CP/Hon Am Lit - Covenant Day School

American Literature Summer 2015 Reading Assignment (HON and CP)
BOOKS:
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
A Separate Peace by John Knowles
Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons
Assignment Description:
Novel reviews should be completed for the first two works listed above (Huck Finn and A
Separate Peace). The third work, Ellen Foster, should be read carefully as we will begin the year
with a unit on this novel, but students do not need to complete a novel review for this book.
Novel reviews should reflect the students’ own analyses of the literature. The use of
SparkNotes, CliffsNotes, Schmoop, or other study aids is not permitted. Use of such resources
will result in a failing grade for the assignment. Students will turn in their assignments on the
second day of school. The grade that they receive for their efforts will count as their first major
grade of the first quarter. Responses should be typed. Questions? Email Mrs. Goodling at
[email protected].
Novel Review: (Write in sections, using the terms in bold to label each section.)
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Write a plot summary (one-two single spaced pages in length).
List two quotes and explain their significance. One quote should be from a scene that
could be considered a turning point in the novel. One quote should reveal something
significant about a particular character.
Choose four important characters and write a brief paragraph about each one that
explains their role in the story and their involvement in significant plot events; include
adjectives that you would use to describe them.
Describe the setting and explain its significance to the story as a whole. Consider how
the setting determines or effects certain plot events and characters.
Describe two symbols used in the story and explain what each one represents.
Remember that a symbol can be a person, place, thing, or event that represents a
significant idea, just as Christian’s journey in Pilgrim’s Progress represents the life and
struggles of a follower of Christ, or the mockingbird in To Kill a Mockingbird represents
innocence.
Explain the significance of the opening scene. How is it used to establish tone,
character, style, or theme? How does it foreshadow significant plot events?
Explain the significance of the closing scene. Does it provide closure, and how does it
leave the reader feeling?
Describe two major themes and briefly explain how they are developed in the novel.
Remember that a theme is not a subject (i.e. racism or love) but the author’s opinion
about a particular subject (“racism is as damaging to the oppressor as it is to the
oppressed,” or “true love is impossible because it is always tainted by self-interest”).