Have a wonderful summer, but don't forget to complete your summer reading assignments!

Blessings,

Mrs. VanHekken

Reading Reaction Journals

Summer 2011

WMC English 12

     A reading reaction journal does exactly what its name implies; it is a journal in which you can write down your reactions to the material that you read.  This summer you will be reading Lord of the Flies by William Golding and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.  For each book you will need to choose five journal entries to complete (10 total).  Journal entries must be typed, printed in 12 point font, double spaced, and stapled together OR neatly handwritten in ONE notebook labeled “Reading Reaction Journals.”   They must be a minimum of 250 words each, they must each have a minimum of two examples from the book to support your thoughts, and they are due on Tuesday, September 6^th.  They count as your first English 12 test grade of the school year.  You may choose any 5 out of the 7 journal entries for each book from the list below (make sure to label the journal entries which you’ve chosen to use):

Lord of the Flies:

1. Golding uses the landscape of the island to set the stage for the story.  How is the island split into two different settings?  What specific examples from the book describe the island landscape?  How does the landscape of the island reflect an image of good vs. evil?  Include your own picture of what the island might look like.

1. The peaceful image of the island is first ruined by “snake-like things” and “beasties.”  How is this similar to the story of the Garden of Eden in the Bible?  What verses in Genesis and lines in the book support these similarities?

1. Look up the Latin meaning of “Lord of the Flies,” what is the translation?  What does the Lord of the Flies represent?  What is the significance of having the “Lord of the Flies” directly in the center of the green, lush part of the island?

1. Notice that there are no adults and no women on the island.  Why do you think this is significant?  How would the plotline have changed if there were girls on the island?  How would the plotline have changed if Ralph and Jack were adults?  What would have stayed the same?

1. There are many symbols in Lord of the Flies.  What is the symbolism of each of the following? Give an example from the book to support your ideas: The conch, Piggy’s glasses, fruit, paint, rock, fire.

1. Why is it significant that Jack uses fire to try to kill Ralph?  What is the ultimate result of using fire, and whose goals does it ultimately benefit?  What Biblical symbolism can you see in Jack’s choice of fire?

1. Watch the 1963 and 1990 versions of the Lord of the Flies movies.  What do you think are the significant similarities and differences between the book and the movies?  Which movie do you think does a better job of capturing Golding’s vision for the story? Explain your answers.

Brave New World:

1. Look up the definitions of Utopia and Dystopia.  Which one do you think best describes the “World State?”  Explain your answer with specific examples.

1. In Brave New World  the government powers try to eliminate the need for religion.  Do you think the government in the book was able to do this?  Give examples to support your thoughts.  What about in modern-day countries like China and North Korea, do you think they are able to control the religious impulses of their citizens or is there an innate need within each individual to believe in God?

1. Huxley says in his foreword that Brave New World isn't about science in itself, but instead about the way that science affects people. What's the difference? How does this dilemma play out in the novel?

1. What would it mean to be “free” in this novel?  How does your idea about freedom relate to what you experience as an Ameican citizen?  How does it relate to your experience as a Christian?  Do you think the majority of the citizens of the World State could handle your description of freedom? Explain your answer.

1. 5.      Is Mustapha right in his insistence that a society of all Alphas would fail?  Why or why not?  During WWII Hitler set out to create a society made up of only the “strongest and best” citizens.  Do you think this could ultimately work? What benefits does our world have by being made up of people of diverse backgrounds and social groups?

1. Does soma make its users happy, or does it simply remove all emotion?  What similarities and differences do you see between soma use in the book and traditional drug use in today’s society?  Do you find the idea of using soma morally reprehensible or do you find that there is value in it? Explain your answer.

1. Although the characters in Brave New World have been conditioned to be happy, there is still a sense of dissatisfaction among the main characters.  What point do you think Huxley is trying to make about human nature?  What do you think would finally bring the main characters satisfaction and contentment?