OPEN PROMPT 2: 2009

Exam: 2009
Question 3: A symbol is an object, action, or event that represents something or that creates a range of associations beyond itself. In literary works a symbol can express an idea, clarify meaning, or enlarge literal meaning. Select a novel or play and, focusing on one symbol, write an essay analyzing how that symbol functions in the work and what it reveals about the characters or themes of the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot. You may choose a work from the list below or another novel or play of comparable literary merit.

Symbols are often ordinary objects yet they play a pivotal role in conveying a profound and possibly new meaning to a work as a whole. Edward Albee criticizes the seemling dazzling and superficial nature of the American Dream along with the deterioration of emotion and morality. In The American Dream, Edward Albee communicates his desire to return back to traditional values and an uncorrupted American dream by utilizing the symbol of boxes to contrast Mommy and Grandma.

The symbol of Grandma’s boxes represent the American dream. As Mommy and Daddy sit on their armchairs of their living room, Grandma hurries about and drops her heap of boxes off. Grandma does not ask Mommy or Daddy for help nor does she expect help from them. This not only depicts her diligent and earnest nature but symbolize her active drive to work toward the American dream. On the other hand, Mommy and Daddy sit while they complain about their late guest and unkempt apartment. However, they never take action by fixing their apartment utilities or helping Grandma with her boxes. They have a shallow view of the American dream, one that is consumeristic and materialistic, and feel entitled to having satisfaction despite never actually working for it.

In Mommy’s absurd anecdote about Grandma and her lunches, Mommy brags about having a beautifully wrapped box but never opening it for the food inside. She indulges in the other school kids’ compliments but never reveals that leftovers that our inside. Grandma was poor and thus the leftovers would reveal this to the other kids. Instead she goes to the lengths of starving to hide this. However, Grandma always ate the leftovers as dinner. Grandma is willing to make the sacrifices in order follow her American dream. Unlike Mommy, Grandma explicitly shows her emotions and insults the other characters. Grandma is grateful for the leftovers despite it being old. Mommy is obsessed with her appearance even as a young kid and marries solely for money. Her American dream is facile and she is consumed with obtaining satisfaction.

Throughout the course of the novel, Mommy fawns over the beauty and elegance of the wrapping over the boxes with no actual curiosity for what’s inside of them. Mommy constantly worries about her reputation, obsesses over material goods, craves to fit the “nuclear family” ideal, and desires money. She disregards the substance within because she is artificial and only cares about the surface-level of things. Grandma fills the boxes with “a couple of regrets...eighty-six years of living.” She did not want to wrap them as "it hurt [her] fingers, and it frightened [her]" but she does so anyway. She keeps the American dream close to her, staying true to her identity even if it pained her to see her past. To Grandma the American dream is worth the toil and responsibility whereas to Mommy it can be easily bought.

In Edward Albee’s The American Dream, the symbol of boxes is used to highlight Mommy and Grandma’s distinct views of the American dream. While Mommy’s life appears to be lovely and grand, Albee portrays her as shallow and overall just empty. Grandma appears sickly and is insulted by the other characters. However, she does not feel the pressure to achieve satisfaction and is content. By illustrating Mommy’s futile attempts at perfection, Edward Albee discredits the consumeristic, materialistic, and artificial nature of the modern American Dream.

OPEN PROMPT 1: 2009

Exam: 2009
Question 3: A symbol is an object, action, or event that represents something or that creates a range of associations beyond itself. In literary works a symbol can express an idea, clarify meaning, or enlarge literal meaning. Select a novel or play and, focusing on one symbol, write an essay analyzing how that symbol functions in the work and what it reveals about the characters or themes of the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot. You may choose a work from the list below or another novel or play of comparable literary merit.

S T U D E N T   3 A
I was actually surprised at how well and analytical this student response was written. I honestly found the introduction to be poorly organized, being very general and vague. I have not read the play, The Wild Duck. I found the plot summary to be helpful, beneficial to the prompt, and not too excessive. The student’s essay flowed impressively as their transitions were quite strong. Their claims become clearer and more concise throughout the essay (much better than their train wreck of an introduction). Their complex exploration of duck as a symbol of Hjalmar family and the family as one of Greggers is complex and warranted skillfully. Student 3A’s sample student response not only mentions the symbols, the duck, but reveals how it affects the other characters sophicatedly. Despite their wEaK thesis and introduction in general, I would give Student 3A a score of 8 for their insightful analysis of the work to the prompt.

S T U D E N T   3 B
While this sample student response seemed to have a stronger introduction than that of Student 3B’s response, I found much of their response to be very surface-level and showed less maturity. Their first claim has a very simple and pretty shallow. Their connection of Blanche’s fear of aging to the lampshade makes sense but it is not warranted in a captivating or insightful way. The second claim is barely explained in regards to the symbol. There is a rushed reference to the lampshade at the end with no thoughtful connection. The last paragraph is actually done quite wonderfully as it provides a myriad of evidence as well as an in-depth analysis. Student 3B’s last claim beautifully brings together the symbol and the theme as portrayed by the characters, Blanche and Alan. The conclusion ties together all of their claims and the prompt cleverly. Student 3B has a sufficiently written essay despite the flaws. Taking this into account, I would give Student 3B a score of 6.

S T U D E N T   3 C
This student sample response immediately begins with an introduction that seems to be all over the place. It is obvious that Student 3C shows a lot less maturity and control over their writing. The student constantly paraphrases Things Fall Apart but they do not aid in answering the prompt whatsoever. While the essay contains the right skeleton and idea for an response to the prompt, the execution is quite weak. They make claims that the machete is used as a defense weapon and a symbol of pride. However, they do use evidence from the book to back this up or make elaborate warrants. The student does not eloquently tie in the symbolism to the meaning of the work nor do they ever thoughtfully reference it. There is no complete conclusion as the student brings up prude randomly. They make a statement about no pride in killing oneself which is not entirely valid or proved through evidence that is insightful. Due to this, I would give Student 3C a score of 4.

RESPONSE TO COURSE MATERIAL 4

     To finish the first semester, we worked on a final project to synthesize the ideas found in The American Dream, The Kite Runner, and Oedipus the King. Filming our own episode of The Office featuring the major characters of the works was a very memorable and silly experience. I found that this project really encouraged me to further analyze the characters along with their main traits and flaws. By doing so, I could make parallels to The Office and figure out the characters would interact with each other. It also enforced the themes, allowing me to form other connections. The ideas of pride, family, murder, and sight were often overlapped and they tied together wonderfully.

    Our second semester so far has been covering Hamlet as our snow days have pushed us back a lot. Did January and February even exist? To prepare for this, we annotated "A Lecture on Elizabethan Theatre" which allowed me to understand Hamlet from a new perspective. Unlike modern plays, Shakespeare often followed strict rules for tragedies. That's why everyone always dies, surprise! While girls read the roles for Gertrude and Ophelia, women roles were often played by teen boys instead...a wild concept. After the refresh on Shakespearean plays, we read Hamlet in class. Roan was really into his role as Hamlet and Jamie as Horatio. I thought it was very, very funny watching them try to outdo each other. While reading Hamlet, I found many similarities to Macbeth. There were both the betrayal of women and hesitation with the protagonists. I learned that it was because Shakespeare wrote his greatest tragedies after his mistress left him for his own best friend. To be fair, he shouldn't have had a mistress to begin with (tea).

    Next, we watched a movie adaption of Hamlet. I thought the modern take was very fascinating. I enjoyed comparing how the characters in the movie interacted and their expression of the lines compared to how the kids in our class had envisioned it. In the movie, Hamlet seemed to have more sympathy for Gertrude while their relationship seemed more distant to me when reading it in class. They were different and this makes sense as Shakespeare did not leave very many stage directions.

     For me, analyzing poetry has always been a huge struggle. I have to take in account the syntax, rhyme scheme, sound devices, and more. I was really surprised at how surface level the analyzation of some of the groups were (but it also comforted me because I suck at it too). After listening to the annotations of five different poems, I thought it was very intriguing how the length of a sentence or a certain word can add a new, underlying meaning to a poem. I found that especially true for the poem "Storm Warnings" as it appears like someone preparing for a physical storm. However, with phrases such as "polar realm," it can also inferred that it is the preparation for an emotional tragedy or shaken state of mind. I learned that no analysis is wrong unless you cannot support it thoroughly. I was able to practice this when annotating my poem, "Woman Work."

       Now to talk about my goals because the AP exam is 2 months away (oh no). I would like to earn a 4 or higher but realistically passing with a 3 would be okay (maybe). I have always struggled with the multiple choice portion of AP exams. I would like to do multiple choice practice in class because it allows us to discuss any confusion in interpretation or comprehension. However, this is also something I can work on individually. While I find that my essays are a strong point, I continue to put a lot of effort in my blog posts as practice. I hope to keep improving even though I'm a second semester senior and the procrastination is real.

OPEN PROMPT 2: 2003

Question 3: "'According to critic Northrop Frye, “Tragic heroes are so much the highest points in their human landscape that they seem the inevitable conductors of the power about them, great trees more likely to be struck by lightning than a clump of grass. Conductors may of course be instruments as well as victims of the divine lightning.' Select a novel or play in which a tragic figure functions as an instrument of the suffering of others. Then write an essay in which you explain how the suffering brought upon others by that figure contributes to the tragic vision of the work as a whole."

     While Sophocles's Oedipus the King is a captivating tale of a seemingly charming king, it is viewed as one of the greatest Greek tragedies. The hamartia of the tragic figure, Oedipus, is unwittingly revealed through his relentless search for his identity. The king's great demise unintentionally bears suffering upon all levels of people: the citizens of Thebes, those closest to him, and himself. Through Oedipus's helplessness from the unforgivable and brute force of fate, Oedipus the King is engulfed in a vision of tragedy and suffering.

     One of Oedipus's tragic flaws, his hero-complex, is first introduced and ultimately brings suffering to the people of Thebes, depicting the tragic vision of loss. Oedipus is introduced earnestly listening to the Priest. He enjoys being the hero for his people after saving them from the Sphinx. Emphasized by the the dramatic irony, Oedipus's desire for recognition from his people, driven by his persistent searching, causes his great downfall. The people of Thebes have placed their devotion and respect in him as seen by the Chorus's constant praise. However, it is Oedipus who is at fault for the plague after murdering the prior king, Laius. His fervent and zealous intentions as well as his unwavering need to save his people actually dooms him from the very beginning. The irony of this situation contributes to the tragic vision of the play as Oedipus is doomed either way. The citizens of Thebes are left to suffer as their great king and hero has failed and unknowingly betrayed them.

     As Oedipus overlooks the many warnings presented to him due to his pride, the people closest to him such as Creon and Jocasta suffer immensely. Sophocles uses the motif of sight and blindness to emphasize knowledge and ignorance. While Teiresias is physically blind, he is the only initial character who knows that the cursed prophecy has been fulfilled. However, Oedipus's pride prevents him from accepting the truth. He belittles the blind seer by calling him a fraud and goes as far as to blame Creon for treason. Creon is devastated by the claim as he is a loyal follower of Oedipus and suffers. Oedipus further seeks the truth, refusing to listen to Jocasta's warnings. After she realizes the truth of the prophecy, her silent suffering drives her to take her own life, entering into eternal blindness. Even those who are closest to Oedipus are not protected by the suffering brought on by his tragic flaw of pride, adding a dimension of betrayal to the tragedy of Oedipus the King.

     Ultimately, the tragic vision of the work is shaped by Oedipus's fall to the cruel wrath of faith as a result of his hubris, embodied by the hopelessness and helpless of freewill. Perhaps the most tragic aspect is the suffering that Oedipus brings upon himself as he attempts to defy the oracle to save his supposed parents. Oedipus's loss to destiny is illustrated by the crossroads where "where three roads meet." As Oedipus escapes from the city of his supposed parents, he believes he has changed his destiny while on the crossroad. However, the unforgiving power of fate follows him and it is at the crossroads where he kills Laius, his true father. The three crossroads may also symbolize time as each road may refer to the past, present, and future. Hecate is a god that has been said to have three heads each symbolizing the same thing thus showing the dominance of the gods and fate. While Oedipus had pure intentions, he has brought suffering to every character and mostly to himself. The futility of defying fate generates a sense of hopelessness which is entirely tragic in the vision of Oedipus the King.

It is not plot twist or surprise conclusion that creates the tragic tale of Oedipus the King but the dramatic irony within it. The audience of the play is aware that Oedipus has fulfilled the prophecy unbeknownst to him. However, Sophocles uses Oedipus to generate sympathy and suspense. Oedipus is doomed from the beginning of the play whether it was his hero-complex, pride, or hubris. In the end, he brings suffering to all of his people, including those closest to him and himself. The brute wrath of fate and destiny remain all knowing and powerful.

OPEN PROMPT 1: 2003

Exam: 2003 Free-Response Questions
Question 3: "'According to critic Northrop Frye, “Tragic heroes are so much the highest points in their human landscape that they seem the inevitable conductors of the power about them, great trees more likely to be struck by lightning than a clump of grass. Conductors may of course be instruments as well as victims of the divine lightning.' Select a novel or play in which a tragic figure functions as an instrument of the suffering of others. Then write an essay in which you explain how the suffering brought upon others by that figure contributes to the tragic vision of the work as a whole."

S T U D E N T   L L L L
This sample student response analyzed The Great Gatsby in a way that was extremely elaborate and sophisticated. Not only did they explain the characterization of Jay Gatsby thoroughly but they also extended their thinking by comparing him to the downfall of The Roaring Twenties. I felt as if the initial paragraphs of the essay were quite summary heavy and even excessive at times. However, the writer did utilize most of the plot summary to further warrant their points. They are concise and accurate with their claims and in-depth use of quotes. While the sample student essay did a wonderful job of analyzing Jay Gatsby as tragic hero, they failed to mention the suffering of others comprehensively. The flow of the essay is easy to follow with impressively done transitions and an introduction with a clear statement of their ideas. The student thoughtfully explores the complexities of Jay Gatsby's character despite barely touching on the latter part of the prompt. Taking these things into account, I would give Student LLLL a score of 8.

S T U D E N T   C
Immediately starting of the second sample student essay is a paraphrase and restated version of the prompt. While their introduction answered the prompt perfectly, I did not see as much elevated thinking as in the first student's essay. However, their first body paragraph was still extremely thorough in examples. It maintained consistency while following the claims of pride, ego, and sense of duty as King Lear's tragic flaw. I did find their analysis leaning on more of a simplistic side and I felt as if the paraphrasing in the second body paragraphs as redundant. I also felt as if this student had weaker warrants and failed to delve into some of the more interesting points of King Lear's vanity. Unlike the first student essay, the writer does meet all of the needs of the prompt by discussing the suffering of Gloucester. They elaborate on the tragic vision of the play as well, not only focusing on the tragic aspects of the hero. While Student C managed to do this, their general and surface insight at times would warrant them a score of 7.

S T U D E N T   F F
The sample student essay begins with an extremely vague answer to the prompt and merely restates it. The essay is led in with a paragraph which is only plot summary, and I'm not even kidding. It's ONLY plot summary. When they finally begin their analysis, it is extremely superficial and barely goes beyond the surface. I'm not sure if it's more plot summary which is extremely unnecessary and excessive at this point. The student fails to mention how suffering is brought onto the other characters of the novel other than McMurphy throwing a party for the other ward patients, which makes it seem that he has brought them excitement and joy instead. It isn't until the latter parts of the essay that they mention how the character may have brought them suffering. There is no complete or elaborate analysis of the tragic vision as a whole. While Student FF has attempted to address the parts of the prompt, much of the analysis is brief and their insight is almost nonexistent. For these reasons, I would give them a score of 4.

RESPONSE TO COURSE MATERIAL 3

     Looking back on what we have done the past month, I found that most of our time was spent reading and analyzing The Kite Runner. Reading this novel has been a memorable experience for me. I grew to love and hate the characters while crying a little (a lot) at some parts. The Kite Runner was extremely fascinating to analyze but it also gave me a lot of insight to a Afghan society and culture. While the book's overarching themes seems to be geared toward guilt and redemption, I was more intrigued by the underlying social, economic, and ethnic disparities Khaled Hosseini presented throughout the book. I think it tied in beautifully with the theme— guilt and redemption can be experienced by all people despite the many differences that divide them. While I thought that the writing was lovely (except the end wow that was a mess), I did feel like the novel was hard to analyze at times. The symbols such as the pomegranate tree, eyes, and deformations were presented too straightforwardly and obviously. It was harder to draw underlying meanings and in-depth analysis for me than it was with The American Dream. I was able to see everyone else's interpretations of certain moments through discussion. Many interesting ideas were brought up such as how deformation of a character signal a person who was generally good on the inside or the broken glasses of the orphanage owner. To tie in the whole unit together, we took an open prompt test. I don't do well under pressure. It was a good reminder how fast I have to think and work when timed.
   
    We continued to work on the poetry portion of the closed prompts. I think that I have improved as an essay writing and the comments that I have received have been quite helpful. I've learned that poetry focuses a lot more on the DIDLS of literature. It's interesting to see how sentence structure, length, rhyme schemes, and diction affect the overall meaning of the story. While poetry is harder to understand, it is a lot easier for me to analyze in comparison to proses.

     While we have focused on the writing aspect of the AP exam all year, we took our first practice MC test. I realized that I need to work on time as I definitely ran out of time at the end. I was rushing and I didn't even read the last few prompts. When we went over our scores, I learned that I kind of suck at the multiple choice. Although those scores were rough, I feel that I am a strong essay writer. If I improve my MC skills by looking at practice tests and reading tips, I may be able to bring my score up for the next time. The practice test helped me realize that I should put more effort into working on my weaknesses.

     Within the last week, we started reading Oedipus which has been really new for me. The two other books we have read were The American Dream and The Kite Runner which are both relatively recent. Oedipus was written a long, long, long time ago. It was fascinating learning about the history and backstory of the play. It was also a lot of fun listening to my class recite their lines. Some people really got into their roles. It's interesting to see how the lessons we can learn from extremely old pieces of literature can still be prevalent today. After reading "Fate, Freedom, and the Tragic Experience: An Introductory Lecture on Sophocles's Oedipus the King" which was a whopping twenty five pages, I felt as if I had a knew much more about tragic heroes. It intriguing how much more satisfying tragic heroes can be compared to comic ones. The article also help me see Oedipus in a new light, someone who is strong in the assertion of his beliefs rather than a stubborn self-absorbed idiot. It's interesting discussing its meaning as a class and I look forward for what is to come in the unit!

CLOSED PROMPT 2: POETRY 2

Exam: 2006 Free-Response Questions
Question 1: Read the following poem carefully. Then write a well-organized essay in which you analyze how the poet uses language to describe the scene and to convey mood and meaning.

     As the scope of human knowledge and technical innovations advance, many often view mankind as the superior species yet Robert Penn Warren crafts a poem that seems to argue the opposite. By using the hawk as a symbol of nature, the force of nature is constructed as wise and enduring under a dark and mysterious mood. The insignificance and fragility of humankind in comparison to the world is illustrated in the poem's language. Through diction, similes, and metaphors, "Evening Hawk" depicts the inferiority of the humanity under the overbearing and omniscient power of nature.

    Robert Penn Warren's diction "Evening Hawk" establishes the complex and dominant force of nature by using contrasting words. Initially the hawk is seen "dipping [its wings] through / Geometries and orchids." Words like "Geometries" and "angularity" paint the logical rather than idyllic reality of nature, making it appear rigid and cold. However, the word "orchids" has connotations of beauty and love which characterizes the force of nature in a more romantic light. These conflicting descriptions add to the poem's mysterious mood. Through "the sunset [that] builds, / Out of the peak’s black angularity of shadow," light is used to contrast the dark in the poem. The light and darkness reflect the good and bad sides of nature. While light is generally associated with goodness, Warren's negative description of light as a "tumultuous avalanche" serves as a reminder that even the positive aspects of nature can be foreboding and ominous. By using dissimilar description words and twisting favorable traits, Warren emphasizes the strength and all-knowing power of the force of nature.

     By using metaphors and similars, Robert Penn Warren compares the insignificance of humanity to the brute force of nature. Warren compares the hawk's wing a to a scythe with a "honed steel-edge" that cuts the "stalks of Time." The hawk metaphorically cuts the idea of "Time" because it sees the futility of humanity's attempts to control the world. The hawk sees time as useless and "heavy with the gold of...error." This is because the "earth [will] grind on its axis" and continue to progress whether time exists or not. Complexities with the hawk depicted with its judgement of mankind's corruption. The hawk views the world with an "eye, unforgiving, [as] the world, unforgiven, swings / Into shadow." Though the hawk has the capability to forgive, it chooses not to for a reason that is unclear. By doing this, Warren maintains a dark and mysterious mood while revealing another weakness of humankind. The hawk also sees humankind's "history / Drip in darkness like a leaking pipe in the cellar." Because a cellar is found below ground, it hints that the hawk looks down at humanity's history. The darkness in the simile reveals that history has long been forgotten and unclear. Thus mankind's past is trivial and unsuccessful in comparison to the eminent scope of nature's force.

     While Robert Penn Warren makes fascinating points about humanity in his poem "Evening Hawk," it may not be a unique view. However, he is able to employ his arguments in a his own style through the use of diction, simile, and metaphors. Warren's personal language crafts a dark and mysterious mood through his depiction of mankind's subordination to nature's commanding and wise force. All of this is smoothly done with a comparison to a hawk.