2010/2011 English II Pre-AP Summer Assignment

Read the following sections of Edith Hamilton’s Mythology.

Part One: The Gods, the Creation, and the Earliest Heroes

1. The Gods: All
2. The Two Great Gods of the Earth: Both
4. The Earliest Heroes: “The Cyclops Polyphemus” & “Flower Myths”

Part Two: Stories of Love and Adventure

3. The Quest for the Golden Fleece
4. Four Great Adventures: All

Part Three: The Great Heroes before the Trojan War

1. Perseus
2. Theseus
3. Hercules

Part Six: The Less Important Myths

1. Midas—and Others: “Midas” only

In an allusion a literary figure can be used as a reference point for the reader to understand the struggle, power or trait of a character in the story being read. For instance if a character is referred to as a “Romeo,” the reader should immediately understand that the character is one who loves whole–heartedly, but not necessarily wisely. If one character says sarcastically of another “I half expected him to start asking ‘please, George, can I have a rabbit…’,” the reader should catch the reference to Lenny in Of Mice and Men and understand that this character is not bright, but also potentially dangerous.

After reading all assigned sections, find twelve (12) allusions to the Gods/Goddesses/Heroes in other works of literature (fiction, poetry). Cite the author and work, and quote the paragraph/stanza where the allusion occurs. In 1-3 sentences explain why you believe the author/poet used that allusion to strengthen the reader’s understanding of the character/situation under consideration. (Internet search engines are your friend, but I will be double checking for plagiarism; be sure to answer with your own ideas/words.)

This will constitute your project for the first six weeks of the 2010/2011 school year. It will be due the first Friday we are back from summer break (August 27th). If you miss the first week of school it will be due immediately upon your arrival. We will also be working with this material over the first two weeks of the school year (during which time you will begin reading How to Read Literature like a Professor, so do not expect to “catch up” as we go along). Students who enroll in Pre-AP English II with having the benefit of having had the summer to do this assignment will have to make it up by the end of the first six weeks or will lose 20% of their grade.

If you have questions, email me over the summer: cmikesell-at-dallasisd.org.

2010/2011 Reading List
(90% of reading will be done at home; students are expected to acquire their own copies of all texts)
Mythology, Edith Hamilton
How to Read Literature like a Professor, Thomas C. Foster*
The Pearl, John Steinbeck
A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
Othello, William Shakespeare
Julius Caesar, William Shakespeare
Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury

*Of all the texts, I expect this will be rather difficult to find. Begin looking for it at Half Price Books or Amazon Resellers sooner, rather than later. You need to have your copy of the book when school begins, as you'll begin reading it at home the first week of class.