AP ENGLISH LITERATURE
Summer Reading Assignment
Summer 2016
Cadets and Parents,
AP Literature and Composition is a course designed to aid students in reaching course goals. Instruction will
incorporate a variety of methods to serve the students’ individual learning styles. Although lecture and
discussion will convey information necessary to master course concepts, these ideas will be introduced and
strengthened with reading, writing, revising, and analyzing texts through cooperative learning, group work,
independent research and discovery, manipulation of technological resources, and utilization of audio and visual
aids. Because students are encouraged to be self-directed learners, the function of the teacher is seen primarily
as that of facilitator. Students are encouraged to work independently and cooperatively to challenge new ideas,
direct trains of thought, encourage one another to think at higher levels, and offer support and insight for written
ideas.
Sincerely,
Ms. Jackson
PART I: Literary Terms
Below is a list of literary terms that commonly show up on the AP Literature exam. It is important for you to be
familiar with these terms before the beginning of the school year. You are responsible for defining and
understanding each of these terms by the first week of school, when you will have an assessment covering this
material.
• Allegory
• Figurative Language
• Paradox
• Allusion
• Flashback
• Personification
• Analogy
• Flat Character
• Point of view (types)
• Anaphora
• Foreshadowing
• Pun
• Antagonist
• Hyperbole
• Rhyme
• Apostrophe
• Imagery
• Rhythm
• Assonance
• In media res
• Round character
• Ballad
• Litotes
• Simile
• Blank Verse
• Lyric
• Soliloquy
• Cacaphony
• Metaphor
• Sonnet
• Consonance
• Metonymy
• Suspense
• Deux ex machina
• Motif
• Symbolism
• Dialect
• Monologue
• Synecdoche
• Diction
• Mood
• Syntax
• Epic Poem
• Onomatopoeia
• Theme
• Epigram
• Omniscient
• Tone
• Euphony
• Oxymoron
• Understatement
PART II: How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Thomas C. Foster
This non-fiction text is written to help students realize what it is they should be looking for or aware of when
analyzing literary texts in a thoughtful, scholarly manner. Read and annotate the book and complete the
corresponding assignment (attached).
For most chapters, you will just be required to read and annotate the text, but for some, I will ask that you
complete notes and/or come up with examples from your own reading experiences to contextualize what Foster
is writing about. This assignment will be collected and graded the first week of school for a total of 50 points.
PART III: Independent Novel Selection
Choose one of the novels from the list below to read. Then, complete a Great Works Reader’s Journal
(attached) to accompany your reading and analysis of the novel.
• Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro
• 1984, George Orwell
• The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien
• The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood
Your Great Works Reader’s Journal will be collected and graded the first week of school for a total of 50
points. You should also be prepared to write an in-class essay using your selected novel as evidence and to
discuss your novel with your classmates in a Socratic Seminar when we return to school.
Summer Reading Breakdown
PART
GENRE
•
•
I – Literary Terms
•
II – How to Read
Literature Like a
Professor
III – Independent
Novel Selection
Non-fiction
Fiction
ASSIGNMENTS
Define each term
Come up with an example of
each term
Be able to identify these
terms being used
•
•
Read and annotate the text
Complete corresponding
assignment (worth 50 points)
•
•
Read and annotate the text
Complete Great Works
Reader’s Journal (worth 50
points)
ASSESSMENTS
Literary Terms and Analysis
Test
1. Literary Terms and
Analysis Test
2. Socratic Seminar
1. Socratic Seminar
2. In-class Essay
**Please be prepared to turn in these assignments on the first day of school.
Assessment dates will be announced once classes have started.**
APLITERATURE–Ms.Jackson
SummerReadingAssignment:PartII
HowtoReadLiteratureLikeaProfessorbyThomasC.Foster
DIRECTIONS:ForeachchapterofHowtoReadLiteratureLikeaProfessor,readandannotate.Then,followthe
instructionsandfillintheguidednotesthatcorrespondwiththatchapter.
Thisassignmentwillbeworth50points(quizgrade).Youwillhaveatest,in-classessay,andSocraticSeminarwhenyou
returnfromsummerbreakthatwillrequireyoutodemonstrateathoroughunderstandingofthistext.
Chapter1:TheQuest
“Therealreasonforaquestisalwaysself-knowledge.”
Takenotesonthefivecriteriaforaquest.Then,inthecorrespondingcolumn,giveexamplesofeachcriteriafromatext
you’vealreadyread.
CRITERIAFORAQUEST
EXAMPLES
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Chapter2:ActsofCommunion
“Generally,eatingwithoneanotherisawayofsaying,‘I’mwithyou,Ilikeyou,weformacommunitytogether.’And
thatisaformofcommunion.”
1. Whatareactsofcommunion?WhatdotheytypicallysymbolizeinatextaccordingtoFoster?
2. Givethreeexamplesof“communion”scenesfromliteratureormoviesandanalyzethemfortheirsignificance.
1.
2.
3.
Chapter2:ActsofVampires
“That’swhatthisfigurereallycomesdownto,whetherinElizabethan,Victorian,ormoremodernincarnations:
exploitationinitsmanyforms.”
Listthe“essentialsofthevampirestory”Fostergivesonpage19.Then,analyzeanexampleofapieceofliteratureor
filmthatyouthinkpossessesthese“essentials”inthecorrespondingcolumn.
EssentialsoftheVampireStory
Examples
Chapter4:Sonnets
“Andthisiswhyformmatters,andwhyprofessorspayattentiontoform:itjustmightmeansomething.”
Onaseparatesheetofpaper,writeasonnet.Then,explainhowyouuseditsformtoconveysomedeepermeaning.
Chapter5:Intertextuality
“Ifyoubegintopickuponsomeoftheseotherelements,theseparallelsandanalogies,however,you’llfindyour
understandingofthenoveldeepensandbecomesmoremeaningful,morecomplex.”
1. Define“intertextuality.”
2. Givethreeexamplesofpiecesofliteratureorfilmsthatcontainreferencesorparallelstoothertexts.Explain
thesignificanceofthereferencemadeineach.
1.
2.
3.
Chapter6:Shakespeare
“It’sworthrememberingthatcomparativelyfewwritersslavishlycopybitsofShakespeare’sworkintotheirown.More
commonlythereisthiskindofdialoguegoingoninwhichthenewwork,whiletakingbitsfromtheolder,isalsohaving
itssay.”
Noadditionalnotes!Justreadandannotate!
Chapter7:TheBible
“Manymodernandpostmoderntextsareessentiallyironic,inwhichtheallusionstobiblicalsourcesareusednotto
heightencontinuitiesbetweenthereligioustraditionandthecontemporarymomentbuttoillustrateadisparityor
disruption.”
Noadditionalnotes!Justreadandannotate!
Chapter8:Children’sLiteratureandFairyTales
“…Wewantstrangenessinourstories,butwewantfamiliarity,too.Wewantanoveltobenotquitelikeanythingwe’ve
readbefore.Atthesametime,welookforittobesufficientlylikeotherthingswe’vereadsothatwecanmakesenseof
it.Ifitmanagesboththingsatonce,strangenessandfamiliarity,itsetsupvibrations,harmoniestogowiththemelody
ofthemainstoryline.”
Noadditionalnotes!Justreadandannotate!
Chapter9:Mythology
“Let’ssayitthisway:mythisabodyofstorythatmatters.Everycommunityhasitsownbodyofstorythatmatters.”
Noadditionalnotes!Justreadandannotate!
Chapter10:Weather
“Youmaysaythateverystoryneedsasettingandthatweatherispartofthesetting.Thatistrue,bytheway,butitisn’t
thewholedeal…weatherisneverjustweather.”
Choosethreedifferenttypesofweather.Then,foreachtype,comeupwithatleastthreepossiblefunctionsor
meaningsassociatedwithit.
TypeofWeather
PossibleMeanings
Chapter11:Violence
“Violenceisoneofthemostpersonalandevenintimateactsbetweenhumanbeings,butitcanalsobeculturaland
societalinitsimplications...Violenceinreallifejustis…Violenceinliterature,though,whileitisliteral,isusuallyalso
somethingelse.”
Comeupwiththreeexamplesofviolentactsyouhaveseeninliteratureorfilm.Then,explaintheirdeepersignificance.
1.
2.
3.
Chapter12:Symbolism
“Sosomesymbolsdohavearelativelylimitedrangeofmeanings,butingeneralasymbolcan’tbereducedtostanding
foronething.”
Whatisthedifferencebetweenasymbolandanallegory?Defineeachinthechartbelow.Then,comeupwithan
exampleofeachandexplainitsmeaning.
SYMBOL
ALLEGORY
Definition
ExampleandExplanation
Chapter13:Politics
“…writerstendtobemenandwomenwhoareinterestedintheworldaroundthem.Thatworldcontainsmanythings,
andonthelevelofsociety,partofwhatitcontainsisthepoliticalrealityofthetime—powerstructures,relationsamong
classes,issuesofjusticeandrights,interactionsbetweenthesexesandamongvariousracialandethnicconstituencies.”
Listthreenovelsorfilmsthatyoubelievearesubtlypolitical.Explainwhichpoliticalrealitieseachtextdealswith.
1.
2.
3.
Chapter14:ChristianityandChristFigures
“Cultureissoinfluencedbyitsdominantreligioussystemsthatwhetherawriteradherestothebeliefsornot,thevalues
andprinciplesofthosereligiouswillinevitablyinformtheliterarywork.”
1. WhatwaysdoesFosterciteaswaysinwhichprinciplesofreligioninformliteraryworks?
2. Whatarethequalitiesofa“Christ-figure?”Analyzeandexplainusinganexampleyouarefamiliarwithfrom
pastreadings.
Chapter15:Flight
“Theseexamplesofactualflight,necessaryastheyare,remainvaluablechieflyfortheinstructiontheygiveusin
interpretingfigurativeflight.”
Inthechartbelow,listexamplesofatleastthreepossiblefigurativemeaningsofflight.Then,comeupwithanexample
foreach.
FigurativeMeaningsofFLIGHT
EXAMPLES
Chapter16:Sexuality
“Suddenly,asthetwentiethcenturygetsrolling,twothingsarehappening.Criticsandreadersarelearningthat
sexualitymaybeencodedintheirreading,whilewritersarelearningthattheycanencodesexualityintotheirwriting.”
WhatreasonsdoesFosterofferforwhynovelsoftenencodesexualcontentmoresubtly?
Chapter17:DeeperMeaningBehindSexualActs
“Thetruthisthatmostofthetimewhenwritersdealwithsex,theyavoidwritingabouttheactitself…Thefurthertruthis
thatevenwhentheywriteaboutsex,they’rereallywritingaboutsomethingelse.”
Ifsexscenesaren’treallyaboutsex,thenwhataretheyabout?WhatothermeaningsdoesFostersuggestandwhy?
Listandexplainthreeexamples.
1.
2.
3.
Chapter18:BaptismandDrowning
“Likebaptism,drowninghasplentytotellusinastory.Sowhenyourcharactergoesunderwater,youhavetoholdyour
breath.”
1. Whenwritersbaptizeacharacter,whatdotheymean?
2. Inaliterarywork,doessubmersioninwateralwayssignifybaptism?
3. Whenacharacterdrowns,whatdoesthatmean?
Chapter19:Geography
“Literarygeographyistypicallyabouthumansinhabitingspaces,andatthesametimethespacesthatinhabithumans.”
Giveanexampleofhowgeographycan…
• Connecttoatheme:
• Defineordevelopcharacters:
• Affecttheplot:
Chapter20:Seasons
“Foraboutaslongasanyone’sbeenwritinganything,theseasonshavestoodforthesamesetofmeanings.”
Foreachoftheseason,listasmanypossiblethingstheycouldsymbolizebelow.Then,writewhattheseasonsingeneral
represent.
Seasons(general)
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
Chapter21:PhysicalDeformities
“Thingshavechangedprettydramaticallyintermsofequatingscarsordeformitieswithmoralshortcomingsordivine
displeasure,butinliteraturewecontinuetounderstandphysicalimperfectioninsymbolicterms.”
Noadditionalnotes!Justreadandannotate!
Chapter22:Blindness
“Everymove,everystatementbyoraboutthat[blind]characterhastoaccommodatethelackofsight;everyother
characterhastonotice,tobehavedifferently,ifonlyinsubtleways.Inotherwords,theauthorhascreatedaminor
constellationofdifficultiesforhimselfbyintroducingablindcharacterintothework,sosomethingimportantmustbeat
stakewhenblindnesspopsupinastory.”
Noadditionalnotes!Justreadandannotate!
Chapter23:HeartTrouble
“Inliteraturethereisnobetter,nomorelyrical,nomoreperfectlymetaphoricalillnessthanheartdisease.”
Noadditionalnotes!Justreadandannotate!
Chapter24:IllnessandDisease
“Evenknowinghowdiseaseistransmitted,weremainlargelysuperstitious.Andsinceillnessissomuchapartoflife,so
tooisitapartofliterature.”
WhatarethefourprinciplesgoverningdiseaseinliteratureestablishedbyFoster?Whatisthesignificanceofeach?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Chapter25:OurPerspectivesasReaders
“…Don’treadwithyoureyes.WhatIreallymeanis,don’treadonlyfromyourownfixedpositionintheYearofOurLord
twothousandandsome.Insteadtrytofindareadingperspectivethatallowsforsympathywiththehistoricalmoment
ofthestory,thatunderstandsthetextashavingbeenwrittenagainstitsownsocial,historical,cultural,andpersonal
background.”
Noadditionalnotes!Justreadandannotate!
Chapter26:IRONY
“Wemustremember:ironytrumpseverything.”
1. Whatisirony?
2. Identifyandexplainanexampleofironyyouhavecomeacrossinyourreading.
Chapter27:APPLICATION
Readandannotatetheshortstorybelow.Then,analyzeit.Onaseparatepieceofpaper,writeasmuchasyoucan,
identifyingandexplainingthedifferentaspectsofliteratureFostertaughtyoutolookfor.
"TheStoryofAnHour"
KateChopin(1894)
KnowingthatMrs.Mallardwasafflictedwithahearttrouble,greatcarewastakentobreaktoherasgentlyaspossible
thenewsofherhusband'sdeath.
ItwashersisterJosephinewhotoldher,inbrokensentences;veiledhintsthatrevealedinhalfconcealing.Her
husband'sfriendRichardswasthere,too,nearher.Itwashewhohadbeeninthenewspaperofficewhenintelligenceof
therailroaddisasterwasreceived,withBrentlyMallard'snameleadingthelistof"killed."Hehadonlytakenthetimeto
assurehimselfofitstruthbyasecondtelegram,andhadhastenedtoforestallanylesscareful,lesstenderfriendin
bearingthesadmessage.
Shedidnothearthestoryasmanywomenhaveheardthesame,withaparalyzedinabilitytoacceptitssignificance.She
weptatonce,withsudden,wildabandonment,inhersister'sarms.Whenthestormofgriefhadspentitselfshewent
awaytoherroomalone.Shewouldhavenoonefollowher.
Therestood,facingtheopenwindow,acomfortable,roomyarmchair.Intothisshesank,presseddownbyaphysical
exhaustionthathauntedherbodyandseemedtoreachintohersoul.
Shecouldseeintheopensquarebeforeherhousethetopsoftreesthatwereallaquiverwiththenewspringlife.The
deliciousbreathofrainwasintheair.Inthestreetbelowapeddlerwascryinghiswares.Thenotesofadistantsong
whichsomeonewassingingreachedherfaintly,andcountlesssparrowsweretwitteringintheeaves.
Therewerepatchesofblueskyshowinghereandtherethroughthecloudsthathadmetandpiledoneabovetheother
inthewestfacingherwindow.
Shesatwithherheadthrownbackuponthecushionofthechair,quitemotionless,exceptwhenasobcameupintoher
throatandshookher,asachildwhohascrieditselftosleepcontinuestosobinitsdreams.
Shewasyoung,withafair,calmface,whoselinesbespokerepressionandevenacertainstrength.Butnowtherewasa
dullstareinhereyes,whosegazewasfixedawayoffyonderononeofthosepatchesofbluesky.Itwasnotaglanceof
reflection,butratherindicatedasuspensionofintelligentthought.
Therewassomethingcomingtoherandshewaswaitingforit,fearfully.Whatwasit?Shedidnotknow;itwastoo
subtleandelusivetoname.Butshefeltit,creepingoutofthesky,reachingtowardherthroughthesounds,thescents,
thecolorthatfilledtheair.
Nowherbosomroseandfelltumultuously.Shewasbeginningtorecognizethisthingthatwasapproachingtopossess
her,andshewasstrivingtobeatitbackwithherwill--aspowerlessashertwowhiteslenderhandswouldhavebeen.
Whensheabandonedherselfalittlewhisperedwordescapedherslightlypartedlips.Shesaiditoverandoverunderhte
breath:"free,free,free!"Thevacantstareandthelookofterrorthathadfolloweditwentfromhereyes.Theystayed
keenandbright.Herpulsesbeatfast,andthecoursingbloodwarmedandrelaxedeveryinchofherbody.
Shedidnotstoptoaskifitwereorwerenotamonstrousjoythatheldher.Aclearandexaltedperceptionenabledher
todismissthesuggestionastrivial.Sheknewthatshewouldweepagainwhenshesawthekind,tenderhandsfoldedin
death;thefacethathadneverlookedsavewithloveuponher,fixedandgrayanddead.Butshesawbeyondthatbitter
momentalongprocessionofyearstocomethatwouldbelongtoherabsolutely.Andsheopenedandspreadherarms
outtotheminwelcome.
Therewouldbenoonetoliveforduringthosecomingyears;shewouldliveforherself.Therewouldbenopowerfulwill
bendinghersinthatblindpersistencewithwhichmenandwomenbelievetheyhavearighttoimposeaprivatewill
uponafellow-creature.Akindintentionoracruelintentionmadetheactseemnolessacrimeasshelookeduponitin
thatbriefmomentofillumination.
Andyetshehadlovedhim--sometimes.Oftenshehadnot.Whatdiditmatter!Whatcouldlove,theunsolvedmystery,
countforinthefaceofthispossessionofself-assertionwhichshesuddenlyrecognizedasthestrongestimpulseofher
being!
"Free!Bodyandsoulfree!"shekeptwhispering.
Josephinewaskneelingbeforethecloseddoorwithherlipstothekeyhold,imploringforadmission."Louise,openthe
door!Ibeg;openthedoor--youwillmakeyourselfill.Whatareyoudoing,Louise?Forheaven'ssakeopenthedoor."
"Goaway.Iamnotmakingmyselfill."No;shewasdrinkinginaveryelixiroflifethroughthatopenwindow.
Herfancywasrunningriotalongthosedaysaheadofher.Springdays,andsummerdays,andallsortsofdaysthat
wouldbeherown.Shebreathedaquickprayerthatlifemightbelong.Itwasonlyyesterdayshehadthoughtwitha
shudderthatlifemightbelong.
Shearoseatlengthandopenedthedoortohersister'simportunities.Therewasafeverishtriumphinhereyes,andshe
carriedherselfunwittinglylikeagoddessofVictory.Sheclaspedhersister'swaist,andtogethertheydescendedthe
stairs.Richardsstoodwaitingforthematthebottom.
Someonewasopeningthefrontdoorwithalatchkey.ItwasBrentlyMallardwhoentered,alittletravel-stained,
composedlycarryinghisgrip-sackandumbrella.Hehadbeenfarfromthesceneoftheaccident,anddidnotevenknow
therehadbeenone.HestoodamazedatJosephine'spiercingcry;atRichards'quickmotiontoscreenhimfromtheview
ofhiswife.
Whenthedoctorscametheysaidshehaddiedofheartdisease--ofthejoythatkills.
APLITERATURE–Ms.Jackson
SummerReadingAssignment:PartIII
GreatWorksReader’sJournal-FICTION
Title:
BiographicalInformationAbouttheAuthor:
Author:
DateofPublication:
Genre:
HistoricalInformationAboutthePeriodofPublication:
PlotSummary:
Characters(atleast6):
CharacterName
Role
Significance
Description
Text:
Critical,AnalyticalResponse
ConnectiontoTheme:
PersonalResponse
Text:
Critical,AnalyticalResponse
ConnectiontoTheme:
PersonalResponse
Text:
Critical,AnalyticalResponse
ConnectiontoTheme:
PersonalResponse
Text:
Critical,AnalyticalResponse
ConnectiontoTheme:
PersonalResponse