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AP English Literature

 

 

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THE AP LIT SUMMER ASSIGNMENT

IS HERE! 

PLEASE SEE BELOW.

(updated 8/15/20)

      

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AP LIT Summer Assignment 2020
 
* All AP Lit. teachers (Ms. Kim / Ms. Sego / Dr. Warner) will be using the same summer 
   assignment below -- brought to you courtesy of Ms. Sego.
* E-Text: Death of a Salesman
 

 

*Please join the Schoology AP English Literature & Composition group using the following access code:

B62R-WSXT-D9H29

 

 

DUE DATE: AUGUST 18, 2020 -- Please, be prepared to electronically submit your AP English Literature & Composition summer assignment on August 18, 2020.  

 

Many of you joined the AP English Literature & Composition Google Classroom (Google Classroom) with this access code: 

 

o3xhwhl

 

Be aware that although you have your work in Google Classroom or on our Schoology site, you will still need to submit it to your assigned teacher later.  Also be aware that our Schoology site is our main venue for communicating updates to you. 

* If Google Classroom or Schoology did not let you add the summer assignment course, please email me your first and last name, as found in classroom rosters, and I will add you as soon as possible (usually within an hour).  I am here: alejandra.p.vargas@lausd.net (Dr. Warner).

 

* This assignment will be a major factor on your five week progress report. You will also write an in-class essay on the play during the first two weeks of school in August.

 

* Instructors teaching AP LIT. next year: Ms. Kim, Ms. Sego, and Dr. Warner  (jak1220@lausd.net, kfs8419@lausd.net, or alejandra.p.vargas@lausd.net respectively).  This is subject to change depending on enrollment figures and other factors.

 

* Should an assignment issue or tech-related concern emerge and another method is needed, you may contact me directly at alejandra.p.vargas@lausd.net (Dr. Warner) or visit our classrooms (Ms. Kim - Rm. C100, Ms. Sego - Rm. A207, Dr. Warner - A216).

 

 

ASSIGNMENT (included online on Schoology / Google Classroom and as an attachment above):

A.  Reading: Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller

You may get a copy of the play from the library, a used bookstore, or purchase a copy from a bookstore or online. For an e-text click here: Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller.  Prefer your own paperback? Here's one option: I'm buying Death of a Salesman.

 

B.  Write fully developed answers for the questions below using MLA paragraph format.
1) Discuss Willy as a father, giving specific examples from his interactions with each of his sons to support your opinions.
 
2) With which son does Willy identify? Is this son the closest to him in dreams and actions? Explain.
 
3) Discuss the passage of time in the play, including the purpose and significance of flashbacks.
 
4) What is important to Willy in life? How has this affected his feelings about himself and about those around him?
 
5) Compare and contrast the characters of Biff and Bernard. What further insight into Biff’s character does Bernard provide?
 
6) What were Willy’s dreams? Why didn’t he achieve them? How did they contribute to his destruction?
 
7) Describe Linda’s relationship with her husband and sons. What is her attitude toward their dreams? What role does she play in the success or failure of their dreams?
 
8) Is Willy Loman a tragic hero? Support your answer with evidence from the text.
 
C. Print complete the data sheet (attached) for Death of a Salesman.
 
 
 

If you have questions about any part of this assignment, please visit our classrooms (Ms. Kim - C100, Ms. Sego - A207, Dr. Warner - A216) or contact Dr. Warner at alejandra.p.vargas@lausd.net.

 

 

 

AP Literature Reading Tips


We encourage you to to read as much as you can before the AP test.  Enhancing your reading comprehension is one of the best ways to improve your test performance.  For those with super busy schedules next year, bolstering your reading skills will help you especially. Attached is a list of the top texts used on the test and suggested by the AP College Board.  Enjoy!

 

It's also helpful for the AP Lit. test to have a sense of major literary periods -- you will be better able to contextualize your essays when you know what important periods influence the works you read. 

 
 
More Resources
 
AP College Board Exam Practice & Tips for AP Lit
What's the Exam Like? AP College Board Explains.
AP College Board, Reading Study Skills

 

Just a few texts you may be reading in AP:

 
 
Literary Periods
Developing a sense of major literary periods will help you better contextualize your essays as you write your AP essays. See below for a basic overview: