Congratulations!!! This summer you are in for a treat as you
will be reading 1984 by George
Orwell. 1984 is one of the most quoted
books of our time. I cannot stress
enough that you must read the book, not the Book Notes, Cliff Notes, Book Rags,
Spark Notes, or any other source.
You must read
this book all the way through. Why? First, it’s good. I have many seniors who say it is the “best
read” of their careers at Covenant.
Second, if you do not read thoroughly, you will not be prepared for
in-depth class discussions and tests when you return in the fall.
For 1984, focus on the following; in the
parenthesis, you will see the activities we will do together when you return to
Covenant in the fall:
I.
You MUST have read the whole book.
II.
Pay attention to the events of the
book, especially the sequence of events in Part I. (You will have a short quiz
over the plot in this section of the novel.)
III.
For Part II of the book, pay
particular attention to Winston’s and Julia’s philosophies about rebellion. (You will write a short comparison essay over
this theme in the novel.)
IV.
For Part III of the book, think about
your personal room 101. (You will create
an artistic rendering of your personal room 101.)
Also, I do
not recommend viewing this movie. It
doesn’t do justice to the novel, and it’s rated R.
I am
available to answer any questions.
HAPPY READING
1984 by George Orwell
Animal Farm by George Orwell
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard
The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis
Beowulf translated
by Burton Raffell
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight translated by J.R.R. Tolkien
Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
In addition
to these plays and novels, you will be reading many short stories, and our
study of poetry will be extensive. Jump
for Joy!
