TWELFTH GRADE: 2013-2014
Book of Choice PDF version:
2013 Alpha List of book of Choice May 20.pdf
Since students will be discussing and writing with the summer reading texts, it is beneficial if students purchase the edition noted by ISBN numbers. The campus store carries these books; students will purchase them from the store during the last weeks of May. Click here to go to the selection wiki for your book of choice. New to Woodward students are not required to read a book of choice, only the required books. Teachers have selected particular editions (as designated by ISBN numbers). Digital copies that match those ISBN numbers are acceptable for summer-reading assignments. Here is the English Department statement on digital copies for summer reading assignments.
The English department approves use of iPads.pdf
After school ends, find here an excel file listing all 9-12 students and their book of choice. This popular program can continue only if students cooperate by reading the book to which they are assigned in May. Should any problems arise with locating the book or with the difficulty of the book over the summer, students should contact Mrs. McNash.
Brief notes on each work and study questions on the required works are also on this page.
Required of all A.P. Literature and Composition Students, 12th Grade:
- Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston (ISBN: 13: 9780061120060)
- All the King's Men, Warren (ISBN: 13: 9780156004800)
- 3rd book—Each student will read a novel-length work written by his or her writer of choice. See departmental web page and handouts given during spring English class for more information.
- One selection from the Book Discussion list. (new-to-Woodward seniors in the fall of 2013 are excused from the Book of Choice program)
Required of all A.P. Language and Composition Students
- Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston (ISBN: 13: 9780061120060)
- Unaccustomed Earth: Stories, Lahirǐ (ISBN: 13: 9780307278258)
- One selection from the Book Discussion list. (new-to-Woodward seniors in the fall of 2013 are excused from the Book of Choice program)
Required of all Contemporary Drama Honors Students:
- A Doll House, Ibsen (ISBN: 13: 9781580495981 OR 9780486270623)
- Doctor Faustus, Marlowe (ISBN: 13: 9780486282084)
- The Picture of Dorian Gray, Wilde (ISBN: 13: 9780451530455)
- One selection from the Book Discussion list. (new-to-Woodward seniors in the fall of 2013 are excused from the Book of Choice program)
Required of all Enriched College Preparatory Students:
- Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston (ISBN: 13: 9780061120060)
- The Winter of Our Discontent, Steinbeck (ISBN: 13: 9780143039488)
- One selection from the Book Discussion list. (new-to-Woodward seniors in the fall of 2013 are excused from the Book of Choice program)
Required of all College Prep Students:
- Tuesdays With Morrie, Albom (ISBN: 13: 9780767905923)
- Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston (ISBN: 13: 9780061120060)
- One selection from the Book Discussion list. (new-to-Woodward seniors in the fall of 2013 are excused from the Book of Choice program)
Brief Notes on Summer Reading Texts - Grade 12
Albom, Tuesdays With Morrie — Mitch Album has found financial success and popularity as a sports writer, yet something is missing from his life. Due to a twist of fate, Mitch reconnects with his former college professor, Morrie Swartz, who has been diagnosed with and is dying of ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). In this book, which is based on a true story, Mitch rediscovers what is important about life during the Tuesday meetings that he has with his mentor. (Required for CP)
Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God — This masterfully written novel is both a poignant love story and a mystery. Zora Neale Hurston’s work presents a remarkable heroine, given the setting, and fascinating insights into black Southern culture in the early 1900s. (Required for EP, Contemporary Drama H, and AP Literature 12 and Language 12)
Ibsen, A Doll House — A Doll House, written in 1879, concerns Nora Helmer, who has always been comfortable in her roles as a daughter, a wife, and a mother- ruled by either a father or a husband throughout her life. In this plot she asserts her strong will and, consequently, must question the foundation of everything she has been taught to believe is true concerning the roles of men and women. (Required for Contemporary Drama H)
Lahirǐ, Unaccustomed Earth: Stories —“ Lahiri's stories of exile, identity, disappointment and maturation evince a spare and subtle mastery that has few contemporary equals” (amazon.com). (Required for AP Language 12)
Marlowe, Dr. Faustus — Christopher Marlowe’s (Rupert Everett plays Marlowe in the film Shakespeare in Love) most famous play. This tragedy probably inspired Shakespeare. And who knows, but maybe Charlie Daniels had this work in mind when he wrote “The Devil Went Down To Georgia”! (Required for Contemporary Drama H)
Steinbeck, The Winter of Our Discontent — A novel which tells of the moral crisis of a good man who wants to satisfy his discontented wife and teenaged children. (Required for EP)
Warren, All the King’s Men — A novel about politics and power in the South; history buffs might recognize traits of a Louisiana politician in a main character. (Required for AP Literature 12)
Wilde, Picture of Dorian Gray — Oscar Wilde attacks the hypocrisy of his own Victorian England. In this controversial murder mystery, Wilde’s protagonist sells his soul and commits unspeakable evil for the promise of eternal youth and beauty. (Required for Evil in Literature H and Contemporary Drama H)
Senior Summer Reading Study Guide
While no student is required to complete these questions, the English Department provides them for those students who like to reinforce independent reading with notes to study prior to taking the fall assessments.
Here are some specific questions about the required books.
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
(Required for CP, EP, and AP Language 12 and AP Literature 12)
Here is some additional information on this novel; all are welcome to access this PDF file.
1. Pay close attention to the dual point-of-view in this novel. Note the contrast between the poetic omniscient voice and the dialect of the first-person narrator.
2. If the dialect of the black rural South gives you difficulty, read it out loud. Be sure to highlight passages you don’t understand. Also highlight passages, expressions, that you like and find effective or important.
3. Pay attention to Janie’s family background. Try making a timeline or a family tree. There is sufficient information in the early chapters for you to do so.
4. Be able to discuss Janie’s romantic history, although some of it is not so romantic.
5. Hurston employs several symbols effectively throughout the novel. Identify and be prepared to discuss four or five potential symbols. Remember, if a physical item is referred to often in the novel, that might be a hint.
6. What is the primary motivation in the protagonist’s life? Does she or does she not achieve her goal?
The Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck
(Required for EP)
1. What are the major plot events that shape the novel?
2. Identify the following characters in the novel (who they are and what their functions seem to be in the plot): Ethan Allen Hawley; Mary Hawley; Allen Hawley; Ellen Hawley; Marullo; Mr. Baker; Margie Young-Hunt; Joey Morphy; Danny Taylor; Mr. Biggers; and Great Aunt Deborah.
3. The novel concerns the moral nature of man and the failure of ethics in the modern world. To what degree do the following characters possess honest ethical standards of behavior? To what degree do they not? Ethan; Marullo; Allen; Ellen; Joey; and Mr. Baker.
4. Identify and discuss the biblical/religious allusions that thread through the novel.
5. What is the significance of the 1960 New England setting for the work?
6. Steinbeck once said that the American generations of the last half of the 20th century were in danger of becoming the "beginning of our [America's] end." Considering both the character of Allen Hawley and his sister Ellen, decide whether morality or immorality prevails in America's youth. Defend your answer.
7. In what ways is The Winter of Our Discontent an allegory?
8. What symbolically does the family talisman seem to represent? Explain.
9. Compare and contrast Margie Young-Hunt and Mary Hawley. What conclusions can the reader draw about the plight and status of the modern American woman?
10. Discuss the importance of the American Dream in the novel. What repercussions seem to be tied to reaching for it?
11. Steinbeck feels that all humans are capable of both good and evil and that neither concept is truly an absolute. Since most of the conflict in the work is internal in Ethan, in what ways is he both good and evil? At the end of the work, where has Ethan morally traveled?
12. What thematic statements does Steinbeck want readers to take from this novel? In the forty-plus years from its publication, has American society changed from the picture you see in the novel? How or how not?
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
(Required for CP)
1. How do Mitch and Morrie meet? How do they feel about each other?
2. Describe the events in Mitch’s life during the 16 years after he graduates from college.
3. Describe the circumstances where Mitch finds out Morrie is ill.
4. Describe Morrie’s favorite activities prior to his diagnosis.
5. What is Morrie’s diagnosis?
6. Describe Mitch and Morrie’s reunion. How does each of them respond to the reunion?
7. Describe Morrie’s philosophy of the “tension of opposites.”
8. What are the circumstances behind the decision for Mitch and Morrie to begin meeting each Tuesday? How does Mitch prepare for each session with Morrie?
9. Trace Mitch’s relationship with his brother, Peter. How and why does it change throughout the course of the book?
10. Describe Morrie’s philosophy about being able to detach from an experience.
11. Summarize what we know of Morrie’s childhood and previous jobs or experiences from his past.
12. Describe Janine’s visit to see Morrie.
13. Describe Morrie’s final days and his funeral.
14. IMPORTANT: As you read, underline meaningful quotations that exemplify Morrie’s philosophy about the topics that he and Mitch discuss.
15. IMPORTANT: Make a list of the topics that Morrie and Mitch discuss in their Tuesday meetings.
Dr. Faustus by Christopher Marlowe
(Required for Contemporary Drama H)
Here is some additional information on this novel; all are welcome to access this PDF file.
1. We get the term “Faustian tragedy” primarily from this play. Review elements of a tragedy. Research what the term “Faustian” has come to mean.
2. Be sure to know the role played by these characters in the tragedy: Benvolio, Valdes, Pope Adrian, Bruno, Duchess of Vanholt, Lucifer, Wagner, Alexander the Great, Robin, Helen of Troy, Good Angel, Mephostophilis.
3.What is the setting of the story? Know the family background of Dr. Faustus. What is his academic specialty? What has become his new intellectual interest?
4.For what does Dr. Faustus bargain his soul? What are the terms of the bargain? How does he originally intend to use his newfound skills? How does he end up using what he has sold his soul for?
5. Does Dr. Faustus have a loophole in his bargain? Does he exercise it? Why or why not?
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
(Required for Contemporary Drama H)
Here is some additional information on this novel; all are welcome to access this PDF file.
Consider how Dr. Faustus influences The Picture of Dorian Gray. How is this novel a prose Faustian tragedy?
1. Know the setting of the novel and targets of Oscar Wilde’s cultural satire.
2. Look for one of Wilde’s trademarks: witty epigrams.
3. Know these characters and how they factor into the novel: Dorian Gray, Lord Henyr Wotton, Basil Hallward, Sibyl Vane, James Vane, Allan Campbell, Hetty Merton, Adrian Singleton.
4. Look for foreshadowing throughout the novel especially pointing to the last chapter.
5. Chapters 3 and 11 are particularly important sections. Why?
6. Why does Wilde choose physical beauty as the trait that Dorian barters his life for?
A Doll House by Henrik Ibsen
(Required for Contemporary Drama H)
1. What information are we given which clearly indicates that Nora is a typical Victorian wife, limited in her interests and dominated by her husband?
2. Describe the circumstances under which Nora married Helmer and briefly relate the “secret” which she has been keeping from him.
3. Briefly relate the touching subplot concerning Mrs. Linde and Krogstad.
4. Briefly describe Dr. Rank and Nora’s feelings for one another. How does poor Dr. Rank announce his own death?
5. How does Torvald react when he learns Nora’s secret? How do his feelings change when he thinks that Krogstad “repents”?
Unaccustomed Earth by Lahirǐ (Required for AP LAN 12) from http://www.readinggroupguides.com/guides_U/unaccustomed_earth1.asp
1. In “Unaccustomed Earth,” what underlies the tension in the relationship between Ruma and her father as the story opens? What aspects of the family’s history inhibit their ability to communicate with each other? How do their memories of Ruma’s mother and the life she led influence the paths they choose for the next stages in their lives? Do you feel more sympathy for either character’s point of view?
2. What is the significance of the title “A Choice of Accommodations”? What does it imply about Amit and Megan’s marriage? Why do you think Lahiri chose to set the story at Amit’s old prep school? Do you think the events of the weekend bring Amit a better sense of who he is, what he wants and needs from Megan, and his role as a husband and father? Will the weekend change anything for Amit and Megan and their relationship?
3. “Only Goodness” traces the impact of parental expectations on a sister and brother. Why did Sudha and Rahul develop in such different ways? Discuss such factors as the circumstances surrounding their births and earliest years; the obligations Sudha takes on both as the “perfect daughter” and in response to the combination of love, envy, and resentment Rahul’s attitudes and behavior arouse in her; and the siblings’ awareness of and reactions to the “perplexing fact of [their] parents’ marriage” [p. 137]. Compare and contrast the siblings’ choice of partners. What attracts Sudha to Roger, and Rahul to Elena?
4. Why does Paul, the American graduate student in “Nobody’s Business,” find his roommate, Sang, the recipient of frequent marriage proposals, so intriguing? Does Paul really want to help Sang, or does he get involved in her relationship with Farouk for more selfish reasons? Why do you think Lahiri titled this story “Nobody’s Business”–and what does the title mean to you?
5. Once in a Lifetime,” Hema addresses Kaushik directly as she recalls the time they spent together as teenagers. How does this twist on the first-person narration change your experience as a reader? Does it establish a greater intimacy between you and the narrator? Does it have an effect on the flow of the narrative? On the way Hema presents her memories? Is it comparable, for example, to reading a private letter or diary? Are the same things true of Kaushik’s narrative in “Year’s End”?
6. How would you describe the tone and style of Kaushik’s account of his father’s remarriage in “Year’s End”? Does his conversation with his father [pp. 253-255] reveal similarities between them? Why does Kaushik say, “I didn’t know which was worse–the idea of my father remarrying for love, or of his actively seeking out a stranger for companionship” [p.255]? Does the time he spends with his father’s new family offer an alternate, more complex, explanation for his father’s decision?
7. What role do his stepsisters play in Kaushik’s willingness to accept his father’s marriage? Why is he so outraged by their fascination with the pictures of his mother? He later reflects, “in their silence they continued to both protect and punish me” [p.293]. In what ways does their silence and the reasons for it mirror Kaushik’s own behavior, both here and in “Once in a Lifetime”?
8. How do “Once in a Lifetime” and “Year’s End” set the stage for “Going Ashore,” the final story in the trilogy? What traces of their younger selves are visible in both Hema and Kaushik? In what ways do the paths they’ve chosen reflect or oppose the journeys their parents made as immigrants?
9. Why does Hema find the idea of an arranged marriage appealing? How has her affair with Julian affected her ideas about romantic love? What does her description of her relationship with Navin [pp. 296-298] reveal about what she thinks she wants and needs in a relationship? What role do her memories of her parents’ marriage play in her vision of married life?
10. What motivates Kaushik’s decision to become a photojournalist? In what ways does the peripatetic life of a photojournalist suit his idea of himself? In addition to the many moves his family made, what other experiences make him grow up to be an outsider, “away from the private detritus of life” [p. 309]?
11. What does the reunion in Rome reveal about the ties that bind Hema and Kaushik despite their many years of separation? What does it illustrate about their attempts to escape from the past and their parents’ way of life? What do they come to realize about themselves and the plans they have made as the intimacy between them escalates? Why does Lahiri introduce Hema’s voice as the narrator of the final pages?
Required of A.P. Literature and Compostion 12 Students:
A.P. students must read four books over the summer: Their Eyes Were Watching God (Hurston), and All the King’s Men (Warren), and a selection for the book discussion group (as you did last year). Then each student will select a novel-length work written by a writer whose work he or she wants to study independently over the course of the year.
While other students complete most of their discussions and evaluations of summer reading by the end of the first six weeks, A.P. students continue to write about their summer reading throughout the school year and may choose one of these works for their free-response question on the Advanced Placement Literature and Composition Examination in May of their senior year.
As with summer reading exams for all grade levels, the initial tests are objective and specific. Obviously, the A.P. student will read his assigned novels, but an essential aspect of preparing for critical discussion is to go beyond mere plot summary to an awareness that each character, each action, each shift in setting, etc., are choices of a master craftsman. In the initial reading of these works, therefore, the student must be alert to these choices as they contribute to the tone, theme, and overall effect of the work. Even minor characters exist for a purpose.
Note, for instance, the significance of each of the following major and minor characters in All the King’s Men: Willie Stark, Lucy Stark, Tom Stark, Jack Burden, Anne Stanton, Adam Stanton, Sadie Burke, Sugar Boy, Tiny Duffy, Hugh Miller, Judge Irwin, Mrs. Murrell, Theodore Murrell, Ellie Burden, Count Covelli, Daddy Ross, Lois Seager, Miss Dumonde, Lilly Mae Littlepaugh, Caresse Jones, Sibyl Frey, Marvin Frey, Malaciah Wynn, Cass Mastern, and Gummy Larson.
In short, pay attention to details as you read. Underline quotations that seem significant because they characterize individuals or situations. Pay attention to tone. On the inside front cover of the book, you might want to jot down a phrase description and page number of something that seems important. This technique can help you to trace themes, images, symbols, etc. throughout the work. People who love to read (and you won’t choose A.P. English if you don’t) usually like to discuss their reading with others. Near the end of the summer try to get together with friends around the pool maybe and have fun reviewing these novels together.
Try to be completely finished with all novels considerably before the beginning of school to allow time for review. Since your reading is extensive, begin as soon as possible. If you like to start with the most accessible reading, you may wish to read Eyes first. Any student who is interested in politics or simply likes to study human nature and the effects that power or parents have on people will find All the King’s Men a favorite. Don’t be put off by its length. You are going to be in good company this summer. Happy reading!