Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools
P.O. Box 2513
Winston-Salem, NC 27102-2513
(336) 727-2816 Fax(336) 727-2008
website: wsfcs.k12.nc.us
Board of Education
Dana Caudill Jones, Chair
Robert Barr, Vice Chair
Lida Calvert Hayes
Lori Goins Clark
Mark Johnson
Victor Johnson, Jr.
Elisabeth Motsinger
David Singletary
Deanna Taylor
Beverly Emory
Superintendent / Spring 2017
Dear AP Literature and Composition Students,
Welcome to Advanced Composition and Literature! Iam glad that you have chosen to challenge yourself with a course that will serve you well as you prepare for your future in education. I believe that summer reading is important to help set the standard of rigor for the class as well as to expose you to major works of literary merit. Through your careful research and reflection, you will begin the class with an understanding of what is expected of you in the fall.
AP Literature is a challenging and rigorous course, designed for seniors who are seeking admission into college as well as those who could potentially receive college credit for success on the AP Exam administered in May. Students are expected to challenge themselves through critical analysis and creative observations to explore major works which we believe will reiterate the importance of observing human nature. We will study the literature from many angles to determine a writer’s style, purpose, emphasis and importance in the canon of great literature.
Summer Assignment
Select 4 chapters from the list below to read fromHow to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines, by Thomas C. Foster (ISBN-13: 978-0-06-000942-7). This text is an excellent introduction to understanding literary analysis, and it gives you an overview of what you will be looking for in the texts you will read this year. It is an important reference point throughout the year so be sure to read it carefully and enjoy the author’s style and references. A full PDF is available on
Chapter choices: 1. 2. 7, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22
Read ONE of the following works:
The Risen by Ron Rash
The World Made Straight by Ron Rash
As you read and study these novels, consider how Dr. Foster’s book applies to one of these texts. Make direct, specific connections from ONE of the novels the FOUR chapters from Foster’s book. Which chapters connect best with your novel? How are the connections made? What is the author’s purpose in your chosen novel? Do you see repeating patterns and motifs related to the Foster chapter?
Provide a direct quotation from the book, citing page numbers and explaining the connection in three to five sentences. The examples you choose will closely resemble Dr. Foster’s format in his book. You can mimic his style, using your chosen novel as an example. Through this part of the summer assignment, you are showing how you understand Foster’s ideas, applying them to your reading through analysis, and writing at an academic level that is appropriate for an AP class. Secondly, complete ONE of the included essays using the novel you chose to read. Remember that your assignments must be typed and must be submitted to
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Example from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen:

“Well, my dear,” said Mr. Bennet, when Elizabeth had read the note aloud, “if your daughter should have a dangerous fit of illness, if she should die, it would be a comfort to know that it was all in the pursuit of Mr. Bingley, and under your orders” (Austen 29).

This quote is connected to Chapter 24 in Foster’s book concerning illness. In this case, Jane Bennet has contracted a fever and is confined to the home of Mr. Bingley. As Foster says, “[O]ften . . . the most effective illness is one the writer makes up” (Foster 224). In this case, “a fever” serves Austen’s purpose of placing Jane in Bingley’s home for an extended period without actually putting her character in any serious danger. Jane’s illness also gives her sister, Elizabeth, ample opportunity to stay in the company of Bingley, his two sisters and Mr. Darcy. Without a doubt, Jane’s illness“works like a charm” as a device for moving the plot of the novel forward and giving the characters a valid reason to interact with each other for a prolonged, unspecified time (Foster 224).

I encourage you to use supplemental sources as needed to aid in your understanding of the novels for summer reading. When you arrive at school in August, you will submit each of your summer assignments to Mrs. Hilton, both on turnitin.com and a paper copy – NO EXCEPTIONS. These are due by the end of the first day of school. Please be sure to adhere to this schedule. Turnitin.com information is as follows: class code: 15383422 password: hiltonaplit

There will be a formal test on your work, and you will be asked to engage in seminar discussions on both novels. The level of the work that you do will be evidence to us of the caliber of your work in an AP Literature class.

I do check my email over the summer, and I have included it below for your reference in case there are questions concerning this assignment or the course in general.I will see you in August, and I look forward to working with you during your senior year! Enjoy your summer and your reading!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Hilton

AP Literature Teacher

East Forsyth High School

Choose one of the following essay questions to answer:

  1. “And, after all, our surroundings influence our lives and characters as much as fate, destiny or any supernatural agency.” --Pauline Hopkins, Contending Forces Choose a novel or play in which cultural, physical, or geographical surroundings shape psychological or moral traits in a character. Then write a well-organized essay in which you analyze how surroundings affect this character and illuminate the meaning of the work as a whole.
  1. It has often been said that what we value can be determined only by what we sacrifice. Consider how this statement applies to a character from a novel or play. Select a character that has deliberately sacrificed, surrendered, or forfeited something in a way that highlights that character’s values. Then write a well-organized essay in which you analyze how the particular sacrifice illuminates the character’s values and provides a deeper understanding of the meaning of the work as a whole.
  1. Many works of literature contain a character who intentionally deceives others. The character’s dishonesty may be intended either to help or to hurt. Such a character, for example, may choose to mislead others for personal safety, to spare someone’s feelings, or to carry out a crime. Choose a novel or play in which a character deceives others. Then, in a well-written essay, analyze the motives for that character’s deception and discuss how the deception contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole.