Tenth Grade Honors Summer Reading
Teachers: Christine Chavez and Jae Shin
Welcome to Pioneer High School’s Honors English 2! In this class, we will have the opportunity to
explore numerous thoughtful pieces of literature in ways that are both exciting and relevant. Our class
will build a foundational study of literary genres including: nonfiction, short stories, novels, dramas, and
poetry. Close reading is an essential skill in order to gain a deeper understanding of complex literature;
we will enhance these skills throughout the course of this class. However, the mastery of this skill must
begin this summer. So, please read and write carefully as you complete the assignments below.
Assignments – Due August 14th for Periods 2, 4, and 6 and August 15th for period 1, 3, and 5.
1) In order to analyze literature, students must be familiar with how authors use specific devices
such as tone, diction, imagery and detail to create a unique “voice”. In order to strengthen your
analytical skills, please complete 6 “Voice Lessons”. The handouts have space for notes, but you
will have to rewrite or type your answers neatly on separate paper. The power points can be
found on Mrs. Chavez’s website under Sophomore Summer Reading.
2) Read Bless Me Ultima and complete the eight reading log questions. Each answer should be a 35 sentence answer that includes at least one quote and page number.
3) Write a literary analysis essay discussing a theme in Bless Me Ultima. The essay prompts are on
the last page.
Bless Me Ultima – Reading Log Questions
Directions – Answer each text based question in 3-5 sentences. Be sure to include a quote and page
number for each answer.
Chapters Uno and Dos
What do Antonio’s dreams reveal about his personality, his fears, and his desires?
Chapters Tres, Cuatro, and Cinco
Why does Antonio’s uncle say that there is hope for the young protagonist?
Chapters Seis, Siete, Ocho, and Nueve
Think about the role of religion in their lives, or in the lives of people to whom they are close. How do
beliefs in God and morality shape Antonio?
Chapter Diez
Discuss the effectiveness of Ultima’s cure?
Chapters Once, Doce, and Trece
Why does Antonio’s dream at the end of Chapter Once bring him peace?
Chapter Catorce
Read the information about the three symbols and think about their greater meaning before answering
the question.
Ultima’s Owl
“In many cuentos I had heard the owl was one of the disguises a bruja took, and so it struck a chord of fear in the heart to hear them hooting at
night. But not Ultima’s owl.” (Anaya 13)
Antonio dreams about Ultima’s owl the first night of its arrival. The owl cries its warning before Lupito’s death in Chapter Dos, it comforts
Antonio on his first day of school in Chapter Seis, and it cries out to Antonio in Chapter Diez.Then, the owl blinded Tenorio in one eye (Chapter
Doce). After the novel’s violent climax, Antonio discovers the secret of the owl’s power. What is this power?
The River
This mysterious river often figures in Antonio’s dreams. It also functions as the venue for a number of events in the story: Lupito falls in the
river after his death, Florence drowns in the river, and Antonio sees the Golden Carp swimming in it. How does this element of nature
symbolize Antonio’s fears?
The Golden Carp
“I could not believe its size. It was bigger than me! And bright orange! The sunlight glistened off his golden scales” (Anaya 113).
Anaya creates his own myth in the legend of the Golden Carp. Antonio believes the story but cannot reconcile it with his Catholicism,
confessing, “The roots of everything I had ever believed in seemed shaken” (Anaya 81).
After he sees the carp’s beauty with his own eyes in Chapter Once, he wonders if a new religion can blend both the Golden Carp and
Catholicism.
Despite the differences among the three symbols discussed in this lesson, how does Anaya use them in
crucial moments of the plot to probe Antonio’s anxieties, doubts, and fears, and therefore develop his
character?
Chapters Quince, Dieciséis, and Diecisiete
A few events in the novel occur more than once. Examples of these patterns include Antonio’s dreams,
Ultima’s healing rituals, Antonio’s direct encounters with death, and the arrival and departure of
summer. Select one of these repeating events and write a paragraph that compares and contrasts two
or three instances.
Chapters Dieciocho, Diecinueve, and Veinte
Why might the boys insist that Antonio play the priest? Chapters Veintiuno and Veintidós (pp. 236–262).
Where does the end of the novel leave Antonio? What has he learned? How has he grown older or wiser
through the course of these events?
Bless Me Ultima – Essay Prompts
Directions – Write a literary response essay that is at least 500 words. Be sure the essay has a strong
introduction that includes the title of the novel, the author and a strong thesis. In addition, every
body paragraph must have a clear topic sentence, a quote with a page number in parenthesis and
insightful commentary. Any sign of plagiarism will earn a zero and parent conference, so please show
integrity in your work.
Essay Prompts – Please Choose 1 (These prompts are adapted from the AP English Literature Exam)
1. In some works of literature, childhood and adolescence are portrayed as times graced by
innocence and a sense of wonder; in other works, they are depicted as times of tribulation and
terror. Focusing on Bless Me Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya, explain how its representation of
childhood or adolescence shapes the meaning of the work as a whole.
2. Many works of literature deal with political or social issues. Discuss a political or social issue in
Bless Me Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya. Then write an essay in which you analyze how the author
uses literary elements to explore this issue and explain how the issue contributes to the
meaning of the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot.
3. In Kate Chopin's The Awakening (1899), protagonist Edna Pontellier is said to possess "that
outward existence which conforms, the inward life that questions." This means that many
people conform to the expectations of society even though they secretly wonder if what they
are doing is right. In Bless Me Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya, identify a character who outwardly
conforms while questioning inwardly. Then write an essay in which you analyze how this tension
between outward conformity and inward questioning contributes to the meaning of the work.
Avoid mere plot summary.