the degree of higher-level thinking displayed throughout. This assignment will demonstrate that the student is self-motivated and able to handle the more rigorous curriculum and elevated homework requirement of the class, as well as reveal his/her reading and writing abilities. An advanced class should challenge the student, but it should also be an environment in which the student can feel comfortable & successful.
ASSIGNMENT:
1. Read The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. We suggest getting the Bantam
Classicsabridged edition(ISBN number 9780553213508) .
We also advise purchasing a copy of the actual book. That way, you’ll be able to annotate in the margins and make the book more your own. Keep a list of challenging vocabulary words while reading. This will help you complete assignment “C” listed below.
2. Complete the individual response assignments listed below.
A.
Background: The experiences and background of an author give us insights into his/her topic choices, style, biases, etc. in and for writing. Do a search on the author, and identify at least five important elements which may have contributed to his choice of topic, theme, and symbolism in the novel. Write the five elements (like where he grew up, family background, historical context, etc.) in a bulleted list and explain, IN FULL SENTENCES, the function of each element in the book, The Count of
Monte Cristo.
B.
World literature gives us insights into different cultures.
The Count of Monte Cristo takes place during civil and political unrest in France. Do some background research on Napoleon Bonaparte and the “Bonapartist
Movement”.

Create a double entry journal/ T-chart. Side 1: List 20 different facts about
Napoleon and the political unrest he caused in France. Side 2: List any

connections you can make between the historical dates and the events in the book.
Dumas also uses the Italian island of Monte Cristo as an important setting in the story.
 Find where Monte Cristo is actually located and list 10 facts about the island.
 Write a expositional paragraph (7-10 sentences)about the connections between the historical setting and how it is talked about/alluded to in the novel.
C. Vocabulary: As you read, keep a list of vocabulary words that were challenging for you. Be sure to define each one and use it correctly in a sentence that is at least 10 words long. You should have at least 20 words.
D. Define the following literary terms.
Because these are literary terms you need to use a good literary web site.
1. Symbol 2. Motif 3.Theme
 After defining the terms, explain why each is important to you understanding of the book The Count of Monte Cristo. (2-3 sentences for each entry.)

Find an example of EACH of these terms in the novel. Write 4-5 sentences explaining each example, and why it should be defined as a symbol, motif, or theme.
E. Character Chart: You may use pen, pencil, crayon, or whatever else to create your character chart. The chart should be a quick and easy way to get an idea of WHO DID
WHAT in the plot. Make sure you include the following in your chart. Be creative!

List the characters from the novel and give a brief description of each. (Remember, a character does not have to be human.) You need at least EIGHT characters.

From a magazine, newspaper, internet, etc., find a picture to represent this character and attach it to your chart.

Under each character list his or her personality qualities and give a brief summary (1-2 sentences) of what happens to each character in the book.
F. Tone: Identifying and understanding tone as a literary device is crucial to understanding The Count of Monte Cristo. If you read this book merely to understand the plot, you will miss the most important and interesting ideas about human nature that Dumas is bringing up throughout the story.
 List and explain at least TWO different tones you feel Dumas is expressing throughout the novel. They could be connected to different events in the book, when different characters come onto the scene, etc. (To explain the tone and the importance of it in relation to the plot of the novel, you should have at the very least one 8 + sentence paragraph for each example of tone.)
G. Essay: Please write a critical analysis essay on TheCount of Monte Cristo. This does not mean to just say positive or negative things about the book.You are to pick from the

following prompts to guide your analysis. ONLY PICK ONE. Make sure that your essay is well organized! Here is a list of pointers:
1.
Make sure you have a THESIS STATEMENT starting your essay
2.
You should have at least three body paragraphs
3.
A topic sentence in each paragraph
4.
One quote (cited correctly in MLA format) in each body paragraph (See example and explanation below.)
Be sure to correctly MLA cite the specific places in the book when you are quoting from the text. Example: In the novel, The Count of Monte Cristo, the theme of revenge is expressed through Danglar’s assertion: “insert text from the book” (Dumas 25).
Here are your prompts to choose from:
1.
The Count of Monte Cristo is often called a revenge story, as vengeance is one of its central themes. Yet some readers think that the vengeance in the novel is not complete.
Consider Dantes’ revenge conducted on those who wronged him. Is Dantes’ revenge complete? Given the fate of the characters of Villefort, Albert, and Danglars can it be said that Dantes’ revenge is completely realized? Why or why not?
2.
One theme that is often overlooked in The Count of Monte Cristo is love. There are critics who say that is because there are no examples of true love realized in the novel.
Given the events that occur for Valentine, Maximilien, Mercédês, and Haydee can it be said that any of these characters get to experience real love? Why or why not?
3.
Some critics of The Count of Monte Cristo argue that everything done by the Count is done out of a sense of justice. Taking into account the events surrounding Caderousse,
Benedetto, and Albert, is the Count truly just? Is the Count operating according to a notion of justice or are his concerns self-centered? Does the fate of Danglars support or detract from this point of view?
The essay must be at least 300 words in length. It MUST be typed, double-spaced, 12 pt font size, Times New Roman. Your essay will be graded holistically (as an overall document). Do good work!