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Chapter S ABOUT the FREE RESPONSE ESSAY on PROSE Chapter S ABOUT THE FREE RESPONSE ESSAY ON PROSE Note Section II of the Advanced Placement Literature and Composition Test asks you to write three essays, one about a prose passage, For general information about Section II, see another about a poetry selection, and a third about a piece of Chapter 4. literature of your own choice. Because of the time limits of the AP test and because you probably have not seen the literature that you Study Strategy will be asked to write about, these will be difficult essays to tackle. But if you follow the recommendations in Chapter 4 about good Check "A Quick Review of Grammar et al, " p. 207, .for writing in general, and in this chapter and Chapters 6 and 7 about some practical advice on writing the different types of essays in particular, you will be grammar rules you will need surprised at how prepared you feel, and actually are, going into to observe and some tips on the test. effective writing. WHAT WiLL YOU BE ASKED TO DO? The question for the prose essay will require you to analyze the passage, either directly or indirectly, for certain, traits. When you are analyzing prose, always begin with the theme or meaning of the passage and how the writer uses certain elements or the whole selection to help you, the reader, understand the message. Read the chart, Analyzing Prose, on p. 148, for the different elements that you should consider in analyzing a prose selection to get the most out of it. WHAT WILL YOU NEED TO DO? The first thing you will need to do when you begin Section II is to decide the order in which you want to answer the questions. Just as you can choose the order in which to answer the selections in Section I, you can choose the order in which to write your essays. Scan the questions and passages and prioritize them. First, choose the question and passage that are easiest for you, and work your way up to the most difficult. That often means doing the open essay last. Remember that all three essays are worth the same amount--approximately 18 percentage points apiece--so you CHAPTER 5 will not earn any bonus points by writing the most difficult essay first, and you may tire yourself out. When you are ready to answer the prose question, you must read the question and passage several times. READING THE MATERIAL The mistake that students often make is writing an essay about something other than the question they are asked to answer. It may be a fabulous "9" essay in all other ways, but if it does not answer the question, it will earn you a low score. First, identify the type of essay question you are being asked to answer. Is it asking you for interpretation, synthesis, comparison, and/or evaluation of the selection? Underline the inaportant points or key words in the question. If you are being asked to compare elements in two given passages, what are those elements? (The prose essay question may involve two passages.) Underline compare and the required elements. Are you being asked to explain how the writer’s use of a motif affects the mood? Underline explain, motif and mood. You now know that one of the things you will need to look for as you read is a motif. Restate the question to yourself--paraphrase itmto be sure you tmderstand what you are being asked to do. Test-Taking Strategy Once you know what you will need to write about, you are ready to You will be given paper for read the selection, and you will need to read it several times. Remem- your essay, and you will be ber, you have about 5 minutes to read and plan, but the selections able to use your test booklet are shol~. Follow these steps to get the most out of each reading: for scratch paper. Regardless of what the question is asking, you need to determine the theme or meaning of the piece first. In order to talk about elements of the selection, you need to know what the piece is about. The first time you read, skim the passage. The second time, read carefully. Be aware of language and diction, character, tone, the writer’s intentions and purpose, the selection’s impact, and special techniques. As you read, underline words and sentences that seem significant and that you might want to quote in your essay. Jot down notes. However, do not spend a lot of time doing this. www.petersons.com ABOUT THE FREE RESPONSE ESSAY ON PROSE WRITING THE ESSAY ABOUT A PROSE SELECTION After you have completed your reading, take a few minutes to plan what you will write. Brainstorm or list ideas and thoughts, but do not outline. Outlining wastes time. What you want to do is analyze the passage. List how each literary elenaent enhances the communication in the passage. Make another list of examples and supporting evidence from the passage. Review anything you underlined in the passage to include in the lists. Study Strategy Check through your notes and lists and develop your thesis. If you developed an Idea Organize your ideas and begin writing. Use the suggestions Bank of words and phrases listed in Planning and Writing Each Essay: Practical Advice to describe literary works, draw on it to help you in Chapter 4, p. 144. develop your thesis. See Chapter 8, p. 216. Writing Strategy Periodically reread your introductory paragraph to be sure you Don’t forget to use transi- stay on track to prove your thesis. Do more than summarize. tions between ideas and Include your insights, reactions, and emotions. paragraphs. Be sure to include examples from the selection to support your points. However, don’t try to use copious quotations to fill up the sheets. You don’t need to use complete sentences; you can use ellipses. Write an effective concluding paragraph. Restate your thesis and summarize how your essay supports it. Study Strategy Plan your time so you can proofread and revise your essay. Time yourself as you. plan The chart Analyzing Prose on p. 148 suggests questions to ask and write your practice yourself to help you analyze literary elements to find the meaning in essays. That way you will what you read. Use this chart to prepare the practice essay questions become comfortable with the time limits on the actual in this chapter. Try it for the essays you have to write about prose AP test. selections in school, too, and see how much easier it is to organize and develop your thoughts. PRACTICING The following question and selection are very similar to those that you will find on the actual AP Lit Test. Apply the suggestions and strategies you have just learned as you read and write about the excerpt from Civil Disobedience. Then, check your essay by reading the suggested points of discussion that follow. Evaluate yourself by using the Self-Evaluation Rubric on p. 168. www.petersons.com CHAPTER 5 ANALYZING PROSE Mode of Discourse 1. What type of prose is it--fiction, exposition, persuasion, description, narrative, drama? 2. Are points developed by definitions, examples, facts, events, or quotations and citations? Author 1. Who is the author? 2. What do you lmow about the writer and/or the time period in which the passage was written? Title 1. What does the title tell you? 2. What does it suggest about the subject or the theme (meaning) of the passage? Subject 1. What is the subject of the passage? 2. What is this selection about? Setting 1. Where and when does the action in the selection take place? 2. What details does the writer use to create the setting? 3. Does the setting create a mood or feeling? 4. Is the setting a symbol for an important idea that the writer wants to convey? 5. Does the setting play a role in the central conflict? Point of View 1. Is the passage told from the first person or f~om the third person point of view? 2. Is the narrator linlited or omniscient? 3. What effect does the point of view have on the way you experience the selection? Central Conflict 1. In what struggle is the protagoIlist involved? 2. Is the central conflict internal, within the main character’s mind, or external, with another character, society, or nature? 3. How is the conflict resolved? www.petersons.com ABOUT THE FREE RESPONSE ESSAY ON PROSE ANALYZING PROSE Plot or Course of Events 1. What events take place in the passage? 2. Does the piece have an introduction? 3. If so, what does the reader learn in the introduction? 4. What is the inciting incident? 5. What happens during the development? 6. When does the climax occur? 7. What events mark the resolution? 8. Does the selection have a denouement? 9. Are there special plot devices, such as a surprise ending, foreshadowing, or flashbacks? 10. If there is suspense, how does the writer create it? Characterization 1. Who is the protagonist? 2. Ygho are the other major and minor characters? 3. Is there coilflict among characters? 4. How does the writer reveal each of the characters? 5. Which characters change and which are tlat? Literary Devices and Figures of Speech 1. Does the writer make use of devices such as euphony or alliteration? 2. Does the passage contain any examples of figurative language, such as hyperbole, metaphor, or simile? 3. Is there symbolism? What is it? Theme or Thesis 1.
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