AP Literature/IB 12 Summer of 2015 Reading and Writing Assignments
Enroll in turnitin.com.


Class id 10076625
Password APLit
Submit all parts of the assignment to turnitin.com by Monday August 31 at 11:59.
Part I.
A. Read the digital version or your own paperback copy of Thomas C. Foster’s How to Read Literature Like a Professor. Complete the
Triple Entry Diary for each chapter (at end of this document).
B.
Be prepared for a test on How to Read Literature Like a Professor on the day we return to school
C. After you read, respond to any THREE chapter questions with a brief, but complete paragraph that makes connections between
Foster’s work and literary texts (novels, plays, poetry) you have read in the last three years. Follow directions for the chapter questions
as you craft your responses. Write in Times New Roman 12 point font and use proper MLA formatting for headers, citations. Proofread
carefully.
❏ Introduction: How’d He Do That? How do memory, symbol, and pattern affect the reading of literature? How does the recognition of
patterns make it easier to read complicated literature? Discuss a time when your appreciation of a literary work was enhanced by
understanding symbol or pattern.
❏ Chapter 1 -- Every Trip Is a Quest (Except When It’s Not) List the five aspects of the QUEST and then apply them to something you have
read (or viewed) in the form used on pages 3-5.
❏ Chapter 2 -- Nice to Eat with You: Acts of Communion Choose a meal from a literary work and apply the ideas of Chapter 2 to this
literary depiction.
❏ Chapter 3: --Nice to Eat You: Acts of Vampires What are the essentials of the Vampire story? Apply this to a literary work you have read
or viewed.
❏ Chapter 4 -- If It’s Square, It’s a Sonnet Discuss how their content of poem reflects the form.
❏ Chapter 5 --Now, Where Have I Seen Her Before? Define intertextuality. Discuss three examples that have helped you in reading specific
works.
❏ Chapter 6 -- When in Doubt, It’s from Shakespeare... Discuss a work that you are familiar with that alludes to or reflects Shakespeare.
Show how the author uses this connection thematically.
❏ Chapter 7 -- ...Or the Bible Read “Araby”. Discuss Biblical allusions that Foster does not mention. Look at the example of the “two great
jars.” Be creative and imaginative in these connections.
❏ Chapter 8 -- Hanseldee and Greteldum Think of a work of literature that reflects a fairy tale. Discuss the parallels. Does it create irony or
deepen appreciation?
❏ Chapter 9 -- It’s Greek to Me Write a free verse poem derived or inspired by characters or situations from Greek mythology.
❏ Chapter 10 -- It’s More Than Just Rain or Snow Discuss the importance of weather in a specific literary work, not in terms of plot.
Interlude -- Does He Mean That
❏ Chapter 11 --...More Than It’s Gonna Hurt You: Concerning Violence Present examples of the two kinds of violence found in literature.
Show how the effects are different.
❏ Chapter 12 -- Is That a Symbol? Use the process described on page 106 and investigate the symbolism of the fence in “Araby.” (Mangan’s
sister stands behind it.)
❏ Chapter 13 -- It’s All Political Assume that Foster is right and “it is all political.” Use his criteria to show that one of the major works
assigned to you as a freshman or sophomore is political.
❏ Chapter 14 -- Yes, She’s a Christ Figure, Too Apply the criteria on page 119 to a major character in a significant literary work. Try to
choose a character that will have many matches. This is a particularly apt tool for analyzing film -- for example, Star Wars, Hunger Games,
Maze Runner, Malcolm X, Braveheart, Maleficent, Gladiator, Harry Potter, Finding Nemo, and Big Hero 6.
❏ Chapter 15 -- Flights of Fancy Select a literary work in which flight signifies escape or freedom. Explain in detail.
❏ Chapter 16 -- It’s All About Sex... Chapter 17 -- ...Except the Sex OK ..the sex chapters. The key idea from this chapter is that “scenes in
which sex is coded rather than explicit can work at multiple levels and sometimes be more intense that literal depictions” (141). In other
words, sex is often suggested with much more art and effort than it is described, and, if the author is doing his job, it reflects and creates
theme or character. Choose a novel or movie in which sex is suggested, but not described, and discuss how the relationship is suggested
and how this implication affects the theme or develops characterization.
❏ Chapter 18 -- If She Comes Up, It’s Baptism Think of a “baptism scene” from a significant literary work. How was the character different
after the experience? Discuss.
❏ Chapter 19 -- Geography Matters... Discuss at least four different aspects of a specific literary work that Foster would classify under
“geography.”
❏ Chapter 20 -- ...So Does Season Find a poem that mentions a specific season. Then discuss how the poet uses the season in a
meaningful, traditional, or unusual way. (Submit a copy of the poem with your analysis.
❏ Interlude -- One Story Write your own definition for archetype. Then identify an archetypal story and apply it to a literary work with which
you are familiar.
❏ Chapter 21 -- Marked for Greatness Figure out Harry Potter‟s scar. If you aren't familiar with Harry Potter, select another character with a
physical imperfection and analyze its implications for characterization.
❏ Chapter 22 -- He’s Blind for a Reason, You Know Chapter 23 -- It’s Never Just Heart Disease... Chapter 24 -- ...And Rarely Just
Illness Recall two characters who died of a disease in a literary work. Consider how these deaths reflect the “principles governing the use of
disease in literature” (215-217). Discuss the effectiveness of the death as related to plot, theme, or symbolism.
❏ Chapter 25 -- Don’t Read with Your Eyes After reading Chapter 25, choose a scene or episode from a novel, play or epic written before
the twentieth century. Contrast how it could be viewed by a reader from the twenty-first century with how it might be viewed by a
contemporary reader. Focus on specific assumptions that the author makes, assumptions that would not make it in this century.
❏ Chapter 26 -- Is He Serious? And Other Ironies Select an ironic literary work and explain the multivocal nature of the irony in the work.
❏ Chapter 27 -- A Test Case Read “The Garden Party” by Katherine Mansfield, the short story starting on page 245. Complete the exercise
on pages 265-266, following the directions exactly. Then compare your writing with the three examples. How did you do? What does the
essay that follows comparing Laura with Persephone add to your appreciation of Mansfield’s story.
Adapted from Donna Anglin, Cherokee USD
Three Paragraphs/Application Rubric
❏ 30 - Paragraphs reveal engagement with the complexities in the texts.
❏ 24 - Understanding of texts is indicated, but with less insight than above.
❏ 18 - Little thought or limited to paraphrase or summary only.
Part II. Essay Prompts – Write TWO of the common application essays this summer. Get other people to read them, revise them again,
and be ready to upload them to turnitin.com. You may use a prompt from a school to which you are applying. Please copy the prompt at
the top of the page.
Common Application 2015-2016 - 250-650 words -- NOTE: it's better to write more and edit.
1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete
without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
2. The lessons we take from failure can be fundamental to later success. Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it
affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
3. Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?
4. Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemmaanything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to
identify a solution.
5. Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture,
community, or family.
What are Admissions Officers looking for?
●
●
●
●
You: the person behind the stats
Surprise: an unexpected angle
Genuineness: no pretensions, no Mr. Thesaurus words, just you
Thoughtfulness: reflection, insight, and awareness
How do I help the Admissions Officers find it?
● Think about your audience: young, overworked, and bored by thousands of applications
● Think about your purpose: not “selling yourself” but being yourself. Be human. Show your failures—just like Hawthorne says. Laugh at
yourself.
● Focus: be as specific as you can be. Don’t just talk about baseball—talk about catching a particular fly ball or longing for someone to hit
one to the lost world of the outfield.
● Use precise and economical language: make every word count.
o Not: “On a yearly basis we would spend 5 hours driving to the lake, where I never gave up the hope of meeting the boy that would be my
Prince Charming.”
o Rather: “Every August we trekked to Lake Apponaug, where I always hoped to meet my Prince Charming”
● Give your essay momentum. Make the parts work together and move to a point. Eliminate non-essentials and digressions.
● Use correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation. These appearances matter.
Are you interested in reading more about college essays and seeing some exemplars? See these links:
Exemplars from the NY Times
Harvard Admissions Interviewer Gives Advice
From the pros: Best college essays hint at who you are
College Essay Rubric
❏ 30 - Both essays are focused, precise, with momentum and insight, with no mistakes in grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
❏ 24 - Both essays are generally focused, precise, with some momentum and insight, with a few mistakes in grammar, spelling, and
punctuation.
❏ 18 - Both essays are attempted but are too general, too superficial, with too many mistakes in grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
Finally, although you have not been assigned a common text or texts, all students entering college level literature courses are expected to read
continuously throughout the summer in order to prepare for AP and IB English. Please use the list as a guide to appropriate titles. If you would like
a suggestion for how to keep track of your reading, I have included an organizer after the list. Though this is not a summer requirement, you will be
using the organizer throughout the year and it is a good way to create a study guide for the exam.
AP Literature Book Card Sample
Title Lord of the Flies Author William Golding Date of Publication or Writing post–World War II
Main Characters
Ralph – leader of the "civilized" group on the island Jack – leader of the hunters, turns on Ralph and Piggy Piggy – fat, unpopular, smart, attaches
himself to Ralph Simon – oddball who sees what’s going on
Samneric – twins, Sam and Eric, who are always together
Roger – a follower of Jack
"Littluns" – young kids, think monsters are on island
Setting
Uninhabited island, wartime - modern times
Important Plot Points
Evacuation plane crashes, no adults survive. Boys marooned. Ralph becomes leader. Piggy finds conch shell. Jack leads hunters but lets signal fire
go out. "Littluns" convince everyone there’s a monster. Hunt for monster. "Tribes" split. Simon discovers the monster is a dead Parachutist. Jack’s
tribe kills Piggy and hunts Ralph. Adult arrives to rescue the boys.
Themes and Symbols
Violence of human beings – innate. Civilization v. savagery. Loss of innocence. Fear of the unknown.
Symbols = conch, fire, Piggy’s glasses, pig’s head.
Important Quotations
"There was a space around Henry . . . into which he dare not throw." "Maybe it’s [the monster] only us" – Simon.
"Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart, and for the fall through the air of a true, wise friend called Piggy."
Triple Entry Diary
Triple Entry Diaries provide students with a place to do their thinking as they read and discuss what they read. They allow for a wider
range of informal but productive responses to reading (Burke 210).
Keep in mind the difference between taking notes and making notes. The first approach is passive; you write down the main ideas
as they appear. The second approach is interactive; you not only jot down main ideas but also write down connections, insights,
questions, observation. (210).
How to Read Literature like a Professor
Title/Section
Heading
Reader Response
Note taking helps you listen better in class, organize your ideas
more effectively, and remember more of what you read or hear.
Chapter 1: “How’d
He do That?”
This chapter describes how a professor reads differently than
students and the methods he or she uses to process literature.
“Memory. Symbol. Pattern. These are the three items that, more
than any other, separate the professorial reader…”(xv).
“Professors also read, and think, symbolically” (xv)
“Every Trip is a
Quest. Except
When It’s Not”
Textual
Evidence,
page #
xiii, xv
Impressions, Questions,
Comments
How can I acquire the skills that the
professor uses?
What is “symbolic imagination?”