English IV AP- Literature and Composition

English IV AP- Literature and Composition
Summer Reading Assignment
All students must read Oedipus Rex by Sophocles and Wuthering Heights by Emily
Bronte.
Assignment #1
Choose one of the following essay prompts and develop a well-argued, well-supported,
formal, literary analysis using either Oedipus or Wuthering Heights. Use the guideline
and scoring rubric to help you in your task.
1. 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.
2. Choose a distinguished novel or play in which some of the most significant
events are mental or psychological; for example, awakenings, discoveries,
changes in consciousness. In an organized essay, describe how the author
manages to give these internal events the sense of excitement, suspense,
and climax usually associated with external action. Do not merely summarize
the plot.
3. Choose a novel or play that depicts a conflict between a parent (or parental
figure) and a son or a daughter. Write an essay in which you analyze the
source of the conflict and explain how the conflict contributes to the meaning
of the work. Avoid plot summary.
4. Writers often highlight the values of a culture or a society by using characters
who are alienated from that culture or society because of gender, class, creed
or race. Choose a novel or play in which such a character plays a significant
role and show how that character’s alienation reveals the surrounding
society’s assumptions and moral values. Avoid plot summary.
5. In a literary work, a minor character, often known as a foil, possesses traits
that emphasize, by contrast or comparison, the distinctive characteristics and
qualities of the main character. For example, the ideas or behavior of the
minor character might be used to highlight the weaknesses or strengths of the
main character.
Choose a novel or play in which a minor character serves as a foil to a main
character. Then write an essay in which you analyze how the relation
between the minor character and the major character illuminates the meaning
of the work. Do not merely summarize the plot.
6. One of the strongest human desires is the quest for power. Write an essay
using one of your summer reading books in which you discuss how a
character struggles to free himself or herself from the power of another or
how he or she seeks to gain power over another. Be sure to include how this

power struggle enhances the overall meaning of the work. Avoid plot
summary.
Guidelines for AP essay writing
Your essay should:
*…introduce the full name of the author and title of the work (in italics)
*…use the author’s last name for the remainder of the paper
*…make an assertion or state a claim as a controlling idea for the paper (a thesis)
*…use some of the language of the prompt in your opening paragraph (do not simply
restate the prompt)
*…use specific details and examples from the book in your supporting paragraphs (cited
in correct MLA format) and explanations of how the specific details prove your thesis
*…create strong transitions between sentences and paragraphs
*…not include plot summary
*…eliminate personal tone (“I think…” or “In my opinion…” for example)
*…form a conclusion to demonstrate that you have proven your thesis
*…include a Works Cited page- typed to MLA standards
*…be edited and proofread carefully- you are accountable for mechanics and grammar
*…3 pages in length, double spaced, Times New Roman, 12 point font. No creative
margins, fonts or cover sheets.
Neglect to acknowledge indebtedness for facts, ideas, or expression
will be interpreted as plagiarism. There are no exceptions to this rule.
"Plagiarism" is a word defined from the Latin term for "kidnapper." Plagiarism
involves taking someone else's words or ideas and pretending that they are your
own. It is literary theft. If you are unsure about whether or not you need to
acknowledge a source in your writing, it is better to be safe than sorry
Assignment #2:
Complete the Major Works Data Sheet for the summer reading book NOT used for
assignment number 1. Be sure to read the directions for each section. You also need to
include source information for historical and biographical information. DO NOT use
sources such as Sparknotes, etc. This is to be your own work.
(Insert data sheet template here)
Both of these assignments will be due the first day of class. You will also have a test
over each work the first two days of class.

Major Works Data Sheet
Name__________________________
2012-2013 Per:______ Date:____________
The numbers in parenthesis represent the point values for each requirement.
Title:___________________________ (1)
Biographical information about the author: (3)
Author:_________________________ (1)
Date of Publication:_______________ (1)
Genre: __________________________ (1)
Historical information about the period of publication:
(3)
Characteristics of the genre: (3)
Plot summary: (3)

Major Works Data Sheet Page 2
Describe the author’s style: (7)
Identify an example passage that demonstrates the style. Explain the
example if necessary. (Please include a page number): (7)
Significant Quotes (10)
(Choose at least five and include page numbers. Quotes should demonstrate the range of the entire work.)
Quote
Significance

Major Works Data Sheet Page 3
Significant Characters (10)
Name Role in the story Significance Adjectives

Major Works Data Sheet Page 4
Setting and significance (Please list and describe three
examples; include page numbers) (10)
Significance of the opening scene (10)
Significance of the ending/closing scene (10)
Significant Literary Devices that contribute to the themes of the work (List and explain 5; include page numbers) (10)
Possible Themes (List five universal statements/sentences that the work conveys.) (10)