10th Honors Summer Reading Assignment 2017
Mrs. Williams Ms. Collins Ms. Sewell Ms. Goddard
Read this document closely as there are several parts to be completed for the summer assignment. There will not be a test when you return. These portions count as your first grades.
Reading Assignment:
Read each of the following works, paying attention to structure, style, and themes, as well as character development, setting, symbol and motif, irony, tone, repetitive elements, etc. Note aspects throughout the work that you find significant. If you are able to purchase your own personal copy of these works, make notes throughout. If you are borrowing a book from the library, use sticky notes to mark significant passages, vocabulary, etc. Annotations are highly encouraged!
You will first read certain chapters in How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster (Chapters 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 12, 14, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24 & 27)
It is crucial you read these chapters in this book prior to reading the novel because your assignment requires that you apply concepts in Foster’s book to certain questions about Khalid Hosseini’s novel
A Thousand Splendid Suns.
Writing Assignment: These are the questions that you must answer. Since these questions are discussion questions, you must answer each of them with a paragraph which means approximately 6-10 sentences. The answers to these questions and the analytical nature of your answers will serve as your first graded assignment of the semester in 10th Honors. Make certain that you do not work with other students or consult any criticism other than a dictionary. You will submit your typed assignment to www.turnitin.com which, if you are not familiar with it, will check your document against anything on the internet and anything that matches another student’s work. Since your answers must be analytical in nature, we are attaching a document to help you distinguish between plot summary and analysis. When the question asks for textual evidence, we are asking you to find quotes from the text to support your analysis.
1. Discuss the ways in which Mariam could be considered a Christ figure as defined by Foster. Do not simply list the ways she fits Foster’s description but give details from the novel in your analysis of her as a Christ figure. Make certain you use at least 4 of the attributes of a Christ figure listed in Foster’s book.
2. Discuss the ways in which Rasheed could be considered a vampire figure with regard to both Mariam and Laila. Do not simply list the ways he is a vampire figure but use specific examples from the text and examine his relationship with both characters to illustrate his characteristics of a vampire figure.
3. Discuss the ways that communion is displayed in the novel. Use at least two events in the novel that show characters communing with one another as explained by Foster. What is the outcome of each communion? Remember to analyze not summarize (see handout).
4. Discuss the ways in which Jalil’s disease fits the definition of a classical metaphorical disease as Foster describes it. Why might this disease be a fitting one for Jalil given his treatment of Mariam and the consequences he suffers?
5. Discuss the significance of the items in the box left by Mullah Faizullah . Do not simply list the items in the box, but analyze the importance of each which should lead you to a conclusion about the relationship between Jalil and Mariam. Consider motives, desires, attitudes of each character as you explain your answer. Note that one of the items is a videotape of the movie Pinocchio. If you are not familiar with the story/theme of Pinocchio, then look it up, so that you are able to discuss the significance of this item.
6. The word “tariq” means “one who knocks at the door” in Arabic. Why is this such an apt name for the character Tariq? Go beyond mere plot summary. Discuss the significance to his character as a whole.
7. This will be a short essay – 3 paragraphs minimum with 5-7 sentences in each. In this short essay you will apply the knowledge you gained from reading How to Read Literature Like a Professor to the novel A Thousand Splendid Suns. Foster suggests that a quest is made up of 5 things. The novel A Thousand Splendid Suns provides several strong examples of quests. Discuss each of the 5 components of a quest (don’t just list them, apply them), as outlined by Foster, using details from A Thousand Splendid Suns that illustrate a quest taking place in the novel. Use only one character to discuss the quest and only one incident / journey to discuss the quest. In other words, the character may go on several different quests throughout the novel; you need to focus on one. Do not use the entire novel as a quest. Also, focus on a major character so you have enough material for textual support. You should focus on Mariam or Laila.
8. Compare and contrast the two appearances of snow in Chapter 13. What is the significance of its appearance and how does it introduce a cultural theme that Mariam adopts? Remember that a theme cannot be ONE word – it must be a phrase or a sentence. Please see the handout on themes.
9. Using Foster’s identification of geography as “about humans inhabiting spaces and at the same time the spaces that inhabit humans,” how does the setting of Kabul impact the lives of the characters? How does the conflict in Kabul mirror the conflicts of the characters? Use textual examples to support your answer.
10. Apply chapters 10 and 18 the scene when Mariam experiences a traumatic event in the bath house. Analyze according to Foster.
Below you will find a student example of an answer to a discussion question. This question was written by a student during class without exposure to the question prior to the test and without the use of his book or notes. This example serves to show you the level of analysis we are looking for in a 10th honors class. Obviously, since you do have the questions ahead of time and the use of your book and time to digest the questions and think about them, they should be sophisticated, well thought out, grammatically correct and analytical.
The phrase “a thousand splendid suns,” from the poem “Kabul” by Saib-e-Tabrizi, is quoted twice in the novel. It is also echoed in one of the final lines about Mariam. Discuss the thematic significance of this phrase. Use text to support your ideas.
“Every street of Kabul is enthralling to the eye
Through the bazaars, caravans of Egypt pass
One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs
And the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls.”
The thousand splendid suns, in this context, represent the unprotected suffering, the endurance, and the oppression that the women must hold within themselves. The fact that the author uses the word “hide” is especially significant to this meaning. It symbolizes all that the women of Kabul endure behind the walls of the greatest buildings and the façade of happiness that the citizens try to erect around themselves even though oppression and hardship reigns. But there is a “sun” in each and every woman who must endure, a symbol of the single shard of hope that pierces through the gloomy underbelly of the clouds. These thousand splendid suns are not representative of a single concept or idea, then, but a symbol of all that the women of Kabul and the war torn city itself has endured, tolerated, and survived. Ironically, this creates a greater sense of bonding between the women that is far more powerful than any extremist group. It is the significance of a common enemy, a shared quest.
This is extremely significant in the final lines of the novel, as the very same hope and radiance that resided within Mariam gleams through Laila. It is this “sun” that eventually causes Laila to leave Muree and return to Kabul. Laila wants Kabul to become a home again, and just as her mother wanted her dead brothers to see the city liberated, Laila hopes that Mariam will be able to see Kabul rebuilt through her eyes.
The deadline for having this assignment done is the first day of fall semester. You must bring a double spaced typed copy in Times New Roman 12 pt. font with you to class. Your teacher will provide you with the information on how to turn it in to www.turnitin.com at that time. Registering for this course indicates a commitment on the student’s part to follow through with course assignments. A failure to complete summer reading assignments is not a valid reason to request a schedule change at the beginning of fall semester.
Please DO NOT use Cliff Notes or Spark Notes (or any other pre-printed summaries) or copy from a friend, sibling, fellow Internet user, etc. When you present someone else’s thoughts, ideas, or words as your own, you are plagiarizing. Start out the year determined to sharpen your own skills of analysis rather than planning to rely on someone else’s interpretation of the material. A plagiarized assignment will result in a zero and an honor code violation which must be reported to the colleges to which you apply.
**You will also complete the topic / theme handout. Do not look for themes on any website or consult any other person. We want to see what YOU can do. Knowing what you can do on your own helps us know your strengths and weakness and know where to start with instructions. You will submit this document to www.turnitin.com as well.
If you have any questions about the reading or the course, please contact us at any time.
Mrs. Williams: . Ms. Collins: . Ms. Sewell: . Ms. Goddard: .
We hope that you enjoy the reading. Have a great summer!
How To Annotate Text
In order to develop a deeper appreciation for a text we are reading, it is important to read critically. Annotating the text while you are reading is an important step in developing as a critical reader. You are moving beyond assessing a work for plot and characters; you are now delving deeper into the text to find passages, images, words, figurative language, symbols, and themes. Critical reading takes longer to do than traditional reading, but you will find that you are able to find a much greater perspective and a deeper meaning of the novel when you use this type of reading. What you will find is that annotating while reading is like having your own personal conversation with the text.
When you are annotating a novel, you can use a system of highlighters and pens, or you may use post-it notes. If you have your own copy of the novel, you can make comments and highlight text as you need. If you are using the school’s copy, I suggest getting post-it notes and flags in different colors to help you devise a system of annotation.
What is the most important is that you develop a system of annotation that makes sense to YOU. For some works, you might choose to highlight corresponding images to the colors they represent. For other works, you need to devise your own system of colors and what they mean as you annotate. Overall, your goal is to be able to find passages, words, and images that bring a greater depth to the novel and observe the patterns within the novel for deeper interpretation. Having a organized system allows you to find these areas faster and will help you when you are analyzing the material.
Here are some steps to follow when you annotate a novel:
1. Inside Front Cover: list of characters with descriptions
2. Inside Back Cover: list of key themes, images, colors, symbols, etc. You will want to record page numbers here so you can find examples faster.
3. Top Margin of the Page: quick plot detail that summarizes page
4. Bottom/Side Margins of Page: Interpretative notes, questions you have about the text. Here are some examples of questions you should be asking as you are reading a passage:
a. I do not understand...
b. I noticed that...
c. I wonder about...
d. Why does...
e. This scene reminds me of...
f. A question I have is...
g. This character reminds me of myself because...
h. I now realize or think that...
i. A phrase or line I like is...because...
j. The setting seems to be... or The setting is important because...
5. Circle new and unfamiliar words. Go back and get the definition and write it in after you’re done.
6. Once you discover the theme, track passages that relate to the theme.
7. When you see a word or image that becomes repetitive, highlight it and make observations to determine how that pattern might contribute to the novel
8. Underline passages you think are important to the theme of the novel or character development.
9. Bracket any passages that are too long to underline, but are still important to the theme of the novel or character development.
Title of novel ______
Topic/Theme
Topic: the subject matter; one issue that a work tackles (a word or possibly a phrase)
Theme: general insight into life or the human condition; a statement ABOUT a topic (a complete thought)
Theme statements are derived from topics. Ask yourself the question, “What does the author want me to
know/understand about ______?” Fill in the blank with a topic.
Here are some examples of the differences between topic and theme:
Topic / ThemeLove / Without love, life has no meaning.
OR
Love can be a powerful force for change.
Death / Death is an inevitable part of life that can help give life meaning.
OR
Death can be frightening for people because it is beyond our control.
Man vs nature / Nature reminds us how vulnerable man is.
OR
Human intellect is no match for the sheer power of nature.
A couple of last notes about theme: