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.