Rhodes English 11 Summer Reading 2015
Titles for Rhodes English 11 Summer Reading
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, available free online at
http://www.pelister.org/literature/ArthurMiller/Miller_Salesman.pdf
A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson
Feel free to share the expense of books with your friends who will be in the same class or
take these out from the library.
DO NOT GOOGLE THESE ANSWERS! USE YOUR IDEAS AND IMAGINATION,
BASED ON WHAT YOU READ.
To show that you’ve read The Help by Kathryn Stockett (and not merely watched the
movie), respond to the following questions, using well-developed answers. Be prepared
to discuss these when you return to school.
1. How does the culture of 1960s Jackson, Mississippi, restrain women of all races?
Choose one white and one black female character and describe how she is not permitted
to be who she would like to be.
2. Many of the characters in The Help would still be alive today. How do you think these
characters would react to Barack Obama being president of the United States and the
current state of race relations in our country? Choose one white and one black character,
and discuss his or her perspective in 2015.
3. As much as possible, Aibileen tells Mae Mobley that she is kind, smart, and
important. What effect does this have on the girl? Then, think back to your childhood.
Who in your life made you feel the most loved? How did that person show this to you?
4. Do you think that had Aibileen stayed working for Elizabeth Leefolt, that Mae
Mobley would have grown up to be racist like her mother? Do you think racism is
inherent, or taught?
5. Do you think it matters that Skeeter and Kathryn Stockett, the women who write the
stories in this book, are white? Why or why not?
For Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, respond to the following prompts.
1. At what point does the pursuit of dreams turn into a harmful denial of one's actual
circumstances?
2. Why is Willy's perception of Biff consistently inaccurate?
3. What does Linda mean when, at the end of the play, she says repeatedly, "We're
free"?
4. Why is it so important to Willy that he be well liked? Is it necessary to be likeable
to be successful? Why or why not?
5. Compare and contrast Willy's death with Dave Singleman's death. What does it
mean to die "the death of a salesman," and did Willy achieve that?
For A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson, respond to the following prompts.
1. One of the most interesting aspects of this book is the unlikely friendship between
Bryson and Katz. What is the relationship based on? Consider, especially, the
episode in Maine when Katz gets lost: somehow the friendship is altered. How
does Bryson's attitude toward Katz change over the course of the book? How does
Katz himself change? Or does he? What was Katz's motivation, anyway, to walk
the trail?
2. In fiction a journey usually symbolizes a journey of self-discovery—at the end the
protagonist comes to learn something about him/herself. Although A Walk in the
Woods isn't a novel, do either of the men come to greater self-awareness by the
end of their journey?
3. Which area of the trail appeals most to you? Why? Which area would you least
like to see? Explain.
4. Is Bryson's anger about environmental threats to the U.S. wilderness justified? He
criticizes, but does he offer solutions? Are there solutions?