Top-Rated Free Essay
Preview

Yes This Is Great

Better Essays
10846 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Yes This Is Great
2008

In a literary work, a minor character, often known as foil, possesses traits that emphasize, by contrast or comparison, the distinctive characteristics and qualities of the main character. For example, the ideas or behavior of the minor character might be used to highlight the weaknesses or strengths of the main character.

Choose a novel or play in which a minor character serves as a foil to a main character. Then write an essay in which you analyze how the relation between the minor character and the major character illuminates the meaning of the work.

You may choose a work from the list below or another appropriate novel or play of similar literary quality. Do not merely summarize the plot.

(Suggested time—40 minutes. This question counts as one-third of the total essay section score.)

The Age of Innocence
Alias Grace
All the King’s Men
All the Pretty Horses
Anna Karenina
Billy Budd
The Brothers Karamazov
Catch-22
Cold Mountain
The Color Purple
Don Quixote
Emma
Equus
Frankenstein
Glass Menagerie
Henry IV, Part I
Huckleberry Finn
Invisible Man
King Lear
The Kite Runner
The Misanthrope
The Piano Lesson
Pride and Prejudice
Pygmalion
Reservation blues
The Sound and the Fury
A Streetcar Named Desire
Sula
A Tale of Two Cities
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Tom Jones
Wuthering Heights
2008 AP English Literature Scoring Guide
Question #3: Function of a Foil

General Directions: This scoring guide will be useful for most of the essays that you read, but in problematic cases, please consult your table leader. The score that you assign should reflect your judgment of the quality of the essay as a whole—its content, its style, its mechanics. Reward the writers for what they do well. The score for an exceptionally well-written essay may be raised by one point above the otherwise appropriate score. In no case may a poorly written essay be scored higher than a three (3).

|9-8 |These essays offer a well-focused and persuasive analysis of how a foil or minor character emphasizes, by contrast or comparison, the distinctive |
| |characteristics and qualities of a main character. Using apt and specific textual support, these essays fully explore that relationship and |
| |demonstrate what it contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole. Although not without flaws, these essays make a strong case for their |
| |interpretation and discuss the literary work with significant insight and understanding. Generally, essays scored a nine (9) reveal more sophisticated|
| |analysis and more effective control of language than do essays scored an eight (8). |
|7-6 |These essays offer a reasonable analysis of how a foil emphasizes, by contrast or comparison, the distinctive characteristics and qualities of a main |
| |character. They explore that relationship and demonstrate what it contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole. These essays show insight and |
| |understanding, but the analysis is less thorough, less perceptive, and/or less specific in supporting detail than that of the 9-8 essays. Generally, |
| |essays scored a seven (7) present better developed analysis and ore consistent command of the elements of effective composition than do essays scored a|
| |six. (6) |
|5 |These essays respond to the assigned task with a plausible reading, but they tend to be superficial or underdeveloped in analysis. They often rely |
| |upon plot summary that contains some analysis, implicit or explicit. Although the writers attempt to discuss how the foil illuminates the distinctive |
| |characteristics and qualities of a main character and how the relationship contributes to the work as a whole, they may demonstrate a rather simplistic|
| |understanding of the work. Typically, these essays reveal unsophisticated thinking and/or immature writing. The essays demonstrate adequate control |
| |of language, but they may lack effective organization and may be marred by surface errors. |
|4-3 |These lower-half essays offer a less than thorough understanding of the task or a less than adequate treatment of it. They reflect an incomplete or |
| |over simplified understanding of the work, or they may fail to establish the relationship between the foil and a main character. They may not address |
| |or develop a response to how that relationship contributes to the work as a whole, or they may rely on plot summary alone. Their assertions may be |
| |unsupported or even irrelevant. Often wordy, elliptical, or repetitious, these essays may lack control over the elements of college-level composition.|
| |Essays scored a three (3) may contain significant misreading an demonstrate inept writing. |
|2-1 |Although these essays make some attempt to respond to the prompt, they compound the weaknesses of the papers in the 4-3 range. Often, they are |
| |unacceptably brief or are incoherent in presenting ideas. They may be poorly written on several counts and contain distracting errors in grammar and |
| |mechanics. The writer’s remarks are presented with little clarity, organization, or supporting evidence. Particularly inept. Vacuous, and/or |
| |incoherent essays must be scored a one (1). |
|0 |These essays give a response with no more than a reference to the task. |
|— |These essays are either left blank or are completely off-topic. |

Question #3: Function of a Foil
Sample Essays

Sample VV

In John Knowles’ A Separate Peace, Gene and Phineas are the ultimate foils to each other’s characters. Gene’s self-depreciation serves to make himself minor and secondary to Finny’s overwhelming presence; it is this dismissal of this own self-worth that highlight’s Finny’s supposed greatness and talent: Gene’s portrayal of himself is what fuels his and the reader’s perception of Finny.

Gene always emphasizes his own ineptitude: he is scrawnier (those famous ten punds lighter), less athletic, less popular, and his can talk his way out of very little: he is less pervasive and personable. Finny can be seen as vivacious and manipulative but Gene’s depiction of himself overshadowed by Finny rarely lets these traits come through.

Sample X

In the Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, the character Huang Taitai serves as a foil for main character Lindo Jong. Huang’s personality emphasizes Lindo’s qualities by contrast. The distinct relationship between the two aids to illuminate the meaning of the literary work. In reaction to Huang’s actions, Lindo reveals who she is and finds her inner, at first unknown, strength.

Lindo Jong finds herself engaged to Tyan-yu, son of Huang, when a flood in their village destroys Lindo’s home. Lindo must separate from her family, but promises she will behave and not destroy the family’s reputation. But Lindo soon finds out this arrangement is not as easy as she thought it would be because Huang does not seem to be in her favor. Huang treats Lindo as if she were an ordinary servant, forcing her to do menial tasks such as cooking all the meals and cleaning the house. But through these endless tasks, Lindo builds her character. She learns to do things with dexterity and perfection. She can smell if something she cooked was too salty without tasting it, and could sew so well, it looked as if the designs were painted on. Lindo learned to pride herself in these accomplishments because they were all she had. Lindo received no love or appreciation from her soon to be mother in law and husband. Tyan-yu did whatever he could to upset her and Huang criticized everything she did and thought Lindo was not good enough for the family. Due to the treatment Lindo received on a daily basis, Huang was able to brainwash Lindo into thinking she had a good life here, and that she owed everything she had to Huang, and in turn had to do all that she wanted.

But later on, Lindo recognizes what Huang had done to her on her wedding day. Huang had taken away Lindo’s spirit and mentality of her self worth, and replaced it with what Huang wanted. As Lindo looked into the mirror before she got married, she once again felt empowered. She decided she would get out of the marriage, without bringing shame unto her family. When a servant performed a night long ritual of watching a burning candle last all night to represent the never ending marriage between Lindo and Tyan-yu, Lindo looked on because she couldn’t sleep. She hated Tyan-yu and Haung and wished the candle would be blown out by the wind. When this actually happened is he realized her power and was even more determined to escape the belittling marriage. And so Lindo cleverly came up with a plan about how if the marriage continued, Tyan-Yu’s grandparents would kill him because the marriage was not meant to be. When she told Huang her story, she persuaded the whole family it was true. Then Huang let Lindo leave with her pride, and a unknown but new future ahead of her.

All the actions in the relationship between Huang and Lindo illuminated the meaning of The Joy Luck Club. The book is all about the strength of individuals knowing self worth, and being true to yourself. Because of Huangs treatment to Lindo, she found the power within herself to not just accept this forced marriage, and do something to change it. It shows that everyone has a say in what his or her future is, and that not standing up for yourself is just quietly giving up. By coming up with the ingenious plan, Lindo stayed true to herself, by doing what she thought was best for herself and would make her happy. But by leaving in a seemingly respectful and truthful way to Huang, Lindo proved to be still obedient to her parents wishes and orders, which she held in high esteem. The Huangs could not therefore curse and lookdown upon Lindo’s family, because Lindo was a good daughter in law and wife. Lindo in the end, realized her self worth. During her days in Huangs house, she was taught to think of herself as nothing, but soon formed her new ideology in knowing her worth. She said that “everyear I buy myself 24 carat gold bracelets because I know what I am worth.” She learned to respect herself and therefore illustrated the themes and meaning of the book.

Amy Tan’s book the Joy Luck Club wisely uses the minor character of Huang Taitai to act as a foil to Lindo Jung. Huangs relationship with Lindo emphasized Lindo’s qualities and strengths she did not even acknowledge she had possessed. The dinstinct relationship between these two characters serves to greatly illuminate the meanings of the book. Huang Taitai helped to highlight and emphasize all of Lindo’s good qualities.

Sample A

In Frankenstein, the monster was Victor’s foil. The monster did both, he hilighted his strengths as well as showed his weaknesses.

When the monster’s life was created it showed Victor’s brilliance in the science laboratory. With the creation of the monster, Victor became scared and ran away to start a new life without completeing the past.

Sample CCC

Jane Austen’s Emma is initially described as “clever, handsome, and rich,” but her faults are evident through her actions. She is self-assured as she thinks she set up Miss Tayler into her marriage. When she tries to set up Harriet she repeatedly fails. Harriet’s character is almost the complete opposite of Emma’s. As a foil character her traits contrast wonderfully with Emma’s even evolving as Emma does. While Emma think she is helping Harriet by being her friend, the reader realizes that the friendship is only for her own amusement.

Harriet is introduced as a girl without family who is poor, and owns a dull wit. Emma’s family is everything to her, she is praised for her cleverness, and perfectly capable of living off of her own inheritance. What Emma lacks is Harriet’s good tempered will and nicety. While she finds Harriet a nice girl without social ambitions, her identity is fluid. Emma molds her into the monster of her own creation and she is repulsed by what she sees in herself. When Mr. Martin asks Harriet to wed Harriet is delighted. Of course, Emma’s thoughts on marriage and society would never allow for this marriage. Her own hypocrises and society’s mean edge are expressed in Mr. Elton who seems glamourous and fine, but treats women as a dowry. Harriet values character in her husband, the Martins offer her a family and a home, Emma’s evils are the only thing that stop Harriet’s happiness. Harriet is a nice girl who takes care of her old school teacher. Emma, blessed as she is, insults the poor Mrs. Bates and refuses to give a warm welcome to Jane Fairfax. Harriet is a girl alien to Emma’s ways, the infiltration of social climbing into her life brings out the worst in her.

Having been brought up without money and with a poor education, Harriet is unprepared for Emma’s acts. The two men whom Harriet goes after while intoxicated with the social ladder each want on an attribute which Harriet can never obtain. Mr. Elton makes it clear that he wanted to marry money. Mrs. Elton is a much worse wife than Harriet would have been, but he seems to pay no notice. Harriet’s chances of being born poor bring out Emma’s riches. She feels pity for Harriet and Mrs. Bates for being poor, and it speaks to the rigid roles of society which Emma thought she could bend and break. Harriet could never afford tutors and her stupidity is shown when she is confused by a simple riddle. Emma solves it quickly, but falls victim to her own fault of turning it into whatever suits her best. Harriet is molded by Emma, which ultimately must be reversed.

Emma learns in the end that her own composure is too rigid. Like Harriet, she must be able to change at the recommendation of her betters. Although she is fortunate to have money and wit, she learns from Harriet that she must have contentment with her situation. Her fears of losing her home or money are gone when she reforms and agrees to marry Mr. Knightley. She is ashamed of her outburst to Mrs. Bates during their outing. Blessed with fortune, everything Emma lacked was present in Harriet. Both girls go through changes that are necessary to their well-being. They end up where they belong within the social structure and both happy with their husbands and their lives.

Sample G

“For you, a thousand times over,” Hassan replies when Amir asks him to run his kite. Hassan loves Amir. Hassan has strength and bravery that Amir could not dream of. Amir only thinks of himself, while Hassan puts others first. In The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini uses the minor character of Hassan to show everything that Amir is not.

Hassan and Amir seem to be the best of friends. When faced with a choice, Hassan backs Amir one hundred percent. While Amir refuses to stand up against Assef for Hassan, Hassan will risk getting beat up to save Amir. Hosseini uses an early example of this to show how dedicated Hassan is to Amir, and by contrast how Amir is ashamed of Hassan. Hassan believes Amir no matter what. When Amir is cruel and tells Hassan incorrect meanings of words, Hassan trusts Amir’s words completely. Amir is cruel to Hassan to boost his own confidence, and Hassan does not even notice because he loves Amir so much. Finally, Hassan sacrifices himself for Amir. Assef rapes Hassan because he will not give up Amir’s kite. Amir contrasts Hassan because he sees this happening but does not try to stop it for fear of losing his prize.

Hassan proves his strength more the more Amir shows his weakness. He never tells about the rape. He is strong because he wants Amir to have what he wants, Baba’s love. Amir is weak, because he cannot bear to look at Hassan or apologize. Instead, he seeks punishment for atonement. He asks Hassan to hit him, but this plan backfires because Hassan takes the pomegranate and hits himself. Hassan’s strength directly contrasts Amir’s weakness. Amir thinks of himself first. He frames Hassan for stealing so he will get kicked out of his home and Amir won’t have to look at his guilt every day. Hassan still does not betray Amir. This final straw causes the reader to see Hassan as all good and Amir as all bad.

However, near the end of the book, Amir quests for atonement, and the foil changes sides. We see Amir’s change through comparison with Hassan. He becomes brave and fights Assef to save Hassan’s son and gets a harelip like Hassan. The harelip represents Amir beginning to sacrifice himself for Hassan and thus becoming more like him. Amir gains Hassan’s bravery, too. He faces things that scare him to death. His strength and bravery increase to closer to Hassan’s level. Finally, Amir adopts Sohrab, Hassan’s son, and reaches Hassan’s level of dedication. He runs a kite for Sohrab and tell him, “For you, a thousand times over.” This symbolizes the completion of his transformation into a Hassan-like servant.

Though the book begins using Hassan as a contrast to Amir, Amir’s transformation is shown through comparison to Hassan. Hassan had embodied the suffering servant, and Amir reached atonement for everything wrong he did to Hassan by becoming a suffering servant himself. The interesting comparison-contrast technique of these two foil characters effectively reveals Amir’s characterization from beginning to end. Though Hassan is a minor character according to his appearance in the novel, he is a huge force on Amir and on the reader throughout the moving story of two friends and one’s redemption.

Sample Z

In The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner, all three brothers contribute to the downfall of their sister Caddy Campson. The relation between the minor character’s and the major character in this novel are signifigant.

All of the brothers in this novel are all important to the downfall of Caddy. When Caddy becomes pregnant at a young age and is married by the time she is 18, her brothers become furious. They used to be overprotective of their sisters but no longer are they. They all play an important role in Caddy’s life and she respect’s them for that. In The Sound and the Fury their are three long chapters. Each different one focusing in on a different brother. Caddy serves as the mother of the house when MaMa dies in the beginning of the novel. All of the brothers at young ages learn valuable lessons from their sister.

These are some ways in how minor characters contruble to the foil of the main character. This is evident in The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner.

Sample NN

The Color Purple highlights the life of Celie, as a young black girl, raised in an oppressive male society. With no mother, Celie’s father took complete control of her life, forcing her to even have sex with him. Celie continued to face male dominance and a lack of free will. However, through the help of female relationships, Celie finds her true self. Although he only appears in the first of the novel, Celie’s father’s actions impact the rest of her life. As Celie faces traumatic experience from the oppressive men, her close friends help her find meaning in life and reach self-actualization.

Before Celie can reach her full potential, she must complete the lower levels of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. However, the second level of needs of love and belonging cannot be met through her father. In her early teens, Celie’s father rapes her, leaving a lasting memory. With noone to turn to, Celie has no means of coping with her fears; therefore she believes she should sucuumb to a man’s demand. When Celie’s father forces her into a marriage, he merely wants to rid himself of the burden of having a daughter. Whenever Celie’s new husband orders her to cook or clean, she obliges. Therefore, she submits her free will and cannot reach self-actualization. As Celie encounters other women through the novel, they too believe in obeying their husband’s every command. Being oppressed by this, male dominance gives Celie no freedom to choose; furthermore, she lives a life dependent on the dominant males. Celie’s father’s one small action at the start of the novel dictates her actions through the first half of her life. Celie has no voice or opinion and feels that she has found her place in the world. Celie did not realize that she sacrificed her free will and cut herself short from her true potential.

Had Celie not found strength in her strong female bonds, she would have never reached self-actualization. When Celie meets Shug, her entire life changes. Shug was an independent woman whom no one could stop. Therefore, Shug teaches Celie how to be her self. When Celie first encounters Shug, she was singing Karaoke at a bar. Shug has a domineering personality who does not listen to any men. By helping Celie learn to say “no” to oppressive men, Shug ultimately leads her to her true self. Celie discovers her passion for making jeans. She can make jeans for every size and shape with unique designs of the customer’s choice. With Shugs love and affection, she inspires Celie to reach for her dreams. Rather than being constrained by men, Celie separates from the oppressive male figures in her life and declares herself independent of all others. When Celie establishes her own business for making jeans, she becomes completely economically independent. Since Shug gives Celie the love and sense of belonging that she needs, Celie can continue up maslow’s hierarchy. With Celie’s new sense of free will, she can identify her true self. The strong female bonds Celie develops allow her to reach self-actualization and establish her self-worth.

Although Celie’s father makes a brief appearance at the start of the novel, he attempts to affect Celie’s life. Serving as a foil, he represents every characteristic that Celie learns not to be. Therefore, with the help of her female friends, Celie finds her true identity. She learns to overcome the traumatic experiences of her adolescence and continues life with a new sense of hope. Shug provides the love and belonging Celie needs to complete Maslow’s hierarchy; therefore, she ultimately reaches self-actualization. Through this process,. Celie becomes independent from all dominant males and finds her true self.

Sample M

Obsession is a mysterious enemy. It lurks everywhere throughout the world, anticipating the precise moment when it can grasp someone’s innocence and hope. Once it grabs hold of a life, it tightens its grip and is determined to never let go. A victim of obsession falls to its overpowering strength and loses all sense of normal consciousness. He or she must have perpetual endurance to conquer this illness, but some never do. The unexplainable effects of obsession is a major theme in the novel Catch-22. The protagonist Yossarian is a victim to obsession. His fear of death is so intense and compelling that it dictates his life. One of his close friends McWatt possesses contrasting traits but, never-the-less, is always looking out for Yossarian. Through McWatt and Yossarian’s close friendship and varying characteristics, Catch-22 conveys the theme that obsession can take control of one’s life.

In this novel Yossarian is displayed as an intelligent, fearful man. He is obsessed with the fear of death but ironically does not outwardly express sympathy towards others’ fatality. This fear dominates Yossarian’s life and is the main basis for all his action. One of his closes friends McWatt, however, is characterized by contrasting traits. McWatt does not fear death but rather completes his duty of flying in the war with honor, excitement, and joy. These characteristics of McWatt emphasize Yossarian’s fear of death. At one instance in the novel, McWatt is operating the plane, flying extremely fast and low to the ground, simply for thrill and excitement. Yossarian is passenger on the plane at the time, and his obsession suddenly envelopes his personality and rational thinking. Yossarian becomes so frightened he threatens to murder McWatt, tightening his grip around McWatt’s neck. These characters contrasting personalities illuminates the theme of the novel that obsession can dictate one’s actions as well as one’s life.

The closeness of Yossarian and McWatt also displays the power of obsession. During the war McWatt’s caring heart causes him to commit suicide. Yossarian is present to witness McWatt’s death and is extremely affected by it. McWatt’s fatality is one instance in the book where Yossarian shows grief for somebody other than himself. Because Yossarian and McWatt shared such a close relationship, Yossarian’s obsession grew. He not only was affected by his fear of his death but the actual fatality of a friend.

These two characters shared a close relationship but were seemingly different people. Their choice of actions throughout the novel as well as their reactions to certain events emphasized the theme of the novel. Obsession is an illness which is fueled by many events and can consume one’s life entirely.

Sample D

The minor characters in a literary novel which are sometimes overlooked can often times play a large role in the book. They can do this by really in someway helping or even hurting the main charecter. Also the minor charecter can be the highlighter of many main charecters strengths and weaknesses. This is apparent in the novel Catcher in the Rye by J. D Salinger.

In this novel the main charecter Holden Caulfield goes through series of issues ranging from being thrown out of his school and his problems with drugs and alcohol. Through most of this he is alone but keeps mentioning his baby sister Pheobe who later really turns out to be Holdens confidont. Holden meets up with Pheobe finally when he is left with no where to go but sneek back into his parents house. This is where he reveals himself to Pheobe who immeadiatty trys to help Holden by offering him the money which she has.

A very significant scene in the novel is when Holden takes Pheobe into the park and she runs off to go ride the carosel. As Holden is sitting there watching Pheobe he wishes to himself that he could be able to save all the little children before they fall. This is where the title of the novel gets its significance from. Pheobe helps reveal despite Holdens issues he still has one great strength. Also when Holden decided not to take the money from Pheobe it portrayed Holden as a charecter with more morals then what the reader though he was at that point. Minor charecters help shape the entire novel by revealing who the main charecter is. We see this in Catcher in the Rye when Pheobe shows Holden to be a kind a caring person.

Sample ZZ

In Ayn Rand’s novel Atlas Shrugged, female railroad owner Dagny Taggart attempts to maintain her railways in the face of nationalization of industry, government coercion, economic collapse, and John Galt’s “strike of the mind.” Both Taggart and Galt understand that the creativity and Ingenuity of the thinkers and industrialists is what keeps society together. However, both Taggart and Galt differ significantly in their approaches. Taggart believes in a moral obligation to society and thus attempts to maintain her railways to keep society from collapsing. Galt, however, believes that each individual is an end to himself and that therefore the only obligation each person should have is to himself. Thus, John Galt acts as the philosophical foil to Dagny Taggart. Galt’s complete free-market approach to capitalism directly highlights Taggart’s belief in moral obligation and eventually drives Taggart to abandon her views and adopt Galt’s.

The enigmatic John Galt does not appear in the novel for the first two-thirds of it, but his presence is clearly felt. Throughout the novel, thinkers and industrialist mysteriously disappear as society becomes more coercive and collectivist. As the government nationalizes more industry and instills greater control, more industrialists disappear and without their guidance, society hastens toward collapse. It is later discovered that the industrialists are leaving because John Galt is convincing them to join his “strike of the mind.” Galt convinces them to drop their moral obligation to a society that chains them and steals from them. Taggart refuses to follow Galt, believing that she is morally obligated to uphold the society that initially made her successful. Galt counters by telling her, “For centuries, the battle of morality was fought between those who claimed that your life belongs to God and those who claimed your life belongs to your neighbors…and no one came to say that your life belongs to you and that the good is to live it.” When Taggart comments that it is her duty to curb the evil in the world, Galt rebuts that, “The evil of the word is made possible by nothing but the sanction you give it.” Thus, by continuing to uphold a coercive society, Taggart is sanctioning its existence and allowing it to propagate. Galt tells Taggart that the only solution is to leave the coercive society that forces its control, thus sanctioning the worth of the individual, rejecting the control of society, and therefore rejecting the evils that it incurs in the name of moral obligation.

Throughout the novel, Taggart keeps the ultimate good of society in mind. When the government passes an illogical law that would curb the public good, Taggart acts illegally to keep society running. Galt acted in a contrasting manner. When Galt had worked at Twentieth Century Motors, the company passed a policy that would compensate workers by taking from those with the most skill and giving to those with the most need. The company stagnated as each individual attempted to present himself as the least skilled and most needy. Galt thus destroyed his work and began his strike of the mind. Taggart initially believes that the mind and labor must work together for the common good, and that the two are on equal terms. Galt vehemently disagrees and tells her that she cannot join the strike of the mind until she swears the oath, “I swear by my life and my love of it that I will live for the sake of no man nor will I ask him to live for mine.” Galt’s individualistic streak embodies his view of the power of the mind. It is the mind, not labor, that makes production possible. Thus, it is the mind that must guide labor. He rejects the view of the forced moral obligation of collectivism and Taggart’s belief that the mind must live for the benefit of labor. Galt tells Taggart that it is an unfair burden. The individual is a mean unto himself and forced morality undermines the worth of the individual. Such moral obligation to society is ultimately unfair as it is for Atlas to hold up the weight of the world on his shoulders. Galt pleads with Taggart to let her burden go and thus reclaim herself. Taggart eventually agrees and joins Galt’s strike. Society soon collapses without the guidance of the industrialists and the strikers begin planning for their return to rebuild it.

The relationship between Dagny Taggart and John Galt characterize two opposing philosophies. Taggart believes in self-sacrifice and will stay to help society, no matter how much it abuses her. Galt eventually convinces her that such moral obligation is an unfair burden on the individual – it is akin to taking from an individual based on skill and redistributing based on need. Galt is the opposition to the forced moral obligation of collectivism and the champion of individuality, capitalism, and innovation. Galt rejects the brutish control of labor. Taggart is the individual who feels indebted to society despite the harms that it inflicts on her. Taggarts eventual movement to Galt’s camp represents reclamation of individuality.

Sample FF

Black ink does not stand out well on dark blue paper. Rather, the contrast it has with white paper allows it to be read much more easily. This same idea applies to literature. Often a foil is introduced in order to emphasize the traits of the main character. In Charles Dickens’s social-commentary novel, Great Expectations, a minor character, Bentley Drummle, acts as a foil to the protagonist, Pip. The differences between the two support Dickens’s belief that social status is not truly important.

Bentley Drummle and Pip possess nearly opposite sets of characteristics. Bentley is part of society’s upper class. Pip begins his life as a common working boy, though he eventually makes his way up the social ladder. While he advances his social status, he studies for long hours to become educated and refined. Bentley, on the other hand, is uneducated despite his ample opportunities. He is also rude, mean, and slovenly, contrasting with Pip’s overall kindness and attempts to be a real gentleman. Dickens sets up this comparison so that he can later show the effects of being a lazy upper-class slob or a hard-working, good-mannered common man.

The most important difference between the two characters’ actions exists in their relationships with the beautiful and fair orphan, Estella. Pip falls madly in love with Estella from an early age and does everything he can to win her approval; however, Estella rejects him because of his low status in society, ignoring all of his admirable qualities. Years after Pip loses touch with Estella, he finds out that she has married the undesirable Bentley Drummle. Unfortunately, her upper-class husband beats her and makes her miserable. Bentley dies, and Estella eventually reunites with Pip. Having married for status only and having seen that rich men are not necessarily the most wealthy in personality, Estella apologizes to Pip. She realizes that Pip’s good nature and enduring love are infinitely more important than whether or not he has nice clothes and fancy possessions. Compared to Bentley, Pip treats Estella much better despite his status. Estella had married Bentley for the same reason that she had rejected Pip: she only cared about status. After seeing Bentley’s true qualities, she understands that Pip’s honesty and gentleness outweigh what class he was brought up in.

Dickens’s use of Bentley Drummle to mirror Pip helps him to prove his point about the uselessness of social classes. One of Dickens’s main beliefs was that how one person treats others is the only characteristic that we should judge. In his novel, he lets the kind-hearted Pip end up with the beautiful girl, rather than the abusive, yet upper-class Bentley. Class, status, and money are not effective measures of a person’s worth. Though Bentley was born into a better family, he possesses all of the bad traits that Pip does not have. Pip, the common boy who must struggle his way to the top, has several positive qualities which stand out from those of his foil. With this comparison, Dickens demonstrates one of the main themes in his novel: social stratification is futile, and the only part of a person that matters is the heart.

Readers expect some point to be made as Dickens describes Bentley and Pip as nearly exact opposites and sends them after the same girl. Pip is the undisputed champion despite his humble upbringing. The comparison between he and his foil is a tool for Dickens’s criticism of his hierarchical society.

Sample CCCC

The literary novel Crime and Punishment includes two friends that are a foil to one another. Raskolnikov and Razumihin are two close friends that have two distinct characters. These two friends help support the meaning of the work which explores the meaning and value of a human life.

First, Raskolnikov, the main character, and Razumihin have two different personalities. Raskolnikov is very idealistic and ambitious. Razumihin on the other hand is very faithful and loyal. Raskolnikov feels that he is more intelligent than the common man and so thinks he has more rights and priviliges. He proposes and commits a crime of murdering a pawn broker and her sister. Razumihin then, not knowing that Raskolnikov committed the crime, takes care of Raskolnikov when he slips into a delusional state. Raskolnikov’s harsh personality is contrasted by Razumihin’s steady loyalty and kindness as a friend. Razumihin’s character contrasting with Raskolnikov’s better illuminiates the theme of Crime and Punishment. While Raskolnikov places different values on different peoples’ lives Razumihin cares for all human life.

In summation, Crime and Punishment involves two key characters: Raskolnikov and his foil Razumihin. Their differing personalities help further the meaning of the novel. While the final interpretation of the meaning is left to the reader, these two characters help uplift and give examples for what the meaning is.

Question #3: Function of a Foil

Sample VV 2 Sample X 8 Sample A 1 Sample CCC 7 Sample G 7 Sample Z 2 Sample NN 6 Sample M 5 Sample D 3 Sample ZZ 9 Sample FF 8 Sample CCCC 4

2007—Open Question

In many works of literature, past events can affect, positively or negatively, the present actions, attitudes, or values of a character. Choose a novel or play in which a character must contend with some aspect of the past, either personal or societal. Then write an essay in which you show how the character’s relationship to the past contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole.

You may choose a work from the list below or another appropriate novel or play of similar literary merit. Do not merely summarize the plot. (Suggested time—40 minutes.)

Absalom, Absalom!
All the King’s Men
The American
Atonement
The Awakening
Beloved
The Blind Assassin
The Bonesetter’s Daughter
The Cherry Orchard
Cry, the Beloved Country
Death of a Salesman
An Enemy of the People
Ethan Frome
Fifth Business
The Fixer
Great Expectations
The great Gatsby
The House of Mirth
Jane Eyre
The Kite Runner
Long Day’s Journey into Night
Lord Jim
Middlemarch
Moby-Dick
The Moor’s Last Sigh
Mrs. Dalloway
Native Speaker
Obasan
A Passage to India
Persuasion
The Piano Lesson
Ragtime
A Separate Peace
A Streetcar Named Desire
The Tempest
Tess of the D’Urbervilles
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Wuthering Heights

2007 AP ENGLISH LITERATURE SCORING GUIDELINE
Question 3: The Effect of Past Events on the Actions, Attitudes or Values of a Character

General Directions: This scoring guide will be useful for most of the essays that you read, but in problematic cases, please consult your table leader. The score you assign should reflect your judgment of the quality of the essay as a whole—its content, its style, its mechanics. Reward the writers for what they do well. The score for an exceptionally well-written essay may be raised by one point above the otherwise appropriate score. In no case may a poorly written essay be scored higher than a three (3).

|9-8 |These essays offer a well-focused and persuasive analysis of how a character’s relationship to the past affects the character’s actions, attitudes, or |
| |values. Using apt and specific textual support, these essays fully explore that relationship and demonstrate what it contributes to the meaning of the work|
| |as a whole. Although not without flaws, these essays make a strong case for their interpretation and discuss the literary work with significant insight |
| |and understanding. Generally, essays scored a nine (9) reveal more sophisticated analysis and more effective control of language than do essays scored an|
| |eight (8). |
|7-6 |These essays offer a reasonable analysis of how a character’s relationship to the past affects the character’s actions, attitudes, or values. These essays |
| |explore that relationship and demonstrate what it contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole. These works have insight and understanding, but the |
| |analysis is less thorough, less perceptive, and/or less specific in supporting detail than that of the 9-8 essays. Generally, essays scored a seven (7) |
| |present better developed analysis and more consistent command of the elements of effective composition than those scored a six (6). |
|5 |These essays respond to the assigned task with a plausible reading, but tend to be superficial or undeveloped in their analysis. They often rely upon plot |
| |summary that contains some analysis, implicit or explicit. Although the writers attempt to discuss the effect of the past on the actions, attitudes, or |
| |values of a character and what that relationship contributes to the work as a whole, they may demonstrate a rather simplistic understanding of the work. |
| |Typically, these essays reveal unsophisticated thinking and/or immature writing. The writers demonstrate adequate control of language, but their essays |
| |lack effective organization and may be marred by surface errors. |
|4-3 |These lower-half essays offer a less than thorough understanding of the task or a less than adequate treatment of it. They reflect an incomplete or |
| |oversimplified understanding of the work, or they may fail to establish the nature of the effect of the past on a character’s actions, attitudes, or values.|
| |They may not address or develop a response to how that relationship contributes to the work as a whole, or they may rely on plot summary alone. Their |
| |assertions may be unsupported or even irrelevant. Often wordy, elliptical, or repetitious, these essays may lack control over the elements of |
| |college-level composition. Essays scored a three (3) may contain significant misreadings and demonstrate inept writing. |
|2-1 |Although these essays make some attempt to respond to the prompt, they compound the weaknesses of the papers in the 4-3 range. Often, they are unacceptably|
| |brief or are incoherent in presenting their ideas. They may be poorly written on several counts and contain distracting errors in grammar and mechanics. |
| |The writer’s remarks are presented with little clarity, organization, or supporting evidence,\. Particularly inept, vacuous, and/or incoherent essays must |
| |be scored a one (1). |
|0 |These essays make no more than a reference to the task. |
|— |These essays are either left blank or are completely off-topic. |

Question #3
The Effect of Past Events on the Actions, Attitudes or Values of a Character

Sample C

In “The Great Gatsby”, Jay Gatsby falls in love with a girl named Daisy while he is in the army and the rest of his actions in the novel are motivated solely by his desire to obtain her. Throughout the novel Gatsby does many things in order to gain the love of Daisy which eventually lead to his death. Gatsby’s love of Daisy in the past which leads to his later obsession contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole by emphasizing the novel’s theme that money cannot buy happiness. When Gatsby is first introduced in the Novel, he is an extremely wealthy man. It is later revealed in the noel that Gatsby was once poor and gained his wealth through illegitimate business practices. His sole motivation to gain so much wealth was to permanently win the love of Daisy, who he had a short relationship with while he was poor and in the army. Gatsby does many things throughout the novel in an attempt to get Daisy to leave her husband to be with him. He throws lavish parties, spends time with Daisy, shows off his wealth, but those things are enough to get Daisy her husband. Gatsby’s own death is eventually caused by his obsession when he allows Daisy to drive his car. Daisy hits and kills a woman while driving, and Gatsby hides the car and tells no one in order to protect her. The dead woman’s husband eventually finds out that Gatsby was the owner of the car and then precedes to go to his house and shoot him. The novel’s theme that money can’t buy hapiness is shown by Gatsby’s inability to let the past go. Gatsby tries to win back the love of Daisy through money, but ends up becoming even more unhappy and eventually in a way causes his own death, although not directly. If Gatsby had been able let go of the past, he wouldn’t of destroyed his own life.

Sample S

In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein made many choices that were far from wise. As a result of his actions, his dreams were crushed and his life eventually taken fro him. His creation, deemed a monster by the ideals of society, was left without a source of guidance or comfort, and therefore became forever fixated upon his beginning. While Victor Frankenstein may be seen as the main character of the novel, his creation is truly the fuel for action and motion throughout the work. Because he is spurned by society due to his appearance, he has little hope for a future other than solitude and separation. He is therefore forced to dwell on his past; Victor and his abandonment. Although his existence is wretched, the monster in actuality has quite a benevolent nature. The first part of his life he hopes for redemption, and believes he can achieve it. His memory of Victor fuels the need and want of a family. However, most of the action in the novel is caused by the monster’s rage. He is forced to re-live his initial abandonment by the rejection of the family he watches, and Victor’s constant spurning of him. He begins to haunt Victor, much like the memory of his maker has been hauting him for the entirety of his existence. But unlike a memory, the monster can do physical harm. His hatred of Victor manifest itself in the murder of Victor’s most dearly loved ones. Victors younger brother, one of the servants, Clerval, Elizabeth, and several other characters, some not related to Victor, all as a result of the monster’s actions. His inability to get over his troubled past cause Victors life and his own, to become full of misery and destruction. Had Victor not abandoned him, or the family he watched taken him in, perhaps the monster would have behaved differently, but as it stands, he is one of the most dynamic characters in the novel. Not only does he cause the movement in the plot, but he also undergoes many changes himself. His tie to Victor seems unbreakable, and it is so, but his reaction to it shifts all throughout the novel. In the close of the novel, there is a chance for reconciliation, but due to Victors untimely death, it is impossible. However, the death of Victor, and what had been the driving reason of his life, caused him to break free from the cycle, and instead of murdering others, he did so to himself. The monster’s strong tie to his troubling past essentially is the novel. All of the action spawns from this source, whether being carried out by the monster or Victor’s reaction to the monster. The past is the force that cause change in both characters, and without it, the meaning of the work as a whole would be irreconcilably altered.

Sample Y

In Heart of Darkness the protagonist. Marlow had an obsession with maps as a child which fueled him to want to go to the African Congo. This is his quest for self-knowledge and experience in itself.

Sample Z

Many works of literature, past events can affect, positively or negatively, the present actions, attitudes, or values of a character. “The Scarlet Letter” is a good example of each. In “The Scarlet Letter,” Hester commits adultry therefore, is pentalized by having to wear the scarlet letter “A” for as long as she lives. After having a daughter, she also gets discriminated and looked down upon due to her mothers past actions. At the begin Hester’s crime affected her negatively because she suffered everyday having people talk about her and ruining her reputation which also made it hard for her to get a job because nobody wanted her to sew their clothes. After a couple of years that negative affect turned into a positive to. Hester no longer looked at that scarlet letter “A” as a bad thing, it became her motivation to do better and her motivation to protect her daughter and to give her a good life. As a result, the value of that scarlet letter “A” also changed. It was no longer putting her down, it was actually what was lifting her spirits up. The changes didn’t only show in her own personal life but it also changed in the society that she lived in. People were beginning to see Hester as a human being again. When nobody was giving her any respect, she respected herself. She valued herself and her daughter. Also the secret of her daughter’s father. Hester refused to give the name of the man she commited adultry with, also the man she loved. Hester’s relationship to the past helped her become a better person in the end. Even though she committed adultry, she grew from the mistakes she made. In conclusions, I liked this book as whole. The techniques that this author used made it a very good book.

Sample H

The past can help define who a person is. Events in the past influence choices and future events to the point of by habit. The marks left by a past life are permanent and can greatly determine what path a person will take in the future. In The Time Traveler’s Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger, Henry is greatly influenced by his past. His is his future with his ability to time travel and with this ability he meets his future wife at age five. Society would frown upon, not only the truth that he time travels, but the fact an older man is hanging out with such a little girl. Claire, Henry’s future wife, has a skewd first impression of him as when he time travels, nothing can be taken along, not even clothes. The emotions connected with the visits get applied to his future wife as well. The skill of distinguishing what is happening now is a chore. As Henry’s life in the present time continues moving a long, memories of his past flood his mind; Meeting Claire is a meadow away from concerning eyes, adventures taken together at different points in each persons life. All these experiences drive both people to discover an explanation. Because Henry is constantly reliving in the past, the emotional impact grows ore and more, causing more termoil and thus causing him to time travel more. The past often causes a person to want to forget the actions but it is only when the past events are fully understood that healing can begin. It is not a person will do that matters, it is the marks the person has left behind that will be remembered.

Sample FFFF

Set in the first quarter of the 20th century, William Faulkner’s The Sound and the fury caricatures the rise and fall of the Old South in the allegorical decline of the Compson family. The oldest son and heir of the Compson’s now destitute fortune is personified as the South’s resistence to modernize, to rejoin the world after the formerly glamorized way of life was set in a waning morbundity in 1865. Quentin Compson’s obsession with the past, most deftly exemplified in the incessant presence of clocks, and Faulkner’s employment of key symbols composes a clear and poignant portrait of a nation’s refusal to reforge its life. Clocks, or “mausoleums of all human hope and desire,” are the subject of Quentin’s hate and perpetual speculation. He begins June 10, the day he commits suicide, by breaking his grandfather’s antiquated watch, in an attempt to destroy the heirloom whose ticking is forever reminding him that as each day passes, the Compson family grave grows less shallow. Clocks are brought on as a dual motif of fearing the future and regressing to the past, as Quentin breaks the watch in an effort to halt the advance of his family’s doom, and, as e seeks to fix it or sees another clock, consistently reverts to playing out past events in his mind. He sees his sister, and her “loss of purity”, converses with his father, watches the progress of his old life in the South. Attending Harvard n Cambridge, he wishes nothing more than to continue living in Jefferson. As his broken watch continues to tick, reminding of the immutable and destructive advance of time, Quentin’s refusal to make any effort to accomodate his sister’s loss of virginity or the Compson’s loss in societal stature comes to represent the South’s stubborn refusal to rejoin the union if not politically, socially. Clocks tick the South’s past grandeur away into the recesses of dusty memory as they do the Compson’s recollection of one of Missippi’s societally venerated families. Shadows augment the process of time, yet more explicitly do they prove Quentin’s obsession with the past. As he walks down the road, “tramping my shadow into the dust”, Quentin cannot escape his shadow—just as he cannot escape the past. Its memory and intangibility haunts, dogs his every waking moment, from when he wakes to see “the shadow of the sash” or returns at last to the shadowy depths of the river. As Quentin is the South, the past haunts the South—Southerners cannot and will not forget their pre-Civil War glory. The prevelance of gray as a symbol serve more to connect Quentin to the South. Quentin wears a gray suit, and Faulkner consistently (describes) him as going gray. Gray is Quentin, gray is the Confederate soldier’s uniform, gray is the South. What makes this color symbolism even more relevant than the traditional associations of the color to the region below Mason-Dixon is the limbo it represents—neither light nor dark. The novel’s original title, Twilight, is congruous with the notion of the South’s life at an end but its death yet to come. But death does come. Quentin’s inability to cope with the past and adjust to the future leads him to despair. He throws himself into the river with two six-pound flatirons, drowning himself. Quentin’s suicide is largely significant in the context of his personification of the South; Faulkner issues a distinct warning that if the South cannot acknowledge the end of its past, if the land he loves cannot regain the world, then it will die, and be forgotten, just as the deep waters of the river sucked Quentin from all human memory. Yet it was a warning the South could not remember.

Sample U

The mistakes Willy Loman had made in the past effected every aspect of his life up until his inevitable demise. In “Death of a Salesman” the head of a family makes a mistake that alters the path of his, and his families life for good. The failed pursuit of the American Dream, his descent into madness, and the seperation of his family are all due to Willy’s faults. Without this climactic fault the play wouldn’t have the same effect or demonstrate the statement about people that it makes at all. The whole play you can see the Lowman families pursuit of the American Dream, how close they were, and how far away they got. In Willys mind they had achieved the dream, but he was only deceiving himself. He thought he had two perfect sons, but he was really encouraging behavior that would be destructive later in life. He had a wonderful wife, but cheated on her because he was lonely and had to feel liked. The biggest deception was that he was a great salesmen who could provide for his family, neither of those things were true. Willy’s American Dream was almost all a fraud that he ripped apart when Biff found out he cheated on his mother. Willy’s descent to madness can all be traced back to the night Biff walked in on him with another woman. Biff saw through Willys act and never forgave him for it. This destroyed Willys dream and started off his insanity. Ever since, when Willy gets stressed a flashback is triggered and he can watch his dream unravel. If it werent for that one fatal flaw his lie may have been different. Willy’s insanity eventually lead to his suicide, which ironically paid off the Lowman’s house, contributing to his dream. Willy never got to really confront his mistake and that ate away at him. He was living in an illusion he created. His past defined the rest of his life and ruined any chance he had. Willy was completely at fault for his downfall and his tradgedy.
Sample G

In Barbara Kingsolver’s dramatic novel, The Poisonwood Bible, a family of six—complete with four impressionable daughters, a past father, and housewife—are hurled into the deep Congo from the safe abode in the United States. Following an extended missionary stay in Kilanga, Congo, the majority of the family leaves to various locations across the world as better people. However, one character, Reverend Nathan Price, never leaves Kilanga. This is a result of his inability to leave the past, thus leading to a tragic downward spiral in his values and attitude. As the reader delves into the story, he/she may believe Nathan to be the rock of the Price family, as was usually the case of many families in the 1950s. The father, as the head of the household, was the sound mind, teaching his children values of love and honesty. However, as the reader continues to read, he/she discovers a hidden secret of Nathan’s. As a young man, he went oversees to serve his country at war. He fought honorably and bravely, yet in one battle, he was mildly injured and was carried to a hospital. And in this battle, he was the only private to make it out alive; his cronies marched sadly to their deaths. As unfortunate as this was, Nathan never let it go, instead making it his life-goal to enlighten the world with his view on the word of God. As pious and righteous as this may sound, Nathan’s constant continuation of the past actually leads to his demise. His inability to change causes him—his values, his actions, his attitudes—to remain stagnant, even causing him to recede into darkness. First of all, his attitudes are backward from the beginning. His brush with death makes him think that he is superior to all others. Not once does his step off his pedestal. Thus, when entering the Congo, he immediately feels himself to be far above the people of Kilanga, let alone his all-female family. Thus, he effuses to listen to a single Kilangalese person for advice, resulting in the ruin of his garden and a lack of participation in his church. Furthermore, it is clear that he becomes stubborn as a result of his past, as evidenced by his refusal to listen to any advice. This is seen most clearly in his daily sermons. Every sermon he ends with the words, “Jesus is glorious.” But in his stubborn ways, he refuses to learn that in Kilanga, his words actually translate to “Jesus is Poisonwood,” which is in fact the most deadly and feared plant in Kilanga. As a result of his inability to learn from others and change his views, Nathan is forced to embarrass himself in every sermon. And thus, his dwelling on the past negatively affects his attitudes. Finally, in contrasting characters’ abilities to move on helps show that one cannot expect to go into another society changing others’ views without changing himself or herself. Nathan waltzes into the jungle on his high horse, believing that he is the most righteous being in Africa. When in fact he is ironically the most ignorant characters; and remains this way to his firey death. On the other hand, in a further ironic twist, his daughters who he believes to be useless and naïve, turn out to have solid foundations. Instead of dwelling on the past in America, the daughters eventually learn from the people of Kilanga, resulting in a rapid maturation process. They ultimately leave Kilanga enlightened and virtuous, because they allowed change in their lives. Rachel ends up owning a successful hotel; Adah becomes a successful doctor; Leah marries and is a happy housewife; and although RuthMay dies prematurely, her young life is richer and fuller because she learned from the Kilangese. This juxtaposition of Nathan’s dwelling on the past and the daughters welcoming of change shows that one must not dwell on the past. All in all, Reverend Nathan Price let his past take control of his present and his future. Consequently, he did not allow himself to set a foundation for his family, and he could only value his own backward beliefs. Thus, the reader learns that pain is inevitable, but misery is a choice. We can dwell on the pain of our past, and let it control our present state of mind, or we can move on, and leave from others around us.

Sample V

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens is the story of a young boy who was the apprentice of a poor blacksmith. Through one act of kindness as young boy Pip’s future was changed tremendously. As a young child Pip was in a graveyard when he was found by a convict. Pip helps this convict by giving him food and providing him with a means of removing his shackles. Through the helping of this convict Pip has ensured himself a good future. If Pip had not helped this convict the he would not have received his great expectations. However because he helped that convict, the convict was greatful and decides to make sure that he has a good future. The convict put every penny he earned into Pips future without Pip knowing untill he reveals it. In conclusion if Pip had not helped this convict then he would not have been caught again which means he would not have been sent to the Americas which means that he would not have been able to work to get the money for Pip.

Sample Q

In Alice Sebold’s novel The Lovely Bones, the main character, Susie, is murdered at age 14. The police never find her body and are unable to solve her murder. This tragic chain of events tears her once so perfect family to pieces while she watches from her heaven, unable to tear herself away from the life she an no longer have. Susie’s family is deeply affected by their loss. No one moreso than her father however. Susie was very close to her father and he finds himself unable to cope with her death. He becomes a dark, empty shell with only one purpose: to catch Susie’s killer. Her father, Jack, is so consumed by the past that he can no longer focus on the present. He is unaware that his wife drifts further away from him with each passing day. He can only see his precious, dead Susie when he looks at his other two, loving children. He is no longer able to focus at work; he ignores reality, and he merely retreats into his den and hides from his family. He becomes so obsessed with finding Susie’s killer that he attacks one of her former friends in the cornfield one night. In short, he ceases to be a man and becomes a machine driven by grief. Jack’s actions are not all that is affected by his irrability to let go of the past. His values and beliefs are affects as well. He no longer values life as he used to. Life becomes a chore rather than a blessing. He no longer believes in happiness and beaty but only in the horrors of the world. He begins to lose every thing that ever had value to him and finds himself unable to make himself try to fix it. He has, in a sense, lost his will to survive. Over the coarse of the noel Sebold uses greatly detailed description to convey this characters difficult journey back to happiness. And although, by the end of the novel, the character is finally content the hellish journey he endured sends a powerful message to the reader. In making Jack, the man of the house, so vulnerable and the most deeply transformed. Sebold succeeds in telling the reader that people can not always live up to expectations. One would expect a father to be strong for his family, not rip it apart. Also, Sebold sends an entirely different message by concluding the novel so happily. She sends the message that people can recover from their mistakes no matter how drastic the circumstances may be. Jack’s journey to finding that he can in fact be himself without his daughter is essential to that message.

Question #3 (Past Events) Sample C 5 Sample S 7 Sample Y 1 Sample Z 4 Sample H 3 Sample FFFF 9 Sample U 6 Sample G 9 Sample V 2 Sample Q 8

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Document

    • 668 Words
    • 3 Pages

    *Be sure to include page numbers and quotes from the novel, when appropriate, to ensure a complete answer and full credit.…

    • 668 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    A foil character is one who enhances unique characteristics of another character. This is accomplished by a strong contrast between the two characters. The famous play writer, William Shakespeare uses numerous foil characters throughout his plays. One of these famous plays is Romeo and Juliet. This play has many foil characters which magnify qualities in other characters. Specifically Romeo, who is the main character of the play and has three main foil characters. Each one of these characters brings out a specific quality in Romeo 's character.…

    • 880 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    fgif Essay Example

    • 1072 Words
    • 5 Pages

    1983. From a novel or play of literary merit, select an important character who is a villain. Then, in a well-organized essay, analyze the nature of the character's villainy and show how it enhances meaning in the work. Do not merely summarize the plot. WH…

    • 1072 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    BON Essay Topics

    • 484 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Please chose ONE of the following, and write a literary essay. The essay must be about 1500 – 2000 words. Your essay must be formatted in MLA Format. You DO NOT need a cover page. You must cite the novel only. Your essay will be due: Wednesday December 14h.…

    • 484 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Oedipus

    • 351 Words
    • 2 Pages

    2003. 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 divisive 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.…

    • 351 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Essay Prompts

    • 4068 Words
    • 17 Pages

    You may select a work from the list below or another novel or play of comparable literary merit.…

    • 4068 Words
    • 17 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Some novels and plays portray the consequences that occur when individuals pursue their own personal good at the expense of the common good of the group or society. Choose a novel or play, and write a well-organized essay that explains how the interests of a character or group of characters conflict with the common good and produce dire consequences for another group or society. Avoid plot summary.…

    • 680 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    war and riches

    • 465 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Refer to the scoring rubric on the last page to see how your essay will be scored.…

    • 465 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The Yellow Wallpaper: A Woman 's Struggle Pregnancy and childbirth are very emotional times in a woman 's life and many women suffer from the "baby blues." The innocent nickname for postpartum depression is deceptive because it down plays the severity of this condition. Although she was not formally diagnosed with postpartum depression, Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860-1935) developed a severe depression after the birth of her only child (Kennedy et.…

    • 1107 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    1979. Choose a complex and important character in a novel or a play of recognized literary merit who might—on the basis of the character’s actions alone—be considered evil or immoral. In a well-organized essay, explain both how and why the full presentation of the character in the work makes us react more sympathetically than we might otherwise think. Avoid plot summary.…

    • 623 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    War With Mexico

    • 2806 Words
    • 10 Pages

    Refer to the scoring rubric on the last page to see how your essay will be scored.…

    • 2806 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Virtual Child Assignment 2

    • 1677 Words
    • 7 Pages

    5. Use complete sentences and correct punctuation and grammar. Your score will be reduced if there are grammatical errors and/or incomplete sentences.…

    • 1677 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    In many of Shakespeare's plays, there is a major character, and a lesser character whose character traits directly contrast those of the major character. This literary device is called a foil. One example of this exists in the play Romeo and Juliet, in which Mercutrio foils Romeo's character with his disdain for love and belief in man making his own destiny. Another example of foil exists in William Shakespeare's play Macbeth. The character of Lady Macduff foils Lady Macbeth in her lack ambition, her genuine love of family life and her devotion to her husband.…

    • 515 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Candide Foil Analysis

    • 747 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In order to highlight important traits in a primary character, authors sometimes include a secondary character who contrasts in important ways with the former. This secondary character is referred to as a foil. These characters are sometimes similar in many ways, thereby making their differences even more pronounced in comparison. The relationship between these characters can be used to bring important personality traits to life.…

    • 747 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The setting and staging is that of a darker era in Theban history when plague and famine stretched it arms across the land. The setting of the play is significant because of the dramatic irony of his fate in a tragic situation where a man went…

    • 798 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays