AP Composition and Literature Summer Reading Assignment

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1 Introduction: AP Composition and Literature Summer Reading Assignment Your summer assignment will consist of learning some literary terms, specifically terms that are applicable to the study of poetry, and reading two novels. Reading critically and effectively, and knowing how to effectively apply literary terms is imperative to your success in AP Lit this year. In order to create an insightful literary analysis, you have to understand a book s plot and its characters. The most important thing to do is to thoroughly read the book. This summer, you will read Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. Both of these novels are options for the open ended essay on the AP Exam. We will be using both texts in literary analysis and discussion, and you will need to remember the plots and details of both books for the AP Exam in May. Rationale: That being said, your assignment will serve two purposes: 1.) create a series of notes that can be reviewed prior to the exam, as well as assisting in the writing of analytical essays on both pieces, and 2.) provide evidence that both novels were read and understood. Strategy: Annotation is optional. Some students find annotation very useful, but many students feel that it gets in the way of developing an understanding of the plot. If you don t understand the book, you can t analyze it. If annotation keeps you from following the storyline, it is useless to annotate. Remember, when you write your answers, you need to give support either by quotes or examples, to create a thorough answer. My suggestion is to purchase small post-it note flags. Read the questions first. As you read, flag passages or quotes that will support your answers. It may save you time later, and not detract from your understanding of the novel. Assignment: Guide Questions for Frankenstein.(1831 Version) 1. This novel is a frame novel. Robert Walton begins to tell the story through letters. Chapters are also narrated through the voice of the Creature, and Victor. Why did Shelley use a frame structure to tell the tale? What does the reader gain from these perspectives? How are Victor and Walton similar? How is the Creature a foil for Victor?

2 2. Now consider the role of women in the novel. How are women portrayed? Compare and contrast the male and female characters in the novel. What might Mary Shelley be saying about gender roles in Romantic society? 3. The novel is set during The Enlightenment Period, but Mary Shelley was definitely a Romantic. Research these two periods. Which characters seem more in line with The Enlightenment. What specific examples from the novel support your theory? Mary Shelley, a Romantic was critical of the Enlightenment. Which character(s) were more Romantic in nature? What do you think Mary Shelley was trying to reveal to the reader about both of these philosophies? ( You will probably need to research both Enlightenment and Romanticism in order to answer this question) 4. A title for Frankenstein was The Modern Prometheus. Read the Greek myth about Prometheus. Using specific examples from the novel, compare the myth and the novel, then explain why this would have been a fitting title. 5. The word sublime means that something is so beautiful, or powerful, or grand that it causes feelings of awe. Mary Shelley uses imagery to evoke a sense of the sublime, but also feelings of terror. Find at least three examples of imagery that exemplify the sublime, and three examples that evoke terror in the reader. How does Shelley use this contradictory imagery to bring out themes in the novel? Guide Questions for The Poisonwood Bible Study Questions for The Poisonwood Bible: 1. How does Kingsolver present the double subjects of captivity/ freedom and of love/ betrayal? What kind of captivity and freedom does she explore/ what kinds of love and betrayal? What are the causes and consequences of each kind of captivity, freedom, love, and betrayal? 2. Studying a work with multiple narrators offers the opportunity to explore style. For instance, in The Poisonwood Bible, each daughter s voice/distinctive point of view is created clearly by her syntax and diction. Make note of distinctive examples of word choice and sentence structure that aid in creating attitude, tone, and mood. 3. Kingsolver says, I m a biologist. I know that everything eats something else. The novel utilizes a great deal of animal imagery. How do the realities of the natural world permeate the novel? Make note of key examples. What role does biology play on each of the character s experiences? What motifs and messages are revealed through these repeated references? What is the human relationship to nature? 4. Could this novel be considered a feminist novel? Consider the two points below and create a response.

3 Identifying with female characters: This is a way to challenge the malecentered outlook of authors. Feminist literary criticism suggests that women in literature were historically presented as objects seen from a male perspective. Reevaluating literature and the world in which literature is read: This involves questioning whether society has predominantly valued male authors and their literary works because it has valued males more than females. 5. Defend the position that The Poisonwood Bible is a Post-Colonial work of literature. Research Post-Colonialism and explain how the work may be regarded as a work of Post-Colonial literature.

4 Literary Terms: You need to know these terms by the second week of school. You are to create flash cards for each term to turn in. You will be tested on them when we return to school Part of your summer preparation is to make flash cards for some of the literary terms you will need to know. You may make electronic flashcards (print, share, or save on a flash drive for me) or regular flash cards on index cards. I strongly suggest that you color code your cards in order to categorize them. It will help you learn how to apply your terms. You will be tested on these (in sections) shortly after we return. Poetry Terms Repetition Poetic Feet Meter Rhyme Alliteration iamb dimeter near/slant rhyme Assonance trochee trimeter masculine rhyme spondee dactyl anapest tetrameter feminine rhyme pentameter quatrain hexameter couplet heptometer triplet octameter tercet

5 Rhythm and Pace Rhythm Caesura End-stopped Enjambment Forms sonnet Italian/Petrarchan sonnet Elizabethan sonnet narrative poem dramatic poem lyric poem haiku sestina villanelle apostrophe ballad elegy epic mock heroic epic If you have any questions, you can e mail me. I check regularly over the summer. wendy.lacombe@beaufort.k12. sc.us.

6 So you want to get ahead on your reading.. You all know how busy senior year can be! These are the books we will be reading for class. You might want to get a jump-start and purchase them, and maybe even start reading them!! I. Wuthering Heights- Emily Bronte II. The Color Purple- Alice Walker III. The Invisible Man- Ralph Ellison IV. The Secret Life of Bees- Sue Monk Kidd We will be reading several plays in class. Optional Reads: The Catcher in the Rye- J.D. Salinger To Kill a Mockingbird- Harper Lee Of Mice and Men- John Steinbeck Jane Eyre- Charlotte Bronte Ceremony- Leslie Marmon Silko Cold Mountain-Charles Frazier George Orwell Animal Farm- George Orwell

BOOK TABLE OF CONTENTS

BOOK TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface Literary Forms POETRY Verse Epic Poetry Dramatic Poetry Lyric Poetry SPECIALIZED FORMS Dramatic Monologue EXERCISE: DRAMATIC MONOLOGUE Epigram Aphorism EXERCISE: EPIGRAM