AP Literature & Composition
Summer Reading 2016-2017
Part 1: Self-Select Novel
Choose a novel you have not previously read from the list below. As you read annotate the text or make notes, using
the list of “overwhelming questions” attached as a guide. Annotating will help you complete the assignment for this
novel.
Novels you may use – These were chosen for their appearance on the AP Literature Exam. These are novels written
for adults and may contain mature themes or content. Research the book before you purchase or read it if you’re
worried about being offended by the subject matter. If you would like to read a book not on the list, please email me
for approval before you do so. Do NOT select a book which you have already read.
Atonement (McEwan)
The Bonesetter’s Daughter (Tan)
Catch-22 (Heller)
Crime and Punishment (Dostoevsky)
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (Foer)
In the Lake of the Woods (O’Brien)
Invisible Man (Ellison)***
Jane Eyre (Bronte)
The Kite Runner (Hosseini)
The Memory Keeper’s Daughter (Edwards)
Never Let Me Go (Ishiguro)
Oryx and Crake (Atwood)
The Picture of Dorian Gray (Wilde)
Pride and Prejudice (Austen)
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (See)
A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
The Women of Brewster Place (Naylor)
Wuthering Heights (Bronte)
***Invisible Man NOTE: Be careful to read Ralph Ellison’s book, NOT the science fiction novel by H. G. Wells.
No credit will be given for reading the wrong book.
Assignment: After reading, select one of the “overwhelming questions” from the list attached that you feel is
appropriate for your novel. Apply this question as you respond to this prompt:
Critic Roland Barthes has said, “Literature is the question minus the answer.” Considering
Barthes’ observation, write an essay in which you analyze a central question raised in your selfselect novel and the extent to which it offers answers. Explain how the author’s treatment of this
question affects your understanding of the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary.
Part 2: Lord of the Flies –William Golding
This book is short and very easy to read. Don’t be insulted by its simplicity; we will use the novel as a basis
for training for free response essays.
• Read the novel, annotating the text as you read. Focus on character development, imagery,
symbolism, irony, repetition, contradictions, and anything that seems to be leading toward theme.
• There will be a READING TEST on the novel after you begin school in August.
• Produce a Dialectical Journal for your reading (see below.)
What is a Dialectical Journal?
A dialectical journal records a dialogue, or conversation, between the ideas in the text and the ideas of the
reader. In your journal, have a conversation with the text and with yourself. I suggest you mark significant
passages while reading, then go back and select the ten (10) quotes you find most interesting after finishing the
novel. These responses then become a part of your analysis (and later your essay.)
You need at least ten journal entries for Lord of the Flies completed using the format below. You may
download a journal page template from the school website or reproduce the format by hand. Follow the format
below for the journal entries exactly.
Sample Entry:
Quote & Context
Quote:
“The pause was only long enough for them to
understand what an enormity the downward stroke
would be” (31).
Context (what’s going on at this point?):
While Jack, Ralph, and Simon are initially exploring
the island, they find a trapped piglet and Jack pulls
out his knife to kill it, but he hesitates too long and it
escapes. He reacts with embarrassment at his delay
and vows next time will be different.
Analysis & Commentary
Analysis (select something important from the quote
to discuss):
Jack’s initial impulse is to kill the piglet, but the conditioning of
society against violence makes him hesitate to strike.
Commentary (discuss the quote’s significance to the
work as a whole):
Not even Jack is completely ready at this point to commit such an
act, realizing instinctively that this act of violence would
irrevocably change his view of himself.
Quote the words exactly as they appear in the text. You may use ellipses [. . .] to leave out parts you don’t need
or to shorten very long quotes. Be sure to include the page number as shown in the model entry. The quotes you
select should be significant in some way, meaning they should relate to some of the bigger “issues” in the novel.
You may focus on character, conflict, themes, symbols, or motifs. Select quotes from throughout the novel—the
beginning, middle, and end. Remember, you are analyzing the quotations—don’t ask questions, make
predictions, or respond personally.
Journals are due: THE FIRST DAY OF CLASS, so be sure you have it with you.
Grades are
-- Completeness
based on:
-- Thought and insight found in your discussions
-- Following all directions concerning formatting the document
-- All work is your own.
Staple or paperclip the two written assignments separately with your name and the date at the top left-hand
corner of each first page. No folders, please. A cover sheet is not necessary—save the trees!
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The Overwhelming Question(s) addressed by authors
Ontological (of or relating to essence or the nature of being) Questions
Select one that you feel applies to your self-select novel for your essay.
What is the meaning of life?
How should I live?
How can I accept the idea that someday my life will end?
What does it mean to be a good person?
What is truth?
Am I brave, or a coward? Does courage matter?
Do the rewards of life balance or outweigh its pain?
Is man a creature of the earth or of the sky? . . . a child of God or a beast crawling in the mud?
How should people treat each other?
What do women/men want? How can the sexes coexist harmoniously?
How can man live in the ugliness of modern world without despair?
Why do evil and suffering exist?
How can we tell the false from the genuine?
Does my existence matter? (Do I dare disturb the universe?)
How can dreams affect one’s life?
Is following the rules of society (morality) more important than survival as an individual?
Can one’s insecurities be destructive?
Does one’s ethical standard outweigh the moral standard of society?
Is it right to resist or oppose authority?
How can one find meaning in life?
What is the responsibility of parent to child or creator to creation?
Can one recapture or relive the past?
What is the result of attempting to avoid the consequences of one’s actions?
How can one learn his identity?
How can one prevail against the pressure of his society?
Since Life always ends in death, how can it have meaning?
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