<p>Ms. Richmond</p><p>English 231</p><p>Essay Assignment: Reflecting on the Themes of Summer Reading</p><p>Directions: Develop your short response to the following prompts into a full-sized two-page essay that includes at least five summer reading vocabulary words. Review the four prompts from the book you read over the summer and choose the prompt for which you can provide the best answer, with the most detail and textual evidence. This essay will serve as the assessment of your completion, comprehension, and analysis of the summer reading, as well as your grasp of new vocabulary and MLA style. It will also enable me to see where you are now as a writer, here at the beginning of your junior year. From there, we will work together throughout the year to develop and improve your skills.</p><p>The Children Bob Moses Led by William Heath</p><p>1. Hal Zizner asks Tom Morton, “What do you want to do with your life: major in history or make history?” (Heath 47). What’s the difference between the two? Which would you choose?</p><p>2. Morton teaches his students, “In a democracy, it is essential that everybody – each man and woman, poor and rich, black and white – have a say if our system is to serve everybody’s needs” (Heath 140). Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?</p><p>3. In 1776, the Declaration of Independence stated “all men are created equal” and affirmed the rights of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. In 1787, the U.S. Constitution established even more rights for “the people”. Why do you think it took so long for those rights to extend to all U.S. citizens, including blacks and women?</p><p>4. Tom Morton concluded that “sometimes what is politically feasible is morally unforgiveable” (Heath 300). What does this statement mean? Do you agree with it? Why or why not?</p><p>Peace Like a River by Leif Enger</p><p>1. Throughout the novel, breathing is employed as motif. From the moment Reuben is born onward, he struggles to breathe. Jeremiah Land encounters severe breathing problems during his bout of pneumonia. What thematic purpose might Enger have for the symbol of breathing?</p><p>2. Reuben Land says that miracles are happening all around people and that it is up to people to “make of it what [they] will.” What miracles occur in the novel? How is Jeremiah Land connected to many of these miracles? When do the miracles seem to cease? Does Enger suggest that Jeremiah is a Christ-figure? What text evidence supports this suggestion?</p><p>3. The novel deals with the ancient conflict of Good v Evil. In what ways does this archetypal conflict appear in the novel and how is it resolved? 4. The journey motif is a common pattern found in a variety of novels about American life. Works, such as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Moby-Dick, Their Eyes Were Watching God, and The Grapes of Wrath deal with Americans on the move. How does Enger employ the archetype of the journey and make it distinctively American?</p><p>Little Big Man by Thomas Berger 1. Discuss the following historical figures, comparing the history of their lives and the stories told about them in this novel: a. George Armstrong Custer b. Wild Bill Hickok c. Wyatt Earp</p><p>2. Who are the Cheyenne Indians? How is there lifestyle in this novel different from that of the white man? How does Jack feel about the lifestyle he adopts with the Cheyenne? What is the Cheyenne's style of raising children? How does this differ from the style in which white men raise their children? How does this lifestyle impact Jack's growing personality? Which group of people does Jack appear to prefer in this novel?</p><p>3. Who is Old Lodge Skins? How did Jack come to live with Old Lodge Skins and his band of Cheyenne Indians? Why did Old Lodge Skins accept and adopt a white child as his own? Why did Old Lodge Skins refuse to be a warrior chief? Did everyone agree with Old Lodge Skins' decisions and actions? What impact did Old Lodge Skins' teachings and advice have on Jack during and after his childhood? Why did Old Lodge Skins choose Jack to accompany him in his death ritual?</p><p>4. What is unique about the narration of this novel? Why does the fictional writer/editor feel the need to make comment about the narration before and after it is presented? Whose voice does most of the story appear in? Why? What is significant about this narration? Is the narrator a reliable narrator? Is the story true? How can the story be verified? Has it been?</p><p>Maus I and II: A Survivor’s Tale by Art Spiegelman</p><p>1. Describe the faces in Maus. Are they iconic (could be anyone) or particular (could only be Vladek)? </p><p>2. Why do you think Spiegelman drew the characters as animals? Hitler reduced Jews to vermin. Is Spiegelman doing the same thing? Why?</p><p>3. Look at page 159, book one. Analyze the page, panel by panel. Predict what will happen next. (What does the jagged speech balloon mean? Why do you think that? What is the meaning of the black squiggle over Art’s head? Why is there no frame? What details do you notice about that panel? Artie’s back is turned, he’s carrying a satchel, and he seems to be smoking. What feelings does this frame express?)</p><p>4. In book two there are actual photos. How are these images different from the drawings? How do you feel when you see photographs of Richieu and Vladek? Summer Reading Essay</p><p>Rubric: How You Will Be Graded</p><p>Student’s Name ______</p><p>CATEGORY A B C F</p><p>Essay content The essay contains an The essay contains an The essay does not The essay does not introductory paragraph introductory paragraph contain an introductory contain an introductory with a thesis statement with a thesis statement paragraph and/or a thesis paragraph and/or a thesis and answers the question and answers the question statement or does not statement and/or the thoughtfully and thoughtfully and mostly answer the question essay is mostly accurately. accurately. thoughtfully and accurately. inaccurate.</p><p>Writing Style Writing style is Writing style is competent Writing style is basic and Writing style is poor. The outstanding and shows and shows that the writer shows that the writer used writer did not use critical that the writer used used some critical little critical thinking, thinking, mostly critical thinking, provided thinking, provided several provided a few textual summarized the plot of the many textual examples, textual examples, and at examples, and/or did not play, and/or provided few and answered the “why” least attempted to answer answer the “why” and to no textual examples. and “how” questions. the “why” and “how” “how” questions. questions.</p><p>Quality of Textual evidence is Textual evidence is mostly Textual evidence is Textual evidence is not Textual relevant to the essay relevant to the essay topic somewhat relevant to the relevant to the essay topic Evidence topic and enhances the and enhances the author’s essay topic and enhances and/or is not connected to author’s thesis. The writer thesis. There are a few the author’s thesis. There the topic. connects the evidence to weaknesses or connection are several weaknesses or his argument. problems. connection problems.</p><p>MLA Format All sources are properly All sources are cited with There are many errors in Sources are NOT properly cited in MLA format with in-text citations and a citing information. cited in MLA format with in-text citations, a Works Works Cited page and in-text citations, a Works Cited page, and proper proper quotations and/or Cited page, and proper quotations and/or paraphrases, but there are quotations and/or paraphrases. errors in format. paraphrases. You could be given a zero and/or charged with plagiarism!</p><p>Vocabulary- All five vocabulary words One word does not Two words do not convey More than two words do Meaning and from the summer reading convey its correct their correct meanings not convey their correct Form list convey their correct meanings and/or are in and/or are in the incorrect meanings and/or are in the meanings and are in the the incorrect form. form. incorrect form. correct form.</p><p>Mechanics Author makes no errors Author makes 5-10 errors Author makes more than Paper is unreadable due in grammar, spelling or in grammar, spelling or 10 errors in grammar, to numerous grammar, punctuation that distract punctuation that distract spelling or punctuation that spelling or punctuation the reader from the the reader from the distract the reader from the errors. content. content. content.</p><p>Directions Student writes an essay Student writes an essay Student writes an essay that completely answers that mostly answers the that answers part to none the essay topic. essay topic. of the essay topic.</p><p>Length Two or more full pages More than one page One page or less</p><p>Format Essay has an intro., body, Essay has an intro., body, Essay is missing and conclusion and fulfills and/or conclusion and paragraphs, intro., body, Expectations all requirements of “A fulfills all but 1-2 and/or conclusion and/or for Critical Guide to Critical Writing”. requirements of “A Guide fulfills three or fewer Writing to Critical Writing”. requirements of “A Guide to Critical Writing”.</p><p>Grade:</p>