<p>I feel you 13nortonj. I took AP Lit last year and also had to read HoD. However my teacher gave us these wonder study guide questions (50 or so for each chapter of the novella).They helped me so much that I felt confident enough to write about HoD on the exam last year (and got a 5). These questions provoked my thinking about the book and really lead me to draw profound conclusions on the characters, setting, symbols, themes, motifs, etc. I’d see if you could talk to your teacher about finding other resources to guide your thinking. Sometimes, a little bit of guidance and channeled thinking are all one needs to further grasp the concept of the novella.</p>