12th Grade English Honors IV FPC THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS TO THE JOURNAL

AND THESE TESTS FOR THIS COURSE

Siddhartha- H. Hesse
1984- G. Orwell
Jane Eyre- C. Bronte
Mrs. Kuiper
-Including strategies, background information, and questions pulled from various sources.
Instructions for use: Your entire summer reading grade will be based on your success on objective tests on the reading
AND a Readers Journal. This study guide will not be collected
Readers Journal:
Your journal MUST contain a log of the date, pages read, and summary/comments/predictions about the reading. This is
50% of your summer reading test grade. Each entry should be at least of a page. A journal should be written every
time you read! There are three books to read: Siddhartha by Herman Hesse, 1984 by George Orwell, and Jane Eyre by
Charlotte Bronte. *The following is only an approximation. Be sure to do the math when you receive your books and
know the number of pages.
Read 11 pages a day seven days a week and you should finish on time.
Read 16 pages a day five days a week and you should finish on time.
Guide to active reading:
Try these strategies, especially when you start to driftwhen you begin to read with your eyes and your hands but not
your mind.
Predict
Try to figure out what might happen next and how the selection will end. Read on to see how accurate your guesses were.
Visualize
Visualize characters, events, and setting to help you understand whats happening. When you read non-fiction, pay
attention to the images that form in your mind as you read.
Connect
Connect personally with what you are reading. Think of similarities between the descriptions in the selection and what
youve personally experienced, heard about, or read about.
Question
Question what happens while you read. Searching for reasons behind events and characters feelings can help you feel
closer to what youre reading.
Clarify
Stop occasionally to review what you understand, and expect to have your understanding change as you read on. Reread
and use resources to help you clarify your understanding. Also watch for answers to questions you had earlier.
Evaluate
Form opinions about what you read, both while youre reading and after youve finished. Develop your own ideas about
characters and events.
[Strategies taken from Literature and Language: English and World Literature: McDougal-Littell]
About the use of various book notes in place of reading the novels: In a word, this is cheating, as the assignment is to
read the novels. Also, it defeats the most important purpose of the assignment which is to improve your reading and
language skills. We learn to read by reading and improve by practicing, just as a runner runs to improve her speed or a
weightlifter lifts ever-heavier loads to improve his strength. By reading well-written books, we also learn to write well
because we unconsciously learn the patterns of good sentence structure, and we improve our vocabulary. There is no
magic pill for the acquisition of these skills; reading is the way. (I have no objection to movies or notes in addition to
reading to supplement understanding.)
Book one: Siddhartha
Overview, Background Information, and Rationale for Study:
Herman Hesse (1877-1962) was born German, but, taking a stance against World War I, emigrated to Switzerland. His
novels trace his quest for self, a life-long spiritual search which took him frequently to the East and India. Siddhartha,

published in 1922, is the quest of an Indian youth of perhaps your age whose life and spirituality develop through
distinct phases after he leaves home in defiance of his fathers plans for him.
This book is always the favorite of my students overall, and cries out, Read me first! Its the shortest and easiest to read
of your three or four assigned novels, and because its the story of a young person of about your age who must deal with
the problems of becoming an adult, you should be able to identify with the protagonist on some points. In addition to
those pluses, we read the book because it takes us on a journey to a place and time very different from our own and allows
us to get to know about people from another culture. [Notes above, and some questions below taken verbatim from
study guides prepared by Penguin Putnam, Inc.]

Vocabulary Notes: One of the hidden benefits of reading is vocabulary growth. As you read, you will surely encounter
words that are new to you. Here is a place to collect them, along with helpful definitions which you will look up, or
perhaps divine from context. Ive included a few to get you started. Remember, if you dont know the words, you cant
expect to understand the book.
ablution Atman Brahmin courtesan Nirvana Samana -

Character Notes: Some of the most important characters in the novel are listed below. Be sure you know (take notes!) for
each something about the characters personality, situation, and the major plot actions in which the character is involved.
If other characters crop up that seem notable, take notes on them too!
Gotama Buddha Govinda Kamala Kamaswami Siddhartha Vasudeva Young Siddhartha Notes on Plot: Siddhartha embarks on a journey to discover meaning in life, that is, to find himself. This journey of selfdiscovery runs through several different stages, relationships, and discoveries. On a separate piece of paper, list all of
these stages, and for each, define Siddharthas attitudes, experiences, relationships, conflicts, and realizations. Understand
the moment of decision which causes him to move on. (Do a great job here, and you should ace the test!)
Here are the first for you to fill in.
Stage 1. Young man in his fathers home:
Attitude Experiences Relationships
Discoveries Why / how he
moves on Stage 2. __________________________________ etc.
Attitude Experiences Relationships
Discoveries Why / how he
moves on Questions to ponder for deeper understanding:

1. What are the glimpses of, and insights into, a culture significantly different from that of Twenty-first Century America
that this novel provides?
2. Okay, so Siddharthas culture and society were very different from ours. Compare and contrast the experiences,
emotions, and challenges facing a young person like yourselfcoming of age in the modern worldto those of
Siddhartha in his world. You might want to create a Venn diagram comparing your coming of age to that of Siddhartha.

Sidd

Me

3. What characters played the greatest roles in Siddharthas growth, and which the least? Were any characters nonessential? If so, why?
4. How important is the setting to this novel? Relate the places and people Siddhartha encounters to his growing
awareness. Do you find any symbolism in the places or in the people?
5. A critic has said that various characters represent different sides of Siddharthas self or his various selves. Discuss
this psychological interpretation.
6. What are the themes of the novel?
Book two: 1984
Overview, Background Information, and Rationale for Study:
George Orwell (Eric Arthur Blair) was born in colonial India in 1903. After schooling in England (at Eton), he returned to
India in 1922 to join the Indian Imperial Police rather than going on to university. After five years Blair, disgusted at the
treatment of the native people by the colonial government and angry on behalf of the poor and downtrodden, returned to
England. Orwell held various jobs, living in London and then Paris. Imagining a perfect society without class distinction,
Orwell fought for socialism, but his famous book Animal Farm is an allegorical attack on communism. Orwell died of
tuberculosis in 1950.
This book is gross! One reason why so many of the guysespeciallyseem to like it is that its no traditional girl
book. Instead its disgusting, grotesque, and sickening. It presents a warning that we cant afford to ignore. (See except
below from another study guide.) Moreover its one of the most famous and most frequently referred to of modern novels.
Educated people are familiar with it. Watch the news and newspapers: Youll soon start to recognize allusions.
1984, written in 1948 and published in 1949, was intended as a warning against totalitarian tendencies rather than as a
prophetic work. Now that the year 1984 has passed, many may scoff at the warning, but those who do would be wise
to look at the present a bit more closely. Currently, we have subliminal messages, two-way televisions, computer
viruses threatening to endanger our much depended-upon information systems (with possible global impact), and
countries all over the world committing atrocities against their own people. Recent political campaigns have shown us
explicitly the extent to which propaganda has corrupted our own language. Politicians have perfected their own type of
"Newspeak."
Examine our postmodern style in literature and you will find themes of isolation, repression, and loneliness. The
characters of postmodern literature lead surface lives that are mere facades put up for the benefit of appearances.

Unfortunately, this is the only fantasy to be found in the writing. It is as if imagination has given up, crushed by the
weight of the worlds problems. Like the citizens of Oceania, many postmodern writers have become mere recorders
of a hopeless world rather than creators of a new one.
Of those of us who do not scoff at the warning, few think that we will actually be overtaken by a totalitarian intruder;
rather, it is the creeping, small things that scare us. Like spiders and snakes, they approach unnoticed. 1984 depicts a
dystopia, a world that went wrong, a world of manipulation and control which uses its people against themselves like
pawns. A look at our corporate business world today provides a startling comparison to 1984s world of control and
power plays. On the international scene, it has always been easier for us to sit back and criticize the Soviet Union than
to deal with our own problems. Perhaps the changes coming about in that country and in the other Soviet bloc nations
will force us to be introspective. In the meantime, we should remember that the mindless citizens of Oceania are given
neither the opportunity nor the encouragement to think or read. With a study of 1984, we have a chance for both.
[notes above and some questions below taken from study guide prepared by Penguin Putnam Inc]
Vocabulary Notes:

Character Notes:
Winston Smith
Big Brother
Emmanuel Goldstein
Julia
Katharine
Mr. Charrington
OBrien
Ogilvy
Syme
The Parsons
Your Notes on Plot and more:
1) In 1984, Orwell creates and describes a society. Take some notes on this societys rules, on how things work there, on
its classes of people, on its government and institutions, on its leaders, and on its history.
2) The novel is divided into three parts, and each of those into up to ten sections. If I were assigned this book to study, I
would take plot notes on 4x6 note cards, noting part and section (and perhaps even some page numbers) for future
reference, then listing any events that occurred that seemed worth remembering within each section. Then Id study these
cards before the test. With careful note-taking, followed by review, the results should be rewarding.
Here are suggested titles for the three major divisions to give you a sneak preview and to get you started.
Part one: Meet Winston! (and the society of 1984)
Part two: A love story?
Part three: Torture!
Questions to encourage careful reading and Questions to ponder for deeper understanding (mixed):
1) List the freedoms you enjoy both in your home and in your community. List the freedoms you are denied. What is the
reason for the denials? Do you accept the reasons? Do you ever rebel? What if all freedoms were curtailed and no
revolt was possible because everyone was watched at all times, would life be worth living? How would people
change?
2) What is your greatest fear? Describe your worst fear and why it is that you fear that thing.
3) Examine the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights to find freedoms granted to you as an American citizen. Are
some of these freedoms denied to citizens of other countries? Which ones? Do any of these exist in 1984?

4) Are there ways in which government or the private sector intrudes upon the privacy of U.S. citizens? What are some of
these ways?
5) The novel is filled with satire and irony. Be aware of examples.
6) What are some of the special places and settings in 1984?
7) What are the Party mottos? What is unusual about them?
8) The power of language is a major theme in 1984. What is Newspeak? What is its purpose? Why is it essential for the
Party to rid the language of synonyms and antonyms? Discuss how language is important to freedom.
9) How does the Party control history? Why? On page 169, Winston reads from Goldsmiths book that "The invention of
print, however, made it easier to manipulate public opinion." Explore the history of using print to influence opinion.
Can history be rewritten? Should it be? Has it ever been rewritten? For background, see page 176: "Thus history is
continuously rewritten."
10)Identify examples of doublethink in Part One. Discuss examples of doublethink from recent history.
11)How does the government of 1984 control relationships between people? For what purpose?
12)Julia tells Winston that even though the Party can torture a person and make him say anything, they cannot make him
believe it. How do you feel about this statement? How easy is it to brainwash a person? Do you think governments
actually use brainwashing? Is Julia right in the context of the novel?
13)Laws protect freedom. True or false?
14)Symbolism: Explore the symbolic significance of the clock, the paperweight, the song the prole woman sings, and the
nursery rhyme about the bells. Are there other symbols?
15)The concept of memory and existence discussed on pages 203 and 204 provides an interesting debate point topic: Does
the past exist if no one remembers it? How can it be proven? Debate this topic after reviewing OBriens argument.
16)On page 216, OBrien says the proles will never revolt, yet on page 181, Winston comes to the conclusion that the
futures only hope lies with the proles. What brings each man to say what he does? Discuss.
17)Could a society similar to that of 1984 ever come to exist on earth? If so, what, in your opinion, would be the requisite
conditions for its establishment? If not, why not?
Book three: Jane Eyre
Overview, Background Information, and Rationale for Study:
In Jane Eyre, published in 1844, Charlotte Bront takes her readers to a time quite different from our own in a novel that
is semi-autobiographical. Janes society was divided into strict social classes, and behavior was regulated by a ingrained
code of conduct. Jane is a female character who challenges class distinctions and also roles traditionally assigned to
woman. She is a fiercely moral woman who suffers for her refusal to compromise her values, but who triumphs in the end.
[Notes above, and some questions below taken verbatim from study guides prepared by Penguin Putnam, Inc.]
Vocabulary Notes:

Character and Place Notes: Jane grows and matures as she moves from place to place and lives under the influence of
many diverse characters. Determine how the places and characters influence and mold the strong, independent woman she
eventually becomes. Note relationships, conflicts, and turning points.
Jane Eyre Mrs. Reed Eliza, Georgina, & John Reed Bessie Lee Mr. Brocklehurst Miss Temple Helen Burns Edward Rochester -

Adele Varens Mrs. Fairfax Grace Poole Bertha Mason Rochester Richard Mason Blanche Ingram St. John Rivers Mary and Diane Rivers Rosamond Oliver Mr. Briggs Gateshead Lowood Thornfield Moor House Ferndean -

Notes on Plot:
Stage 1. Orphaned child in aunts home:
Attitude Experiences Relationships
Discoveries Why / how he
moves on Stage 2. __________________________________ etc.
Questions to ponder for deeper understanding:
1. Considering the main character: Think about Jane as a product of her time in rebellion against assigned roles and
stereotypes. Does this interpretation of her character make sense? If so, cite incidents to justify. Alternately, look at Jane
as a sensitive, moral woman pitted against other characters who are insensitive or immoral . A third perspective to
consider would involve determining who really makes the choices that shape Janes life: how many choices are hers to
make and how many/which are made for her?
2. Rochester is a multi-faceted character. Consider his various actions and determine which are for good and which are
blameworthy. Note whether you see pattern of character improvement or the reverse.
3. Coincidence and fate certainly play roles in the novel, perhaps more than is viewed as acceptable in novels of today, but
perhaps at a level acceptable in a novel that presupposes the main characters are destined for one another. What are the
events that evidence the workings of coincidence and / or fate? Do these events strengthen or weaken the novel overall?
4. You might research the usual treatment of the insane during the early Nineteenth Century in order to better understand
scenes and charters in Jane Eyre.
5. Consider how Bronte employs elements of humor to leaven the work.
6. What symbols do you find in Jane Eyre?