(Revised 9/18/16)

AP Literature and Composition: Outside Reading Assignment

You are to read one (1) book from the indeterminate “reading list” of AP level fiction. After you read this book, you are to complete the Independent Novel Project as described below.

The purpose of this assignment is to allow students to read books that have been used by the College Board that we may not have an opportunity to cover in class. Students will also complete an intensive, college level writing assignment, covering topics that are on the Advanced Placement Exam.

Please be advised that this is a major assignment which requires time and thought. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE! If you choose to wait until the last minute, you will find that you will be up all night and are still unable to finish.

Select your book now and start reading. Your next task will be to collect the critical materials you will need. Look for those first. You do not need to have read your book at all to find the reviews of it you will need. As soon as you finish reading, begin the rest of this assignment. The biography and summary will be due before the rest of the paper. Dates will be posted on the board.

If at any time during the semester you find that you are having difficulty completing this assignment, bring all of your work and your book with you to class or to my room after school, and I will be happy to help you.

1 Advanced Placement Literature and Composition: Independent Novel Project

USE MLA FORMATTING FOR ALL ASPECTS OF THIS PAPER.

Title page should include: TITLE --- AUTHOR --- CENTURY & COUNTRY OF ORIGIN-- GENRE (if apparent) or PERIOD/SCHOOL (if applicable) CLASS NAME—YOUR NAME – CLASS PERIOD—DATE The paper must include: Literary Biography--THE AUTHOR AND HIS/HER TIMES: Born/died; biographical background important to understanding the novel; important family, community, national and world events that influenced author and novel; other artistic or literary influences; critical response and literary standing during lifetime and posthumously. (10%) LIMIT TO 1 to 1 ½ PAGES

STORY SUMMARY (brief): Essential characters; conflicts and complications, major turning points and conclusion. (20%) LIMIT TO 2 to 2½ PAGES.

Elements of Fiction Focus on at least six of these concepts but use more if relevant to your novel. (These should be integrated into your overall analysis and not isolated as distinct sections in your paper.)

FORM, STRUCTURE, AND PLOT: How is the novel organized? Length? Chapters? (Only note these things if they are significant in some way. I don’t expect every paper to list the number of pages or chapters.) Discuss techniques such as flashbacks or dream sequences, stream of consciousness, chronological order of events, foreshadowing, parallel events, multiple, complex, or simple plot. How much time is covered? Compare and contrast beginning and ending.

POINT OF VIEW: (Narrative Perspective) Is the novel written from first person ("I"), second person ("you" very rare), or third person (he/she)? Is it a reminiscence or recent perspective written in the present tense or the past tense? If in the first person, is he/she the protagonists or an observer? If in third, is he/she omniscient (knowing everything), limited omniscient (knowing one character most often) or objective (no subjective commentary by the narrator, but limited omniscient)? Are there any shifts in point of view during the novel? (Shifts might come from the changed view(s) of the narrator or from different narrators.) What effect does the author achieve with point of view and what seems to be his/her purpose?

CHARACTER: General comments: flat/round? Static/dynamic? Believable? How are they revealed? How complex? How many? Protagonist/antagonist? Role of minor characters? Then describe 4-6 central characters: name, age, three descriptive adjectives, appearance, personality, function in novel, significance of name, a key quote that reveals character with an explanation of what the quote reveals. Be careful to not just label the characters with literary terms (“He is round; she is flat!”) but look deeply into who the character is and what is the author’s purpose in employing that character in the novel.

SETTING: Where and when does the novel occur? How is the environment described? Any symbolic meanings in the setting? How does the author use setting? What ATMOSPHERE is created by the setting? How important is setting to the novel?

DICTION: Analyze the author's word choices. First discuss the work in general: is the diction informal, formal, neutral, colloquial? Explain and give an example. Does the author use much

2 imagery? Metaphoric and/or ironic devices? Is the language plain? Flowery? Concise? Strong? Lyrical? Does diction indicate social status, education, region? How much dialogue is used? How different is the dialogue from the narrative voice? How distinct is the dialogue from character to character? SELECT REPRESENTATIVE PASSAGES featuring different plot segments. Copy the segments and include in your report. Closely (closely!) read the passages, then discuss, specifically, the diction. Comment on how diction helps define character, set tone, further theme, etc.

SYNTAX: (word order, pattern) Analysis of sentence and phrase patterns. Make some general observations: Are the sentences predominately simple or complex? What about length? Level of formality? Any fragments? Rhetorical questions? Parallel structure? Repetitions? Are sentences loose, periodic? Is there much variety to the sentence pattern? How does the author use syntax to create rhythm and flow of the language? How does the author use syntax to enhance effect and support meaning? 2. Using one of the same passages from the diction section above, focus on the author's syntax. What effect is he/she creating? Comment on how these choices help define character, set tone, further theme, etc.

CONCRETE DETAIL/IMAGERY: Words or phrases that appeal to the five senses - most commonly visual. Look for recurrent images. What function does the imagery seem to have? Use direct quotations from the text to support your observations.

SYMBOLISM: When an image is used to suggest complex or multiple meanings (for example, hawk for war, dove for peace, swan for stately beauty, etc.) it becomes a symbol. Is the novel highly symbolic? Allegorical? Point out images used as symbols. What function does the symbolism seem to serve? Use direct quotations from the text to support observations.

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE (TROPES): Language that is not literal. Metaphorical devices link meaning; most common are METAPHOR, SIMILE, PERSONIFICATION, AND ALLUSION. Point out examples; how used, how often? What effect does the figurative language have on the novel as a whole.

IRONIC DEVICES: Irony adds extra dimensions to meaning, sets up special understanding between writer and reader. Most common include VERBAL, SITUATIONAL, or DRAMATIC IRONY, PARADOX, OXYMORON, EUPHEMISM, HYPERBOLE, and, UNDERSTATEMENT. Point out examples; how used, how often? How does the author use ironic devices through out the novel.

TONE: Author's attitude toward subject, characters, and reader. Could be playful, serious, angry, ironic, formal, somber, satiric, etc. Generally an author uses a limited variety of tones, often two or three complementary ones. Discuss the book's tone and observe how the author creates it through plot, diction, syntax, imagery, figurative devices. Use direct quotations from text to support observations.

THEME: The theme refers to the book's controlling idea or central insight. Identify the book's central theme. Identify any prominent secondary themes. Express as statements with subject and predicate, not as a word or phrase (i.e. Wrong: "loyalty", or "loyalty to country"; Right: "Loyalty to country often inspires heroic self-sacrifice." Wrong: "the futility of evil"; Right: "Evil is futile.") Discuss any motifs you can identify. (Motifs: dominant ideas in a work of literature, a part of a major theme. It may consist of a character, a recurrent image or a verbal pattern.) Discuss the author's intention.

3 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TITLE: Comment on the book's title. What message does the author want to convey with the title? Does the meaning of the title change for the reader from pre- to post- reading?

MEMORABLE QUOTES: (about three to five) passages, sentences, fragments that capture the essence of the story and style. Discuss in detail the significance to the work. These should be integrated into your other analyses and should not be a separate section.

ALSO INCLUDE:

RESEARCH/LITERARY CRITICISM: (Start on this as soon as you select your novel.) Read at least two critiques or literary reviews. Be sure these come from substantial, reputable such as the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, etc. or academic sources and not Cliffs Notes, the back of the book jacket (although that is a great place to get sources for whole reviews), or just some guy on the internet who thinks he knows what he's talking about. Check with me to make sure your source is acceptable if you have any doubt.

Read and digest the information and write an in-depth summary (one page+) of what you gained from the reading of each one. Please note that you are summarizing your reaction to the article, not the article itself. For example, you might want to think in terms of "three important insights" you gained from each. Include a copy of each article that shows your notes, highlighting, etc. as an attachment to the bibliography. FIND THESE REVIEWS FIRST WHEN YOU DECIDE ON YOUR BOOK!! It may take you longer than you think to get them. I can access the historical data of the NY Times to find reviews from the 20th century.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: At the end of your paper, write a couple of paragraphs about your final thoughts on the book? What would you tell a friend who asked you about it? Did you enjoy the novel? Strengths, weaknesses, lingering questions/ Does it relate to other books you have read? Any insights into human folly or triumph? Do you expect any lasting effects on you? Don't underestimate the importance of this last section!

BIBLIOGRAPHY/WORKS CITED: Attach a bibliography/works cited of any outside sources you use. MLA bibliographical form is on the My Literature Lab site, or you may use another source for it you have.

FINAL DUE DATES: All due dates will be posted on the whiteboard. The critical reviews to be found, the bio, and the summary will all have separate due dates. The completed paper will be due a couple of weeks after the bio and summary.

4