AP Literature Summer Reading

2007-2008

The summer reading program is an essential feature of the AP Literature class. These books will get us started immediately on the first day of school and will prepare you for our first piece of literature. From the beginning, you need to be prepared to take this class very seriously. You must complete the summer reading; it is not optional. These works may appear on the AP exam, and a close knowledge of them gained during summer reading will therefore improve your chance of success not only on the test, but also in this year-long class.

1. All students must read Edith Hamilton's Mythology. Be prepared for an objective exam on this book the first day of school. Any hand-written notes you take on the short stories may be used on the test. Reading this collection of mythology stories will prepare you for our study of The Odyssey (translation by Robert Fagles) this fall as well as the poetry and Shakespeare play (Othello) we will be studying. Skip the section on the Odyssey and Nordic Myths.

2. Next, choose one novel from the list below. On the first day of school, you must bring with you a draft of an essay written on one of the books you chose to read. This essay should be approximately two-three pages long. It should be word-processed and double-spaced. The expectation is that you will have an introduction with a focused thesis statement, body paragraphs (not just the obligatory three), and a thoughtful conclusion. We will be working in class that first week on revisions so that you get a clear idea of AP writing expectations. (If you lose this paper, this is also on the BHS web-site –Dept – English-Mullarky)

Choose the prompt that you feel best fits the book you read.

Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

A. Writers often highlight the values of a culture or a society by using characters who are alienated from that culture or society because of gender, race, class, or creed. Write an essay that shows how a character's alienation reveals the surrounding society's assumptions and moral values. Do not merely summarize the plot.

B. Many plays and novels use contrasting places (for example, two countries, two cities or towns, two houses, or the land and the sea) to represent opposed forces or ideas that are central to the meaning of the work. From this novel, explain how the places differ, what each place represents, and how their contrast contributes to the meaning of the work. Do not merely summarize the plot.

C. Some works of literature use the element of time in a distinct way. The chronological sequence of events may be altered, or time may be suspended or accelerated. Show how the author’s manipulation of time contributes to the effectiveness of the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot.

D. One of the strongest human drives seems to be a desire for power. Write an essay in which you discuss how a character in the novel struggles to free himself or herself from the power of others or seeks to gain power over others. Be sure to demonstrate in your essay how the author uses this power struggle to enhance the meaning of the work.

E. Novels and plays often depict characters caught between colliding cultures – national, regional, ethnic, religious, institutional. Such collisions can call a character’s sense of identity into question. Choose a novel in which a character responds to such a cultural collision. Write a well-organized essay in which you describe the character’s response and explain its relevance to the work as a whole.

3. You must also bring with you a complete index card for the novel you chose to read (not Mythology). This will be collected the first day of school. The card must be neatly hand-written or typed. You may use the back of the card if necessary. We will use a collection of index cards this year for preparation for the open-ended AP test prompt. The index card MUST be on 5"x8"(smaller cards will not be accepted) and should contain the following information:

INDEX CARD INFORMATION

· title, author, date (also what period of English or American Literature it falls into)

· list of main characters and role they play in book

· list of main places/brief description

· list of significant critical and/or essential events/problems that occur throughout book

· social/political/philosophical agenda(s) of author: why was this book written? what insight into human nature or the human condition does this book offer? (think THEMES)

· list any major short significant quotations-make them easy to remember

· brief synopsis of ending & how author achieved closure