Sussex Academy Summer Reading – Grade 10
Explore, Experience, Excel
Congratulations on finishing your freshman year! As soon to be sophomores your job in the summer is to deepen your
understanding of literary analysis. This assignment is due on the second day of class and is worth 10% of your first marking
period grade so take your time to write thorough and complete, well-written answers, using MLA format. Be sure to proofread
your work.
REQUIRED READING 1: How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster
● Purchase the book and read the chapters listed below of How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster.
This is an important text we will refer to throughout the courses the next three years.
● While reading the book, you should begin to come to an understanding of the concept of literary analysis and how the
repetition of patterns symbols provide a deeper level of meaning in most texts.
● Complete Notes in your Spiral. You can either continue the same notebook that you started in your Freshmen year or you
can begin a new one.
REQUIRED READING 2: Lord of the Flies by William Golding
● Purchase and read Lord of the Flies by William Golding.
● Annotate the novel as you read it.
● After reading the novel, answer the twelve questions below referring back to Foster’s work and Lord of the Flies for
specific details. Your answers should be in paragraph form (two or three sentences are inadequate)—typed, double spaced,
12 point font, proofread--and you must use MLA citations--author last name, page number--and quotes from both texts—
Foster and Golding--within each answer.
Writing Assignments for How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster (Adapted from Donna Anglin)
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 how your appreciation for Lord of the Flies 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 apply them to Lord of the Flies in the form used on pages 3-5.
Chapter 2 -- Nice to Eat with You: Acts of Communion
Choose a meal from Lord of the Flies and apply the ideas of Chapter 2 to this literary depiction.
Chapter 10 -- It's More Than Just Rain or Snow
Discuss the importance of weather in Lord of the Flies in terms of adding complexity to the story.
Chapter 11 --...More Than It's Gonna Hurt You: Concerning Violence
Present examples of the two kinds of violence found in Lord of the Flies. Explain how the effects are different and the
roles they serve in the novel.
Chapter 12 -- Is That a Symbol?
Use the process described on page 106 and investigate the symbolism of the conch and Piggy’s glasses in
Lord of the Flies.
Chapter 14 -- Yes, She's a Christ Figure, Too
Apply the criteria on page 119 to a major character in Lord of the Flies. What is the impact of this character as a “Christ
figure” on the novel as a whole?
Chapter 15 -- Flights of Fancy
Select a scene in Lord of the Flies which flight signifies escape or freedom. Explain in detail.
Chapter 18 — If She Comes Up, It’s Baptism
Think of a “baptism scene” (water immersion) from Lord of the Flies. How does the character change due to this experience?
Explain.
Chapter 19 -- Geography Matters…
Consider the different settings in Lord of the Flies, and explain three different functions of the “geography” according to
Foster.
Chapter 21 -- Marked for Greatness
Select a character from Lord of the Flies with a physical imperfection and analyze its implications for characterization.
Chapter 27 -- A Test Case
Read “The Garden Party” by Katherine Mansfield, the short story starting on page 245. Complete the exercise on pages 265266, 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?
A paragraph includes: Argumentative topic sentence Set up sentences Specific details (quotes) Explanations Conclusion Mechanics **Note: “s” at the end of a word = plural Should you have any questions feel free to email me at [email protected]. Please note, I will only be
checking my email sporadically throughout the summer. So please be patient if you do not get an immediate reply.
Have a great break.
Dr. Cooke