• E419 Advanced Placement Literature and Composition

    Summer Reading 2024

     

    Ms. Bingham  rbingham@d211.org 

    Mrs. Gilkey   mguerra-gilkey@d211.org   

    Mr. Micheletto   rmicheletto@d211.org  

     

    If you would like to have digital access to this information, please join our AP Lit Summer Reading Schoology Group. Access Code: VTTJ-XVFD-PH3FG 

     

    The Kite Runner

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

     

    Note:  The Kite Runner contains adult situations. Some depictions are graphic. 

     

    Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/Kite-Runner-Khaled-Hosseini/dp/159463193X

     

    Book Summary:

     

    Amir is the son of a wealthy Kabul merchant, a member of the ruling caste of Pashtuns. Hassan, his servant and constant companion, is a Hazara, a despised and impoverished caste. Their uncommon bond is torn by Amir's choice to abandon his friend amidst the increasing ethnic, religious, and political tensions of the dying years of the Afghan monarchy, wrenching them far apart. But so strong is the bond between the two boys that Amir journeys back to a distant world, to try to right past wrongs against the only true friend he ever had (“Book of the Month”).

     

    Elements from The Kite Runner will inform many of the other works in the 419 curriculum. Be advised that you must have the novel completed before returning to school. When reading, think in terms of motifs, allusions, archetypes, symbols, and social issues, as well as the rhetorical strategies learned in English 319. In addition, consider the following points as you read and mark the text. We will be using the points below to drive our discussions and analysis:

     

    • Trace the psychological progress of the main characters in the story. How are their private lives shaped by the larger forces of history or culture?

    • Consider Hosseini’s narrative style in the novel and the importance of connecting past and present.

    • Explore the political and religious themes in the novel.

    • Analyze the novel as a Bildungsroman (coming-of-age) story. 

    • Consider the ideas of trauma, guilt, and redemption and how these topics contribute to your understanding of the meaning of the work as a whole. 

    • How does Hosseini use literary elements/devices, especially symbolism, to reflect important themes or ideas in the novel?

     




    ASSIGNMENT: THE READING JOURNAL (Take reflective notes on the topics presented above.)  Below is a list of requirements, a table that provides ideas for your notes and a brief model for note taking. 

     

    Please understand and remember that this is a critical reading journal. This journal is designed to help you develop critical thinking and reading skills so that you can both develop and articulate legitimate readings of a text.  By watching your own readings move from puzzlements through approximations and misreadings to more and more satisfying readings, you will gradually develop a more realistic sense of what valid and legitimate readings of texts are and in class discussions more readily share your readings and build on each other’s perceptions instead of worrying about who/what is right and who/what is wrong.

     

    Requirements:

    1. A minimum of 20 entries analyzing and reflecting on all sections of the novel. Your notes should not be focused solely on one section of the novel. Show us you read the entire book.

     

    1. Each entry should be 2-3 sentences.

     

    1. Notes MUST be developed in sentence form. The demands of the sentence will help you draw out your thoughts fully.  Be explicit about the nature of your change or surprise or puzzlement– what caused it in the text?  The journal will seem less of an intrusion in your reading if you follow the natural rhythms of reading. 

     

    1. Indicate page number ranges (ex. Pages 1-12). 

     

    1. You don’t need notes for every page of the novel. Pause at the end of a section, a chapter or a natural division.  Authors include these breaks for a reason.

     

    1. Your notes should demonstrate understanding and analysis of the entire novel. 

     

    REMEMBER: THESE NOTES ARE YOUR RESPONSES TO WHAT YOU READ. THEY ARE NOT A LIST OF “THINGS” THAT HAPPEN OR A LIST OF LITERARY DEVICES YOU NOTICED IN THE NOVEL.  




    Initial Reading/Analysis

    Thematic:

    • Ways in which the reading makes you speculate about life or a connection to another text or even another academic discipline.


    Technique

    • Rhetorical/Literary devices that you notice- how do they enhance meaning?  

    • Other devices you’re having trouble pinpointing in the reading but you know must be there.

    • The ways in which structure, punctuation, rhyme, etc. influenced your reading.


    Times when your reading changes:

    • You see something you didn’t see before.

    • You recognize a pattern- the images start to overlap, gestures or phrases recur—some details seem associated with each other.

    • The work suddenly seems to you to be about something different from what you thought.

    • You discover that you were misreading OR you changed your opinion on a character, a topic, a use of literary technique. 

    • The writer introduces a new context or new perspective.


    Times when you are surprised or puzzled:

    • Something just doesn’t fit.

    • Things don’t make sense- pose explicitly the questions or problems that occur to you.

    • Details that seem important and that make you look again and reread.


    Questions:

    • What questions do I have regarding elements of the text, philosophy, theme, or the text itself?


    Reflections: 

    • As you read, indicate how your perceptions have changed, how the writing style changes to reflect certain thematic issues or how the use of a literary device/technique evolved over the course of the novel and how its evolution contributes to your working understanding. 

    Sample Reading Log Entries:

    Pages 1-2 

    Hosseini's prose is lyrical and evocative, with vivid descriptions that transport the reader to the streets of Kabul and the kite-flying tournaments of Amir's childhood. The use of first-person narration allows readers to empathize with Amir's inner turmoil and emotional journey.

    Pages 1-2 

    From the very first lines, there's a sense of foreboding and mystery. Rahim Khan's cryptic words, "There is a way to be good again," hint at a past mistake or regret that Amir must confront. This foreshadows the central conflict of the novel and sets the tone for Amir's journey of redemption.



    Fall 2024 Kite Runner Assignments: When we return to school, you will engage in the following assignments/assessments:

     

    1. Multiple Choice Reading Comprehension Test

    2. 2 AP Open Ended Essays

    3. Socratic Class Discussions (using text markings for evidence)