English Department Summer Assignment 2016 Course : British Literature 130 Grade : 11 Instructor : Ms. Janey Joiner ( [email protected] ) Level : 1 What to Read: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the NightTime by Mark Haddon Assignment : As you read, highlight and annotate important passages , most especially any plot, character, and conflict development. When you finish reading the novel, please complete the essay portion of the summer assignment. A static character is one that does not undergo inner changes over the course of the story. A dynamic characte r is one that undergoes inner changes throughout the narrative due to several conflicts he encounters on his journey. In The Curious Incident of the Dog in the NightTime, the reader is introduced to Christopher, a narrator with an extremely unique way of viewing the world. In a fiveparagraph essay evaluate whether Christopher is a static or a dynamic character, discussing three ways his character either does or does not change over the course of the novel. Please note your essay should discuss meaningful inner changes to Christopher’s character, rather than surface level changes, such as moving to a new location, changing in appearance, or going to a new school. Paragraph One: Begin your introduction with a “hook” or “attention getter.” Then, introduce the main character Christopher and give a brief overview of the plot of the novel. The title of the novel and the name of the author should be referenced. The last sentence of your introduction, the thesis statement, should directly state whether Christopher is a static character or a dynamic character and identify three ways he either does or does not change over the course of the novel. Paragraph Two : This paragraph should discuss the first way in which Christopher either does or does not change over the course of the novel. Use specific examples from the both the beginning of the novel and the end to show specific ways his character has either changed or remained the same. If he did change, what conflict in his life caused him to make this change? Include at least one direct quotation (see below for example of a quotation with MLA formatting for an intext citation). Include a topic and a concluding sentence. Paragraph Three : This paragraph should discuss the second way in which Christopher either does or does not change over the course of the novel. Use specific examples from the both the beginning of the novel and the end to show specific ways his character has either changed or remained the same. If he did change, what conflict in his life caused him to make this change? Include at least one direct quotation (see below for example of a quotation with MLA formatting for an intext citation). Include a topic and a concluding sentence. Paragraph Four : This paragraph should discuss the third way in which Christopher either does or does not change over the course of the novel. Use specific examples from the both the beginning of the novel and the end to show specific ways his character has either changed or remained the same. If he did change, what conflict in his life caused him to make this change? Include at least one direct quotation (see below for example of a quotation with MLA formatting for an intext citation). Include a topic and a concluding sentence. Paragraph Five: This is the conclusion and should restate the thesis, title of the novel and name of the author. Briefly summarize the ways Christopher either did or did not change and try to draw a conclusion on the author’s purpose for writing the novel or the lesson the reader should walk away with after reading this story. Quotation and MLA formatting for intext citations : ● Christopher explains to the reader, “I find people confusing” (Haddon 16). ● For additional assistance for writing, grammar or formatting your essay, use Purdue University’s OWL Online Writing Lab at https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/ . Other Reminders: ● Your entire essay should be in the third person and should NOT include words such as “I” or “you” ● Titles of novels should be italicized Due Date : The paper is due on the first day of class. Late papers will result in a lower grade.
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