English II Honors - Choose a Novel to Study

Hey guys!

In an effort to give you as much choice as possible regarding the final novel that you will be studying, I have decided to select two books, as opposed to just one, and you may choose the book that best suits your needs or interests. It is important to note that the format of this study will be very similar to the way in which we studied 1984, with three sets of response questions relating to the novel, a multimedia project, and an essay-based final.

The two novels that I have chosen are Fahrenheit 451 and The Chocolate War. The following is a summary of each book:

FARHRENHEIT 451

Guy Montag is a firefighter who lives in a lonely, isolated society where books have been outlawed by a government fearing an independent-thinking public. It is the duty of firefighters to burn any books on sight or said collections that have been reported by informants. People in this society including Montag's wife are drugged into compliancy and get their information from wall-length television screens. After Montag falls in love with book-hoarding Clarisse, he begins to read confiscated books. It is through this relationship that he begins to question the government's motives behind book-burning. Montag is soon found out, and he must decide whether to return to his job or run away knowing full well the consequences that he could face if captured.

THE CHOCOLATE WAR

Set at the fictional Trinity High School, the story follows protagonist Jerry Renault as he challenges the school's cruel, brutal, and ugly mob rule. Because of the novel's language, the concept of a high school's secret society using intimidation to enforce the cultural norms of the school, and the protagonist's sexual ponderings, it has been the frequent target of censors and appears at number three on the American Library Association's list of the "Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books in 2000-2007".

On Wednesday, after we have presented and submitted our poetry notebooks, you will have to check out one of these books and will be required to complete the assignments associated with that novel. YOU WILL NOT HAVE TO DO BOTH! Please do not make that mistake - I do not need anyone going into cardiac arrest.

The first set of workbook questions is posted below. Assuming there are no other epidemics, blizzards, interruptions, or distractions, they will be due Wednesday, March 18.

Good luck and enjoy the book of your choosing.
Mr. Parsons
English II Honors