Mrs.

Tittle
Ms. Boehm
Baltimore Polytechnic Institute

English III B Honors

Second Semester: The Literature Project

Rationale: The purpose of this project is to assess your ability to read, summarize,
analyze and connect pieces of literature as well as assess your writing skills. This is the
culminating event of the year, so it should reveal what you have learned.

The assignment: You have already chosen a novel (a piece of non-fiction or drama) by
an American author as the focus of your project. Read and annotate your novel very
carefully. The final product will consist of the following parts:

* A reading log revealing your engagement with the literature. In this case, you will be
expected to write an entry summarizing each chapter and discussing your reaction to a
particular event in that chapter.
* A book review written in a summary response format
* An analysis focusing primarily on the development of one striking element in the work:
symbolism, characterization, figurative language, or theme AND how that element
contributes tot he development of the novel’s overall meaning. You will also need at
least one literary criticism article supporting this element.
* A connection- a one page analytical paper connecting your novel to an issue or topic
relevant to today’s culture or society. You will also need to locate biographical
information on the author to determine how the author’s life and/or experiences
contributed to the creation of the work.

Keep in mind that:

* There will be no rewrites. Schedule writing conferences if you need help.
* The book review, analysis, and connection must be typed! No exceptions!
* Plagiarism (even one sentence) will result in a zero and a disciplinary referral!
* If you do not submit your project by the final due date, you have failed 1/3 of the
semester.

Turn Over, Please

 The Reading Log: The reading log reveals your engagement with the literature.
Furthermore, a detailed reading log will significantly aid you in the development of the
rest of the project. After reading each section (chapter) of the novel, you should write the
following in your log:

* a short synopsis of the action and character development

* your interpretation of the significance of the events occurring in the section
* noteworthy figurative language and other literary elements that stand out
* vocabulary - unfamiliar words AND their meanings

The Book Review: Unlike a literary analysis, the writer of a review assumes that his/her
audience has not read the novel. Therefore, the first section of the review, the summary,
should consist of:

*the book’s identity: author, title, publishing information, genre, intended audience
*a short biography of the author
*an overview of the background and context of the work (setting)
*the major themes the novel reveals (Remember, theme is not one or two words.)
*major internal and/or external conflicts
*description of the main characters and their roles
*your assessment of the book- style, language, plot, etc..
*your experience reading it. How did it make you feel?
*your opinion of the issues the author raises in the novel
*your recommendation - audience, quality, etc. Who should read it and why?

Note: Because you are being asked to express your opinion, you should use first-
person point of view. Remember, you should transition to your response, and your
response should be significantly longer than your summary.

The Literary Analysis: You will need to examine ONE literary element in this paper.
Your analysis should be at least 2 pages long and written in an academic voice.

The Connection: You are to write a single page connecting your novel to something in
today’s society or culture. You will also explain how the author’s life and/or experiences
may have influenced the writing.