Mr. Seematter
AP Literature
AP Literature Summer Homework
A very friendly hello to all of you! You’re enrolled in a wonderful class for next school year. I sincerely hope you understand that while AP Literature is a fun class, it will not be fun for anyone who is not going to or willing to work hard. During this year long course, we will read 6 major works, you will write frequently and with length, we’ll discuss and argue about poetry, etc. etc. Everything that a great English class should be. At this point, if the class doesn’t sound appealing or you’re on the fence about it, you should come talk to me. I would like to encourage you to take this challenge on, because you’ll read great literature and by the end of the year you’ll be much more prepared for college.
AP Lit really is a fun course to be a part of, if you’re willing to work hard. You can ask anyone who has taken my courses that I’m never unreasonable or irrational, but I do have high expectations, so consider yourself warned.
Your summer homework is not necessarily difficult, but it will be somewhat time consuming, and if you decide to not work on the assignment until the first week of August… you’ll be in a tough place. So, if you’re still willing after reading all of this, game on! I’m happy to work with you and help you in whatever ways I can to make sure that you pass the AP Lit exam, write amazing college admission essays, and be prepared to tackle English classes in college.
Directions:
1) Choose one of the following books to read over the summer.YOU CAN’T CHOOSE ANY OTHERS You’ll want to start this fairly soon, so that if you start reading a book and figure out that you hate it… you can work on a new one. (If you want a personal recommendation, stop by and see me or email me at the email address listed in the header.)
Mr. Seematter
AP Literature
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
1984 by George Orwell
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
Their Eyes Were Watching God byZora Neale Hurston
Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Native Son by Richard Wright
Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Black Boy by Richard Wright
Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
A Passage to India by E. M. Forster
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Mr. Seematter
AP Literature
Shoeless Joe by W.P. Kinsella
2) As you’re reading your book, complete an Independent Reading Assignment found below. A, B, C are due upon your return to school – I usually give students until after Labor Day, but on the first day of school I start giving assignments, so it’s better to do this over the summer.
A. Stylistic Prose Techniques (50 pts)
- As you read notice the stylistic techniques or literary devices that the author uses to communicate more effectively and powerfully.
- Examples of stylistic techniques are point of view, tone, diction, syntax, narrative pace, humor, satire, dialogue, synecdoche, imagery, irony, selection of detail, symbolism, and many more. --- LOOK UP OTHERS
- Prepare a list of at least 10 examples of powerful prose techniques.
- Define the term in your own words, cite the example from the text, and provide a brief analysis on why the author uses the technique effectively.
B. Reader Response (50 pts)
- Divide your book into fourths. After you finish reading each fourth, write a reader response/reaction to the section. DO NOT WRITE A SUMMARY. Naturally, you may need to include some aspects of plot, but I want to read your reactions to what is happening in the novel and to the character and their personalities and motivations.
C. Essay (100 pts) –Write one 5-7 paragraph essay that does not summarize the work – you need to answer the prompt and identify a meaning of the work. Just use moments from the text to back up your ideas… NOT THE WHOLE BOOK.
Answer one of the following:
Option A: The meaning of some literary works is often enhanced by sustained allusions to myths, the Bible, or other works of literature. Select a literary work that makes use of such a sustained reference. Write a well-organized essay in which you explain the allusion that predominates in the work and analyze how it enhances the work's meaning.
Option B: In great literature, no scene of violence exists for its own sake. Choose a work of literary merit that confronts the reader or audience with a scene or scenes of violence. In a well-organized essay, explain how the scene or scenes contribute to the meaning of the complete work. Avoid plot summary.
Option C: From a novel or play of literary merit, select an important character who is a villain. Then, in a well-organized essay, analyze the nature of the character's villainy and show how it enhances meaning in the work. Do not merely summarize the plot.
Option D: Novels and plays often include scenes of weddings, funerals, parties, and other social occasions. Such scenes may reveal the values of the characters and the society in which they live. Select a novel or play that includes such a scene and, in a focused essay, discuss the contribution the scene makes to the meaning of the work as a whole.
Option E: Choose a novel or play that depicts a conflict between a parent (or a parental figure) and a son or daughter. Write an essay in which you analyze the sources of the conflict and explain how the conflict contributes to the meaning of the work. Avoid plot summary.
Mr. Seematter
AP Literature
Email me with any questions at any point this summer. I’m always happy to answer emails.