2016 Summer Reading Essay Prompts and Guidelines

Pre AP Eng. 10 – Mrs. Hatch

“It’s never perfect when I write it down the first time, or the second time, or the fifth time. But

it always gets better as I go over it and over it.” ~Jane Yolen

Writing is a process, and good writing takes time. Remember that brainstorming, outlining,

writing drafts, proofreading, and writing again are all a part of the process of a good writer.

Make sure that, even though you are only sending me your final draft in a Microsoft Word

document, Google document, or PDF, you save your prewriting work for class. When writing,

use third person and avoid personal pronouns (I, me, you). Write in literary present tense. Use

MLA (https://owl.english.purdue.edu/) for your paper set up and citations. Make sure that

your work is uniquely your own. Make sure you answer the entire question in a five

paragraph essay. If you send your essay and data sheets as an attachment to me through email,

make sure that I receive it. If you do not get a confirmation email on the Monday after the due

date, assume that I did not receive it and contact me immediately. Only emailed assignments

will receive email confirmations.

Don’t forget! You should also do a Major Works Data Sheet for each of these selections. These

are due at the same time as the essay.

• The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane – due 6/16/16

Explain how Crane broke with Romantic traditions of the 1800s by using Naturalism in

this novel. You may want to first do some preliminary research concerning Romanticism

and Naturalism in American literature. Avoid mere plot summary.

• The Awakening by Kate Chopin – due 7/14/16

Morally ambiguous characters, characters whose behavior discourages readers from

identifying them as purely evil or purely good, are at the heart of many works of

literature. Choose a morally ambiguous character from this novel that plays a pivotal

role, and then write an essay in which you explain how the character can be viewed as

morally ambiguous and why his or her moral ambiguity is significant to the work as a

whole. Avoid mere plot summary.

• Warriors Don’t Cry by Melba Pattillo Beals – due 8/11/16 – turn in when you get to my class.

Authors use direct and indirect characterization to create characters in works of

literature. Through words and actions, a character can “come to life” for the reader. In

the same way, nonfiction pieces also present characters so that readers are able to

visualize these characters and t heir real-life experiences. In Warriors Don’t Cry, Beals

reveals significant events in her life in which she faced both internal and external

conflicts. In a well-developed essay, discuss how Melba is characterized throughout the

memoir. Support your opinion with specific evidence from the text.