English 11 Literature Review Period 9

In the Path of Falling Objects by Andrew Smith Characters: Jonah (Dalton), Simon (Walker), Mitch, Lily (Matthew) Plot summary: Jonah and Simon are abandoned by mom (dad is in jail); they are hungry and desperate when Mitch and Lily drive by (Lincoln with Don Quixote in the backseat)— Simon thumbs for a ride and Lily forces Mitch to stop; Jonah feels uneasy about Mitch, but Simon thinks Mitch is cool; everyone loves Lily, but she chooses Jonah; Jonah and Simon fight and Mitch makes Simon push Jonah off the bridge; Mitch starts to really behave erratically (Mitch ties up Simon); Simon and Lily run away—Mitch becomes Black Simon; final shootout (Walker and the dog; Lily dies because of ectopic pregnancy; Mitch is killed by Simon; Matthew killed himself) Setting: desert (New Mexico/Arizona); 70s (Vietnam era) Point of view: 1st (Jonah, Simon and Mitch) Theme: The choices we make affect not only our lives but the lives of the people around us. Symbolism: Black Simon (Mitch is evil, but capable of making mistakes) Jonah’s map (their journey; growing up) Meteorite (there are some things you can’t stop or control) Matthew’s letters (hope; despair)

All My Sons, by Arthur Miller Plot summary: Ann is coming to visit—she used to date Larry, but Chris asks her to marry him; Mom thinks Larry is still alive, while George thinks Joe is a liar; Steve is in prison for selling cracked engine cylinder heads (21 pilots were killed); Joe also got in trouble, but said it was all Steve (he didn’t go in to work that day); Ann gives them the letter from Larry that says that he killed himself because of his father’s negligence; Joe reveals that he has been lying and that it was his fault; he kills himself (he had a responsibility to those young men who were killed and his friend) Setting: after WWII, anytown USA Theme: We should own up to our mistakes. Symbol: The tree: Larry Characters The Keller Family: Joe, Kate, Chris (living), Larry (MIA) The Deever Family: Ann, George (dad is Steve)

‘Night, Mother by Marsha Norman Characters: Mama and Jessie Plot summary: Mama tries to talk Jessie out of killing herself. Theme We should live honestly and openly—we should not wait until the end to make connections with the people we love. Symbolism Candy (overindulgence, lack of attention, Mama lives in a “sugar-coated world”)

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Characters: Scout, Tom Robinson, Atticus Finch, Jem, Dill, Boo Radley Plot summary: Tom Robinson is accused of raping Mayella Ewell; Atticus is his lawyer (the townspeople take issue with this decision); Tom is innocent (he only has one working arm) but he is convicted anyway; he is shot when trying to escape jail; Bob Ewell is the guilty party and he attacks the Finch children (they are saved by Boo Radley) Setting: Alabama in the Great Depression (1931-1932) Theme Justice works in weird ways. Children often see the world innocently; that changes as we grow up. (responsibility and honesty)

Lord of the Flies by William Golding Characters: Jack (bad) and Ralph (good); Piggy (he dies); Simon (he dies) Setting: deserted island during WWII (they were being evacuated from England) Plot summary: they form two groups (one focused on hunting; the other is focused on rescue and survival); they end up fighting—civilization is not maintained; they are rescued because of the fire they set Symbolism: Pig’s head—beastie, “the lord of the flies” Conch—sanity, civilization Piggy’s glasses—intelligence, society Simon—innocence Signal fire—hope

Animal Farm by George Orwell Allegory: the ideas and events in a story stand in for other ideas and events (social and political commentary) Plot summary: Pigs want to overthrow the farmers because they feel oppressed (they do not feel like they are treated equally); eventually they become what they originally overthrew Theme: Human beings are easily corruptible.

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry Characters: Mama, Walter, Beneatha, Ruth Setting: Chicago, 1950s Plot summary: Mama’s husband dies and they collect his life insurance; Walter wants to open a liquor store; Beneatha wants to go to college to become a doctor; they plan to buy a house in a better neighborhood; Walter takes the money and his buddy runs off with the cash Title: the plant (symbol of hope)

Othello by William Shakespeare Characters: Othello (general, Moor); Desdemona is his wife; Iago is the bad guy Plot summary: Iago wants more power within the military (jealous of Cassio and Othello); Iago makes Othello jealous of Cassio by using the handkerchief as a prop; long story short, Othello kills Desdemona, Iago kills Emilia, Othello kills Iago and then himself Tragic flaw: jealousy Conflict

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson Characters: Melinda, Andy Evans, Mr. Freeman Plot summary: the summer before her freshman year of high school, she was at a party and was raped; she calls the cops (her friends think she was trying to get them in trouble); she struggles through freshman year; her art class helps her survive (tree); Melinda tells the truth; Andy attacks Melinda in the supply room, when the field hockey team attacks him Symbolism: tree (symbolizes her) Conflict Point of view: 1st person

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Characters: George (serious, short, smart) and Lennie (mentally challenged, large, strong) Setting: the Great Depression, on a ranch in California Plot summary: Lennie touches a girl’s dress and they are run out of Weed; Curley’s ranch is where they end up (overcompensating for his size); Curley’s wife lets Lennie touch her hair but he kills her accidentally; George shoots him to protect him from a crueler death Theme: The American dream can go terribly wrong. Conflict

Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain Characters: Huck, Jim Plot summary: Huck’s dad is the town drunk and he lives with the Widow who is trying to civilize him; his father returns suddenly and often keeps him locked up in the house; to escape, Huck fakes his own death; he floats on the Mississippi River and encounters Jim, an escaped slave who is trying to make his way to freedom; the two have a series of adventures before Jim is recaptured and Huck is returned home (his father is now dead). Huck still plans to go “out west” Symbolism: Huck/Jim (Huck’s father captures and “enslaves” him, when Huck escapes, the reader thinks this is the right thing to do; however, Twain was highlighting the hypocrisy of slavery, because Jim’s escape is “illegal”) Theme: All human beings deserve to be treated equally and fairly.

Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare Brutus is convinced by Cassius to join a conspiracy against Caesar; Caesar does not “beware the ides of March” and is assassinated by a group of the conspirators, including Brutus; Marc Antony immediately turns the common people against the assassins and drives them from Rome; Antony’s army fights against the conspirators—Brutus, Cassius, and Titinius (Cassius’ best friend) all commit suicide Conflicts Theme: Listen to your own conscience and morals, not those of the people around you.