By: Jennifer, Malik, Tony
Literary Terms
 Authors purpose
 Diction
 Imagery
 Characterization
 Setting
 Symbolism
Examples of Prompts
 1975. Although literary critics have tended to praise the
unique in literary characterizations, many authors have
employed the stereotyped character successfully. Select one
work of acknowledged literary merit and in a well-written
essay, show how the conventional or stereotyped character
or characters function to achieve the author’s purpose.
 1983. From a novel or play of literary merit, select an
important character who is a villain. Then, in a wellorganized essay, analyze the nature of the character’s
villainy and show how it enhances meaning in the work.
Do not merely summarize the plot.
Examples Cont.
 1987. Some novels and plays seem to advocate changes in social
or political attitudes or in traditions. Choose such a novel or play
and note briefly the particular attitudes or traditions that the
author apparently wishes to modify. Then analyze the techniques
the author uses to influence the reader’s or audience’s views.
Avoid plot summary.
 2009. A symbol is an object, action, or event that represents
something or that creates a range of associations beyond itself.
In literary works a symbol can express an idea, clarify meaning,
or enlarge literal meaning. Select a novel or play and, focusing on
one symbol, write an essay analyzing how that symbol functions
in the work and what it reveals about the characters or themes of
the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot.
Tips
 Don’t merely summarize plots
 Be concise and time your essays
 Pick books that you know the best and relate to the prompt
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easily.
Don’t forget to connect the literary terms to the whole story
as a whole.
Stay on topic meaning don't go away from what the prompt
is specifically asking you
Be careful to read carefully if they say to use two books or
one. You will not get extra points if you use two when it
asks for one.
Analyze prompts
Time Management
 1-3 minutes reading and understand the prompt
 5 minutes to pick a book or play
 10 minutes to prepare(out line)
 20 minutes to write your essay
 2-3 minutes proof-read
Strategies
 In every book or play there is a topic being discussed and
you must find multiple example of it. Cover both the
significance of the novel and all parts of the prompt.
 Ex: 1987. Some novels and plays seem to advocate changes
in social or political attitudes or in traditions. Choose such
a novel or play and note briefly the particular attitudes or
traditions that the author apparently wishes to modify.
Then analyze the techniques the author uses to influence
the reader’s or audience’s views. Avoid plot summary.
Prompt Tips
 The Prompt usually offers recommendations on what to write
like but you do not have to actually write about those
examples only.
 Ex: 1988. Choose a distinguished novel or play in which some
of the most significant events are mental or psychological; for
example, awakenings, discoveries, changes in consciousness.
In a well-organized essay, describe how the author manages to
give these internal events the sense of excitement, suspense,
and climax usually associated with external action. Do not
merely summarize the plot.
Prompt Tips cont.
 When working the prompt, you should try to break it
down and underline key words, find synonyms
anything to help you understand the essay question
accurately so you can write an on topic essay.
Essay Tips
 Always have your thesis statement concise and never get off the
topic of it. Always have details to back up your argument!
 2003, Form B. Novels and plays often depict characters caught
between colliding cultures -- national, regional, ethnic, religious,
institutional. Such collisions can call a character’s sense of
identity into question. Select a novel or play in which a character
responds to such a cultural collision. Then write a well-organized
essay in which you describe the character’s response and explain
its relevance to the work as a whole.
 You should use one novel to help answer the prompt; an example
would be this one from 2003. The keywords are colliding cultures
and the first novel which should be fresh in our memories
should be the kite runner. This could be the perfect novel to use
for this essay.
Essay Tips cont.
 You should avoid any type of plot summary! Act like
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the test grader has already read the book!
If you do, try to keep it to a one sentence maximum to
help elaborate your ideas fully, be concise and
remember to use the vocabulary we studied all year.
Quotes? IF you could remember any at all, they will
help tremendously in this essay.
Avoid using any form of first person and remember to
stay on topic and be concise.
Remember* Your time is very limited so use it wisely