AP Literature FRQs 2015 Exam
FRQ 1 -- Julia Alvarez On Not Shoplifting Speaker s Discoveries: it? What does the speaker discover about herself and how does she discover -- a mirror reflecting back someone I was becoming *What was she becoming? -- Page after page, your poems were stirring my own poems. *Narrator takes inspiration from this buried treasure of a book.
FRQ 1 -- Julia Alvarez On Not Shoplifting The Book: -- no blurbs by the big boys on the back (critics) -- no sassy, big-haired picture to complicate the achievement *book speaks for itself -- your name blurred underwater sinking to the bottom *Author is not a Chaucer-Milton-Shakespeare-Yeats. Neither is the narrator.
FRQ 1 -- Julia Alvarez On Not Shoplifting The Imagery: -- Water: *blueblack lake *placid lake *name blurred underwater *words rose, breaking the surface *blue waters drawn into the tip of my pen *lake flowed *dark waters --Could there be a baptism? Narrator emerges as a poet from the waters of Bogan s work. Inspiration to write her own words. No need to steal the book.
FRQ 1 -- Julia Alvarez On Not Shoplifting Tone: -- Inspiration --Enthusiasm --Nervous excitement --Satisfaction --Self-assurance
FRQ 1 -- Julia Alvarez On Not Shoplifting Intro: In a world that is constantly cluttered with never ending media and advertising phenomena, simplicity should be welcomed with open arms. Humans strive to fit in, while also being an individual, which can be hard to do. You can read all the books by the big authors and never learn something new. Often, the popular authors smother the smaller diamonds in the rough. Alvarez describes this idea very simply in her poem On Not Shoplifting
FRQ 2 -- Moon Tiger *Analyze how Lively uses literary devices to dramatize the complex relationship among the three characters. * Imagery and diction indicate fierce sibling rivalry, competition, and territorialism -- hiss of triumph -- suspicion and rivalry -- promising enticing (used twice, by the way) grey expanse -- encroaching
FRQ 2 -- Moon Tiger *Analyze how Lively uses literary devices to dramatize the complex relationship among the three characters. * Imagery of a crumbling terrain parallels the crumbling sibling relationship A piece of cliff, of the solid world which evidently is not so solid after all, shifts under her clutching hands...crumbles...and she is falling thwack backwards
FRQ 2 -- Moon Tiger *Analyze how Lively uses literary devices to dramatize the complex relationship among the three characters. * Diction: paradoxical In horror and satisfaction he stares --satisfaction at winning, horror at the cost Edith Hampton can marvel at the furious tenacity of her children. --Their furious tenacity is a survival mechanism in a perilous, unreliable, malevolent world
Let s avoid these bad habits: Stating the obvious: *Without, it wouldn t have been as profound. *If the author hadn t, the poem wouldn t have had the same meaning. *Imagery paints a picture in the reader s mind. *The author uses different tones.
Let s avoid these bad habits: Weak diction: *a lot, very, many --Instead try significant, extensive, or thorough * has a certain feel to it or puts off a certain vibe --A certain tone may create suspense, excitement, tension, etc.
FRQ 3-- What s in a Name? *Analyze how the name illuminates that character (central figure) and informs the meaning of the work as a whole. --Character s ambiguity or complexity: John the Savage, Willy Loman, Offred (Handmaid s Tale), Earnest, TIM (nameless narrator), Arthur Dimmesdale, John Proctor (def. one who is in charge), The Great Gatsby --Use plot summary only in service of the prompt. Quickly direct the reader to your point.
FRQ 2 -- What s in a Name? *Example: John the Savage --Ambiguity: --lives as a savage on a reservation --outward appearance and difficulty navigating customs of the BNW indicate savagery to other characters --to reader, the embodiment of the natural human experience (pain, struggle, love and heartbreak, quest for truth) --to society, the messiness of the former world--stark contrast to clinical, painless, strugglefree existence