ADVANCED PLACEMENT
ENGLISH LITERATURE & COMPOSITION
Summer Reading Assignment
Welcome Aboard. You are scheduled to take on the challenge of Advanced
Placement English for the 2014-2015 school year, which beckons the crème de le crème
every year. AP English is designed to make you a more perceptive reader, to improve
your analytical skills, to enhance your writing skills, to push yourself to your maximum
potential, and to provide you with an intellectually stimulating voyage through literature.
The works included in this course are: Sound and Sense, Ethan Frome, Catch-22,
Invisible Man, Song of Solomon, To the Lighthouse, Frankenstein, A Portrait of the Artist
as a Young Man, Wuthering Heights, Crime and Punishment, Great Expectations, Jane
Eyre, Doctor Faustus, Light in August, Allegory of the Cave, Billy Budd, How to Read
Literature Like a Professor, Frankenstein, Othello, King Lear, Hamlet, and Macbeth.
In order for the class to get off to a productive start and to exercise your mind for
the rigorous journey, your first navigational tools will be to read a sampling of literature:
How to Read Literature like a Professor, Billy Budd, Allegory of the Cave, and Doctor
Faustus. I have equitably split the other three reads that have similar themes amongst
enrolled students: Ethan Frome, Macbeth, Catch-22 (Group A) To the Lighthouse,
Madame Bovary, and Hamlet (Group B) this summer. Pace yourself, read attentively,
and take notes. Also, to familiarize yourself with analytical poetry reading, access
http://mseffie.com/assignments/poem-a-day/daily.html created by a retired AP English
colleague. Choose 10 Poem-A-Days to complete from her 30 days.
In addition, as you read please note anything you find surprising, unclear, or
particularly compelling. Where possible annotate the text or keep track of your specific
page references to easily find them during class discussion. You will need to have
confidence about your familiarity with the text in order to effectively utilize quotes in
your analysis papers. Expect a quiz on these readings next year preceding our class
discussion. Answers to the discussion questions should be thorough, thoughtful, and very
specific with selective use of actual text.
In the meantime, I hope that you have a pleasant summer. Also, take time to
research and visit colleges and universities that interest you because this major turning
point in your life is right around the corner. I am hopeful that next year you will be
enthusiastic about analyzing these wonderful works of literature, improving your writing
skills and working hard to reach our final destination. I look forward to guiding and
directing you on this journey. Email: [email protected]
“Analysis is to pick apart and dig into its smallest parts to have a greater
understanding and appreciation of the work as a whole.”
How to Read Literature like a Professor - Thomas C. Foster (CHOOSE 10)
In Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Red-Headed League," Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John
Watson both observe Jabez Wilson carefully, yet their differing interpretations of the
same details reveal the difference between a "Good Reader" and a "Bad Reader." Watson
can only describe what he sees; Holmes has the knowledge to interpret what he sees, to
draw conclusions, and to solve the mystery. Understanding literature need no longer be a
mystery -- Thomas Foster's book will help transform you from a naive, sometimes
confused Watson to an insightful, literary Holmes. Professors and other informed readers
see symbols, archetypes, and patterns because those things are there -- if you have
learned to look for them. As Foster says, you learn to recognize the literary conventions
the "same way you get to Carnegie Hall. Practice." (xiv).
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
Select three sonnets and show which form they are. Discuss how their content reflects the
form. (Submit copies of the sonnets, marked to show your analysis).
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. Read pages 44-46 carefully. In these
pages, Foster shows how Fugard reflects Shakespeare through both plot and theme. In
your discussion, focus on theme.
“Details make the difference.”
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. Be prepared to share your poem with the class.
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.
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?
Uses 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 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, Cool Hand Luke, Excalibur, Malcolm X,
Braveheart, Spartacus, Gladiator and Ben-Hur.
Chapter 15 -- Flights of Fancy
Select a literary work in which flight signifies escape or freedom. Explain in detail.
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.
“Our mistakes can be our greatest teachers.”
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 24 -- ...And Rarely Just Illness
Recall two characters that 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?
“Precise and concise analysis is sharp, crisp, insightful and intelligent.”
Envoi
Choose a motif not discussed in this book (as the horse reference on page 280) and note
its appearance in three or four different works. What does this idea seem to signify?
Plato’s Allegory of the Cave (choose 10 & Journal Assignment) E-TEXT
1. Describe how the people in the cave are situated in Plato's parable. Why can't they
move their legs or necks to take a look around? What is the only thing they are capable of
seeing? What is their only source of light?
2. What are the stages of the liberated prisoner's experience outside the cave?
3. What do these prisoners trapped in the cavern believe is real?
4. How do the prisoners react when they first see sunlight? Why?
5. What does Plato’s allegory of the cave tell us about how we recognize things?
6. What does Plato’s cave tell us about what we see with our eyes?
7. What is truth according to Plato in this allegory?
8. What other ideas could have been influenced by Plato’s cave?
9. Describe an experience you have had in which something that looked true turned out to
be false or looked false turned out to be true.
10. How is it possible that people can believe in illusion and accept it as reality?
11. What sometimes happens to people when the illusion is shattered and reality is
revealed?
12. Describe other "caves" in modern life in which people might be "imprisoned" or feel
"imprisoned".
13. If a prisoner is released from the cave and compelled to look toward the light, what
will he experience? Why?
“Think outside of the box.”
14. If the liberated prisoner goes back to the cave and tries to explain to his former fellow
prisoners, what kind of reaction will he get? Why?
15. To what extent do you find Socrates point about human tendency to confuse
"shadows" with "reality" relevant today?
16. What could be the elements that prevent people from seeing the truth, or regarding
"shadow" as the "truth"?
17. What are some things the allegory suggests about the process of enlightenment or
education?
18. What do the imagery of "shackles" and the "cave" suggest about the perspective of
the cave dwellers or prisoners?
19. In society today or in your own life, what sorts of things shackle the mind?
20. Compare the perspective of the freed prisoner with the cave prisoners?
21. According to the allegory, how do cave prisoners get free? What does this suggest
about intellectual freedom?
22. The allegory presupposes that there is a distinction between appearances and reality.
Do you agree? Why or why not?
Journal Assignment:
Make an illustration of the cave.
Write one page discussing your ideas using what you have learned from the "Allegory of
the Cave." Be sure to discuss this situation in terms of sight, vision, blindness, truth,
reality, illusion, light, and dark as it is appropriate.
Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe (E-TEXT)
(choose 1 question from each section and 2 from play as a whole)
PROLOGUE
1. What usual subjects of tragedy will not be covered in this play?
2. How is the motif of the fall introduced?
3. How is the motif of the Appetites introduced?
4. What specific flaw in the character of Faustus is mentioned?
“Keys to success: self-discovery and self-confidence.”
ACT I, scene 1
1. What specific reasons does Faustus give for abandoning each of the following careers?
A. philosophy
B. medicine
C. law
D. theology
2. Irony is important throughout this play. In particular, Faustus “misuses” religious
terminology. Find at least five specific examples of such misuse.
3. An additional irony is the conflict between what Faustus first says he “most desires”
and the worldliness of what he actually seeks. What does Faustus say he hopes to gain
from necromancy?
ACT I, scene 2
1. What perspective on the actions Faustus takes is offered in this scene?
2. How does Wagner’s conceit about his own knowledge parody Faustus’ claims?
ACT I, scene 3
1. How does Faustus’s conjuring rely upon religious references?
2. Once again, Faustus errs in reasoning. What specific warnings does Faustus receive?
3. How is the motif of the Fall further advanced in this scene?
4. As presented in this scene, what is hell?
5. Exactly what bargain does Faustus offer Lucifer?
Act I, scene 4: Discuss the several ways in which Wagner clearly demonstrates that he is
Faustus’s disciple.
Act II, scene 1
1. What specific warnings does Faustus receive?
2. Explain the irony in the following line: “Consummatum est.”
3. How has Mephistopheles’s character changed?
4. How is the motif of the Fall further advanced in this scene?
5. As presented in this scene, what is hell?
6. Once the bargain is completed, what are Faustus’s orders and how are they satisfied?
Act II, scene 2
1. What evidence is there that Faustus regrets his bargain?
2. What diversions keep Faustus from repenting?
3. How is the motif of the Fall further advanced in this scene?
4. How is the motif of the Appetites further advanced in this scene?
Act III, scene 1
1. How has Faustus actually used the power he has gained?
2. What is ironic about the ritual of “bell, book, and candle”?
Act III, scene 2 and 3: How do these two scenes represent a convergence of plot and
subplot?
“Literature holds a mirror up and makes us take a good, long, hard look at ourselves
and others.”
Act IV, scene 1
1. How does this scene offer further evidence of the trivial uses to which Faustus has put
his power?
2. What is ironic in Faustus’s admiration of Alexander?
Act IV, scene 2: In what way does this scene combine comic and tragic elements?
Act IV, scene 3: How does this scene reflect Faustus’s consciousness of his approaching
fate?
Act IV, scene 4: Why is this scene here?
Act V, scene 1
1. What is Faustus’ last act act of conjuring? Why does he do this?
2. What is the purpose of the appearance of the Old Man?
3. What is the purpose of the appearance of Helen?
4. How do the Old Man and Helen function as dramatic opposites?
5. How is the motif of the Fall further advanced in this scene?
6. How is the motif of the Appetites further advanced in this scene?
Act V, scene 2
1. What evidence is there that Faustus realizes the error of his ways?
2. How does the image of Christ’s blood figure in this scene?
3. What does Faustus ask of God in his last half hour?
4. Explain the significance of Faustus’s last words.
EPILOGUE: How does the epilogue echo the prologue?
THE PLAY AS A WHOLE:
1. Is Mephistopheles Faustus’s friend or his deadly enemy?
2. Why doesn’t Faustus repent?
3. What role do diversions play in Doctor Faustus?
4. How does magic affect the comic characters, Wagner and Robin?
5. What does the Chorus think of Faustus?
6. What is the definition of hell in this play?
7. Faustus dreams that magic will bring him limitless power. To what extent does his
dream come true?
8. Compare and contrast Doctor Faustus to Everyman.
Billy Budd by Herman Melville (choose 5) E-TEXT
Discussion Questions:
1. To what extent can Billy Budd be understood in political terms? Is it a manifesto, a
statement of political ideals? Discuss the significance of the fact that Billy Budd was
removed from a ship named The Rights of Man.
2. Contrast Billy Budd to Claggart. Billy is handsome and strong; Claggart is sticky and
pale. Billy is shown as innocent, naturally good; Claggart is innately evil. Does their
relationship imply a reenactment of religious and mythical struggles between natural
goodness and the malice of innate evil?
“Take responsibility --- no blaming, no complaining.”
3. What accounts for Claggart's feeling toward Billy? Discuss the passage:
...what can more partake of the mysterious than an antipathy spontaneous and profound
such as is evoked in certain exceptional mortals by the mere aspect of some other mortal,
however harmless he may be, if not called forth by this very harmlessness itself?
4. Does Melville adequately explain Captain Vere's insistence upon an immediate court
martial? Is Vere's ostensible motive for punishing Billy credible?
5. Discuss the portrayal of Captain Vere. Is much of what seems to be praise better
understood as irony--criticism of Vere and what he represents? Comment on his end:
death ashore, drugged with opiates, having "never attained to the fullness of fame".
6. What is the significance of Vere's last words and the fact that they were not spoken
with "remorse"?
7. What is the relationship between Billy's speech defect and his character? Does
Melville appear to associate innocence with an inability to communicate verbally? Is that
logical?
8. Discuss the name symbolism in Billy Budd. Comment on the claims that Melville
chose the name "Vere" to suggest truth (Latin: veritas), or manliness (Latin: vir), or
departure (veer) from the straight path of justice. Is it equally likely that Melville simply
took the name from the popular fiction of the day, as Poe probably did in selecting the
name Guy De Vere to use in his poem "Lenore"?
9. Are Billy's famous last words sincere? Ironic? Or does it seem likely that Billy is
simply following the custom of the condemned man granting forgiveness to his
executioner, an act thought to free the condemned from the sin of hatred before his soul is
dispatched to another world?
10. Discuss the Christian significance of the following passages describing Billy's
execution and the aftermath:
a. "At the same moment it chanced that the vapory fleece hanging low in the East was
shot through with a soft glory as of the fleece of the Lamb of God seen in mystical
vision..."
b. "Billy ascended; and, ascending, took the full rose of the dawn."
c. "The spar from which the foretop man was suspended was for some few years kept
trace of by the bluejackers...To them a chip of it was as a piece of the Cross."
GROUP A
Ethan Frome –Edith Wharton (choose 5)
1.Compare and contrast Ethan Frome with The Glass Menagerie.
2.Agree or Disagree with the following assertions and explain why.
 Ethan Frome is right to honor his marital responsibilities.
 Ethan has the right to his own happiness.
 Ethan’s greatest hindrance to happiness is himself.
 Suicide is the only solution for Ethan and Mattie.
3.Write a “Dear Abby” from one of the characters asking for advice. Include the reply.
“Notice the artistry and subtleties that the average reader overlooks.”
4.Words relating to sight or vision play an important role. Explain how and why.
5.Find passages in which words related to cold occur and explain their significance.
6.How does the setting contribute significantly to the novella?
7.Find five examples of figurative language that heightens your perception of the story.
8.Is this novella a tragedy? Does the hero contribute to his downfall? What is his tragic
flaw?
9. Discuss the importance of the unnamed framed narrator.
10.Is the marriage portrayed old-fashioned or contemporary? Explain.
Macbeth – William Shakespeare
1. Journal Writing-Keep a journal or log. Readers gain significant benefit from keeping a
journal or reading log. The journal/log can serve several functions – choose 1:
(a) a chronological sequence of events of the play,
(b) a diary of one of the major characters [recording in diary form what the character is
doing and feeling],
(c) a character development journal [noting traits, changes, interaction with other
characters, interaction with the themes of the play, the character's use of language],
(d) writing about one or more of the themes of the play [how they are interpreted by
Shakespeare, how they relate to the modern world],
(e) writing about one of symbols in the play [selecting one symbol, blood for example,
and listing each quote in which it appears and discussing how the symbol furthers the
development of plot, character, and theme]
(f) a vocabulary journal [listing and defining words of literary and dramatic importance],
and/or
(g) a response journal [writing about the student's personal interaction with the play].
2. Responding to Theme-List recurring themes (things are not what they seem, the
corruption of power, blind ambition, superstition and its effects on human behavior) that
develop as you read. Add notations of act and scene to serve as a guide for later reflection
and writing.
3. Imagery and Theme-Shakespeare's use of imagery develops many themes; list these as
they appear in the play. For example, the use of clothing begins with "borrowed robes"
(I,ii) and continues with clothing representing a disguise of "false face" (I,vii) being
repeated many times. Other examples include: flowers/planting, omens and unnatural
events (superstitions), darkness, water/cleansing, blood, weather, and sleep/death.
4. Relationship of Characters-Now that you are familiar with the plot, examining
characters in terms of their loyalties is interesting and useful. List the characters and
diagram their relationships on chart paper.
“The obstacle is the path.”
Joseph Heller-Catch-22 (choose any 10)
1.How do Aarfy’s physical description and his comments reveal his moral character?
2. Describe the effect that the non-linear chronological structure of the novel has on the
reader. Why do you think the author uses this construction?
3. Assess the overall effectiveness of Milo’s syndicate. What positive and negative
effects does it have on the squadron in particular, and the American army in general?
4. List three incidents from the story that support the following theme: Relationships
based on self-gratification will not be meaningful.
5. What do the differences between Colonel Korn and Colonel Cathcart tell the reader
about the differences between practical reality and the reality imagined by administrative
management?
6. Why has Yossarian lost his patriotism?
7. Explain the role of allusion in the story, using at least five examples.
8. Compare and contrast Nurse Cramer and Nurse Duckett.
9. Why does Yossarian fall in love with the chaplain?
10. Compare and contrast Yossarian’s relationships with Nurse Duckett and Luciana.
11. Why do you think Yossrian misreads Orr so badly? Give evidence from the text to
support your answer.
12. How does Yossarian feel when, despite the fact that the upper military management is
focused on infighting and politics, the American army is successful in the war?
13. What kind of language is used to express Yossarain’s rebirth as a non-patriot after he
returns with his crew from the Bologna raid?
14. What is déjà vu? How does it come into play in the plot of this novel?
15. Why does Nately experience such frustration with the old man in the apartment? Why
does this old man remind Nately of his father?
16. Explain how the story of Milo’s enterprise turns from literal tale into farce.
17. Identify the tragic elements in Doc Daneeka’s “death.”
“To thine own self be true.”
18. Compare the characters of Mudd and Doc Daneeka. How are they alike?
19. Explain how detail and syntax are used to build up the sense of tragedy in Chapter 39.
20. Cite several examples of Catch-22. Why do you think the author shows both
insignificant and serious consequences of Catch-22?
GROUP B
Hamlet- William Shakespeare (choose 5)
1)To what extent does Hamlet correspond to classical or medieval notions of
tragedy? What (if anything) is Hamlet's fatal flaw? Why does he hesitate to act after
promising his father's ghost that he will avenge his murder? Compare/contrast the
protagonist's decisiveness and will to act inMacbeth.
2) Note the various familial relationships in Hamlet. Compare and contrast the family
unit of Polonius / Laertes / Ophelia with Hamlet's relationships to the Ghost of Hamlet
Sr., to Gertrude and to Claudius. Like Hamlet, Laertes and Fortinbras are sons
confronted with a father's death. To what extent do they function as foils to
Hamlet? What do they have in common? How do they differ?
3) Why does Hamlet wait so long to kill Claudius? What are the reasons for his
hesitation? How valid are they? How many times does he have the opportunity to attack
Claudius? What are his reasons for not doing so?
4) Hamlet is a play in which nothing can be taken at face value: appearances are
frequently deceptive, and many characters engage in play-acting, spying and
pretense. What deliberate attempts are made at deception? Are the intended audiences
deceived? While some deceptions are perpetrated in order to conceal secrets, others aim
to uncover hidden truths. Which are which? To what extent are they successful? Note
references to appearances, disguises, pretense, seeming, masks, acting, etc.
5) Pay attention to the treatment of the women characters Gertrude and Ophelia. Is there
any basis for the Freudian interpretation of an Oedipal attraction between Hamlet and his
mother? Hamlet does seem obsessed with his mother's sexuality. How old is
Hamlet? How old do you think Gertrude is? Is Hamlet's disgust at Gertrude's sexuality
justified? To what extent is Gertrude guilty? Was she "in on" her husband's
murder? Has Claudius confided in her since the murder? How does Hamlet's perception
of his mother affect his behavior or attitude toward Ophelia? Why does he tell Ophelia to
go to a nunnery? Does Hamlet really love Ophelia? If so, why is he cruel to her?
“Tearing others down is a pathetic attempt to build yourself up.”
6) Hamlet claims that his madness is feigned, an "antic disposition" which he puts on for
his own purposes (I.v.172). Why would Hamlet want to feign madness? How can an
appearance of insanity help him achieve his ends? Is he really sane throughout the play,
or does he ever cross the line into madness? What about Ophelia's mad scene? Is it real
or feigned? Is there "method in her madness" as well, or is she entirely irrational? Why
has she gone mad? (What two reasons do her songs suggest?)
7) Hamlet famously declares that "something is rotten in the state of Denmark." What
other natural imagery is used to describe the corruption of the Danish court? What
"unnatural" events or behaviors preceded the events recounted in the play? What
"unnatural" events or behaviors occur during the play?
8) Moral ambiguity? Hamlet and Macbeth recount similar stories (the usurping of a
throne) from differing perspectives -- those of perpetrator and avenger. Just as Macbeth
was not ALL bad, Hamlet is not ALL good. What are some of his faults or shortcomings? Do these constitute a "fatal flaw" (to use the concept and terminology of
Aristotle or Bradley)? Why might Shakespeare have chosen to remain in the "grey area"
rather than a more "black and white" depiction of Good and Evil?
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert (choose 5)
1. How do you react to the main characters in the book? Do you admire or detest any of
them? Do you find any hateful, laughable or pitiable? Can you locate any heroes or
villains, good or bad characters?
2. How does the point of view in the novel work, and how does it affect your impressions
of the main characters? Pick a passage in which you find the point of view striking, and
analyze why it interests you.
3. How would you describe the tone of the book? Does it change?’
4. Emma has been called a "hopeless romantic." How and why does she become this kind
of person? What was Emma's education like? If Emma is corrupted by reading novels,
how does Flaubert deal with the fact that he is himself a novelist?
Would Emma's life be the same if she hadn't been sent to a convent school? How is
religion presented in the novel? How does Flaubert relate religion to Emma's
romanticism?
Is Emma ever happy? What does or would it take to satisfy her? Is anyone to blame for
her discontent?
“Don’t put down what you don’t understand – that’s true ignorance.”
5. How does socio-economic class figure in Bovary? How would a Marxist analyze the
book?
6. How are gender issues relevant to the novel? To be more specific (and to point this
question in only one out of many possible directions): the novel, written by a man, treats
a female protagonist. Do you think this has any effect on the portrayal of Emma?
Compare and contrast Pride and Prejudice along this axis. What would you say to a critic
who claims that Flaubert hates women?
7. Flaubert famously declared his identification with his protagonist with the words,
"Emma Bovary, c'est moi" ["Madame Bovary is me"]. What do you think he meant by
this? Does he show any affinity for Emma or similarity with her, as a writer or a man?
More broadly, are Emma's problems ones that a man can identify with, or are they
gender-specific?
8. Emma's reading of romances has a contemporary equivalent: the market for Harlequin
romances or soap operas. Who consumes these stories, and what is the appeal of the
stories for their audiences?
To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf (choose 10)
General Questions and "The Window"
1. How does the opening scene of the novel establish our expectations for what is to
come? What does it tell us about the characters, the plot and action, the themes, the style,
the method and form of the novel that follows?
2. The opening of To the Lighthouse is famous for the sophisticated use of free indirect
discourse, apparent from the opening lines. In free indirect discourse, the limited third
person narrator uses the language and speech patterns of the character without using the
first person (I). We are thereby invited into the minds of the characters. How does this
form of narration change the experience of the reader?
3. How does Woolf play with your expectations for how a novel should be written?
4. Virginia Woolf and her husband Leonard ran a press that published the writings of
Freud. What evidence of modern (e.g., Freudian) psychology do you find in the text?
5. You will notice many references to preceding works of art and philosophy. How does
Woolf play with these references and to what effect?
6. The novel lingers on the creation of art and knowledge. How do different characters
participate in creation and how might we define "art"? What is the role of art in life?
7. How does the novel work as autobiography? What character or characters seem to
reflect Woolf's own experience? How does the novel work as a fictionalized presentation
of an artist?
“Learn from the past and plan for the future.”
8. What do the lighthouse and the journey to it seem to symbolize? Are these meanings
consistent throughout the text or do they shift, and if so how?
9. Try to track the reappearance of objects (perhaps the house or windows), symbols
(triangles come to mind), and language ("yes"). What are the relationships among objects,
words and certain characters?
10. Watch for what Diane Middlebrook has called "Hyacinth Girl moments." The
hyacinth girl appears in Eliot's poem, The Wasteland, as a symbol of fertility, desire and
wholeness.
11. How do the characters' actions as well as their thoughts relate to distance and
boundaries? How does Woolf use descriptions of spaces and rooms?
12. Mrs. Ramsey's dinner party provides insight into Woolf's ambitions for this novel, for
women, and for art. Is this meal a metaphor? Compare it to other representations of meals
you have encountered. Those of you who have read Woolf's A Room of One's Own will
think of the description of luncheon at Oxbridge. What does this meal tell us about Mrs.
Ramsey?
"Time Passes"
1. Why divide the text into three sections? What do you makes of the titles of each
section?
2. Consider the position of this passage. In what ways is it central to the text? In what
ways does it address transition, growth, memory, grief?
3. Why the use of parentheses? What kinds of events are parenthetical?
4. How does Woolf represent both Mrs. Ramsey's absence and continuing presence?
5. How is time passage itself represented? Does time always pass?
6. How many meanings of "passages" are at play in this book?
7. Why does this passage end with Lily and the word, "awake"?
"The Lighthouse"
1. In what ways does this section resolve questions or tensions introduced throughout the
novel?
2. How does Woolf represent the trip to the lighthouse? What is its purpose in the text?
3. What does Lily make of her memories of Mrs. Ramsey? Why parallel the journey to
the lighthouse to Lily's memories and the line?
4. Why is Lily finally able to draw her line and how does this gesture comment on art?
gender relations? motherhood? selfhood?
5. Compare the first sentence to the last.
“Take time to reflect and be alone – disconnect from technology for awhile.”
ALL READINGS:
*Write a paragraph applying one of Foster’s chapters to each of the SIX reading
selections.* (yes, that’s 6 different paragraphs)
*Choose one of the following authentic open –ended AP prompts to answer in a
well-developed essay for one of your SIX reading selections (this will be submitted to
turnitin.com at the beginning of the year):
2008. In a literary work, a minor character, often known as a foil, possesses traits that
emphasize, by contrast or comparison, the distinctive characteristics and qualities of the
main character. For example, the ideas or behavior of a minor character might be used to
highlight the weaknesses or strengths of the main character. Choose a novel or play in
which a minor character serves as a foil for the main character. Then write an essay in
which you analyze how the relation between the minor character and the major character
illuminates the meaning of the work.
2008, Form B. 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 a single novel or play, explain how its
representation of childhood or adolescence shapes the meaning of the work as a whole.
2009. A symbol is an object, action, or event that represents something or that creates a
range of associations beyond itself. In literary works a symbol can express an idea, clarify
meaning, or enlarge literal meaning. Select a novel or play and, focusing on one symbol,
write an essay analyzing how that symbol functions in the work and what it reveals about
the characters or themes of the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot.
2009, Form B. Many works of literature deal with political or social issues. Choose a
novel or play that focuses on a political or social issue. 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.
2010. Palestinian American literary theorist and cultural critic Edward Said has written
that “Exile is strangely compelling to think about but terrible to experience. It is the
unhealable rift forced between a human being and a native place, between the self and its
true home: its essential sadness can never be surmounted.” Yet Said has also said that
exile can become “a potent, even enriching” experience. Select a novel, play, or epic in
which a character experiences such a rift and becomes cut off from “home,” whether that
home is the character’s birthplace, family, homeland, or other special place. Then write
an essay in which you analyze how the character’s experience with exile is both
alienating and enriching, and how this experience illuminates the meaning of the work as
a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot.
“Write into the prompt – not away from it.”
2010, Form B. “You can leave home all you want but home will never leave you.” -Sonsyrea Tate
Sonsyrea Tate’s statement suggests that “home” may be conceived of as a dwelling, a
place, or a state of mind. It may have positive or negative associations, but in either case,
it may have a considerable influence on an individual. Choose a novel or play in which a
central character leaves home, yet finds that home remains significant. Write a welldeveloped essay in which you analyze the importance of “home” to this character and the
reasons for its continuing influence. Explain how the character’s idea of home illuminates
the larger meaning of the work. Do not merely summarize the plot.
2011. In a novel by William Styron, a father tells his son that life “is a search for justice.”
Choose a character from a novel or play who responds in some significant way to justice
or injustice. Then write a well-developed essay in which you analyze the character’s
understanding of justice, the degree to which the character’s search for justice is
successful, and the significance of this search for the work as a whole.
2011, Form B. In The Writing of Fiction (1925), novelist Edith Wharton states the
following:
At every stage in the progress of his tale the novelist must rely on what may be called the
illuminating incident to reveal and emphasize the inner meaning of each situation.
Illuminating incidents are the magic casements of fiction, its vistas on infinity. Choose a
novel or play that you have studied and write a well-organized essay in which you
describe an “illuminating” episode or moment and explain how it functions as a
“casement,” a window that opens onto the meaning of the work as a whole. Avoid mere
plot summary.
2012. “And, after all, our surroundings influence our lives and characters as much as fate,
destiny or any supernatural agency.” Pauline Hopkins, Contending Forces
Choose a novel or play in which cultural, physical, or geographical surroundings shape
psychological or moral traits in a character. Then write a well-organized essay in which
you analyze how surroundings affect this character and illuminate the meaning of the
work as a whole.
2013. A bildungsroman, or coming-of-age novel, recounts the psychological or moral
development of its protagonist from youth to maturity, when this character recognizes his
or her place in the world. Select a single pivotal moment in the psychological or moral
development of the protagonist of a bildungsroman. Then write a well-organized essay
that analyzes how that single moment shapes the meaning of the work as a whole.
“Precise and concise writing is effective and powerful.”
WARNING! THIS JOURNEY IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART!
THIS IS A COLLEGE LEVEL CLASS!
The following list presents the warning signs of one of the intellectually damaging and
insidious diseases, the feared SENIORITIS. Since this disease renders you unfit for AP
English and seasickness is likely, I want you to read the list carefully. 
1)
You hear the Sirens’ Song luring you into calm seas and paradise.
2)
You imagine your senior year to be one major social event.
3)
You plan to work hard until the college applications are finished.
4)
You believe life is a race so high school is a waste of your time; consequently,
you thrive on infesting a classroom with your negativity and desire to be “done.”
5)
You break out in hives when you hear: homework, paper, study, project,
presentation, deadline, work, explore, interpret, discover, prove, or read.
6)
You are anticipating receipt of an honorary degree from Princeton, Harvard
and/or Yale with a quadruple major in English Literature and Composition,
Curriculum and Instruction, Psychology and Secondary Education.
7)
You think being prepared for class consists of visiting pinkmonkey.com,
gradesaver.com, sparknotes.com, bookrags.com, etc.
8)
You think you can learn exclusively through osmosis as a passive non-participant
in your education hoping to sponge off of others.
9)
You are adamant that there is one right answer to everything; therefore, you read
merely for plot and believe the subtle details are meaningless “mumbo-jumbo.”
10)
You are thinking about majoring in Excuse Creation and Management in college
and you are already thinking of ways to cut corners your senior year.
Norwin High School
DUE DATE FOR THIS FORM
PLEASE RETURN THIS SHEET TO MRS. BOYD IN ROOM 210 NO LATER THAN
FRIDAY, MAY 23, 2014.
STUDENT ACKNOWLEDGMENT:
I have read this packet of summer reading assignments and understand the rigorous
requirements for this AP class. I understand that I will be enrolled in a challenging,
college-level class that will require consistent study, eager participation, and maturity and
ethics commensurate with a college student. I understand that the AP class will help
prepare me for the AP Literature and Composition examination given in the spring
whether I take the examination or not.
____________________________________
Student Signature
Date
______________________________
Printed Student Name
PARENT ACKNOWLEDGMENT:
I have read this packet with my son/daughter and understand the requirements for the AP
class. I understand the summer reading requirements and the necessity of my child to
complete them. I understand that my child is enrolled in a challenging course with a
heavy work load. I understand that the readings contain adult issues and language.
Additionally, I understand that if my child chooses to take the AP test offered in the
spring, it will cost approximately $85.00.
___________________________________
Parent Signature
Date
______________________________
Printed Parent Name
BOOK #s
How to Read Literature like a Professor
______
GROUP A
Macbeth
______
Ethan Frome
______
Catch-22
______
GROUP B
Hamlet
Madame Bovary
To the Lighthouse
______