GT/AP Junior English: Summer Reading

GT/AP Junior English: Summer Reading
The objectives for summer reading include:
1. Students will be exposed to classic and current literature.
2. Students will be prepared for thoughtful discussions about that literature.
3. Students will be able to write essays based on their critical reading of the literature.
4. Students will learn to actively engage themselves in their reading through focused reading and
annotations.
ASSIGNMENT:
We will be comparing two works that are linked by historical connections; knowing the details the event
will help you ascertain the literary license your authors used in writing the works. We will do research
and discussion on this topic during the first few weeks of class. Knowing that once school starts you
will have many other academic responsibilities might make you consider doing this research during the
summer.
You have a choice of reading the paired works of Stephen Crane’s The Red Badge of Courage and
Michael Shaara’s The Killer Angels. (From the District’s Approved Reading List)
or
You may read the paired works of Stephen Foer’s novel Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: A Novel
and Kurt Vonnegut’s novel Slaughterhouse Five.
All books may be purchased at Barnes & Noble or Borders, checked out from the public library, or
checked out from Mrs. Carpenter or Mrs. Cooke prior to the end of the semester.
ANNOTATIONS:
As you are reading both novels, you will annotate them. Annotation simply means that you will give
critical or explanatory thoughts or comments about a piece of literature. See the descriptions of three
ways to annotate below. You do not need to use all three methods. Picking one method and sticking
with it throughout the book is the best solution to the task. You do not necessarily have to use the same
method for both books. Make comments on areas such as setting, characterization, imagery, symbolism,
recurring themes, and motifs.
Please consider the following information while annotating your novel. A thorough annotation should
include all elements throughout the novel:
Setting (time, place, atmosphere) - What impact does the setting have on conflict, plot, character development, and theme
Characterization (responses to the characters) - How does the author effectively use indirect characterization to describe
the characters Why is this instance more effective than using direct characterization How does this influence the reader
Imagery (sensory appeal, important detail) - Vivid sensory images: All five senses must be represented. Sometimes your
quote may include several senses. Pick the most prevalent sense and label it. You must include some commentary. You
may: explain why the author chose to include this image, make a connection to your own life, or make a connection to
another literary work you have read. Be creative and give insightful explanations!
Symbolism (meaningful concrete objects) - What person, place, thing, or event represents something beyond itself Why
does the author choose this object Why is this significant
Conflict (both internal and external) - How does the character resolve the conflict Or, how does the author resolve the
conflict for the character How does the author present the conflict in a meaningful way for the reader What emotions or
thoughts does this conflict evoke in the reader
Themes and Images (key ideas; threads of meaning) - What message does the author want the reader understand How is
this theme reiterated throughout the novel How can the theme be seen in different characters and their actions

NOVEL DESCRIPTIONS:
The Killer Angels (1974) is a historical novel by Michael Shaara that was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1975. The
book tells the story of four days of the Battle of Gettysburg in the American Civil War: June 29, 1863, as the troops of both
the Union and the Confederacy move into battle around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and July 1, July 2, and July 3,
when the battle was fought. The story is character driven and told from the perspective of various protagonists. Beginning
with the famous section about Longstreet's spy Harrison gathering information about the movements and positions of the
Federals, each day is told primarily from the perspectives of commanders of the two armies, including Robert E. Lee and
James Longstreet for the Confederacy, and Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and John Buford for the Union. Most chapters
describe the emotion-laden decisions of these officers as they went into battle. Maps depicting the positioning of the troops as
they went to battle, as they advanced, add to the sense of authenticity as decisions are made to advance and retreat with the
armies. The author also uses the story of Gettysburg, the largest battle in the history of North America, to relate the causes of
the Civil War and the motivations that led old friends to face each other on the battlefield.
Wikipedia
The Red Badge of Courage is a 1895 war novel by American author Stephen Crane. It is considered one of the most
influential works in American literature. The novel, in which a young recruit in the American Civil War is faced by the
cruelty of war, made Crane an international success. Although he was born after the war and had not at the time experienced
battle firsthand, the novel is considered an example of Realism. During an unnamed conflict of the American Civil War, 18-
year-old private Henry Fleming deserts his battalion, considering the battle to be a lost cause. Escaping into a nearby forest,
he finds a group of injured men. One member of the group, the "Tattered Soldier", asks Henry (who is often referred to as
"The Youth") where he is wounded. Henry, embarrassed that he does not have any wounds, leaves the group and wanders
through the forest. He ultimately decides that running was the best thing, and that he is a small part of the army that is
responsible for saving himself. Henry later learns that his battalion has won the battle, and feels incredibly guilty. As a result,
he returns to his battalion. He is involved in a dispute with a cannon operator, who hits Henry in the head when the boy
refuses to let go of the gunner's arm. When Henry returns to camp, the other soldiers believe his head injury to be caused by a
bullet grazing him in battle. The next morning Henry goes into battle for the third time. While looking for a stream from
which to get water, he discovers from the commanding officer that his regiment has a lackluster reputation. The officer
speaks casually about sacrificing Henry's regiment because they are nothing more than "mule drivers" and "mud diggers".
With no regiments to spare, the general orders his men forward. In the final battle, Henry becomes one of the best fighters in
his battalion as well as the flag bearer, finally proving his courage as a man. Wikipedia
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is a 2005 novel by New York writer Jonathan Safran Foer. It was one of the first
novels to deal with the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The book is an example of an emerging school of
contemporary postmodernism which challenges the technical limitations of the novel to create a more immersive work. Oskar
Schell is not your average nine-year-old. A budding inventor, he spends his time imagining wonderful creations. He also
collects random photographs for his scrapbook and sends letters to scientists. When his father dies in the World Trade Center
collapse, Oskar shifts his boundless energy to a quest for answers. He finds a key hidden in his father's things that doesn't fit
any lock in their New York City apartment; its container is labeled "Black." Using flawless kid logic, Oskar sets out to speak
to everyone in New York City with the last name of Black. A retired journalist who keeps a card catalog with entries for
everyone he's ever met is just one of the colorful characters the boy meets. Foer takes a dark subject and works in offbeat
humor with puns and wordplay. The work pushes further with the inclusion of photographs, illustrations, and mild
experiments in typography reminiscent of Kurt Vonnegut's works. The humor works as a deceptive, glitzy cover for a fairly
serious tale about loss and recovery. For balance, Foer includes the subplot of Oskar's grandfather, who survived the World
War II bombing of Dresden. Although this story is not quite as evocative as Oskar's, it does carry forward and connect firmly
to the rest of the novel. The two stories finally intersect in a powerful conclusion that will make even the most jaded hearts
fall. —Matthew L. Moffett, Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale, VA.
Slaughterhouse-Five, or The Children's Crusade: A Duty-Dance With Death (1969), by Kurt Vonnegut, is a post-modern
anti-war science fiction novel dealing with a soldier's (Billy Pilgrim) experiences during World War II and his journeys with
time travel. Billy Pilgrim is the son of an American barber. He serves as a chaplain’s assistant in World War II, is captured
by the Germans, and he survives the largest massacre in European history – the fire bombing of Dresden. After the war Billy
makes a great deal of money as an optometrist, and on his wedding night he is kidnapped by a flying saucer from the planet
Tralfamadore. So begins a modern classic by a master storyteller – who relies upon his own experiences as one of the few
survivors of the bombing of Dresden.