Part I. You will all read The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka. On the first day of my class, you will come prepared to take a quiz and participate in a rigorous Socratic seminar over this novella.
Part II. In addition, you will choose one nonfiction book from the following list.
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, Dave Eggers
Zeitoun, Dave Eggers
A Short History of Nearly Everything, Bill Bryson
Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight, Alexandra Fuller
The Devil in the White City, Erik Larson
Isaac’s Storm, Erik Larson
Thunderstruck, Erik Larson
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, Anne Fadiman
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot
For the nonfiction selection:
1. Select three particularly powerful passages from the book you read. The passages may relate to tone, mood, character, or theme, or better yet, they may be rhetorically powerful, full of devices. Bring a one-page copy of these three passages (meaning that all three should fit neatly onto one sheet). You may either photocopy them from the book or type them out onto one document.
2. Perform multiple close readings of the passages, analyzing: a) diction, b) imagery, c) syntax, and d) diction.
3. Write approximately 500-750 words (about two pages typed) about the impact made by the literary techniques named above.
4. Write approximately 250 words that answer the following: A classic is a book that has passed the test of time. It is still valued and valuable 100 or 200 years later. Why would readers 100 years from now consider this book a classic? Or, why would they not.
5. Write an additional 250 words that examine this book from a reader response point of view. Explain and describe your initial response to the book and your response as you concluded the book. (You should not worry about “giving away” the ending of the book in this paper; I’ve read them all. However, when we do book talks in small groups, you should guard against giving away the juicy parts. Remember that your classmates may choose to read this book for their next Book of Choice.)
6. As just mentioned, you will be presenting your book and insights with a small group of classmates on this day, in addition to turning in your paper.
7. Your paper should be between 1,000 and 1,250 words. This will probably be three typed pages. I prefer that you use 1 ½ spacing (like this page) instead of double. Use a standard 12-point font and an MLA heading.
A few words about the analysis of rhetorical devices:
DETAILS
The German architect Mies van der Rohe once said, “God dwells in the details.” Another somebody once said in order to pass off a lie, it needs one good detail. Indeed, they are what make stories vivid and real for the reader. Think critically about the details your author chose to include in the passages you chose: what does that detail add? Maybe it’s reader empathy, maybe it’s humor, maybe it’s believability. You figure it out and comment coherently on the effect.
IMAGERY
Imagery gets the reader’s senses and imagination involved in the process. Often, imagery involves the visual sense, but it can extend to the other four senses, as well. In your career as English students, you’ve learned many tools of imagery: simile, metaphor, alliteration, personification, symbolism. You should include an analysis of imagery in your paper.
SYNTAX
Syntax is concerned with the structure and pattern of sentences. Repetition, juxtaposition, inverted order, parallelism, polysyndeton, asyndeton, loose and periodic sentences (look ‘em up!) are all syntactical devices that make a difference in how a reader understands the author’s meaning. Punctuation makes a difference. (Take a look at the first three paragraphs of Poe’s Tell-tale Heart. Just the hyperactive dashes alone signal to the reader that the narrator is a crazy person.) The authors of all these books are masters of syntax, so you will find many significant observations to make about their use of it.
DICTION
I will tell you this a million times in class next year, but we never refer to an author’s diction unless we have an adjective in front of the word diction. Saying, “the author uses a lot of diction” is the same as saying, “the author uses a lot of words.” A tiny sampling of ways to categorize diction includes formal, informal, colloquial, slang, concrete, abstract, denotative, connotative, euphonious, cacophonous; and like I said, that’s a tiny sampling. Once you determine a way to describe the diction, you must then ask (and answer) why the author made such word choices.
For more clarity on any of these topics, you can Google “DIDLS,” which is an acronym for details-imagery-diction-language-syntax. Plenty of English nerds have written good stuff on rhetorical analysis, and it’s out there. Am I available to help you? Yes, but I want you to make significant efforts on your own before reaching out to me. Emailing me is best, but you may call if you must. 713.208.1524.
Part III. EXTRA SPECIAL OPPORTUNITYIf you love reading, I would like to suggest a third book for your summer enjoyment. This is not mandatory, but choosing the third selection will make a fantastic first impression!
Stephen King’s On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft is an exceptional reading experience, and it will set you up nicely for the kinds of discussions we will have next year. Additionally, I will host a book club meeting to talk about this book in early August before school begins. How fun, right?
Be in touch if you have any questions, or if you just want to go on and on about how much you love your book. Happy Summer, Class of '12!
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