Summer Reading Writing Assignments

Summer Reading Writing Assignments

2015

Directions: Respond to two of the following prompts. You will be graded according to the rubric on the back of this page. Your essays will be worth 25 points each. You must use MLA format, and you are strongly encouraged to follow the high school’s writing model, which can be found on my Wikispace page.

Catcher in the Rye

Within the novel Holden seems to be obsessed with innocence. Why? Explain his obsession using information from the text as support.

In Catcher in the Rye Holden refers to many people as “phonies.” In Holden’s view, who is a phony? What does this tell us about Holden?

This novel is sometimes referred to as a “bildungsroman,” a novel of maturation or a coming of age story. Is Holden more mature by the end of the novel? Why or why not?

Fahrenheit 451

Ray Bradbury claimed that technology can be “isolating” and “demanding.” Does his novel support his view? Use evidence from the text to justify your response.

Compare and contrast the characters of Mildred and Clarisse. What could Bradbury be commenting on with his use of these two characters?

Explain how Fahrenheit 451 could be considered a novel about conformity and individuality. Use characters or examples from the book to support your response.

Working

Studs Terkel writes, “Work is about a daily search for meaning as well as daily bread; for recognition as well as cash; for astonishment rather than torpor; in short for a sort of life, rather than a Monday-to-Friday sort of dying.” Does Working support this assertion? Use evidence from the text to support your response.

Working is a unique work because of the way Terkel puts his novel together. Why is Terkel’s approach effective for this novel? How does it help him highlight his message?

Working includes interviews from individuals from all walks of life. What is the message about the life of the working individual that can be found through the reading of the novel? In other words, what is the common thread regarding working that is evident throughout much of the novel?