Lit Vocab
In the first two lines of this speech from Macbeth, William Shakespeare uses this literary element to express the absurd meaninglessness of human existence---
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
a. allusion
b. hyperbole
c. personifcation
d. simile
What is c (personification)?
Note that this speech also contains a metaphor comparing life to "a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing" but the question only asks about the first two lines.
The color of the brick is important because---
"along the road under Doctor Eckleburg’s persistent stare. The only building in sight was a small block of yellow brick sitting on the edge of the waste land, it contained... a garage—Repairs. George B. Wilson. Cars bought and sold.—"
a. yellow is also associated with Gatsby's “big yellow car," Daisy's hair, and several other thematicallly related elements.
b. it represents a point of lightness and grace in an otherwise darkened place
c. The eyes of Dr. Eckleburg "look out of no face, but, instead, from a pair of enormous yellow spectacles"
d. yellow is the color of summer.
What is a (is associated with the yellow of Gatsby's car and other symbolic elements)?
Give the author and title of this work.
In this inspirational workplace tale, an allegory for the alienating forces of capitalism, an industrious copy clerk decides that he would "prefer not to" complete any more meaningless work.
What is "Bartleby the Scrivener" by Herman Melville?
Rate the evidence and commentary in this paragraph, 0-1.
With Gatsby's help, Nick Carraway reaches an epiphany about Daisy's voice which helps break the spell she holds over him. Throughout the story, Carraway has associated her voice with her charm. Early on, it thrills him, fluttering up and down in a way that drew him in. But, later, in a moment of clarity, he realizes her secret charm. Her voice, like everything about her, is "full of money." That is the source of her charm, not her musical way nor her beauty, but the money and privilege she takes for granted.
What is 1?
Look at the prompt and the thesis. Would this thesis earn a point? (Y/N)
Prompt: Many works of literature feature characters who accept or reject a hierarchial structure. This hierarchy may be social, economic, political, or familial, or it may apply to some other kind of structure.
Thesis: In his characterization of Macbeth, William Shakespeare presents a character at first enjoys a superior position in the hierarchy of the Scottish royal court. However, under the spell of a growing ambition, he commits to a course of action that up-ends this hierarchy, casting the world into chaos.
What is yes, bruh?
The Sound and the Fury, one of the American writer William Faulkner's most famous novels, has this relation to the speech from Macbeth--
"Life's but a... tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing."
a. allusion
b. anaphora
c. foreshadowing
d. satire
What is a (allusion)?
This speech, by Macbeth to King Duncan near the beginning, has the effect of:
The service and the loyalty I owe
In doing it pays itself. Your Highness’ part
Is to receive our duties, and our duties
Are to your throne and state children and servants,
Which do but what they should by doing everything
Safe toward your love and honor.
a. foreshadowing the end of the play.
b. suggesting the paradox of fate vs free will in this play.
c. revealing his innermost thoughts.
d. lending irony to his later actions.
What is d (lending irony to his later actions)?
Give the author and title of this work.
The duplicity of the treacherous titular character from this play of the same name has cast a long, dark shadow over literature.
What is Macbeth by William Shakespeare?
or
What is Richard III by William Shakespeare?
not The Great Gatsby since his actions could hardly be described as treacherous.
not The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie since her actions, however ill-advised, could hardly be described as treacherous.
The prophecies of the three weird sisters play a strange role throughout Macbeth, seeming to set his mind into its murderous path However, in the text below, their description of Banquo foreshadows---
FIRST WITCH.
Lesser than Macbeth, and greater.
SECOND WITCH.
Not so happy, yet much happier.
a. Banquo's insignificance compared to Macbeth.
b. Banquo's doom.
c. that Macbeth will become king, just as surely as he has been named Thane, or Lord, of Cawdor, and this will bring him happiness.
d. that the nature of Macbeth's success will bring him misery and the ruin of his name.
What is d (the nature of Macbeth's success will bring him misery and the ruin of his name)?
Look at the prompt, and then the thesis. Would this thesis earn a point? (Y/N)
In literary works, cruelty often functions as a crucial motivation or a major social or political factor. Select a story or novel in which acts of cruelty are important to the theme. Then write a well-developed essay analyzing how cruelty functions in the work as a whole and what the cruelty reveals about the perpetrator and/or victim. FRQ-3 2015
Thesis: In the story "A Distant Episode," by Paul Bowles, acts of cruelty to the Professor show the cruelty of a perpetrator to a victim.
What is no, bruh?
This thesis names a text, but neglects to make a meaningful claim. Always make a meaningful claim and be ready to back it up.
In "Bartleby the Scrivener," Herman Melville's narrator describes his office below. This description--
"I should have stated before that ground glass folding-doors divided my premises into two parts, one of which was occupied by my scriveners, the other by myself."
a. is ironic since he is emotionally close to his employees.
b. suggests a subtext about the vast division between labor and management.
c. demonstrates his great respect for Bartleby, who works within the narrator's office.
d. symbolizes the moral clarity of Bartleby's actions.
What is b (suggests a subtext about the division of labor and management)?
The characterization of the girls in this passage---
By the time they were sixteen, they remained unmistakably Brodie, and were all famous in the school, which is to say they were held in suspicion and not much liking. They had no team spirit and very little in common with each other outside their continuing friendship with Jean Brodie.
a. suggests that they are only popular because they are famous.
b. illustrates the downsides of being unmistakably Brodie.
c. provides the reader with a glimpse of their unique personalities.
d. parallels Ms. Brodie's habit of framing the girls as being part of a set rather than individuals.
What is d (parallels Ms. Brodie's habit...)?
Give the author and title of this work.
In this wry, acerbic work of fiction, a highly-regarded leader projects their ambitions and frustrations on a vulnerable coterie of followers.
What is The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark?
Rate the evidence and commentary in this paragraph, 0-1.
Bartleby is a symbolism of work. The narrator tells him what to do and Bartleby says, "I would prefer not to." In my opinion this is a symbolism of refusing to work. The repetition of the phrase "I would prefer not to" shows that Bartleby is a symbol of work.
What is 0.
Why am I so harsh? This makes no sense. It equates Bartleby to work, an oversimplification of Bartleby's role as a stand-in for the labor force in a workplace. Oversimplified statements like this create confusion and ultimately meaninglessness. Also, the writing is full of uncorrected mistakes.
Look at this prompt and the thesis that answers it. Would this thesis earn a point? (Y/N)
Prompt: Choose a novel or play in which cultural, physical, or geographical surroundings shape psychological or moral traits in a character. Then write a well-organized essay in which you analyze how surroundings affect this character and illuminate the meaning of the work as a whole. (2012)
Thesis: In Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby the atmosphere of surrealistic excess and immorality that pervades Jazz Age New York intoxicates Jay Gatsby, leading him to demand too much of the world. His greed for total control, particularly over his love Daisy Buchanan, leads to his downfall.
What is yes, bro?
This means the placement of two or more dissimilar elements for effect, like when Lady Macbeth introduces three opposing ideas, a thing that quenches thirst, fire, and peace.
"What hath quenched them hath given me fire.
Hark!—Peace."
a. parallelism
b. unreliable narrator
c. idealism
d. juxtaposition
What is d (juxtaposition)?
In what way is the narrative structure of "Bartleby the Scrivener" by Herman Melville intentionally limited?
a. Bartleby is compared to Cicero, a famous speaker, despite having very little to say himself.
b. Melville doesn't offer much information about Nippers or Turkey.
c. For the most part, Melville only describes how the characters behave at work, from the point-of-view of their boss.
d. Bartleby is an unreliable narrator, prone to prejudices and distorted descriptions of other characters.
What is c (we mostly only see the characters at work)?
Give the author and title of this work.
In this melodramatic parable about the dangers of FOMO, a successful head of a household is tormented by visions of what could be, and then, later, what is.
What is Macbeth by William Shakespeare?
Rate the paragraph commentary in evidence (0-1).
In The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald foreshadows Myrtle Wilson's tragic end in a number of ways.
The number of wrecks and accidents mentioned earlier in the novel prefigure the accident that later leaves Myrtle Wilson dead and disfigured. For example, Daisy has been involved in an accident before this. Not long after her marriage to Tom Buchanan, Daisy was involved in a hit-and-run that left another passenger injured. Although this event was kept out of the papers, it reveals that Daisy Buchanan, like many other characters, lacks basic empathy for the little people she hurts on her road to fun.
What is 0?
Although this paragraph seems to develop a piece of evidence that supports its thesis claim, the evidence it offers is completely incorrect. Daisy never hit anyone with her car. That was her husband, Tom. Jordan is another bad driver, but without the injuries to prove it.
Look at the prompt and thesis below. Would this thesis earn a point? (Y/N)
Prompt: It has often been said that what we value can be determined only by what we sacrifice. Consider how this statement applies to a character from a novel or play. Select a character that has deliberately sacrificed, surrendered, or forfeited something in a way that highlights that character’s values.
Thesis: Lady Macbeth's sacrifice in William Shakespeare's Macbeth reveals her personal values.
What is no, bruh?
This word describes a type of poetry that emphasizes musical and emotional effects over telling a story.
a. lyrical poetry
b. enjambment
c. free verse
d. narrative poetry
What is a (lyrical poetry)?
In what way does Myrtle Wilson relate to Jay Gatsby?
Mrs. Wilson had changed her costume some time before, and was now attired in an elaborate afternoon dress of cream-coloured chiffon, which gave out a continual rustle as she swept about the room. With the influence of the dress her personality had also undergone a change.
a.Unlike Gatsby, Myrtle prides herself on her authenticity.
b. Like Gatsby, Myrtle believes that social position is a thing that can be put on as easily as a change of clothes.
c. Like Gatsby, Myrtle has gone to great pains to acquire great wealth and influence.
d. Unlike Gatsby, Myrtle resides in a world of affectation and illusions.
What is b (Myrtle thinks that clothes make the man, so to speak)?
In this story by this author, diction, characterization details, and narrative ambiguity add complexity to the meaning of the work.
What is all (or any) of the stories we have read, correctly written with title and author?
Rate the evidence and commentary in this paragraph (0-1).
In Herman Melville's short story, "Bartleby, the Scrivener," the narrator's treatment of his employees is often questionable. The narrator, a lawyer, hires Bartleby to join his team of copyists. However, even before Bartleby draws the ire of the narrator by refusing to do his work, famously repeating the phrase "I would prefer not to," the narrator has hinted at his general contempt for his employees. This disdain is first seen in his belittling description of Bartleby ("pitiably respectable"), "flighty" Turkey, and "fiery" Nippers. These insults suggest that he has a negative attitude toward his employees long before one of them disobeys his orders. Furthermore, this contempt might be connected in some way to Bartleby's later withdrawal into refusal.
What is 1?
This paragraph offers specific evidence about the narrator's attitude, discussing the words and what they show about his character and attitude.
Look at this prompt and this thesis. Would this thesis earn a point? (Y/N)
Prompt: The most important themes in literature are sometimes developed in scenes in which a death or deaths take place. Choose a novel or play and write a well-organized essay in which you show how a specific death scene helps to illuminate the meaning of the work as a whole.
Thesis: In F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, Myrtle Wilson, Tom Buchanan's mistress, an earthy, sensual woman, is killed in a hit-and-run after she runs into the road beneath the billboard advertising the services of Dr. TJ Eckleburg, an optometrist.
What is no, bruh?
This thesis is wordy, but it doesn't really make any claim. It merely mentions that Myrtle died in a hit-and-run.