Summer Reading 2008 – AP English Literature, 12th grade

Required Book 1:
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Assignment:
All students will read Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. Hurston’s novel, set in Florida during the early 20th century, explores the journey of Janie Crawford from innocence to knowledge. Students will prepare a study guide based on the model attached which will be due the first Wednesday of school. The study guide will include: relevant biographical information, background on time and setting, character sketches, structure, point of view and tone of the novel, and a brief summary of the plot. The most important part of the guide is the theme analysis. Students will select a major theme or motif and find four quotations that develop the concept. Type the quotations (include page numbers) and then analyze each for use of language and relevance. End your guide with an analysis of a critical essay on your author and/or work. Be sure to agree or disagree with the critic’s assertions. Include a Xeroxed copy of the article with your study guide.

Required Book 2:
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

Assignment:
Students should choose a major theme or style device in the novel. Select three quotations that develop this theme and analyze them. This theme analysis is due the Tuesday after Labor Day.

Choice Book
All students will choose one of the following works which will be assessed by an in-class essay the first week of class:

The Stranger by Albert Camus- a modern story of alienation and existentionalist angst

Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton- a haunting indictment of race relations in South Africa, yet an affirmation of the human spirit’s goodness

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte- the ultimate romantic tale of brooding Heathcliff and strong-willed Catherine, set on the English moors

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe- a dark tale noted for its irony and pathos

Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare- mistaken identities abound in this comedy classic

Works read during the school year:
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
A Doll House by Henrik Ibsen
Choice books for term paper

AP English Literature Study Guide Guidelines

Title: Give title of work in italics

Biography- Use a authoritative source such as GaleNet to find relevant biographical data on the author. Our password is SUFF71029. Focus on literary period, contributions to literature, prevalent themes, style, and back ground on the book you read. Limit to one paragraph. Include parenthetical notation when necessary. Use complete sentences.

Time and setting-

Structure- (chronological, flashback, epistolary, etc.)

Point of view- (1st person actor or observer, 3rd person limited or omniscient, objective, etc.)

Author’s tone(s)- (author’s attitude toward the subject or characters)

Character sketches- Write a brief sketch of the major and important secondary characters in the work. Use the characters’ full names. You do not need complete sentences.

Summary- Write in complete sentences a paragraph summarizing the plot, no more than half a page.

Theme Analysis- Choose a major theme in the work. Find four quotations that develop this theme. Introduce and analyze the quotation. Be sure to include parenthetical documentation. Use complete sentences.

Critical Essay- Using an authoritative source, summarize a critical essay on the work (one paragraph), then respond to the criticism (agree or disagree, why?). Use complete sentences. Include parenthetical documentation.

Works Cited (for biography, work, and critical essay sources) must be done in MLA format. Be sure to use parenthetical documentation as well in the study guide.

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