Summer Reading for New Bern High School Summer 2015

Transcription

1 Summer Reading for New Bern High School Summer 2015 Summer Reading for Honors English I Farewell to Manzanar (Jeanne Houston) During World War II a community called Manzanar was hastily created in the high mountain desert country of California, east of the Sierras. Its purpose was to house thousands of Japanese American internees. One of the first families to arrive was the Wakatsukis, who were ordered to leave their fishing business in Long Beach and take with them only the belongings they could carry. For Jeanne Wakatsuki, a seven-year-old child, Manzanar becomes a way of life in which she struggles and adapted, observed and grew. For her father it was essentially the end of his life. At age thirty-seven, Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston recalls life at Manzanar through the eyes of the child she was. She tells of her fear, confusion, and bewilderment as well as dignity and great resourcefulness of people in oppressive and demeaning circumstances. Written with her husband, Jeanne delivers a powerful first-person account that reveals her search for the meaning of Manzanar. Read the book at least one time. It may be beneficial to take notes on such topic as characterization, plot, setting, and themes. Students should be prepared for a test on the book the first week of class, and other assignments. Summer Reading for Honors English II Siddhartha (Herman Hesse) Strong students are well-read. The College Board has stated that reading, frequent reading, does more than anything else to improve a student s score on the SAT. Additionally, colleges need students who have read and analyzed a wide variety of literary works. Therefore, in addition to the reading Honors English II students do in class during the school year, they will read two books for summer reading. This reading will help guarantee that the students develop into accomplished and effective readers who can handle literary works of increasing complexity. The students will read Siddhartha by Herman Hesse. This famous novel depicts the spiritual journey of Siddhartha, the gifted son of a Brahmin, who seeks enlightenment and self-knowledge. Distrustful of the teachings of

2 others, Siddhartha undergoes a series of experiences that over the course of many years guide him to acceptance and understanding of himself and others. As the students read the novel they need to keep a record of how the characters in the book impact the character Siddhartha. For each of the following characters, the students need to write a six sentence paragraph examining how the character influences Siddhartha. The students need to make sure that they include details from the story to demonstrate their main points. The characters include Govinda, the Samanas, the Buddha, Kamala, Vasudeva, Kamaswami, and the young Siddhartha. Students will also read Nectar in a Sieve by Kamala Markandaya. This novel tells the story of Rukmani who, as a young girl, marries a farmer through an arranged marriage. Her life is one of struggle and hardship as she confronts the difficulties of rural life in India. Yet she faces her challenges with love and commitment and in the end triumphs over her harsh conditions. The students will keep a record of how the characters in the book impact Rukmani. For each of the following characters, the students will need to write a six sentence paragraph on how the character influences Rukmani: Nathan, Kenny, Puli, and Irawaddy. Summer Reading for English III Honors Death of a Salesman (Arthur Miller) In English III Honors, we will study what it means to be an American and how the definition of American has evolved as the nation has developed into what we see today. This summer, you will be responsible for reading Arthur Miller s Death of a Salesman, one of the definitive and characteristically American works of the Twentieth century. Published in 1949, Death of a Salesman chronicles the life of Willy Loman after the Great Depression. In Death of a Salesman, you will need to focus on the relationship between Willy Loman and his family, while also considering how minor characters influence Loman. As you re reading, also think about how this play discusses issues of socioeconomic class in the American society of the 1940s and how it uses the technique of flashback to allow us to get inside Loman s head. You will need to have the play read by the first day of class, regardless if you re enrolled in the fall or the spring. Our first unit in English III Honors will use Death of a Salesman as its major text, so not having

3 read the play will have serious implications on your ability to perform effectively in this class. Furthermore, you can expect an assessment during the first week of English III Honors focused on the text of Death of a Salesman. The play is widely available in libraries and bookstores, as well as from online book retailers such as amazon.com. Summer Reading for English IV Honors [Assigned Reading]: How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster [Assignment]: Read How to Read Literature Like a Professor. Note: There are two different editions of this book, but changes are minimal. Either edition is acceptable. Expect a test on the entire book within the first few days of class. After reading, complete 10 of the activities outlined below prior to your Honors English IV class. Your activities must include: 3 activities from Chapter 1- Chapter 7 3 activities from Chapter 8- Chapter 15 3 activities from Chapter 18- Chapter 26 1 free activity of your choosing from any of the chapter categories. Please do not write volumes- be concise, yet thorough. Your assignment should be typed. Note: while all of these activities request that you use literary examples, you may use movies as examples for some of them. Remember that your choice of literary works and film are an indication of your reading background; please avoid multiple references to Disney and/or the Harry Potter series. Chapter 1 Every Trip Is a Quest (Except When It's Not) List the five aspects of the QUEST and then apply them to something you have read (or viewed) in the form discussed in this chapter. Chapter 2 Nice to Eat with You: Acts of Communion Choose a meal from a literary work and apply the ideas of Chapter 2 to this literary depiction. Chapter 3: Nice to Eat You: Acts of Vampires What are the essentials of the Vampire story? Apply this to a literary work you have read or viewed. Chapter 4 If It's Square, It's a Sonnet Select three sonnets (you may google sonnet ) and show which form they are. Discuss how their content reflects the form. (Submit copies of the sonnets, marked to show your analysis). Chapter 5 Now, Where Have I Seen Her Before? Define intertextuality. Discuss three examples that have helped you in reading specific works. Chapter 6 When in Doubt, It's from Shakespeare... Discuss a work that you are familiar with that alludes to or reflects Shakespeare. Show how the author uses this connection thematically. In your discussion, focus on theme.

4 Chapter 7...Or the Bible Read "Araby" by James Joyce (available online). Discuss Biblical allusions that Foster does not mention. Look at the example of the "two great jars." Be creative and imaginative in these connections. Chapter 8 Hanseldee and Greteldum Think of a work of literature (including film) that reflects a fairy tale. Discuss the parallels. Does it create irony or deepen appreciation? Chapter 10 It's More Than Just Rain or Snow Discuss the importance of weather in a specific literary work, not in terms of plot. Chapter 11...More Than It's Gonna Hurt You: Concerning Violence Present examples of the two kinds of violence found in literature (including film). Show how the effects are different. Chapter 12 Is That a Symbol? Use the process described in this chapter and investigate the symbolism of the fence in "Araby by James Joyce (available online). (Mangan's sister stands behind it.) Chapter 13 It's All Political Assume that Foster is right and "it is all political." Use his criteria to show that one of the major works assigned to you as a sophomore or junior is political. Chapter 14 Yes, She's a Christ Figure, Too Apply the criteria given in this chapter to a major character in a significant literary work (or film). Try to choose a character that will have many matches. This is a particularly apt tool for analyzing film for example, Star Wars, Cool Hand Luke, Excalibur, Malcolm X, Braveheart, Spartacus, Gladiator and Ben-Hur. Chapter 15 Flights of Fancy Select a literary work in which flight signifies escape or freedom. Explain in detail. Chapter 18 If She Comes Up, It's Baptism Think of a "baptism scene" from a significant literary work. How was the character different after the experience? Discuss. Chapter 19 Geography Matters Discuss at least four different aspects of a specific literary work that Foster would classify under "geography." Chapter 20...So Does Season Find a poem that mentions a specific season. Then discuss how the poet uses the season in a meaningful, traditional, or unusual way. (Submit a copy of the poem with your analysis.) Interlude One Story Write your own definition for archetype. Then identify an archetypal story and apply it to a literary work with which you are familiar. Chapter 21 Marked for Greatness Figure out Harry Potter's scar. If you aren't familiar with Harry Potter, select another character with a physical imperfection and analyze its implications for characterization.

5 Chapter 24...And Rarely Just Illness Recall two characters who died of a disease in a literary work. Consider how these deaths reflect the "principles governing the use of disease in literature. Discuss the effectiveness of the death as related to plot, theme, or symbolism. Chapter 25 Don't Read with Your Eyes After reading Chapter 25, choose a scene or episode from a novel, play or epic written before the twentieth century. Contrast how it could be viewed by a reader from the twenty-first century with how it might be viewed by a contemporary reader. Focus on specific assumptions that the author makes, assumptions that would not make it in this century. Chapter 26 Is He Serious? And Other Ironies Select an ironic literary work and explain the multivocal nature of the irony in the work. Assignment adapted from