Kenwoodacademy.enschool.org



AP Literature and Composition Summer Reading Assignment 2019Mrs. Sales, Kenwood Academy English DepartmentPlease closely read Richard Wright’s novel Native Son. The course will begin with an examination of this text, and it is the subject of our first writing assignment. Students should purchase their own copies of the novel which is widely available at bookstores and online. Students can also borrow a copy of the novel if necessary, but they cannot annotate it.1. Please make sure you understand the following terms. Define any that are unclear before you read the novel. (It is very important that you understand the principles of Capitalism and Communism.)CapitalismCharacterization CommunismConflictForeshadowingGreat Migration IronyMotifNaturalismParallelismRestrictive CovenantsStereotypesStyleSymbolThemeTone2. Keep notes as you read either within the text or in a notebook. Your annotations should consist of:- highlighting of significant phrases and passages- notes on significant literary elements- questions and ideas that arise as you readLiterary Focus for Annotations1. notice the following societal elements that contribute to Bigger’s feelings of oppression in the story and point out how they add to his feelings of shame and anger:? inferior education? menial jobs? forced pattern of deferential behavior in the presence of whites? discriminatory housing2. recognize the relationship between the author’s life experiences and the experiences of the characters in the story3. explore examples of irony in the story, including the following:? Bigger’s frustration with the media for its stereotyping of blacks, yet his self-serving use of it after Mary’s disappearance? the practices of Mr. Dalton’s South Side Real Estate Company, which gives birth to Bigger’s antisocial acts? Bigger’s dreams of being a pilot and the ambiguous use of the word “flight”4. analyze the following symbols in the story:? the white cat? the color white? fire in the furnace? the rat as a symbol of Bigger’s ultimate fate? blindness? damaged heads5. examine Bigger’s apparent hatred for the passivity he sees in the black race, including Bigger’s view of the way religion affects blacks6. consider whether the Communist Party is shown in a positive or a negative light by Wright when presenting the following issues:? media stereotyping? the ability to see people as individuals? the impact of capitalism on oppressed people7. contrast violence as an act of rebellion to rise above oppression, with violence as a reflex action created by the oppression8. note the racist actions of the newspapers and the criminal justice system in this story, and comment on how they contribute to oppression9. define naturalism and cite examples of how the oppressive social environment in the Black Belt acts as a driving force compelling Bigger to commit murder10. explore how Bigger’s feelings of alienation from both blacks and whites contributes to his crimes11. analyze Bigger’s relationship with Bessie and discuss whether they are capable of loving each other12. examine why, at the end of the story, Bigger feels good about his crimes and discuss how this makes it easier for him to accept his death13. indicate what you believe the author implies about race relations in 1940 and what you think his hope is for the future3. Write your responses to the Questions for Class Discussion and be ready to share your responses during the first week of class. We will complete your first writing assignment for the school year based on these ideas.Questions for Class Discussion1. Do you believe that Bigger’s acts of violence are acts of rebellion and a way of rising above oppression, or do you think they are reflex actions created by the oppression? Cite incidents from the story to support your answer.2. Wright, at one time in his life, belonged to the Communist Party. He left it because of the Communist philosophy of suppression of the individual for the greater good of the many. What evidence is there in the conclusion of this story that the power of the individual (Bigger) wins over the pressures of society to suppress it?3. Support or refute the following statement with incidents from the story: Max helps Bigger only because he wants to further the cause of communism and clear up some of the media stereotyping of communists in America.4. Some critics believe the themes of racism, oppression, and religion are merely rehashed in Book Three. What is your opinion of the quality of the story in Book Three compared to the readability and interest levels maintained in Books One and Two?5. What is your opinion of Bigger’s sentence? Do you think he should have been spared because he could not receive a fair trial under the biased judicial system?6. Were you disappointed or satisfied with the ending of the story? What could have been included in Book Three to help the reader better understand Bigger’s fate? Cite incidents from the story to support your answer.4. During the first week of school, you will write a response to one of the following prompts in an essay that reflects your abilities to:?Explain clearly, cogently, even elegantly, what you understand about the text and why you interpret it as you do.?Address the goals of writing described in our course outline as well as the AP Literature Essay Rubric.?Please preview the prompts, and come to class with your choice in mind.?Prompt #1?“And, after all, our surroundings influence our lives and characters as much as fate, destiny or any supernatural agency.”??- Pauline Hopkins,?Contending Forces?Consider the ways in which cultural, physical, or geographical surroundings shape psychological or moral traits of the characters in Native Son. Then write a well-organized essay in which you analyze how surroundings affect a character from the novel and illuminate the meaning of the work as a whole.? Do not merely summarize the plot.??Prompt #2?In The Writing of Fiction (1925), novelist Edith Wharton states the following:?“At every stage in the progress of his tale the novelist must rely on what may be called the?illuminating incident?to reveal and emphasize the inner meaning of each situation. Illuminating incidents are the magic casements of fiction, its vistas on infinity.”?Write a well-organized essay in which you describe an "illuminating" episode or moment in Native Son and explain how it functions as a "casement," a window that opens onto the meaning of the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary.??Prompt #3?The British novelist Fay Weldon offers this observation about happy endings:?"The writers, I do believe, who get the best and most lasting response from their readers are the writers who offer a happy ending through moral development. By a happy ending, I do not mean mere fortunate events -- a marriage or a last minute rescue from death -- but some kind of spiritual reassessment or moral reconciliation, even with the self, even at death."??The novel Native Son has the kind of ending Weldon describes. In a well-written essay, identify the "spiritual reassessment or moral reconciliation" evident in the ending and explain its significance in the work as a whole.? ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download