AP Lit
Mr. Ragasa
3rd MP Essay Options
A) In exploring the cultural context of the Jane Eyre passage, consider what motivates
Brocklehurst to apply one standard to himself and his family, and another to the charity
students.
A successful essay could explore what the passage reveals about the class system and the
attitude of the rich toward the poor. Develop each of the following points, using
examples from the passage:


Brocklehurst’s double standard is displayed by the rules that he tries to impose on
the charity students and by his manner of imposing them
The attitude of Miss Temple and the students toward the Brocklehursts, expressed
in both words and gestures, reveals much about the double standard they live by
A sound conclusion could summarize the implicit hypocrisy of Brocklehurst as a
representative of his class, which reflects the double standard that creates the tension in
the passage.
In this essay, you are focusing on tone (attitude) and detail (the rules being imposed and
the reactions of students and teachers) to formulate your response.
B) What does the first half of the short story, “Eveline” foreshadow about Eveline’s
eventual decision to remain in Dublin? Consider the feelings and attitudes revealed
during her internal struggle. How does Joyce achieve this foreshadowing: what literary
devices does he use foretell Eveline’s decision?
The thesis could make a clear statement about what we learn from the first half of the
story that foreshadows Eveline’s decision to stay home. The memories and feelings that
come to Eveline on the eve of her departure are clues to her eventual decision. In your
essay, refer to the following:




Evidence of Eveline’s acquiescence to the values and mores of her home,
including her duty as the eldest daughter, supports an interpretation of her
character
Evidence of Eveline’s devotion to the past and to her mother’s memory supports
the general characterization
Examples of Eveline’s ambivalent attitude toward her father’s behavior helps
explain her decision
Eveline’s level of comfort in her present situation and her fear of the unknown
provides evidence of her timidity
Your conclusion could weigh the evidence in favor of staying against the promise and
the potential problems of a new life.
C) The tone of “Five O’Clock Shadow is largely produced by the poet’s careful word
choice. The study of diction includes consideration of the effect of a word’s sound, as
well as its connotations, and the possibility of double meanings. Analyze how the diction
helps create the tone of the poem by considering such words and phrases as “haze of
thunder hangs (l.5), “safe in her sitting-room (l.7), “betrayed” (line 8), “loads of loving
relatives” (line 9), “Harder to bear” (line 14), “anonymous croak” (line 15).
The thesis may identify the complex tone(s) of the poem. The essay could account for
tone by analyzing the effect of individual words and phrases.
A successful essay may include:

Identification of words that directly state the attitudes of the speaker

Analysis of the effect of phrases that use alliteration and other sound
correspondences

Analysis of the connotation of particular words

Analysis of the effect of double meanings, including literal as well as figurative
meanings, of particular words

The selection of details
The conclusion may sum up the effect of the diction in revealing the tone of the poem.
D) Analyze the use of tone, diction, detail, and figurative language in the poem “At the
San Francisco Airport: To my daughter, 1954”.
The thesis may identify the complex tone(s) of the poem. The essay could account for
tone by analyzing the effect of individual words and phrases.
A successful essay may include:

Identification of words that directly state the attitudes of the speaker

Analysis of the connotation of particular words

Analysis of the effect of double meanings, including literal as well as figurative
meanings, of particular words

The selection of details

Thoughts on how the meter and rhyme scheme of the poem create a certain effect
and connection with tone.