Honors 10 Summer Assignment, 2008

You'll be reading a total of THREE (3) books and will be expected to come to English class the first FULL day back (September 4 or 5) with a rough draft and final draft synthesis paper.  Directions are below.

BOOKS: Total of THREE (3)
Must read both The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain and The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
(Take extensive notes on BOTH of these books; there will be an objective test over BOTH books on September 11 and 12)

Must read ONE:
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
OR
Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
(There will NOT be an objective test over either of these books, but you will be expected to take part in several group discussions that will revolve around these texts.)

Final Paper Requirements:
DUE the first FULL DAY back (either September 4 or 5)

I will expect to see a 2-3 paged typed, formal, well-edited, expository paper.  No printing in my room.  This must be accompanied by a ROUGH, typed draft that has been ANNOTATED.  If you're not sure what the term "annotation" means, please research it.  Automatic -50 if no annotated, typed draft accompanies final draft.

Your final and formal paper must have a clear thesis statement (otherwise known as an argument) and purpose, and must answer this prompt:

"In many works of literature, past events can affect, positively or negatively, the present activities, attitudes, or values of a character.  Using your summer novels (all three of them), consider which characters must contend with some aspect of the past, either personal or societal.  Then, write an essay in which you show how these characters' relationships to the past contribute to the meaning of the works as a whole.  Avoid mere plot summary."

Do NOT use "I" or "you" in the paper.  Argue your point as formally as possible and use 2-3 quotes (total, not from each book) to prove your point.  In using quotes, you must also remember to CITE the books properly and to include a WORKS CITED page to accompany the paper.  Again, if you do not know how to cite or create a works cited page, it's your responsibility to research this.  There are many online sources that show students how to create these.

Good luck and see you in September.
Mrs. Pierce