GOOD SHEPHERD INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
HOLIDAY HOMEWORK
May – July Summer Vacation 2025
Subject: LITERATURE IN ENGLISH
PROJECT WORK
Instructions:
This project consists of three assignments based on your prescribed literature texts.
Choose one question each from the play, poem, and short story.
Each response must be approximately 250-300 words.
Ensure your writing is original, analytical, and well-structured.
You may include quotations and textual references where appropriate.
Your responses will be assessed for depth of understanding, expression, and insight into the literary
texts.
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1. Drama: Julius Caesar – Act 3 (Choose ONE)
Option A – Character/Thematic Analysis
Discuss the theme of manipulation and rhetoric in Act 3 of Julius Caesar, with special reference to the
speeches of Brutus and Mark Antony. How do their speeches influence the Roman mob, and what does this
reveal about their characters and intentions?
Option B – Historical/Cultural Relevance
Explore the socio-political environment of Rome as depicted in Act 3. How does Shakespeare present the
shift in public opinion after Caesar’s assassination, and what commentary does the act offer on mob
psychology and democracy?
Option C – Alternative Outcome
Imagine if Brutus had allowed Antony to speak only under strict limitations, or had not allowed him at all.
Write an alternative version of the events in Act 3, Scene 2, explaining how the play's outcome would have
changed and what impact this might have had on the characters and political situation in Rome.
2. Poem: “Haunted Houses” by H.W. Longfellow (Choose ONE)
Option A – Thematic and Literary Appreciation
Explore how the poem blends the physical with the spiritual world. How does Longfellow use imagery,
mood, and structure to create a reflective meditation on life and death?
Option B – Paraphrase and Appreciation
Provide a paraphrase of the poem in your own words. Then, discuss how the poet uses diction, contrast, and
tone to create a sense of haunted memory and the presence of the past in our daily lives.
Option C – Identifying with the Poem
Put yourself in the place of someone walking through a familiar but now empty house from your childhood.
Describe the feelings you experience using the tone and imagery similar to Longfellow’s, and relate them to
how the poem’s themes resonate with you.
3. Short Story: “The Elevator” by William Sleator (Choose ONE)
Option A – Character Analysis
Examine the character of Martin. How does Sleator use the confined setting and Martin’s internal fears to
develop his personality? What role does fear play in shaping his experience and behavior?
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Option B – Psychological/Historical Perspective
Discuss how “The Elevator” reflects adolescent anxieties and fear of the unknown. Consider how the
cultural context (e.g., urban life, isolation) influences the psychological development of the story.
Option C – Alternative Ending
Imagine an alternative ending where Martin confronts the fat lady. How would this change the theme of the
story? Write a new ending and reflect on how this affects the message the story conveys about fear and
control.
Submission Guidelines:
Use A4 sheets or type your work neatly.
Each section must have a clear title.
Include your name, class, and roll number on the cover page.
Submit your completed project after the vacation on the first day of school.
You are expected to bring in a hard copy of the holiday homework.
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