May 25, 2015
11 Honors English
Summer Reading
Dear 11 honors students,
You will be reading a total of four books this summer and writing a response to each
(typed, double spaced, 12 font). See the list of books and questions below. For each book,
I have given you some ideas, techniques, etc. for which to read. These books are
required reading and need to be completed in order to be enrolled in the honors
class. Be prepared with your responses the first day of school. Not completing these
assignments indicates that you do not wish to be in the honors program. Each
response will be worth 30 points. Then, we will take the first couple weeks of school to
discuss these books and test over them. Should you have any questions, please contact me
via e-mail. ([email protected]) Have a great summer. See you in
the fall.
Mrs. Hotchkiss
Required: The following 3 novels
1. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
2. One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest by Ken Kesey
3. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Required: One nonfiction book of your choice
Response requirements:
1. The Great Gatsby
As you read, watch for these themes and how they are developed through symbols,
motifs, etc.
Themes – Wealth serving as a cocoon, Love is full of violence and egoism, the
exploration of the American dream existing in a corrupt period, the decline of the
American dream, the hollowness of the upper class
Satire – Satiric portrait of life in the twenties. Examples include – the behavior of
Gatsby’s guests who were venal, superficial, ego-centered, and dissolute or Meyer
Wolfshein, the gangster who fixed the World Series.
Motifs – Geagraphy – places epitomize various aspects of the 1920s society
Weather – the weather matches the emotional and narrative tone of the story
Symbols – The green light, the Valley of Ashes, the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg, the
automobile
Assignment: Write well thought out and developed responses to the following two
questions. Each answer should be AT LEAST one complete page in length (front side
only) and be supported with textual evidence, always keeping in mind the idea/s of
theme. Remember, it’s never enough to say; you must explain. (30 points)
Question 1:How does Gatsby represent the American dream? What does the novel
have to say about the condition of the American dream in the 1920s? In what ways do
the themes of dreams, wealth, and time relate to each other in the novel’s exploration
of the idea of America?
Question 2: Discuss Fitzgerald’s use of symbolism and satire and how they intertwine
throughout the novel to develop the major themes of the work.
2. One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest
As you read, watch for these themes and how they are developed through symbols,
motifs, etc.
Themes – Women as castrators, Society’s destruction of natural impulses, the power
of laughter, false diagnoses of insanity, independence vs Acquiescence, fear vs.
experience, the origins of violence, group mentality vs. individualism
Motifs (recurring structures, contrasts, or literary devices that help develop the text’s
major themes.) – Real vs imagined size, invisibility, laughter
Symbols – the fog machine, the combine, McMurphy’s boxer shorts, the electroshock
therapy table.
Assignment: Write well thought out and developed responses to the following two
questions. Each answer should be AT LEAST one complete page in length (front side
only) and be supported with textual evidence, keeping in mind the ideas of theme.
Remember, it’s never enough to say; you must explain. (30 points)
Question 1: In what ways is McMurphy a type of Christ? How does Kesey use this
aspect of McMurphy’s character to develop theme?
Question 2: Discuss Kesey’s use of symbolism and how it relates to the larger themes
of the work.
3. Fahrenheit 451
As you read, watch for these themes and how they are developed through symbols,
motifs, etc.
Themes – Censorship, Ignorance vs. knowledge, Mass media, conformity vs.
individuality, distraction vs .happiness, Action vs. inaction, rules and order,
Technology and modernization
Motifs – Paradoxes, religion, animal and nature imagery, literary quotes
(Shakespeare, “Dover Beach,” the Bible)
Symbols – blood, “The Hearth and the Salamander,” “The Sieve and the Sand,” the
phoenix, mirrors, fire,
Assignment: Write well thought out and developed responses to the following two
questions. Each answer should be AT LEAST one complete page in length (front side
only) and be supported with textual evidence, always keeping in mind the idea/s of
theme. Remember, it’s never enough to say; you must explain. (30 points)
Question 1: How plausible is the future envisioned in this novel? Specifically, do you
think the author provides a convincing account of how censorship and its bi-products
become so rampant in this society?
Question 2: Describe Clarisse’s effect on Montag and her function in the novel. How
and why does she change him? Why does she vanish from the novel?
4. One nonfiction book of your choice
Here I just want you to read a book with at least 150 pages, revolving around a current
issue, debate, etc., whether it is political, economic, religious, etc. Make your choice
relevant and interesting to you. Then write a two page response detailing the issue, the
author’s response and your response to the author and issue. As you read, try to be
aware of the author’s bias or the reasons behind what is he/she is saying. Below are
some questions for your consideration. (30 points)
1. Was the book what you thought/hoped it would be? In what way? If not, why
not?
2. What did you learn? Cite examples to support your statements.
3. What is the author’s bias? Cite examples.
4. Where did you agree with the author? Where did you disagree?’
5. Connect what you learned in this book to other things you have read.
6. What was the author’s purpose in writing this book?