Summer Reading for AP Literature and Composition
Karns High School
2015 - 2016
Each student should read two books and complete a dialectical journal (see the
detailed instructions below) on each. The instructor will collect the journals on
the second day of class.
1. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
2. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
Please see the attached short book reviews for each novel. Should either
Frankenstein or Heart of Darkness prove offensive, the instructor will provide
alternate titles and assignments. Please contact her at her school email address.
Dialectical Journal Chart
Directions: To create a journal entry, choose a quote to which you would like to respond. Write the
page number and the quote on the left-hand side of the page and identify the type of entry you are
making. On the right-hand side of the page, record your response to the quote. Make sure that you
vary the type of responses and respond to a variety of sections of the book, not just a select few. You
may not have more than two BASIC questions about each section of the text.
For Heart of Darkness, you must have ten journal entries per chapter. For Frankenstein, you must have
ten journal entries for the letters through chapter nine, ten journal entries for chapters ten through
eighteen, and ten journal entries for the remainder of the book.
Types of Entries for the Dialectical Journal
BASIC – Genuine questions you have which are needed to clarify understanding of basic facts and story
line. These may be due to lack of historical knowledge about the text or general confusion about what is
happening in the story.
DETAIL – Note key details which reveal important information about the character, the environment,
the character’s relationship with other characters or with his/her environment, or other clues which you
find essential to understanding the text.
REFLECTION – Can you relate the character or the character’s situation? Write down some general
observations about the relation of the text to your own personal experience or understanding of how
the world works.
INTERPRETATION – What is the author trying to say by selecting particular words or using a specific
writing style? Take one sentence from the reading in which the meaning is unclear. Focusing on that
sentence or phrase, write about what you think the author is trying to express. You may need to
support your theory by using other parts of the text.
EVALUATION – Is this a “good” text worth reading? Comment on the literary qualities of the text, i.e.,
the use of descriptive language and metaphors, the diction, syntax, plot, predictability, the complexity or
flatness of the characters, etc.
Journal Format
Quote:
Page:
Type:
Commentary:
Frankenstein
By Mary Shelley
Because Hollywood chose Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein as a vehicle for gothic horror and riotous
parody, few know the true Victor Frankenstein created almost two hundred years ago.
At twenty-one years of age, Mary Shelley used a dream to create the essence of the story for
her entry into her friends’ storytelling competition. Developing on that idea and borrowing from other
familiar sources, she completed the novel and published it anonymously. The novel merits our attention
as an exemplar of nineteenth-century gothic fiction, as a first in the genre of science fiction, and as a
useful tool for learning about critical analysis.
She used a frame to construct her story. The reader first meets Robert Walton, an explorer
seeking to reach the North Pole. He rescues Victor Frankenstein from certain death, and the
appreciative Victor tells the seafarer his story.
The first section of his novel focuses on Frankenstein’s early life. Victor grows up in a wealthy
family with many educational opportunities, but his mother’s death drives him to study science and
medicine. He leaves home to study, and he discovers a way to revive dead tissue. Essentially, he
discovers how to kill death.
The second section of his story centers around his creation, his monster. The final section shows
the repercussions of his experiment, the results of his endeavors.
Strong characters drive the plot. Because of our familiarity with the numerous retellings of
Frankenstein, the original plot surprises the modern reader. The psychological drama connects with our
modern understanding of nature versus nurture.
Heart of Darkness
By Joseph Conrad
Joseph Conrad’s novella Heart of Darkness details a unique adventure tale: a trip to the center
of Africa. And this simple story – written in almost poetic language - delves into the depths of society,
psychology, and mythic archetypes.
Marlow reminisces about his voyage to rescue Kurtz, a company man who disappeared without
a trace. The company, part of the imperialistic enterprise to retrieve ivory, cannot determine Kurtz’s
status with them – as he seems to have disappeared. As Marlow travels down a river toward Kurtz’s
last known location, he discovers the mystique of the jungle and the depths of his own soul.
Because Conrad himself once took this journey, he embeds his text with the reality of his time
period. The text survives as a classic because of the simple story and the rich language. However, some
controversy surrounds the text. Because of some offensive (racial pejoratives) language, many consider
Conrad a racist. However, others believe that Conrad’s language reflects the time period and that
through Marlowe, Conrad criticizes the prevailing Europeans’ attitude toward Africa and its citizens.
Does Conrad consider Africa a dark – evil – country? Or does he portray the white Europeans as the
dark evil? These questions will spark our critical analysis of this text.