Determining Literary MeritWhat is "literary merit"?
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According to the Macmillan dictionary, “Literary merit” relates “to books that are considered to have value as ART. “ So, what is art? According to Merriam Webster’s dictionary, art is “the conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects.” It’s not just about entertainment and making money; it’s about producing soul-moving literature.
In the honors/AP program, you will be asked to read novels of “literary merit” in order to write the final essay on the AP exam. You can view this list by following this link or by downloading the file below: http://mseffie.com/AP/APtitles.html. As you approach your senior year, you will be asked to read more and more from the options on this list.
In the honors/AP program, you will be asked to read novels of “literary merit” in order to write the final essay on the AP exam. You can view this list by following this link or by downloading the file below: http://mseffie.com/AP/APtitles.html. As you approach your senior year, you will be asked to read more and more from the options on this list.
Suggested Titles of Literary Merit
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For now (English 2 HN students), I will allow you a bit more choice than you will get later in your path toward AP; however, I still would like you to choose a novel that has “value as art” in some way. This may mean that:
- The characters are interesting and elicit discussion of the novel’s themes.
- The book has/expresses social, political, or ideological impacts on/about society.
- The themes elicit good discussion; there is not one trite message tied up neatly at the end. There is room for ambiguity and consideration of ideas from different angles.
- The book is fresh/demonstrates innovation in style – the message, characters, voice, and plot and structure are not just repeats of books that have come before it.
- The themes and the story are appealing to a wide audience and are relevant over time; therefore, the story has withstood/has the potential to withstand the test of time.
- The book is artfully written – consider the use literary elements used to convey theme (i.e. symbols, foreshadowing, imagery…all used to create a piece of ART, not just entertainment).
- The novel, or elements of it, evokes a strong emotional response that speaks to the human condition rather than being a story of mere sentimentality, cliche, or "pulp" fiction.
Essay: Defense, Challenge, or Qualification of Literary Merit
Your job now is to choose a book that you think has literary merit or that you think has the potential to have literary merit after it has withstood the test of time. After you have read the book, you will write a short essay in which you will defend, challenge, or qualify the book's literary merit based on the characteristics above. In your argument, you should consider addressing several of the bulleted items above. Your essay should be approximately two to three pages in length and draw evidence and support from the text. Use MLA format and be certain to provide a works cited page. You SHOULD NOT use any resources other than your own knowledge of the text and your own knowledge (as it stands) of how to analyze a text.