Fifth Business summary

The universe really did not want this to be posted.

Dunstable Ramsay is a disgruntled retiring professor who decides to write a letter to the head master of the school. The book spans his entire life, but continually relates back to the incident as a child were he dodged a snowball thrown by his frenemy Percy. The snowball struck Mary Dempster and caused the premature birth of her son Paul. Dunstable is an unreliable narrator who continually props himself up but tries to claim that he is humble, he is very dedicated to Mary Dempster but has an issue with female authority figures. Mary Dempster is perceived by Dunstable to be a saint and is the closest thing to a mother figure that can be seen in the novel. Percy, who later changes his name to boy also factors in significantly, he constantly provides help to Dunstable but he is very obsessed with social status. Liesel is the only one who is shown to truly understand Ramsay, giving him the title of Fifth Business.

The theme of Fifth business is:  until humans can accept their individual roles in the world and learn how that effects their relationships with others, they will never be truly satisfied.

The tone of Fifth business is often passive and narcissistic. As is is Ramsay telling his own life story he will sometimes embellish some of the tales. But he will often brush over important thing like his time in WW1 like it was nothing.

The setting of the novel is in many places but the key areas are the town of Deptford, the circus with Paul, and war hospital after he is wounded.

The major symbols in fifth business are biblical and are in direct relation to the saints. the major one being Mary Dempster. She symbolizes how even though something may be miraculous it may not be in fact saintly, it could be normal. It is up to humans to discover what is truly divine an what is just coincidence.

“The inevitable fifth, who was the keeper of his conscience and the keeper of the stone.” This quote by Liesel describes Dunstable's role in the novel on society and his reluctance to embrace this fuly is the source of much of his lack of satisfaction.

Hamlet summary

Hamlet:

Author: William Shakespeare 

Significant Characters:

Hamlet: He is the main character of the Story, he likes to hear himself talk and has an often over dramatic view of things. He is sinful and always down in the dumps, he loves his father but it is shown he really does not know him that well. He pretends to be mad, but over the course of the play he progressively descends into madness, not sure whether or not to kill Claudius. He has a disdain for his mother’s hasty marriage to his uncle.

Horatio: He is the skeptic, the scholar, and Hamlet’s best friend. He is the only one who Hamlet fully trusts, him seeing the ghost acts as validation for its existence in the beginning.

Claudius:  Hamlet’s uncle, he killed Hamlet’s father in order to take the throne and Marry Gertrude. He is initially friendly towards Hamlet but upon learning that Hamlet knows his crime he begins to plot Hamlet’s demise.

Ophelia: Hamlet’s lover. She is torn between her love for Hamlet and loyalty to her father Polonius.

Polonius: He is the loyal servant to Claudius, he helps him plot. He is portrayed as a bafoon often, being mocked by Hamlet and eventually killed by him.

Gertrude: Hamlet’s mother. She is conflicted between loyalty to Claudius and Hamlet. Though she agrees to help Hamlet she still protects Claudius.

Setting: Elsinore, the capital of Denmark. 

Plot: Hamlet is very upset about the recent marriage of his mother Gertrude to his uncle Claudius, so soon after his father’s death. The ghost of Hamlet’s father is spotted by Horatio and some watchmen and Hamlet is taken to speak to the ghost. Hamlet vows to avenge his father’s death by killing claudius. He begins to act insane which Polonius initially diagnoses as a result of him ordering Ophelia not to talk to Hamlet anymore. when he allows Ophelia to talk to Hamlet, Hamlet scorns Ophelia and sends her into depression. After a time Hamlet stumbles upon Claudius alone and praying, he contemplates killing him, but decides not to, for Claudius would die with his sins cleansed. The irony being that Claudius had not truly been absolved. Hamlet is sent off to England, where he is captured by pirates to be returned to Denmark on ransom. Claudius makes a deal with Laertes for Laertes to kill Hamlet in a duel. The duel commences and mass genocide ensues, Horatio being the only survivor out of the main cast.

Quotes: 

“Something is rotten in the state of Denmark” This quote from Horatio sets the tone for the entire play. It not only presents the idea of the corruption, but it also allows for the linkage of the royalty to the state itself.

“Frailty thy name is woman” This from Hamlet displays his views on women. It justifies his anger towards Gertrude and his harsh treatment of Ophelia.

The style of Hamlet is a story told through deep characters and subtle hints. Most of the past evidence is given through convenient dialogue or long monologues by Hamlet. The tone throughout the play is very somber with death or remorse always being prevelent. 

The theme of Hamlet is the complexity of actually taking action, not only the action itself but the mental process it takes to undertake a momentous task.

Pride and Prejudice summary

Pride and Prejudice:

Author: Jane Austen

Major Characters:

Elizabeth Bennet: The second eldest Bennet and the main character of the novel. She is initially blinded by prejudice about Darcy, but later marries him. She is the most independent of the daughters, not believing in marrying for anything but love. This independence reflects Austen’s view of how a woman should be and results in her ending the novel as the most well off.

Jane Bennet: The oldest and most beautiful of the Darcy sisters, she is independent but not as much as elizabeth. She marries for love but refuses to go so strongly against her parents and society. She becomes the second most well off.

Darcy: A wealthy gentleman who is good friends with Bingley. He is very smart and always speaks his mind. He is prideful to a fault and looks down on those from the lower classes, this pride ameliorates over the novel.

Bingley: He is kind, generous, and in love with Jane. He purchases and estate near the Bennet’s, starting the novel. He does not care about class differences.

Mr. Bennet: He is cynically humorous and enjoys tormenting his wife. Though he loves his daughters he is often and irresponsible father and the task often falls to Mr. Gardiner to be the girl’s father figure.

Mrs. Bennet: She is the stereotypical woman of the time, obsessed with marriage for her daughters. She is oblivious to how others view her, often resulting in a negative  view of the family by members of the upper class,

Charlotte Lucas: Elizabeth’s best friend. She marries Mr. collins, an action only done to secure her financial and social stability. 

George Wickham: He is handsome and witty, initially attracting the attentions of Elizabeth. He is a gold-digger, only looking for a woman who can provide a large some of money. He eventually marries Lydia after Darcy pays him a large chunk of change.

Setting: Early 19th century England, mainly in Loungbourn and varies Estates.

Plot: Mr. Bingley purchases and estate near Longbourn England, this causes a stir in the Bennet household. They are invited to go to the ball, where Jane meets Bingley, and Elizabeth meets Darcy. Elizabeth is initially repulsed with Darcy and the feeling is mutual, but over more and more interaction Darcy begins to fall for elizabeth. Since Mr. Bennet has no male air, his home falls to a man named Mr. Collins when he dies, Mr collins come to Longbourn eventually proposing to ELizabeth. She says no, and Mr collins, promptly marries Charlotte Lucas. When Elizabeth goes to visit Charlotte she runs into Darcy and he eventually proposes, she rejects his proposal citing a information gleamed from Wickham and town gossip. Darcy leaves her a letter explaining himself and his relationship with Wickham, cause Elizabeth to realize she has feelings for Darcy. Soon after Elizabeth hears that her sister has run off with Wickham she rushes home. A search results in neither of them being found, but eventually word arrives that Wickham has agreed to marry Lydia, it is later revealed he did so after being paid a large sum of money from Darcy. Soon after Bingley proposes to Jane, and Darcy proposes to Elizabeth and they are both married.

The style of this is a 3rd person narrative from the perspective of Elizabeth Bennet. The narrator knows everything in the scope of the story. It is told in past tense with very short chapters splitting up the novel. The novel is not serious at all mostly poking fun at the characters pre-conceived notions. 

Quotes: 

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife” This opens the novel and sets the tone for the entire book, it also implies that a woman will be in want of husband.

“She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me” This, states by Darcy to Bingley at the ball shows his initial prejudice towards Elizabeth, viewing her as just another commoner.

The theme of pride and prejudice is that socially held norms and views hold back those in society, and those who go against them for pure reasons will be the most successful. 

Ceremony Summary

Ceremony:

Author: Leslie Marmond Silko

Significant Characters:

Tayo: The main character, he is half white and half Laguna. He has recently come back from WW2 and is struggling with the aftermath of losing his cousin Rocky. He is symbol of the struggle of the people and how they can over come the white influence if they not only fight back peacefully but also adapt.

Betonie: A medicine man who helps Tayo complete his ceremony. He has a large amount of interaction with whites, which results in many distrusting him. He is very wise. He further symbolizes how both white and Laguna culture are needed to solve the problem of the corruption.

Josiah: Tayo’s uncle, he purchases cattle which Tayo helps to raise. He falls in love with a mexican woman named Night Swan. He teaches Tayo the native culture and treats him as a member of the family.

Rocky: Tayo’s adoptive brother and cousin. Rocky is the favorite and viewed by his mother as one to branch out and be successful in the world. He symbolizes the ideal that many Laguna hold, and his death represents where that route will take them.

Night Swan: Josiah’s girlfriend, she is strong willed and very attractive, she has sex with Tayo later in the story. She is the first of two major women in the story, showing the strong influence of women on a conflict that on the surface appears to be between men.

Harley: Tayo’s friend who came back from the war with a sever alcohol addiction. Harley

is the main of example of how not recognizing there is a problem will lead to your demise.

Emo: He along with the other Laguna who drink symbolize the white corruption on the Laguna and how fighting them only results in more destruction. Emo is a vet and has a large amount of resentment towards Tayo for his mixed blood. 

Ts’eh: She appears three times throughout Tayo’s journey to teach him important lessons. She represents how a strong female presence is necessary in order for them to be successful.

Setting: The Story has many different settings. Most of the story happens on the Laguna reservation, which Tayo needs to save from corruption. Another portion of the book occurs in the Philippines, showing the literal war and destruction that white culture causes. The uranium mine at the end of the novel is extremely important because it is Tayo’s final test and his completion of his ceremony, the uranium symbolizes the ultimate form of white destruction. 

Plot: Tayo is a young Laguna who has recently come back from WW2, he is damaged mentally and continually suffers. He cannot stop thinking of his dead cousin Rocky. He continually remembers the many influences on his life such as his uncle Josiah, Rocky, and Night Swan. These memories teach him lessons and slowly help him complete his ceremony, what is needed to cure him. The other veterans of the war have come back damaged too, but unlike Tayo they cling to alcohol, Emo being the most violent. As Tayo tries to cure himself they stand in the way. Eventually when Tayo is towards the end of his journey, Emo calls the police on him and Tayo is forced to hide, and eventually forced to watch them torture Harley to death. He emerges from all of this cured.

The style of ceremony is in a non-linear narrative. It constantly goes back and forth through time stringing memories together with the present in order to tell the story. It also has many poems and stories interjecting the text, they serve to give background information, put the story in a different light and foreshadow. The tone of the book is sad but there is hope shown throughout with Tayo’s continual redemption.

Quotes: 

"I was here almost a week before you came. How did you know I'd be here? Tell me that first." . Ts’eh is in tune with the land and native culture so she knows more and is more able to accomplish goals than Tayo, her probing into his knowledge is used to display how he is progressing on his route.

"because these goings-on around Laguna don't get me excited any more." She sighed, and laid her head back on the chair. "It seems like I already heard these stories before—only thing is, the names sound different." Grandma’s lines symbolize how the white corruption causes no new rebirth, no change, just never ending destruction, and how only through adaption and change can the Native people move past it.

Theme:

The theme of ceremony is that white culture has corrupted the native culture, and only through a return to old practices with modern adaption and influence can the corruption be removed.

Death of a Salesman Summary

Death of a Salesman: 

Author: Arthur Miller

Significant Characters:

Willie Loman- He is a washed up salesman who belives that the American dream can be easily obtained. He is unable to accomplish this and therefore his mental health steadily declines throughout the book. He symbolizes how the world will chew up and spit people out

Biff Loman- He is the son of of Willie. He was big shot in high school, but after failing math he does not live up to his potential and spends his time drifting from job to job. He has a problem with stealing things. He represents Willie’s ideals and what happens to those who follow them.

Happy Loman- He is the youngest son, and is always trying to live up to Biff. He has a large sex drive and overstates his importance. He represents Willie’s delusions of grandure.

Linda Loman- She is the extremely loyal wife of Willie. As everyone turns against Willie, she is the only one to stand by his side at every turn. She is the source of strength in the family, and displays how realism mixed with optomism provide more success.

Ben- Willie’s dead older brother who appears often in Willie’s delusions. He symbolizes wealth and success that Willie desires

Setting: New York and Boston. New York is where most of the play takes place either at the Loman’s home or at other areas throughout the city. The house serves to display that the Loman’s have achieved something and it is almost there’s. Boston is the distant place where Willie goes to sell. It is used to show how far Willie has to go and allow for him to operate in secrecy.

Plot: The plot revolves aorund Willie’s struggle to be successful. He procrastinates talking to his boss Howard about being moved to only New York, and when he finally does he is fired, this causes him to spiral into deeper and deeper mental insanity. His relationships with his sons causes him anger and joy, with them trying to please him. He slowly starts to fight more and more with Biff, culminating in Biff forsaking his father completely. It is revealed that the reason Biff lost hope is because he found out his father was having an affair with another woman. At the end of the play Willie kills himself in order to provide his family with life insurance money. The Irony being that they do not intend to use the money in the way he thinks they would.

The style of Death of a salesman is to use multiple characters who are very different to display the social criticisms that Miller holds. He uses long descriptive recounts, instead of live actions to tell the story. It is told from a 3rd person perspective mainly through the life of Willie Loman.

The tone is usually dark, this is done to show Willies plight, either through bad things happening to him or the brutal honesty afforded to him by Biff and Charley. 

Quotes: 

“And when I saw that, I realized that selling was the greatest career a man could want.” This quote shows the root of Willie’s desires and the reason why he continues to work. He wants to be loved and respected.

“riding on a smile and a shoeshine” This quote shows the desolate existence that Willie has chosen. The start contrast to what he thinks he does.

The theme of Death of a Salesman, is that the American dream is unobtainable for most of the people in the world, and those who try to obtain is will often lead themselves to ruin.

American Dream summary

The American Dream:

Author: Edward Albee 

Significant Characters:

Grandma: She is old, and is often the voice of reason in the house but it often does not show on the surface. Her role is to display the old American dream, and the affects new lifestyles have on it.

Daddy: He symbolizes indecisiveness, and that aspect of not being able to achieve satisfaction. He is whipped by Mommy and is hinted to not be able to satisfy her sexually.

Mommy: She symbolizes conformity gone wrong, having to have the agreed upon view of the American dream. This makes her unable to properly interact with other people, due to her inability to achieve this goal. She is generally mean spirited.

Mrs. Barker: She is an upper-class woman, who is generally perceived to not really care about the whole event and looks down upon mommy. She is what Mommy wants to be.

Young Man: He is hollow, he is the new American dream, he symbolizes how there is no true meaning behind the new American dream and that it is all flash and no substance.

Setting: Mommy and Daddy’s apartment, it serves as a middle class microcosm, and provides for the absurdity of much of what occurs.

Plot: The basic plot of the story is how Mommy and Daddy cannot achieve satisfaction. They often forget things and are ignorant and cold hearted. They are waiting for Mrs. Barker to arrive, but when she does they do not realize the real reason she is there and it is not revealed until the end. This reasons turns out to be bringing a new child for Mommy and Daddy to adopt, but Grandma and Mrs. Barker convince them and the Young man for the Young man to be the child instead. The story ends with Grandma leaving and breaking the fourth wall to make a few key points.

The style of the play is that of the Theatre of the Absurd, much of the play is ridiculous and seems unnecessary, the tone of most of the characters ridiculing one another. It is told in 3rd person with the only thing close to being a narrator is Grandma. The goal of this is to show how ridiculous those conforming are.

Quotes: 

“I no longer have the Capacity to feel anything” This quote from the Young Man represents how empty the new American dream is, and how the process that one goes through to get it can destroy one’s self.

“Why, any self-respecting woman would have gouged those eyes right out of its head” This statement from Mrs. Barker helps show Mommy’s cruelty, and willingness to do anything to get what she wants.

The theme of the play is how the new view of the American dream is causing those who would otherwise follow a different path an immense amount of displeasure and lack of satisfaction.

Open Prompt revision 4

1977.

 The classic image of the american dream is the house with the white picket fence and nuclear family. Edward Albee addresses the value of the aesthetic nature of the american dream in his play, The American Dream. Albee uses the repetition of Mommy changing subject with the acknowledgement of the boxes to show how only the exterior of the american dream is valued and how those who chase it tend to become more and more frustrated because they cannot support their ideals.

Initially Mommy is quite pleased with the job Grandma has done with the boxes, she does not care what is inside but she praises the exterior. When a conversation delves deeper, Mommy will immediately switch back to praising the boxes when she is challenged logically. Mommy has gotten so caught up in the appearance of life that she has neglected to acquire any logic to back her reasoning up. Even when she was a child and had lunch everyday, she would not unwrap the box because the appearance of her lunch was more important than the actual contents, which ironically are much more important in reality. Switching back to the boxes serves as a quick and reliable method for Mommy to ignore the details of her ideas.

After multiple changes of subject mommy is eventually fed up with the boxes and criticizes them quite harshly. She is focused solely on the image of the american dream and gets increasingly frustrated as it becomes clear that it will take more than wanting it and having a vague idea of what one wants to achieve it. By the end she has given up completely on the boxes, showing the completion of her transition to the new american dream, which is ushered in with the entering of the Young Man.

Edward Albee uses Mommy’s adoration of the aesthetics of the boxes and her gradual animosity toward them to show how society values the american dream only at face value. The Young Man has taken over as the new american dream of the household, but Grandma still plods along her boxes in tow.

Open prompt revision 3

1995 

The philosopher Hobbes viewed Humanity as naturally immoral, and incapable of ruling itself through democracy. Ayn Rand addressed this in her novel, Atlas Shrugged, where she displays the issues of mob rule by the ill-informed. Dagney's interactions with Dr. Staddler represent the broader implications of impulsive mob rule, in regards to its slowing down of societal progress and self damnation.

Dr. Staddler, the chief scientist in the government technology department reveals that he must condemn Rearden Metal in order to maintain his funding. Even though the substance is stronger and more efficient, and can solve many of the quality problems the industrial economy is facing, the masses being so un-informed condemn it, causing them to be deprived of an immensely beneficial producing that would remedy many of their woes in that sector of the economy.

The idea of fairness in the market place is what drives them, believing that anyone who gains an advantage is cheating and depriving others of their rights. Balph is a prime example, even though his literary works are awful, he demands that a limit be placed on the number of books that can be produced from a single author, which would garner him a competitive advantage. These ideas contribute further to the mob mentality which drives down society. If the number of books were limited them the masses would become even more ill-informed, only causing them to implode on themselves faster.

Atlas Shrugged, specifically the interactions of Dr. Staddler and Dagney, and the preachings of Balph exemplify the danger of impulsive mob rule. Without a leviathan of change, then this system is doomed to fail. 

Open prompt revision 2

2007.

 The old saying “If at first you don’t succeed, try try again” has little merit if one does not also learn from their mistakes. In The American Dream, Mommy and Daddy have had a dreadful experience with adopting a child, yet they attempt to go through it again, asking for the same instant gratification they requested before. Mommy and Daddy’s inability to come to terms with the past causes them to continue to pursue a conformist american dream and not be able to achieve satisfaction, and also represents the growing problem in America at the time.

White picket fences with two point five kids are the traditional images of the american dream. Daddy and Mommy have fallen prey to this and it results in them being compelled to adopt another child. Mommy is the biggest culprit to conformity as seen in her escapades in buying a hat. She needed to be on the same page with the chair of her woman’s club even if it meant causing a large amount of trouble for another human being. After the first child adoption went horribly wrong a normal person would most likely decide to not have another child, but Mommy is dead set on having her satisfaction, because she feels the need to be in line with the classic view of the American dream.

While Mommy and Daddy flounder around trying to gain happiness, the other person under their roof has found it. Though being constantly persecuted for her way of life, Grandma has found a weird sense of content with her situation. This is because she does not shift her opinion or way of life based on what those around her believe, she lives her life the way she wants to and gains happiness from it. Mommy and Daddy do not do this and therefore are always struggling to be satisfied, even though they have failed multiple times. They continually feel empty as evidenced by the continual inability to reach satisfaction with mundane things such as appliances failing. It even causes them to mistreat the one sane individual who is able to learn and adapt, so much so that she leaves the household. Instead of re-evaluating their lives though, they continually try to appease this faux american dream.

The inability to learn from the past has caused Mommy and Daddy to not be able to reach proper fulfillment in there lives. Albee clearly makes the point that until individuals act on their own will, they will never be happy, and that society must learn from other individuals failures in order to succeed.

Open prompt revision 1

1973

Battles are won and lost on discipline and strategy, not numbers or brute force alone. In Edward Albee’s, The American Dream, he displays how the old american dream is apparently being beaten down and forced out, but turns out to have been aware and in control the whole time. The ending of the American Dream is satisfactory because it reveals that grandma was in control the whole time, and that the true american dream cannot be usurped.

The first major example of grandma’s power in the conclusion, is that of her being able to talk to the audience. Breaking the fourth wall is a uncharacteristic aspect in plays, but Albee uses it masterfully. Unlike the rest of the characters, Grandma is actually able to talk to the audience, she is able to connect with those watching on a level that those prescribing to the new american dream cannot. Regardless of the apparent support the new american dream has the old american dream cannot be truly stamped out as it still resonates with with the general population.

Secondly the actual words that Grandma says to the audience serve to reinforce her position. The comments “Shhhhhh! I want to watch this” and “Well, I guess that just about wraps it up” show that she had manipulated her part to get them exactly where they were, and she knew exactly how it was going to end. Grandma’s actions show how the old american dream possesses the answers while the new american dream lacks much of any foresight.

The act of Grandma being able to speak to the audience and the actual words she says make the ending to the play very satisfactory because it reinforces the idea that the old american dream is superior to the new one. The late 1950s and much of the 1960s were a time of great change in american culture, there was mass backlash brewing against the consumerist mentality, but it shifted away from the classic idea of the american dream. Albee’s play appears to be a demonstration of what the true values that we should uphold are. 

Course Synthesis 4 What we read

The major works we’ve read :

The American Dream - Edward Albee 

First preformed January 24, 1961

Part of Theatre of the Absurd, though a rare addition due to its actual resolution

It is never made clear what specifically is the American Dream in the play, whether it is the idea, Grandma, or both

Focuses heavily on materialism and how people’s views are shaped by society and not what they truly want

Displays a negative view of the new american dream

Ceremony - Leslie Marmon Silko 

Written in 1977

Focuses on the redemption of a young laguna man’s spirit after being corrupted by the war and the world

Non-linear narrative

Heavily influenced by native practices and cultures 

Makes the case that the white culture will not go away and that the native culture will have to adapt to face it and overcome challenges

Death of a Salesman - Arthur Miller

First preformed in 1949

Another take on the american dream, focuses on the futility of it and the stress it causes those who can never achieve it

The stress it causes on a family is shown through the anguish that Linda feels

Shows that not all who cannot achieve the american dream are pure and suffering from the cruelty of the world

Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen 

Written in 1813

Takes aim at many of the views of what woman should be at the time, such as obedient, focused only on marriage, and dependent on a man

Sets up tiers of success based on how many of the true ideal qualities were exemplified 

Further attacks the system by displaying how the males of the society are often ignorant or inept and will lead the females to ruin or lesser standing unless they can fend for themselves 

Hamlet - William Shakespeare 

Written in the late 16th/ early 17th century 

Hamlet has more lines in this play than any other character in any other Shakespearean work

Not a lot of back story or stage direction, this ambiguity leaves a large amount to interpretation. This causes characters to be able to be viewed in multiple different angles, each causing a different meaning to be exacted from the play

Because every character can be seen in many ways, it is common for some people to think a character like Ophelia is pure, while others may view her as immoral

The fusion of Denmark and Elizabethan culture can often cause plot holes, and some belief needs to be suspended to maintain the somber attitude of the play

Course Synthesis 3 The Open Prompt

The open prompt: 

All of the literature we have read, all of the skills we have practiced, and most importantly the time we have spent is useless unless we can properly construct an essay for the AP exam. The open prompt is the format used, which entails an assignment of sorts, telling us to examine a work(s) and draw conclusions from the text.

For a successful open prompt the the first thing that needs to be done is breaking down the prompt itself:

Figure out what the question is, if you don’t follow through on the stated goals in the prompt then you cannot receive more than a 3

Isolate each goal individually, look for specific key words that can clue you in on what you are exactly looking for 

Reading the passage:

Take a first read without make any conjectures, just absorb the text

After the first read is complete, read it again looking for more specific items

Look at the goals that need to be accomplished and make conjectures from the text that fit those goals

Formulate a thesis based on the evidence, using DIDLS is the best way to make your point

The Intro:

It should be concise

Open broad, explain further relating to your text, then state your thesis

Fluff will get you no where

The intro is where you state the direction of the essay 

Be plain and clear, this is not the time to try to be overly fancy

The Body:

Each paragraph needs to provide evidence, no fluff for length 

The topic sentence should be broad 

Direct quotes should be worked into the sentences in order to provide evidence

The last sentence in the paragraph should relate back to the thesis 

There needs to be as many body paragraphs as needed to prove the point of the thesis 

Conclusion:

Start with a reworded thesis 

Ties the entire essay together 

It is a good idea to relate it to bigger picture, or the historical times surrounding when the piece was written

Avoid generic cliché closings

Course Synthesis 2 The multiple choice

Multiple choice: 

The multiple choice section on the AP exam can be approached much the same as the ACT reading section. 

You must first read the passage: 

It may seem obvious, but many people will jump straight to the questions and try to figure it out from there, without reading the passage then it is impossible to make accurate inference and analysis. This is because you will lack a feel for the tone and voice, and of course what words may refer to in a complex sentence. 

Think of an answer in your head:

Before you even look at the answer choices you should formulate an answer in your head. This will prevent you from falling into the trap of distraction questions and opposites. 

If the answer you thought of is there:

Great, verify it in the passage and move on.

If not: 

Look for the closest answer and go from there, you should be able to eliminate a few of the answers right off the bat. Refer back to the text for information. Look at the sentences around the specific one you are analyzing also, they may provide information relating to the question.

Course Synthesis 1 Close reading

Close Reading :

Close reading is a technique of using DIDLS to gleam deeper meaning from the text and explain that meaning. 

D - Diction:

Diction is the word choice by the author. It is not phrases or sentences, it is individual words. Different words evoke different emotions and feelings even though they may have the same meaning, the fact that an author chose a specific word may have great importance.

I- Imagery:

The image that you get from the text has a major impact on how you feel about it and whether or not it is successful in its goal. In an opinion piece aimed at swaying the reader towards a certain position, there will often be strong language that appeals to the senses that creates a negative image about the opposition. It can also be used in stories to exact a greater feel or excitement or dread.

D- Details: 

Details are the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the reading. They contain important diction and contribute heavily to images. Details are exceedingly important because without strong detail the reader cannot understand the text at a very high level.

L- Language:

Language can be displayed through regional dialects, and is used to establish the tone of a piece. Language is a constant effect and not shown through one single piece of diction.

S- Syntax:

Syntax is the structure and form of a piece. Form follows function so the way something put together can often have a major effect. Such as important parts of sentences being at the end instead of the beginning.