AP English Literature and Composition is a challenging course intended for students who love to read, debate, analyze, and write. Sampling literary works from a variety of different genres and eras, the course focuses on answering two questions: “What does the author say?” and “How does he or she say it?” While these questions may seem surprisingly simple, the analysis garnered through course discussions, group work, and activities reveals the subtleties and nuances that make literature richly complex. Students who join AP English Literature should expect rigorous application of critical thinking skills in both their reading and writing assignments. Summer reading is required: read Jhumpa Lahiri's The Namesake and complete this linked assignment.