ENGLISH 10 HONORS SUMMER READING ASSIGNMENT

The purpose of summer reading lies not in ruining your summer nor turning you into geeks. Really! Much official research by certified university types support this assessment. In fact, students who read lots of good stuff do better on those highly relevant tests like the SAT and the ACT. Seriously, I feel that the more you read, the greater your probability to successfully manage the rigorous demands of Advanced Placement courses; therefore, we (Mrs. Lovelette and Mrs. Adrian) require that you complete the following reading selections: Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe.

“Things Fall Apart is the first of three novels in Chinua Achebe's critically acclaimed African Trilogy. It is a classic narrative about Africa's cataclysmic encounter with Europe as it establishes a colonial presence on the continent. Told through the fictional experiences of Okonkwo, a wealthy and fearless Igbo warrior of Umuofia in the late 1800s, Things Fall Apart explores one man's futile resistance to the devaluing of his Igbo traditions by British political and religious forces and his despair as his community capitulates to the powerful new order. With more than 20 million copies sold and translated into fifty-seven languages, Things Fall Apart provides one of the most illuminating and permanent monuments to African experience. Achebe does not only capture life in a pre-colonial African village, he conveys the tragedy of the loss of that world while broadening our understanding of our contemporary realities, touching millions of readers, and launching the career of one of America's most treasured writers” (amazon.com)

The Assignment for Things Fall Apart

1. Read the novel: either purchase your own copy or you can check one out from the Liberty Library.2. Examine the novel, not only for plot/story line, but for specific literary elements Achebe uses to create

meaning. Post-It notes work well.3. Complete a Major Works Data Sheet (MWDS) for the novel. Be specific and thorough. Go beyond the

minimum requirements to receive a better grade.4. An in-class analytical essay will be assigned and written in during the first two weeks of school.5. The MWDS and the essay will be counted as separate grades and will be applied to the first quarter.6. The MWDS is DUE by Friday of the first week of class, regardless of term.

If you should have any questions regarding this assignment, please feel free to contact either Mrs. Lovelette at rlovelette@fcps1.org or Mrs. Adrian at cadrian@fcps1.org.