Dear Soon-to-be Junior,

Welcome to the Advanced Placement program in English! You probably didn’t know what you were getting in to, but Honors US Lit is very closely tied to Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition, a senior-level class which you may choose to be a part of at the end of your junior year.

You will need to prepare for this course during the summer by reading East of Eden by John Steinbeck and by reading a set of poems and writing “Poetry Responses” for each. The following study materials are provided to aid your understanding of the texts and prepare you for class discussions, essays, and multiple-choice tests when we begin our work in the fall.If you wish,you may check out copies of the book from the media center for the summer before the school year ends, otherwise, you will need to provide your own copies of the books. You should complete the assignments described; those will be due on the first day of school. Read the directions – all of them – carefully.

As you consider the summer reading, please also consider the followingadvice. Avoid the crutch of Sparknotes and all his online friends, as they prevent you from developing the skills you need to be successful readers and writers. This is a very serious warning. I expect honors students to be willing to think for themselves and exhibit discipline and character. Resorting to an outside source (including movies!) to tell you what to think, or, even worse, using that source to avoid the learning experience of reading, are shortcuts that, in the long run, are really dead ends. I would also suggest that you set a reasonable schedule for yourself so that the reading does not pile up on you, and that you take notes as you read. Consider that it may be some time between your reading and our discussion; notes will help you remember the details of the story and characters and spare you the time and effort of rereading. I will allow you to use your original notes on any tests or essays.

Please be aware that if you arrive on the first day of class without your completed summer reading assignment, you will be redirected to the counseling office where you will change your schedule to regular US Lit.

Have a wonderful summer, and happy reading!

Honors US Lit: Summer Reader’s Guide:

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

Notebook Assignment

In John Steinbeck’s East of Eden we will follow lives. Whole lives. In these lives we will see reflections of our own lives. As you read, record these reflections in a notebook dedicated to this purpose. (Composition books work very well for this assignment, but you may use whatever notebook you like as long as this is the only thing in it.) Everything in your notebook should be handwritten.

Section #1: Characters

In this section you will keep notes on all of the characters in the novel. Some characters will only reflect a few lines; others pages. Divide this section into three smaller sections:

  1. The Trasks
  2. The Hamiltons
  3. Other Characters

For each character you should record:

Physical traits and any changes in physical traits

Personality traits and any changes in personality traits

Occupation(s)

Major events

Death (of the character and/or anyone that character kills)

Major relationships (go beyond romantic relationships) and any changes in relationships

Your opinion of that character and any changes in that opinion

Section #2: Quotes and Questions

Choose TEN quotes and TEN questions over the course of the book. This evens out to about one quote and question per fifty pages.

Quotes: Record one meaningful quote that not only reveals something significant about the novel; it reveals something significant about life. Focus on theme, purpose, self reflection, and revelation when choosing quotes. Record chapter and page numbers. Record who said it, to whom it was said, and the context. Then, write a paragraph in response. Why did you choose this quote? What does it mean to you? How does the quote characterize the characters? How does the quote add to the conflict? Questions similar to that work.

Questions: Pose one question for every fifty pages. Good questions require much more than a “yes” or “no” answer and can be answered in several different ways. Think about perspective. Think about significance. Think about the author at work. This is not a question about plot, but about larger issues. Write your question, and then jot down some thoughts in response. You don’t need to have a complete answer, but rather, ideas and beginnings. Record the number of the chapter (or the page or quote) which inspired your question.

Your notebook will be assessed on completeness and quality. Be thoughtful. Be thorough. Be complete.

At the end of the novel, answer the following questions in a well-developed, lengthy paragraph. Be sure to back up your answers:

  1. What is a theme of East of Eden? Remember, theme is not a word (like war), instead it is an underlying statement about life that is supported by the book! Back up your theme with proof from the book.
  1. Analyze the title. Why is this book called East of Eden?
  1. Find a symbol in the book. Analyze the symbol and its importance.