1

AP@ ENGLISH LITERATURE AND COMPOSITION20re SCORING GUIDELINES - Version 1.0

Questlon 1: Olive Senior, "Plants"

General Directions: This scoring gruide wi[ be useful for most of the essays that you read, but in problematiccases, please consult your table leader. The score that you assign should reflect your judgrment of the quality ofthe essay as a whol*its content, style, and mechanies. Reward the uniters for what they do well, The score

for an exceptionally well-written esBay may be raised by one point above the otherwise appropriate score. In nocase may a poorly written essay be seored higher than a three (3).

9-B These essays offer a persuasive analysis of how the poet portrays the complex relationships amongthe speaker, the impiied audience, and plant life. Using apt and speeific textual support, they demonstateconsistent and effeetive contol over the elements of composition in language appropriate to the discussion ofpoetry.Although these well-focused essays may not be error-free, they are perceptive in their analysis anddemonstrate writing that is clear and effectively organized. Essays scored a nine {9} have especially eonvincinganalysis and effeetive control of language.

7-6 These essays offer a reasonable analysie of howthe poet portrays the eomplex relationships among thespeaker, the implied audience, and plant life, Using textual support, they are organized and demonstatecontol over the elements of composition in langruage appropriate to the discuseion of poetry. These focusedessays show insight in their analysis, and they offer clear and contolled analysis and writing, Essays scored aseven (7) have solidly developed analysis and consistent contol of organization and langruage.

5 These essays respond to the assigned task with a plausible diseussion of how the poet portrays thecomplex relationships among the speaker, the implied audience, and plant life, but the analysis may be

superficial and thinly developed. They often rely on paraphrase or general textual support that ineludes someanalysis, implicit or explicit. Their analysis and discussion may be vague, formulaic, or minirnaliy supported.These essays demonstrate some eontrol of langruage, but they may be marred by surface errors. These essayshave difficulty presenting a cohesive idea, clear organieation, or sustained development of analysis.

4-3 These lower-half essays fail to offer an adeguate analysis of the poem. The analysis of how the poetpofirays the complex relationships among the speaker, the implied audience, and plant life may be partial,uneonvincing, oversimplified, or irrelevant. Evidence from the poem may be slight or miseonstrued, or tleessays may rely on paraphrase only. The essays often demonstrate a lack of control over the conventions ofeomposition: inadequate development of ideas, accumulation of errors, or a focus that is unclear, inconsistent,or repetitive, Essays scored a three (3) mav contain sigmificant misreading and/or demonstrate inept writing.

2-l These essays compound several writing weaknesses. Although these essays make some attempt torespond to the prompt, they are often unacceptably brief or incoherent in presenting their ideas. The essaysmay be poorly written on several counts;they may contain penrasive errorg that interfere with runderstanding.The ideas may be presented with littie clarity, organization, or supporting evidence. Essays scored a one {1)contain little eoherent discussion of the text.

0 These essays give a resporue that is completely off topic or inadequate; there may be some mark or adrawing or a brief reference to the task.

These essays are entirely blank.

@ 2018 The College Board.Vieit the College Board on the Webl www.collegeboard.org.

2

2018 Question 1 Sample Essays

Olive Senior’s “Plants”

Plants come in all shapes and sizes and are spread out all across the world. This

characteristic of plants is directly paralled with the existence of humans. In the poem “Plants” by Olive Senior, develops the similarities between people and plants. Thus, the poet utilizes irony, personification, and allusions to illustrate how plants are an exact portrayal of human actions.

The use of irony throughout the poem develops the relationship that plants are an exact portrayal of human actions. For instance, Senior notes that plants are “not like animals, like us always running around, leaving traces.” If we boil down this statement, however, humans and animals are much more similar and animals do run around and leave “traces.” Yet, the author utilizes this irony to bring plants and humans more into perspective because in a grander scheme plants and humans leave their “traces” or legacy all around the world through offspring. While an animal can produce off-spring, they are likely stuck in their dominion as they have no need to move around outside of their areas. Another instance, is when Senior mentions “we become plant food.” Humans often devour plants as a source of food, yet to be portrayed as becoming plant food is ironic. This illustrates how plants are an exact portrayal of human actions as we are both in the cycle of and death, we are consuming plants, but when we die, the plants consume us through the soils in which our bodies are buried. Overall, the complex relationship of humans and plant life is like a mirror in reflection.

While irony is one tool used to convey plant and human relationship, personification and allusion describe the indirect relationship that human and plants share. Senior mentions “armies of mangroves on the march” which illustrates how plants can create armies or huge bodies of themselves much like humans can. This alludes to how humans often form up when grouped to prepare for war. Another example of these indirect relationships is “the world is full of shoots bent on conquest, invasive seedlings seeking wide open spaces.” This directly alludes to humans in conquesting and invading in our history which illustrates how plants are an exact portrayal of human actions in an indirect way. Overall,

personification and allusion directly highlight the relationships between plants and humans.

Ultimately, plants and humans share a complex relationship that are portrayed in this poem through irony, personification, and allusion. The dynamic of plants mirrors almost identical to humans throughout history.

In poems it is usual that numerous devices are used in order to convey certain messages. The

use of key literary devices is only that much more important in terms of developing complex relationships between the stories and the audience. The author uses a direct/addressing tone to convey the relationship on deepness among one another.

Maybe humans have complex brains, consciousness, and an ability to develop millions

of neurological connections, but does that make the human race the smartest on the planet? Olive Senior doesn’t seem so sure. Senior’s poem “Plants” takes unique stance that the world’s vegetation has deceived humanity, presenting itself as sedentary and innocent, when in reality quite the opposite is true. Senior uses personification and war-related diction to portray the implied audience and herself, the human race, as a mere instrument in the imperialistic scheme of plant proliferation.

Senior personifies plants in order to underscore their many methods of proliferation. For example, Senior describes “hitchhiking burrs” riding human sweaters, personifying this otherwise seemingly insignificant event to imply that a burr is on a purposeful mission to reproduce for its species. Alongside this example, Senior describes falling seeds as “parachuting,” personifying the plant life once again in order to assign intent to the events—the plants want to proliferate, they’re doing everything for a reason. Finally, Senior declares that the plants are “bent on conquest,” once again solidifying this idea that their spreading is purposeful. By assigning intent in this way, Senior characterizes plants as intelligent, scheming individuals, capable of using human sweaters and the rest of their surroundings to their advantage.

Senior adds a war—like motivation to this established intent through the use of diction, completing the

S

T

U

3

theme that plants are simply using humans to their scheming advantages. Senior asserts that mangroves form “armies” and that seedlings are “invasive.” She declares that sweater-riding burrs have “colonizing ambitions” and flowers are “special agents” in place to seduce the human race. With this diction, not only is Senior classifying plant life as violently motivated, but she frames their actions as using humans, making us the stupid ones, falling for flower seduction and blindly transporting plant seeds as we travel. Senior goes so far as to telling her reader “don’t deny it, my dear,” using mild sarcasm and comedic condescension to imply that, while she is above it all, her audience is made up of the ones that have been outsmarted by the plants –we’re the ones being used.

Olive Senior uses personification of plants and war-related diction to portray her audience as a tool in the scheme that is plant proliferation in her poem. The characterization of plants as intelligent beings and the battle-ready word choice used to describe their motivations imply that humans are the ones that have been outsmarted.

In Oliver Senior’s free verse poem named “Plants,” Senior portrays a very strong, negative

emotion towards plants. Senior used multiple figurative language devices to portray these evil beings on our planet. Within this poem Senior uses similes, metaphors and personification to portray a complex relationship with “deceptive” plants.

“Plants are deceptive” right off the bat we witness a complex emotion toward a being with little to no emotion. Senior uses that to indicate that his poem is not in favor of plants, claiming they act like they own the place. He added his claim into his next stanza implying they anchor themselves everywhere and using personification toward “marching mangroves.”

In the next three stanzas he uses alliteration within most well known plant seeds saying they “hitchhike” and are “special agents” showing a relationship of distrust because they get free rides. In the last three stanzas Senior shows a distrust with the implied audience due to a popularity of flowers.

Plants have populated Earth since long before the dawn of humans. They have evolved over

time to stay alive and reproduce throughout the any changes caused by mankind, such as industrialization. As such, humans may never realize how truly brilliant and complex flora is. In the poem, “Plants” by Oliver Senior, the speaker warns the audience not to underestimate the clever machinations of plants,

characterizing them as manipulative beings whose goal is to take over the world. The speaker feels intellectually superior to the audience and adopts a protective role as the one who must enlighten the innocent audience.

Senior’s warning is underscored by the speaker’s word choice used to describe the plants throughout the poem. The speaker describes the proliferation of plant life as “sinister”, meant for “conquest.” “Sinister” denotes an underlying malevolent intent something easily overlooked, and “conquest” implies that plants are harmful to humanity, beings bent on taking over the world. The insidious nature of plant is further highlighted by Senior’s use of the word “seduce”, suggesting that plants intend to persuade humans into lowering their guards and believing flora to be kinder than it is. The speaker is aware of this goal to take over the world, and attempts to let the audience in on the plan in the hopes of preventing it.

The malevolent nature of plants is also illustrated by Senior’s use of personification. As beings without sentience, plants pose little threats to humans. However, the speaker gives human traits to plants, portraying them as evildoers with strategies and thoughts of their own. Plants purposely are ‘anchoring themselves everywhere,’ ‘seeking wide open spaces,’ filled with ‘colonizing ambitions.’ Plants are not generally characterized as having ‘ambitions’ of ‘anchoring’ or ‘seeking’ because that implies that they possess high-functioning minds. By giving such human traits to flora, the speaker demonstrates plants’ ability to pose a true threat to people. Additionally, he states that fruit is but ‘an instrument to seduce,’ implying that plants have tricked people into believing they lack manipulative and powerful traits. The misconception of innocence is evident I the implied audience’s ‘sniff[ing] and exlaim[ing]’ over the fruit. However, the fruit has a deeper motive unknown to the audience as it wishes to have its ‘plant progeny’ seeded by humans. The speaker is the only one aware of the malevolent manipulation, so he attempts to enlighten the audience.

In fact, the speaker’s addresses to the audience display his belief that the audience has been fooled by plants and must be shown the truth. He speaks as one who knows the many ways the audience has overlooked plant life’s machinations, understanding that the audience has not ‘quite taken in the colonizing ambitions of hitchhiking burrs on [the audience’s] sweater.’ The speaker’s assumption that the audience has not taken note of plants’

V

W

4

manipulations suggests that he knows more than the audience, both about plants and about the audience. His all-knowing perspective enables him to be more perceptive and in a better position to warn the plants. He also says that he has ‘seen [the audience] sniff and exclaim,’ calling the audience ‘innocent.’ His condescension shows his belief that he is smarter than his audience, and not so easily fooled by the plants.

The poem ‘plants’ portrays a speaker who believes plants are sinister beings who trick the audience into overlooking their machinations. Senior shows the speaker’s warning of such to the audience through word choice, personification, and condescending addresses to the audience. Overall, the speaker reveals that plants are not all they seem and nothing is as benevolent as we believe.

This poem is telling us a warning about plans. It explains how the plants are taking over in a way

unseen, unnoticed to us. It describes the evil intent to us on how the plants are manipulating us. It shows the relationship between the plants, and us as human beings.

First the author explains his views on plants and the warning he gives us. He’s telling us what they are doing and how we’re all being trapped. ‘I’ve seen you sniff and exclaim…the instrument to seduce.’ His intended audience is us as humans. ‘We must infer a sinister not to say imperialistic.’ That is the truth.

The complex relationship in this is more of a message. It shows how the author is warning us yet we still are being overturned by the plants. It shows how the earth will swallow us whole and the plants will take over. A unheard message in a time of great need.

They don’t call it the circle of life for nothing. We are all connected. The plants, nature, us and the

trees. Senior shows the relationship between the plants and us in a romantic and figurative way. He explains how the plants live, and gives insight to the plants life for the reader. In doing so, Senior also connects to the audience, almost as if he is one of us.

Senior creates an intricate relationship with his audience through use of figurative language and by relating to the readers. He treats the reader as if he is right next to them, giving a more in depth, and insightful look into his views on plants. By using words such as, ‘you,’ and asking questions of the reader, Senior becomes part of the audience. His word choice is inclusive and inviting. He also treats the reader as a friend. Someone he deeply cares about. ‘Believe me,

Innocent,’ shows the affection given by Senior to the audience.

In addition to the audience relating to Senior, they also develop a relationship with the plants. The plants themselves, right off the bat are compared to us. ‘Like us, always running around.’ By comparing the reader/audience and the plants in the first paragraph, there is an immediate connection created between them. The language employed, implies that we are related, and we are part of the plants. Senior also employs syntax to get messages across to the reader. ‘Don’t even deny it, my dear, I’ve seen you sniff and exclaim.’ The short phrases emphasize and bring attention to the way Senior is addressing the audience. The plants ‘seduce us’ and it employs a romantic element in the poem. That romanticism also brings us closer to the plants, and strengthens the relationship created.

Not only did Senior successfully draw the audiences attention into the poem, he did it while creating relationships between the reader and himself. The plants were described but also related to Senior, and the reader felt almost at home. As if they were a part of the poem.

Although many works discuss plant biology, few address the subject as humorously as Olive

Senior’s poem, “Plants.” His light-hearted prose reveals what is, in his mind, plants’ plan to take over the world. Through colloquial language and personification, Senior explains plants’ tenacity for survival to an audience unaware of the phenomenon as he sees it.

From the first stanza, Senior establishes friendly, casual diction. He employs such everyday phrases as ‘bent on conquest’ and ‘special agents’ in order to create a casual mood. He also addresses the reader with affection: ‘even you—don’t deny it, my dear, I’ve seen you…’ he writes. This diction establishes the relationship between Senior and his audience as one of one friend conveying his wisdom to another. The use of humor adds to the relaxed mood: for example, Senior jokes about plant ‘breeding’ sounding like an innuendo. The friendly relationship between author and audience allows Senior to explain plants’ ‘vast cosmic program’ to propogate in a relatable manner that captures the readers’ attention.

Despite the friendly tone with which Senior addresses his audience, the readers are portrayed as less knowledgable and experienced than Senior. For example, he suggests we are not as aware as he of the

X

Y

Z

5

clues to the workings of plants: ‘Perhaps you’ve regarded as beneath your notice…’ He also implores us to trust in his authority while reminding us we have little experience of plants’ plan to rule the world with ‘Believe me, Innocent…’ Thus, Senior implores his audience to listen to his words of wisdom about plants.

Through personification and metaphors, Senior asserts that plants have an unobvious tenacity for survival and propagation. He consistently likens plants to human conquestors during colonial times, as in ‘shoots bent on conquest’ and ‘colonizing ambitions.’ This evokes an image of plants pressing forward, determined to spread their species just as humans are so often determined to claim more land or resources. However, plants need out help to spread; Senoir alerts the reader to plants’ plan to ‘hitchhike’ or act as ‘special agents’ who seduce us into picking their blossoms and thus spreading their pollen. This plan is unobvious to most people simply admiring a flower. Senior argue that plants capitalize on our ignorance of their ‘grand design’ for their benefit. ‘Plants are deceptive,’ he states in the opening of the poem. However deceptive, this plan is effective. ‘They’ll outlast us,’ Senior argues.

In this poem, senior employs characterization, personification, and vivid

imagery to explore the disconnect between human perceptions of plant life and the actuality of pants’ intents.

Senior’s characterization of the poem’s speaker and its implied audience suggest the various misconceptions inherent to human’s perception of plant life and activity. Throughout the poem, the speaker addresses his or her implied audience using the second-person pronoun ‘you’; the non-specificity of this address suggests that the attitude of the poem’s addressee is essentially universal among humans. Furthermore, the manner in which the speaker addresses his or her audience creates a sense of separation between the speaker and his or her addressee; this distinction also serves to augment the speaker’s own ethos and narrative authority as he or she proceeds to relay his or her own insights and observations about plants to the poem’s audience. The speaker says ‘perhaps you’ve regarded as beneath your notice, armies of mangrove on the march…clinging tendrils anchoring themselves everywhere?’ The author’s tone creates a sense of condescension that implores his or her audience to re-examine their own previously-held assumptions about plans and to question those

phenomena which they ‘regard as beneath their notice.’ Furthermore, this statement further exemplifies the indifferent attitudes and misconceptions held by the audience, and humans in general. However, whereas the audience is not closely acquainted with the behaviors of plants or particularly informed about the relationships existing between plants and humans, the speaker endeavors to impart his own knowledge; definitive statements such as the poem’s opening, ‘plants are deceptive,’ convey the speaker’s authority on the subject. The poem’s repeated emphasis on its audience’s assumed misconceptions about plant life is suggestive of human’s true misinformation regarding plants and their own relation to these species.

Having established his or her own authority and knowledge about plants relative to the implied audience’s misinformation, the speaker proceeds to discuss the true behaviors and intent. The use of somewhat violent imagery and personification throughout the poem conveys the true nature of plants’ existence. The speaker states that ‘the world is full of shoots bent on conquest,’ and describes plants as having an ‘exhibitionist’ and ‘sinister’ or ‘imperialistic grand design.’ Images such as these evoke a sense of cunning and malice employed by plants to ensure their own survival. Adjectives such as ‘sinister,’ ‘imperialistic,’ ‘invasive,’ ‘explosive,’ and ‘colonizing’ also draws parallels to often malevolent human activity and ambitions and militaristic inclinations. In addition to revealing the true, somewhat more sinister intentions of plans which are often unbeknown to humans, these images suggest that plants possess a sense of agency and cunning. The speaker’s description of ‘hitchhiking burrs on your sweater,’ ‘surf-riding nuts bobbing on ocean,’ and ‘parachuting seeds….dropping in’ also demonstrate plants’ involvement in and manipulation of human affairs to their own benefit. This dynamic further suggests the complexity of the relationship between the ‘innocent’ audience and the more knowledgeable speaker, and pant life; although humans often think themselves above or simply disregard plant species, plant life in truth possesses malice, cunning and survival instincts equal to those of humanity. Furthermore, plants also use humans as vessels to ensure their own propagation and survival; the speaker affirms that these ‘reckless’ and ‘improvident’ plants ‘very always one step ahead of us.’

AA

6

7

AP@ ENGLISH TITERATURE AND COMPOSITION2018 SCORING GUIDELINES - Version 1.0

Question 2: Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Blithedale Romance

General Directions: This scoring guide will be useful for most of the essays that you read, but in problematie

cases, please consult your table leader. The score that you assigrn should reflect your judgrment of the guality ofthe essay as a whole-its content, style, and mechanies. Reward the writers for what they do well. The score

for an exceptionally well-written essay may be raised by one point above the othenrise appropriate score. In no

case may a poorly written essay be scored higher than a three (3).

9-B These essays offer a persuasive analysis of how Hawthorne portrays the narrator's attitude towardsZenobia through the use of literary techniques. Using apt and specific textual support, the essays demonstrate

consistent and effective control over the elements of composition in language appropriate to the diseussion ofprose. Although these well-focused essays may not be error-free, their perceptive analysis is apparent invrniting that is clear and effectively organized. Essays scored a nine (9) have especially eonvineing analysis andeffective eontrol of language.

7-O These essays offer a reasonable analysis of how Hawthorne portrays the narrator's attitude towardsZenobia through the use of literary teehnigues. Using textual support, they are organized and demonstratecontrol over the elements of composition in language appropriate to the discussion of prose. These focusedessays show insight in their analysis, and they offer clear and controlled analysis and writing. Essays scored aseven (7) have solidly developed analysis and consistent control of organization and langruage.

5 These essays respond to the assignred task with a plausible reading of how Hawthome portrays thenarrator's attitude towards Zenobia through the use of literary teehniques, but the analysis may be superficialand thinly developed. lrVhile the essays include some analysis of the passage, implieit or e:rplicit, the analyeisof Hawthome's portrayal of the narrator's attitude or the use of literary techniques may be slight, and supportfrom the passage may tend toward surrmary or paraphrase. Their analysis and discussion may be vague,formulaic, or minimally supported. These essays demonstrate some conftol of language, but they may bemarred by surface erors. These essays have difficulty presenting a eohesive idea, clear organization, orsustained development of analysis.

4-3 These lower-half essays fail to offer an adeguate analysis of the passage. The analysis of howHawthorne portrays the narrator's attitude towards Zenobia through the use of literary techniques may bepartial, unconvincing, oversimplified, or irrelevant; the essays may ignore Hawtlorne's portrayal of thenarrator's attitude or the use of literary techniques. Evidence from the passage may be slight or misconstrued,or the essays may rely only on paraphrase. The essays often demonstrate a lack of control over theconventions of eomposition: inadequate development of ideas, aceumulation of errors, or a focus that isunelear, inconsistent, or repetitive. Essays scored a three (3) IU.CV contain sigmifieant misreading and/ordemonstrate inept writing.

2-L These essays eompound several writing weaknesses. Although they make some attempt to respond tothe prompt, they are often unacceptably brief or incoherent in presenting their ideas. The essays may be pooriyvwitten on several counts; they may contain pervasive errors that interfere with understanding. ideas may bepresented with little clarity, organization, or support from the passage. Essays seored a one (1) contain littlecoherent discussion of the passage.

0 These essays give a response that is completely off topic or inadequate; there may be some mark or adrawing or a brief reference to the task.

* These essays are entirelyblank.

@ 2018 The College Board.Visit the College Board on the Web: www.collegeboard.org,

8

2018 Question 2 Sample Essays

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Blithdale Romance

In an excerpt from a novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the narrator begins by characterizing

Zenobia as a self-indulgent individual whose later pride allows the narrator to uncover her truest attitude. Hawthorne employs large descriptive detail and a conversational tone and diction-specifically in the body of the excerpt-and first person point of view to portray the narrator’s change in attitude toward Zenobia.

At the start of the excerpt, Hawthorne places great detail in enumerating every aspect and fine line associated with the rich, extravagent house on Blithedale farm. Serving as a direct contrast to the simplicity of the rural living on Blithedale farm, the house occupied by Zenobia is elaborate, displaying Zenobia’s ostentatious self-indulgence. Hawthorne details the “pictures, marble, vases” and luxurious shapes covering the room, establishing an image of grandeur. The narrator is initially overcome with a sense of shame due to his belief that “the true character of the woman, passionate… lacking simplicity” was “incapable of pure and perfect taste.” Hawthorne cites the narrator’s attitude to suggest that at the start of the novel, Zenobia is merely an individual, bathing in her wealth, but lacking a true sense of belief and conviction. Hawthorne uses a first person narration to unveil Zenobia’s character through the outside lens of the narrator. He chooses a first person point of view to divulge the narrator’s personal conflicts and opinions, allowing the reader to feel the narrator’s sense of shame and uncover his logic to his motives.

Hawthorne continues to place emphasis on the narrator’s attitude by adding in conversational dialogue to justify the narrator’s frustration and final resolution. In the conversation, Zenobia present her perspective, feeling the need to explore other modes due to her unsatisfaction with merely being “content with [a] homely life” on the Blithedale farm. Hawthorne uses this dialogue to highlight the narrator’s desire to “see something true; some nature, some passion” that has been masked by Zenobia’s self-complacent attitude. This built up frustration and desire to see Zenobia’s true character is illustrated by diction such as “irritated” and “determined.” The narrator presents his final argument comparing

Zenobia to a poor friend Hollingsworth who both share the lack of common sense to understand the impracticality of their ideas. This comparison infuriates Zenobia and draws out the “true flesh and blood of her heart.” Hawthorne portrays the narrator’s gratification and relief watching the “vividness of [Zenobia’s] expression” and the life in her eyes. The powerful description of the characters facial expressions solidify their attitudes.

Hawthorne portrays the narrator’s changed attitude toward Zenobia by using a first person point of view and notable diction in conversational dialogue to emphasize the perspective of the narrator.

Throughout the passage by Nathaniel Hawthorne, its easy to see that the narrators

attitude towards Zenobia through the the use of literary techniques is amazed.

The narrator is awed time and time again by the presence of Zenobia. The authors strong use of words shows admiration of the narrator toward his affection of Zenobia. Right from the beginning he says “her manner bewildered me”, as he his already shocked and surprised by this women. He continues, “I was dazzled by the brilliancy”, dazzle and brilliancy aren’t words that are used lightly, showing more appreciation in the moment. “Passionate, luxurious” and “powerful”, are all used by the narrator. He is truly amazed by the attitude that she had beholded. The obvious admiration of this women, is very clear and not subtle.

Also, the change of tone from an intense admiration to questioning her realness. He decides to mention an old friend and show pity on him. As he wanted to find the truth within the life that she was living. His turn of attitude toward her was to “compelle [her] to give me a glismpe of something true.” After the telling of his story “her cheeks flushed” letting go of the cover/fakeness she was holding back in this life as “she had shown [him] the true flesh and blood of her heart” The change of tone in the piece emphlifies his awh for the women as she was able to show her vulnerability to him. So he knows that she is more than just the luxary that is shown. It provides a full understanding of her life, and the awh he still has for her.

L

K

9

As you can see diction and tone play an important roll in the narrators attitude for Zenobia. His desire for her is shown in words and his sudden questioning of the truth, all strengthn his admiration for the girl.

In the excerpt from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, the narrator both resents and admires

Zenobia. The narrator’s attitude towards Zenobia is revealed through Hawthorne’s repeated use of metaphor and simile, comparing Zenobia to an actress. By making this comparison, Hawthorne is able to convey the feelings that the narrator has towards Zenobia because he feels similarly to how many people feel toward actors: admiration for their character, but resentment for not knowing their true character.

The narrator is perplexed by Zenobia’s contradicting personas: the one of the wealthy lady and the one of a woman staying in a community focused on equality. The narrator relays his confusion saying, “I hardly know whether I then beheld Zenobia in her truest attide, or whether that were the truer one in which she had presented herself at Blithedale. In both, there was something like the illusion which a great actress flings around her” (lines 35-40). By using words like “presented,” “illusion,” and “flings,” Hawthorne is able to convey that the narrator believes that Zenobia is not showing her “truest” face, that she is wearing a mask, employing the façade of a character, like an actress does. The narrator resents that Zenobia hides her true self and feelings, yet the narrator also says he “saw how fit it was that she should make herself as gorgeous as she pleased” (31-32). So, despite the narrator’s resentment, he also admires Zenobia’s beauty and believes she deserves to live her life in such a wealthy manner.

Hawthorne’s use of a mirror in the beginning of the excerpt reflects his later comparison of Zenobia to an actress. By using a mirror, Hawthorne is able to convey Zenobia’s contradiction between her façade and her true self because, like a mirror, she has her real form and her reflected form. A mirror can also allude to the “mirror stage”. The mirror stage is a Freudian theory that alludes to a beginning period in life when a person first recognizes him/her self and developes an “Ideal-I,” an image (an identity) of him/her self that he/she as well as society, wants him/her to be. The mirror stage, therefore, is when a person’s identity is formed. By adding a mirror in this excerpt, Hawthorne calls into question Zenobia’s identity, allowing for the actress metaphor to quickly be accepted by the reader.

So, Hawthorne’s use of an extended metaphor and his employment of a mirror in the excerpt reveals that the narrator both resents and admires Zenobia for her two-faced identity.

In a novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne, two characters meet up, and one sees that the other

has changed entirely from how she was at Blithedale. The narrater is not happy about this, and his attitude toward her is shown through description and syntax.

Hawthorne uses description to portray the narrator’s attitude towards Zenobia. The narrator is frustrated at how Zenobia is putting up an act while not at Blithedale. He describes her manner and the “brilliancy of the room” with all the light and marble. He compares it to the farm, describing her furniture to be “exceedingly rich.” He describes her outward appearance as “proud” to the point where he had to “keep [his] footing.” Through all of this the narrator frustratingly describes how he knows her, as “not deeply refined” and “incapable of pure and perfect taste.” This description of Zenobia puts the reader under the impression that this is not who she is, and dresses herself up to be something more fabulous. After questioning her and her telling him that the life at Blithedale wasn’t for her, he described this as a “self-complacent, condescending, qualified approval and criticism” by a society Zenobia conformed herself to.

Hawthorne’s use of syntax also helps solidify the narrator’s frustrations toward’s Zenobia’s sudden change. Throughout the passage, the narrator repeats the word “gorgeous.” This is used as a parallel to show the narrator’s bewilderment on this sudden change. Breaks in sentences, such as “It irritated me…-perhaps as highly endowed as our gorgeous Zenobia-had…” give the passage a very sarcastic tone. With this, it’s evident that the narrator is frustrated with Zenobia.

Nathaniel Hawthorne makes it clear with the use of syntax and description, that the narrater is frustrated and annoyed with Zenobia for changing who she is.

J In the passage, the narrator is astounded by Zenobia, and does not truly know how to feel about her. He doesn’t trust her, and feels she is almost overly decadent, yet he is drawn to her inner light. Hawthorne communicated these complex emotions through rich imagery, strong diction, and elegant symbolism.

Hawthorne’s narrator doesn’t fully trust Zenobia or her behavior. He cannot tell whether she is acting as her true

O N

10

self now or if it is an elaborate persona. He states, “There was something like the illusion which a great actress flings around her.” This vivid imagery conveys Zenobia’s mystery and possible deception The simile draws parallels between Zenobia and an actress playing a role. It suggests that Zenobia’s behavior is like a cloak with which she covers herself, preventing others from seeing who she really is. This image also calls to mind the elegance and grace of an actress, and of celebrities in general. The quote shows that Zenobia has an air of deception, but even her lies seem charming and elegant, like those of a great actress.

Hawthorne continues on this theme of elegance through his lavish description of Zenobia’s interior decoration style. Her home reflects her taste and her personality, and Hawthorne uses rich imagery to convey how overwhelmed and impressed the narrator feels. It is “passionate, luxurious”, “exceedingly rich,” “the fulfillment of every fantasy.” The house is decorated in an extremely extravagant manner, with lots of trinkets and vases and other superfluos yet beautiful items. This representation of the room symbolizes Zenobia. She is a strong, elegant woman with a decadent and lavish soul. She has the power and self-assurance to live life to the fullest, to take up space to be a strong and emotional presence. Zenobia doesn’t want to deny herself anything, be it furniture or spiritual pleasure. The extravagance of the room mirrors the extravagance of Zenobia, and the narrator is stunned and overwhelmed by both.

At the core of Zenobia’s character, under her passion and opulence, lies a strong will and essence that can’t be ignored. Hawthorne illustrates this by repeatedly comparing Zenobia to a light. He writes, “the vividness of her expression was like the effect of a powerful light, flaming up suddenly with her.” Zenobia has a strong spirit which shines from her like a light. The room, as the narrator describes, is filled with “I know not how many lights.” These lights symbolize Zenobia’s spirit and inner power, how she is strong and independent and cannot be ignored. Light represents many things-beauty, goodness, power, innocence, energy-and all these connotations add to the symbolism. Like a light, Zenobia is strong, dazzling, and brilliant. The narrator is in awe of Zenobia, just as he is in awe of the many lights kept in the room.

Through his evocative language, imagery, and symbolism, Hawthorne paints an image of Zenobia as an elegant, decadent, and deeply powerful woman. The narrator is skeptical of her behavior, but he cannot help but be stunned by her beauty and spirit. He doesn’t quite know if he likes her, yet he is drawn to her like a moth to flame. She is a strong almost overwhelming force, and the narrator can’t escape her magnetic pull. The lavish imagery and comparisons between Zenobia and the room underscore how she metaphorically looms over the narrator and while he isn’t sure whether he trusts or admires her, he is nonetheless overpowered by her.

Flamboyant, lively, beautiful and charismatic are all word that can be used to describe the 1852

novel’s protagonist Zenobia written by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Zenobia is described by the narrator as a women whos style and attitude are the opposite of lackluster and lively. “I malevolently beheld the true character of the woman, passionate, luxurious, lacking simplicity, not deeply refined, incapable of pure and perfect taste.” While emitting a tone of irritation and anger the speaker becomes jealous of Zenobia and her lack of flaws as opposed to her own struggles. “She was too powerful for all my opposing struggles…she should make herself gorgeous as she pleased.”

Through the use of diction, Hawthorne portrays the narrator’s attitude with Zenobia as irritated and condescending. “It irritated me, this self complacent, condescending, qualified approval system…had contributed to her most lofty aspirations. “Moreover, the matter-of–fact tone used by the narrator when speaking of Hollingsworth to Zenobia gave the narrator a moderate sense of control over one woman the narrator herself and other woman felt inferior to. “It requires all my real regard for this respectable and well intentioned man to prevent me from laughing at him-as I find, society at large does”“… Zenobia’s eyes darted lighting her cheeks flushed…flaming up suddenly within her.

A passage from an 1852 novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne describes an interaction between

the narrator, a man of modest means, and Zenobia, a woman once similarly who has climbed the social ladder and now lives life in the lap of luxury. Through the use of descriptive language and a reflective tone, Hawthorne portrays the narrator’s disdane for Zenobia’s artificial character.

By describing in detail Zenobia and her surroundings, and the eventual cracks that form in her façade, Hawthorne shows the narrator’s perception of Zenobia He begins the passage by describing the “dazzling brilliancy of the room…a chandelier hung down in the equipped center, glowing with I know not how many lights…the furniture was exceedingly rich…it struck me that here was the fulfillment of every fantasy of an imagination, reveling in various methods of costly self-indulgence and splendid ease. Pictures, marbles, vases; in brief, more shapes of luxury than there could be any object in enumerating” (Hawthorne 1) By listing out such a long description of riches, Hawthorne gives the idea of excess hinting

Q

R

11

already at the narrator’s distaste for Zenobia’s new life. The discriptions are the picture of luxury, and clearly establish the setting, which proves a key factor in the narrator’s opinion of Zenobia. He himself comes a communal farm that fosters equality, but Zenobia’s new home exemplifies wealth and status. By detailing the description of objects in Zenobia’s quarters, Hawthorne makes it clear that the narrator is taking careful note of the room with a judgemental eye. Descriptive language is also very important when Zenobia loses control for a moment. Hawthorne writes that her “eyes [dart] lightning; her cheeks [flush]; the vividness of her expression [is] like the effect of a powerful light” (2). Here the reader sees Zenobia’s true colors through the narrator’s eyes.

Hawthorne uses a reflective tone to characterize the narrator’s perception of Zenobia. The whole passage is in past tense but especially significant are the moments when the narrator looks back on what he was thinking in those moments. “It irritated me, this self-complacent, condescending, qualified approval and criticism of a system to which many individuals- perhaps as highly endowed as our gorgeous Zenobia-had contributed all of their earthly endeavor, and their loftiest aspirations” (2). Although somewhat discombobulated in the moment by the grandeur of his surroundings and the proud, dominant air of the girl he once knew, the narrator still forms an opinion about Zenobia that, upon reflection, is distinctly unfavorable. This tone, along with descriptive language, effectively portray the narrator’s dislike of Zenobia.

Throughout the excerpt by Nathaniel Hawthorne, several literary devices are made

present. He used specific images to paint pictures with words or the scene around him. Paradoxical tone to compare the man to Zenobia. As well as descriptive syntax to describe Zenobia.

At the very beginning of the excerpt, Hawthorne paints a grand room with a chandelier with many sources of light, lamps all over the room, and furniture with white marble.

Social class often plays a role in the character of people and how that character is perceived by

others. This idea is evident in the exercept from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel. Hawthorne portrays the narrator’s distrustful attitude towards Zenobia through the author’s use of point of view, tone, and figurative language.

Through Hawthorne’s use of point of view, the narrator’s distrustful attitude towards Zenobia is clear. Hawthorne wrote this exercept in first person point of view to exhibit the speakers’ thoughts and feelings towards Zenobia. The speaker begins by expressing his admiration of Zenobia’s wealthy room as he recognizes Zenobia’s pride and self indulgence. As the excerpt continues the speaker state, “To this day, I hardly know whether I then beheld Zenobia in her truest attitude…” (lines 35-36). This quote shows the narrator’s uncertainity of Zenobia true character as the reader sees his thoughts through his point of view. Also, lines 61-63 state “I determined to make proof if there were any spell that would exorcise her out of the part which she was acting.” Through the speaker’s point of view, the reader can determine that the narrator is not believing the character in which Zenobia attempts to present herself.

The use of tone also portrays the narrator’s untrusting attitude towards Zenobia. Nathaniel Hawthorne created this weary tone throughout the exercept. For example, lines 21-23 state, “I reasoned against her, in my secret mind, and strove to ‘keep my footing.” The speaker’s mention of his “secret mind” and his attempt to keep his footing present this weary tone as the speaker is unsure of Zenobia’s true character. Furthermore, the dialogue in lines 41-45 exhibit this weariness and uncertainty. These lines demonstrate the speaker’s questioning of Zenobia’s character.

Lastly, the use of figurative language illustrates the narrator’s distrust in Zenobia’s character. In lines 38-39, the author states, “there was something like the illusion which a great actress flings around her.” This figurative language compares Zenobia to an actress in order to portray how the narrator sees Zenobia as acting. Also, the author states, “She had shown me the true flesh and blood of her heart” (Lines 84-85). This figurative language demonstrates the narrator’s ability to finally see through the fake persona in which Zenobia is acting in.

To conclude, the use of figurative language, tone and point of view allow the author to portray the narrator’s distrustful attitude toward Zenobia.

M

P

12

13

APO ENGLISH LITERATURE AI{D COMPOSITION2018 SCORING GUIDETINES - Version I;O

Queetion 3: The Gift

General Directions: This scoring guide will be useful for most of the essays that you read, but in problematie

cases, please eonsult your table leader. The score t}at you assigrn ehould reflect your judgnnent of the quality oft}te essay as a whole--its content, style, and mechanics. Reward the writers for wtrat they do well. The score

for an exeeptionally well-written essay may be raised by one point above the otherwise appropriate score. In noease may a poorly vvritten essay be scored higher than a three (3).

9-8 These essays offer a persuasive analysis of the complex nature of a literal or figrurative gift and howthat grift contributes to the work as a whole, Using apt and specific textual support, these essays demonstrateconsistent and effective control over the elements of composition and language appropriate to their discussion.Although these well-focused essays may not be error-free, theymake a etrong case for their interpretation anddiscuss the literary work with insight and understanding in writing that is clear and effectively organized,Essays scored a nine (s) have espeeially eonvincing analysis and effective control of langruage.

7-G These essays offer a reasonable analysis of the complex nature of a literal or figruative gift and howthat gift c-ontributes to the work ae a whole. Using textual support, theee essays are organized and demonstntecontol over the elements of composition and language appropriate to their discussion. Theee focused essaysshow insight in their analysis, and they offer clear and conholled analysis and uniting. Essays scored a seven(7) have solidly developed analysis and consistent command of the elements of effective composition,

5 Thege essays respond to the assigmed task with a plausible reading, but they tend to be superficial orthinly developed in analysis. They often rely upon plot summarythat includes some analysis, implicit orexplicit. Although the essays attempt to discuss a literal or figurative gift, how it may be complex, or what itmay contribute to the work as a whole, they may demonstrate a rather simplistic understanding of the eomplexnature of the gift or its effect on the work. While these essays demonstrate adequate control of language, theymay be marred by surface errors. They have difficulty presenting a cohesive idea, clear organization, orsustained development of analysis.

4-3 These lower-half essays fail to offer an adeguate reading of the complex nature of a iiteral or figurativegift and how that gift contributes to the work as a whole. The analysis may be partial, unsupported,oversimplified, or irrelevant, and the essays may reflect an incomplete understanding of the nature of the giftand/or its effects. They may rely on plot summary that is not in service to a dear idea. These ess.rys may becharacterized by an unfocused or repetitive presentation of ideas, an absence of tatual support, or anaceumulation of errors; they may lack control over the elements of composition. Essays scored a three (3) mavcontain sigmificant misreading and/or demonstrate inept wdting.

2-, These essays compound several vrriting weaknesses. Often, they are unacceptably brief or incoherentin presenting their ideas. They may be poorly rrrnitten on s€veral counts; they may contain pervasive errors thatinterfere with understanding. The writers'remarks may be presented with little clarity, organization, orsupporting evidence. Essays scored a one (1) contain little coherent discussionofthe text.

0 These essays give a response that is completely off topic or inadeguate; there may be some mark or adrawing or a brief reference to the task.

These essays are entirely blank.

@ U0I8 The College Board.Visitthe College Board onthe Webl www.collegeboard.org.

14

2018 Question 3 Sample Essays GIFTS

With television, advertisements, magazines, and movies being a focal point in modern society,

individuals are taught at an early age that beauty is essential. Another main characteristic that is stressed in society, though, is being humble. Balancing beauty and being humble proves to be difficult for some individuals. In John Milton’s Paradise Lost, one of his main characters, Eve, struggles with being vain. Eve is a beautiful woman, but her vanity stems from this and ultimately leads to her demise of falling into Satan’s trap. Milton gives Eve the gift of beauty and makes this the cause of her demise to discourage individuals from being vain and having too much pride in oneself as it blinds individuals from the realities of the world.

Milton grants Eve with beauty; so much beauty that there are lengthy sections within the epic just describing Eve. Eve’s beauty is beneficial to her because Adam’s love for her is grounded in her appearance. Milton characterizes her as being rather ditzy, and Adam admits his affection for her long blonde hair and appearance as opposed to her character. Adam is even dismissive of Eve in some conversations, which demonstrates where his interest lay in Eve. Eve can use her beauty to her advantage because Adam is so enthralled by her appearance. While Eve considers her beauty to be largely beneficial, Milton does reveal how beauty comes with a cost.

In addition to and as a result of her beauty, Milton characterizes Eve to have a hamartia of vanity. It is Eve’s vanity that leads to her downfall, showing how her gift is also a problem. One of the most evident scenes of Eve’s vanity is when she catches sight of her reflection in water. Looking down at the water, she is captivated and reflects highly on her beauty. Satan, knowing that Eve is so vain, uses her vanity to his advantage. Satan comes to Eve as a snake and flatters her until she eats from the forbidden. Considering Eve had restrained from eating the fruit until the moment she was complimented reveals just how disadvantageous her vanity resulting from her gift of beauty is to her. Milton does not tread lightly on the topic of vanity and pride, as Eve’s action leads to the destruction of mankind. Milton uses Eve and her

beauty to discourage individuals from being self-absorbed as it blinds them from the truth. Had Eve not been vain, she would not have fallen into Satan’s deception as quickly as she did, if at all. Eve’s beauty is problematic for not only herself, but entire future generations as there are numerous punishments and consequences resulting from her action of eating the forbidden fruit.

Milton established both an advantage and a problem to Eve’s beauty in order to discourage vanity and a lack of humbleness. With every advantage of an individual, there is a potential problem, and finding a balance between the two is necessary to prevent destruction and demise. Individuals who are wrapped in vanity are blinded from the reality of the world. It is necessary to discourage vanity in younger generations so that the future is not riddled with destruction and demise as a result of people’s gifts turned to problems.

A character from a novel that has been given a gift which is also a burden is Chief Bromden

from One Flew Over the Cuckos Nest. The Chief has been gifted with extraordinary physical powers and an ability to pretend he is deaf. This gifts become a burden when he is within the ward because he draws a lot of attention to himself seeing as he is the biggest one there and he also doesn’t allow himself to speak whats on his mind. This gift contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole because he is the only character that manages to escape the ward alive. This is a major key to the meaning of the work as a whole because the entire system of the ward was set in place so that no patients would escape.

The way the chief uses these gifts is to gain intel and knowledge about all the wards strong suits and all it’s weak points. Once he aquires this information he uses his extraordinary physical powers to take advantage of the knowledge he obtained. The story is made to have a theme of people with mental issues being held captive almost, yet once one or two of these people are show to have normal mental awareness the entire ward goes crumbling down. Once the Chief is presented having extraordinary physical powers and

G

A

15

great mental awareness the story can be amplified and have a much stronger meaning.

In conclusion Chief Bromden can be seen as a character having a gift that can also be seen as a burden. This can be shown how although acting deaf and dumb can take a lot of suspicion from you and gives you the ability to gain information without people knowing, it can also demolish ones social behavior because he can no longer communicate with anyone he doesn’t trust without fear of giving his true motives away. With this gift the story has a overall stronger meaning and a greater lesson to teach.

In the novel “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison, the hardships of a poor black family living in Ohio

in the first half of the 20th century are examined with respect to internalized racism, dysfunctional families, and sexual violence. The main character Pecola’s mother contributes to and attempts to combat these issues through the use of her gift and talent-organization. Her love and skill at keeping things in check both poses problems and remedies situations throughout the novel; her gift gives her a source of income and controls her husband, yet it also leads to horrific family issues.

A gift realized at a young age, Pauline Breedlove’s passion for organization at first is an advantage for her. This gift, initially and throughout the novel, gives her a job in which she can use this gift of hers. In an economically depressed part of the century with a very poor demographic, Pauline’s love of cleaning for white families is an important trait to have. While other characters use more dangerous mean of making money, such as prostitution, Pauline has a safe, secure way of helping provide for her own family.

A more complicated example of how her gift is both a blessing and a curse, however, pertains to her husband, Cholly. In a way, Cholly satisfies Pauline’s innate desire for neatness and organization, since he has many character flaws which she tries to keep in check. One such flaw is his alcoholism, which she tries to remedy using violent means-the couple often engages in physical bouts. However, Morrison portrays this marriage as a symbiotic relationship at work; Pauline keeps Cholly at bay, while Cholly fulfills his wife’s need for organization and fixing things. Despite being an abusive and toxic relationship, their marriage has endured for so long partially as a result of Pauline’s skill of organization.

Despite the fact that this gift helps keep her marriage alive, her need to use her gift is incredibly detrimental to her daughter Pecola since it ensures that Cholly is a part of both of their lives. Despite being abusive and a alcoholic, Pauline refuses to let her husband leave (or kick him out) because of her gift. Having Cholly around allows Pauline to use her gift, since she would not feel secure or whole if she could not use it. Morrison explains that Pauline needs Cholly for this reason. Yet allowing Cholly to remain a part of her and her daughter’s lives has grave consequences-towards the end of the novel, Cholly rapes and impregnates his daughter Pecola. Had Pauline not needed Cholly to correct his behavior and keep him in line, perhaps she would not have endured his abuse and drunkenness. Pauline’s gift makes her see Cholly not as damaging and abusive, but rather as another thing to be organized. However, this leads to the complete destruction of the family unit as a result of Cholly’s unspeakable act of sexual violence towards his daughter.

Pauline Breedlove’s gift for organization is advantageous for her since it gives her a job and allows her to try and curb her husband’s character flaws, yet when the latter eventually fails, her gift has awful consequences. Despite her gift allowing her marriage to be stable for many years, it blinds her to the abuse of her husband to their daughter and culminates in his rape of Pecola. For these reasons, Pauline’s gift is both a blessing and a curse, as she attempts to organize every facet of her life in both healthy and very unhealthy ways.

In “Hamlet” by Shakespeare, there is an unraveled mystery of what Hamlet’s next step is

after the death of his father. The play introduces the audience to the ghost who tells Hamlet to kill the king, as an act of avenging his fathers death. Hamlet is given the gift of being able to hear what the ghost says and this is a blessing and a curse.

Hamlet is in a hard time of his life after his mother has decided to marry the king only two months after Hamlet’s father dies. In his desperation, he believes the ghost speaking to him is his father as a spirit. The spirit is there and he has communication with his father, is it healthy for Hamlet? He can’t know it’s really him or if it’s only his imagination. By listening to the voice that says to kill the king, Hamlet could end up dead himself. The ghost never says anything a father would say to his son. The ghost says to put

C

B

16

himself on the front of the battlefield. Not the last words I’d want to say to my son.

Hamlet saved a population of people from the unfunctional king and warned his mother, so the ghost wasn’t all bad. In Hamlet’s worst moments, when he saw no more meaning to life, he got back up because he saw a purpose again. He avenged his fathers death which was his purpose all along. Hamlets avenge was never complete to the reader. Though Hamlet would sit on the throne, he was empty inside. More empty than before.

The gift contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole in various ways. The play was for the sole purpose of entertainment. If the reader truly investigates the meaning and analyzes what Shakespeare wanted to portray, one could find forgiveness to those that have wronged you. In a monarchy, avenging your fathers death was something to be proud of. As of now, forgiveness is better than revenge and clinging on to the bad things. Revenge doesn’t give you peace, take a look at Hamlet’s life.

In many literary works characters are given a gift whether it’s literal or figuratively also it

comes within many forms In this case of the novel “The Metamorphosis” the main characters “gift” could be viewed as if it’s a curse he turns into a roach. It’s more of a symbolic and figurative representation of the main character who was at one point the head of the house hold but was treated like nothing when he couldn’t provide for his family so they treated him badly he was a roach, he had no voice, he was invisible to them in a way basically he had no value. The advantage of that is he can lay low while watching on his family when (illegible?) On the other hand the disadvantage would to be to know that you hold no value in your family lives so basically the father has gotten a better understanding but in the long run it showed the family why the father shows great value to him.

In the Odessy Odysious is supposed to be this great leader and captain. Every chance he get to

prove his leadership he did the complete opposite he was selfish! He would rather have his own men die than risk anything that could hinder himself. Eventually we saw all of his men die he had no food he lost everything due to his arrogant and ignorant ways. In my opinion he was thought too highly of and in the end it ripped him in the rear. On multiple

occasions he gave into temptation whether it was listening to the sirens or “talking to gods” he never showed any real leadership.

In the play A Raisin in the Sun, the character “Mama” has the gift of her husband’s

inheritance money, which she proceeds to share with her family. This newly acquired fortune has both positive and negative effects on the family’s dynamics. At first, the inheritance is a positive force as it allows the characters to plan on taking steps toward a better life as they imagine their own version of the American Dream. Later, however, Walter’s scheme to use the money for exclusively his own ambitions go awry and drive the family apart. However, the inheritance ultimately is a gift that brings the family together as they unite against racism as a result of their purchase of a house in a white neighborhood.

At the beginning of the play, the characters picture what they plan to do with the inheritance money that Mama is about to receive. Previously, this family has been discontent in their small, cramped house where Walker’s son does not have his own room. However, receiving the gift of the inheritance allows the family members to think more positively about their lives. Mama quickly puts a down payment on a new house which represents the first step in her family moving up socially and economically. The house also has the greater significance of the family realizing the American Dream that they have been deprived of. While each family member works very hard and for many hours, they are not getting the results that they feel they deserve as they remain at a relatively low economic status. The inheritance money also allows the characters to embrace their personal and long-term ambitions. Berthea dreams of going to medical school and being a doctor, and Mama plans to use the inheritance money to help her pay for it. Medical school is an unorthodox path for someone in a family that relies heavily on frequent paychecks to make a living, but the inheritance money is a gift that allows Berthea to break out of this cycle. In addition, Walter hopes to invest in a liquor store, another long-term plan that will not immediately make him money, but the influx of fortune allows him to embark on this investment.

Unfortunately, Walter’s ambitions do not work out as he planned, and the result causes a rift between him and his family. Walter secretly invests all of the

D

H

E

17

remaining inheritance money, including what was going to be used for Beneatha’s medical school, in the liquor store that he has been planning. However, the investment turns out to be a scam, and he loses all the money. He both blindsides his family and loses out on his own ambitions in one sequence of events. In this way, the inheritance is not a gift but a curse. It fueled Walter’s ambition to the point that he did not think to consider his family’s needs, or the risks that he was taking by investing all of the money at once. Walter falls into a depression, drinking heavily and alienating himself from his family members, who are furious at him for how he ruined their American Dream. Walter’s role in the family was supposed to be that of the provider, but he failed in his role by forgetting his obligation to the family.

In the final act of the play, the family is reunited indirectly by the inheritance money. When Mama purchased a house in a predominantly white neighborhood, someone from the neighborhood visits them to threaten them that they will be targeted by racism if they move into the house. Ultimately, the responsibility of how to react to these threats falls on Walter. He redeems his previous errors by standing up for his family and declaring that they will not be intimidated, and still plan on moving into their new house. This is Walter’s way of showing his family that despite his mistake, he will not allow them to be further deprived of the American Dream that they have worked for. The money that Mama inherits ends up being a gift because it brings the family together and allows them to forgive Walter who is ultimately seen as the hero of the story.

The gift received by Mama in A Raisin in the Sun is inheritance money, which represents much more than just wealth to the family; it signifies a chance to achieve the American Dream that they feel deprived of as hardworking, lower-class family. However, this gift comes with advantages and disadvantages. While it allows Mama to buy a bigger house for her family, it also spurs Walter to betray his family’s trust by attempting to use the money for his own personal ambitions that do not pan out. However, by the end of the play, the family is brought together again by the prospect of facing an outside enemy as they decide to stand up to racism and move into their new house.

In John Knowles’ A Separate Peace, the main character Gene and his best friend

Finny are room mates at an all-boys boarding school. While Gene is a hardworking and serious student, Finny spends his time joking around, playing sports and inventing games for the boys to play. Finny’s gift of likeability and resulting social status brings him happiness and friendship, but it also leads to his eventual loss of innocence and death.

At first, Finny’s charming personality seems to have nothing but positive effects. Everybody loves Finny-students want to be his friends and teachers constantly excuse his trouble making behavior. Finny is an athletic star and idol on campus, and everyone- including Gene- wants to be more like him.

Gene initially passes off his jealousy for natural feelings of friendship, which quickly turns out to be untrue when Gene intentionally knocks Finny off a tree limb, causing him to fall and badly break his leg. Though Finny has done nothing to Gene, the fact that Finny is so seemingly perfect has caused Gene to start hating him. Finny’s ‘gift’ is destroying what was his closest friendship, and when Finny finds out the truth, he is heartbroken. Learning that his best friend hurt him on purpose hurts Finny so much that he runs down a flight of stairs, breaking his leg again and this time requiring surgery, which he dies during.

While Finny’s ‘gift’ of social ease a itself has no obvious downside, it is other people’s reaction to it that causes him harm. Because Finny has something that everyone wishes for, it is difficult, even for those closest to him, to feel entirely supportive, because a part of them always wishes that they were the one with the gift.

Finny and Gene’s relationship and conflict perfectly illustrates John Knowles’ warning against not communicating with people you love. Throughout the novel, there are countless opportunities for Gene to tell Finny how he feels but he never takes them until it is too late. Finny’s ignorance of Gene’s emotions also reflects a barrier communication between the two of them.

Ironically, Finny’s gift has made him so effortlessly popular that he hasn’t learned to make real close friends, which is why he does not really understand Gene and ultimately dies because of it.

In the Nigerian novel “Things Fall Apart” besides learning about the fascinating tales of the Igbo

culture and its religious beliefs, celebrations, and yam cultivation; the story told a much greater story on KKF

18

what it meant to be a Nigerian man with pride and duties in the age of exploration and colonization The main character Okonkwo is conflicting with his masculinity as he attempts to make an acceptable image for himself and his people from the village.

Okonkwo in “Things Fall Apart” is a Nigerian warrior with many wives and children and owns a healthy yam farm. To Okonkwo, his own father was lazy and a waste of a man because he was a man of instrument playing and who was always in debt, owing people from the village. Okonkwo believed in this image of a true man being someone who didn’t ever need to depend on others, who possessed thriving yam plantations, had many wives and who was never weak. This was Okonkwo’s reputation and he vowed to never become like his father. Although in Igbo culture this was accepted by everyone, Okonkwo couldn’t handle his aggression well and began to fall off the wagon for many reasons.

When someone from Okonwos village was murdered by a neighboring village, they were repayed a young boy who was assigned to live with Okonkwo and his family. The boy whos name was Ikemefuna actually rubbed Okonkwo the right way unlike Okonkwos real son, Nkoye. Nkoye to Okonkwo, reminded him of his father and there was nothing he hated more than a boy who was weak but Ikemefuna was special. Ikemefuna to Okonkwo worked hard, he had potential and be became Okonkwos favorite. But when the villages respected men told Okonkwo that it was time for Ikemefuna to be killed, he took it upon himself to do the damage even though he was ordered not to. During this moment Okonkwos pride and desire for respect is what made him finish off Ikemefuna, but there was no doubt that Okonkwo loved him. For days after his death Okonkwo’s guilt ate him alive. He stopped eating, he became disoriented and lazy. Okonkows depression took over him. Although this grief that Okonkwo was feeling was signs that he had compassion and love in his heart, he dismissed his emotions which is the problem that he already has, Okonkwo’s built up aggression and masculine mindset divides him from his natural feelings.

Okonkwo once also beat one of his three wives harshly. This is another example of how he expresses his manhood. This masculinity in him is what prevents his goodness and so he cant let his gaurd down and is always on defense.

Later in the novel, Okonkwo has murdered a chiefs son acidentally and is exiled out of his village back into his mothers. European colonizers have already been pushing their way into these villages to convert the Igbo people to christianity. When Okonkwo arrived back to his native village he is shocked that some of his people have converted to Christianity and the missionaries have made a great influence on his culture. Everything has changed and he can see the permenant damage. A church is built by the missionaries and eventually burned down by clansmen. When Okonkwo attempted to fight back towards the colonizers he is appalled to see that nobody has attempted to fight back and to his understanding that meant that his igbo people have officially lost their true way. Okonkwo commits suicide before he is caught and disciplined.

Okondwos suicide holds great significance because it shows that he had rather take the hard way out rather than facing the fact that things have changed forever. Okonkwos ego and mentality that there is only one way to truly live like a man was the reason behind all of his problems through the story. He believed he had bad chi and his bad temper only causef for more chaos and mistakes. This is what drove Okondwo to his death. His masculinity becomes a burden to where he cannot treat his family with affection or promote wholesomeness within himself.

19

2018 Question 3 Sample Essays: Frankenstein Run

GIFTS

In the novel “Frankenstein” the main character Frankenstein is given the gift of

high intelligence. Frankensteins gift allows him to create unimaginable scientific discoveries which do however lead to disaster/his undoing.

Frankensteins greed and thirst for finding/discovering something completely new blinds him from the dangers that will come with his new creations. His intelligence allows him to create life by building up a person-this takes strenuous effort and time leaving him sick and unwilling to care for himself before he is finished with his creation. His obsession leaves him sleep deprived, food deprived and isolated. Before Frankenstein uses his gift of intelligence to it’s full potential he is already hurting himself.

When his creation is complete, he and his family all begin to fall apart (die). Too late in his life did Frankenstein realize the damage his gift is going to cause. If Frankenstein had given up working on his creation and accept the fact that he is intelligent without having to prove it to everyone, his family would still be alive, and not have been killed by the monster he created.

Frankenstein took his family for granted because he put his intelligence (and what it could do) first. Frankenstein had a perfectly good life with his family and was soon to be married; all of which the monster took away. There is nothing Frankenstein can do to undo what he has done.

Frankensteins lesson contributes to the novel as a whole by showing the reader what happens when one has too much hubris and thirst for more without being grateful for what they already have.

The concept of bestowing gifts upon a character is an archetypical tradition that

runs as far back as “The Epic of Gilgamesh.” However, not all gifts are those of the superhero movies of the modern age, and, in fact, some gifts are of a fundamental nature. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is one such novel that explores what are often thought of as two of the highest gifts of all: knowledge and life. Shelley does this with a unique parallel between Victor Stein, the brilliant gift-giver, and his creature,

the enigmatic gifted. Further, such a technique grants the reader a specialized perspective of the pitfalls of playing at God.

Originally introduced as the protagonist, Victor Frankenstein is a brilliant man on a quest to attain the ultimate knowledge, but apparently lacks the ability to tune in to his moral center. Despite having to commit gruesome and questionable acts, Victor does not have any tredeptation about his work until after its already been completed. This is a rather unique take on how the “hero” originally recieves his gift. In the stories of old, the hero is often granted some ability by the gods after completing what is depicted as a noble act. Conversely, Victor commits an ignoble act and is rewarded with his gift-knowledge. Yet the ignobility of Victor’s deed-and likely the reason for his downfall-is that Victor did not glean knowledge of restoring human life by returning the soul to the body. Victor gleaned knowledge of reanimation by stitching together a corpse, a process that disturbingly resembles the necromancy in other works of gothic literature. Essentially, Victor dabbled in black magic and recieved a black gift-a dark and tainted version of what a true bestowal of power can be. And then there’s the obvious and sad truth of Victor’s tale: his “gift” became a curse. Much like the opening of Pandora’s box, Victor’s new-found knowledge led his creation-the master-to destroy everything he ever loved and everyone he ever cared about, the ever famous climax being Victor’s refusal to create a female creature and the male creature’s resulting reaction. This refusal though, actually serves as a pivotal point for Victor’s character and establishes the most obvious theme of Frankenstein. Victor used his gift to create life, but then neglected his creation, which certainly caused much of the creature’s animosity in the novel. Yet when Victor takes responsibility for the knowledge he’s obtained by refusing to create a female monster, Victor’s conflict begins to resolve (never mind that he did so too late). This pivotal point of Victor’s character highlights the absolute necessity of taking responsibility for one’s gift-be it a blessing or a curse. A god taking responsibility for their creation so to speak, by accepting their own “gifts” but also short-comings.

AA

BB

20

Victor’s destruction of both his creation and his own originally coveted knowledge (with his death), leave Frankenstein on a satisfactory note. But Shelley does something interesting. The reader is also granted the perspective of the creature, a bold choice on Shelley’s part that actually muddies the waters of protagonist and antagonist. The creature was granted life and strength beyond that of a normal man. But because the creature’s gift was bestowed through unnatural means, he is immediately scorned for merely existing. Where Victor’s knowledge had the potential to be good, there is no such thing for an abomination bestowed with life. And yet, the creature is originally depicted as non-confrontational, gentle even, which truly emphasizes the fact that everyone is the hero in their own story. This is especially prevelant with the creature confronting the deLacy family, because the reader learns incredibly poignant information-the creature is lonely, an emotion very easily empathized with. And further, unlike Victor who actively sought out his gift, the monster had his “gift” of wretched existence thrust upon him. This weaving of the two characters’ abilities resultingly becomes an interesting commentary on the human ability to bestow things: sometimes the greatest gift is but a burden, and not some great act of kindness or mercy on the part of the bestower.

Although not typically highlighted, a lot of what Frankenstein does is warn about the pitfalls of sin (as evidenced by the creature’s constant allusions to Paradise Lost). Victor’s was the sin of gluttony-an over consuption of knowledge became his downfall-and the creature’s was the sin of wrath-a desire for vengeance that destroyed him. Two sins for two “gifts”. Essentially, Frankenstein serves as a cautionary tale to the modern reader who has been conditioned to think that all gift-super-powers or otherwise-are a blessing alone. But the interwoven, parallel tragedies of both Victor Frankenstein and his creation strongly suggest otherwise, implying that some gifts are truly not all as they would seem.

Throughout the history of literature, authors sought to flesh out their characters in order

to make them stand out and appear unique. One way of doing this is through giving a main character a special skill or talent, but making it also a handicap for them. Such is seen amongst the strengths of the epic heroes and brave knight whose skills burden them at some point in their respective tales. Mary Shelley, as many other authors, incorporates this element into

her novel Frankenstein. In her novel, Dr. Frankenstein’s knowledge of the sciences leads him to create a monster that haunts him until he dies.

Dr. Frankenstein’s gift is seen at the beginning of the novel, as he shows his fascination at the sciences as a child. This fascination is encouraged by his parents, who allow him to persue his passion. Later in the novel, Dr. Frankenstein achieves his goal of creating a monster, but immediately regrets his efforts and abandons the monster. The monster, upset at the mistreatment he recieves from humans, vows to destroy Victor/Dr. Frankensteins life and succeds in doing so. What was a gift for Dr. Frankenstein ultimately becomes a burden on his entire family, who suffer death at the monster’s hands and put up with the sorrow of losing loved ones. The nature of the gift is seen, as since Dr. Frankenstein overused his gift, it came and “bit him in the butt”. Dr. Frankenstein almost asked for trouble by pushing his gift too far. An analogy can be made to fire, which is describe as a “gift from god” but is harmful if misused.

Dr. Frankenstein’s gift also contributs to the meaning of the novel, which revolves around not “playing god”. Dr. Frankenstein is referd to as the “creator” by the monster he created showing that he is playing god. It can be understood that Dr. Frankenstein’s gift bred arrogance in him, and made him believe he could accomplish feats reserved for god alone. His attempts in performing “godly” tasks results in his messing with the natural order of things, as even if he is talented, he still can’t rival god in power or capability. His attempt creates a “jacked-up” humanoid monster that brings misery to him until death. The gift fits the theme well, as Frankenstein pushed his gift too far and began to think that he could be god himself.

Mary Shelley’s use of a gift helps to make Victor Frankenstein a unique character, with a set of strengths and flaws pertaining to him. The gift shows to be something beneficial on the surface, but dangerous from within, sparking arrogance in Frankenstein and bringing to him misery. Dr. Frankenstein’s ideals of playing god resulted in the creation of a being, who may be under god’s will, proved to Frankenstein that he isn’t powerful enough to protect himself from even his own creation, and made him a lesson to the rest of humanity to not compete with the powers of god himself.

CC

21

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein presents the gift of knowledge to its main characters.

The apparent importance of the gaining of knowledge leads Victor Frankenstein to create the Monster, who was intentionally built with no knowledge for Frankenstein was aware of the dangers of it. As the plot develops, the Monster becomes curious and yearns to gain knowledge and learn about societye and its social structures. However, when the Monster obtains knowledge, it becomes a burden for him. Knowledge, and the gaining of it, leads both Victor Frankenstein and the Monster to their downfalls and, furthermore, help the reader understand the dangers of knowledge, if used the wrong, way.

The gaining of knowledge for both Victor Frankenstein and the Monster has been a blessing at some point of the novel. Knowledge allowed Victor Frankenstein to evidently create the Monster. It is mentioned in the novel that Victor Frankenstein was utterly intrigued by knowledge, for there is no limit to what one can learn. Knowledge, moreover, has led Victor Frankenstein to set sail and seek for more knowledge and learning. In the Monster’s case, knowledge has allowed him to interact and understand the nature of human beings. While reading and writing, the Monster was able to comprehend human emotions and even relate to them. He demonstrated love and appreciation for the dwellers by gathering wood for their firepits and doing several other chores around the house for them. The Monster felt like he was part of something larger. He felt accepted and indifferent to those around him.

Knowledge has also served as a burden for both Victor Frankenstein and the Monster, and ultimately led to their downfalls. When Victor Frankenstein realized that the Monster understood his place in society, he immediately knew he needed to stop him. Knowledge and the constant search for it led Victor Frankenstein to remained isolated at a far away island. He became paranoid and frantic as to what the Monster was capable of. The Monster, after ultimately understanding that he is unable to ever fit into society and was always going to be viewed as hideous and evil to others led him to seek revenge at his creator, for he now has to live a life filled with rejection and loneliness. The Monster goes on a rampage and begins to kill Victor’s loved one, and creates chaos.

Although knowledge was viewed as a gift by Victor Frankenstein and the Monster, it became evident that knowledge is also a burden. The significance of knowledge in Frankenstein is to demonstrate the importance of self-control and acceptance of one self. Victor Frankenstein constantly seeked for more knowledge, which drove him remotely insane. The Monster was unable to accept his different appearance and instead, became vengeful of everything and everyone.

Frankenstein is about a monster who is created by a man in a basement.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein deals with the difficulty of living as an outcast. From famous

descriptions in horror films, the monster is intelligent and introspective, and must cope with the burdens of a life given, but not cared for. The monster is miserable, a social outcast, and only desires a companion, which Dr. Frankenstein will not grant him, and out of fear of the monster’s cruelty and physical abilities being replicated. The monster’s complex relationship with his own life and the life of others reveals that a gift is not always a blessing, and can too often do more harm than good.

The monster is given the ultimate gift, life itself. Moreover, he is physically powerful and intelligent. He is, however, repulsive. This single flaw in the monster’s creation subsequently leads to his misery and the deaths of innocents, as it is what caused the doctor to abandon him immediately after his creation. This gift of life then turns into a curse of loneliness, as alone, ugly, and initially illiterate, no one takes him in, and he turns violent, hating the one who created him. This vengefulness reveals that gifts, if not cared for, become curses on the gift giver and receiver.

Despite his misery, the monster does not seek to end his own life, but rather to create another. He desires the creation of a mate, believing that life as a pair will somehow be more tolerable than life alone. He does not realize that he will be inflicting the pain he has suffered on another; his loneliness has driven him to do the thing for which he hates Frankenstein: create a monster. Thus, the gift of life becomes a self-perpetuating curse; each must create a new life, regardless of how the created will feel. For all his condemnation of Frankenstein, he is doomed to repeat his mistakes.

DD

EE FF

22

The ultimate irony is that the monster uses the life he hates so much to take away that of others. He does not wish to die, despite his misery, but he has no such trouble inflicting that punishment on others. In a fitting twist, he kills those close to the man who can make life anew, figuring that such deaths are worth the alleviation of his suffering and the creation of a mate. Despite his own life mattering, the lives of others do not, showing that just because one receives a gift, does not mean one understands it.

The monster’s gift of life does not give him a generous view on life or a tendency to be merciful. Rather, it is as if his creation has given him a lower esteem for the sanctity of life, since he knows it can be created at no cost. The havoc he wreaks affects the danger of giving a gift unasked for, and the corruption that the knowledge that some things do come free can cause. “Pay it forward” is a common expression of the coexisting effect of kindness, but the monster seems to believe in a “take it backward” approach to life.

Gifts and curses are two sides of the same coin. A gift may grant power, but that power too often affects the giver and receiver negatively. Frankenstein’s monster is given life, but cursed with loneliness. He doesn’t chose to end his own life, but to end the lives of others, while creating even more life. Blinded by his own hatred, he lashes out at others, inflicting punishment on others based on his gift. His misery leads him to leave Frankenstein alive, and make him miserable, rather than kill him outright. Thus the gift of life becomes a curse that affects all those around, only because a gift was given without thinking.

In Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley the main character Victor

was given the gift of love of learning and the power of knowledge that ultimately lead to his downfall and led to many burdens. Although the idea of creating a new species, a living being on his own, originally sounded like a marvelous idea, it led to his own insanity and death of his family.

From a very early age Victor Frankenstein was always fascinated in reading and science. He had resources that many other children his age, his best friend Clerval per say, didn’t have. He was lucky enough to attend university and continue to expand his knowledge. He thought of an idea to create a living being and so he started. He spent months living alone far from his family gathering pieces of the creature and eventually giving it life. He was blessed with the

gift of knowledge and being able to have the capability and will to create a living creature is something very unusual.

Although being able to create life is something that seems great, it actually came with many negatives. The first words Victor said after bringing the creature to life was “The horror, the horror” because he himself was unable to understand the magnitude of responsibility and work it took to create a creature and then take care of it. He soon after ran away, instead of owning up and dealing with the mess he just made. In retaliation and in order to get the revenge the creature wanted he began to kill Victor’s loved ones. His beloved cousin was killed, and instead of Victor explaining what he did and trying to fix his mistake from it happening again he acted clueless, and allowed the creature to continue and do what he pleases. Through this whole novel a common idea that kept reoccurring was secrecy and the lies Victor told everyone. At first it was to his family that he wasnt aware of anything that couldve killed his cousin, to later on failing to keep his promise to the creature of creating him a companion, and wanted the creature not to find out. Something that seemed so wonderful as the ability to learn was used in the wrong ways and had created many burdens for Victor and his family.

Because of Victors irresponsible actions and choice of not looking after his creation, it led to him being paranoid that someone was always watching, waiting to attack, and the death of his loved ones. Victor chose to keep many secrets and handled this situation in the worst way possible. Receiving a gift if not used properly, can read to many burdens, and due to Victors choices, that is exactly what happened.

Many books feature a character with a gift-a gift, perhaps, with both positive and

negative qualities. It is difficult, however, to consider a gift with greater import than the one given Frankenstein’s monster in Frankenstein-a gift of life, which allows him to experience human learning but condemns him to a life of loneliness. The effects of this gift, both on the world writ large and on Frankentein’s monster’s psyche, tie in to a key, overarching theme repeated throughout Frankenstein-the worthlessness of learning without happiness and companionship.

Soon after the monster’s birth, he is abandoned and driven to the woods. Camped near a cabin, he learns

GG

HH

23

to read from listening to lessons being given inside; from a satchel of books found in the forest, he learns history and ethics. While these epiphanies strengthen his argumentative powers, they do not decrease his despair nor his rage against his creator; although his great gift has allowed him the full breadth of human learning and sensory experience, it has given him no route to achieve contentment. The misery of the monster’s experience emphasizes the worthlessness of acquiring intellect for its own sake.

Indirectly, the ramifications of the monster’s gifts lead to the same theme being repeated for Frankenstein himself. His isolated intellectual efforts to conquer death are abandoned once he perceives the monster’s gruesomeness; by abandoning his efforts the instant they provide real-world application, Frankenstein proves that his task was being undertaken as an expression of intellect for its own sake. Both his experiment and his implicit acknowledgement of distaste at creating something with real and non-theoretical use-both the gift and the abandoned collaborate in the reaction of the maelstrom that dooms Victor; the book makes clear that an unabandoned monster would have been no threat. Victor’s irresponsible act-the abdication of responsibility for his gift-leads to a vast, bloody reprisal that claims the lives of most of the Frankenstein family and destroys Victor’s life.

A final indictment of intellect for its own sake is provided in the last chapters of the text. For all their learning, the monster and the ruined Victor are flagged in the most animalistic of relations-hunter and hunted, with Victor pursuing the monster across the ice, neither using their vast intellects for any greater purpose than this banal chase. After Victor’s death, the monster pledges to flee to the Arctic where he will be isolated; this shows a final grand irony. Immured in the endless snow, the monster will finally become as the gift giving Victor desired; an

expression of intellect for its own sake, finally aloof, seen by none, affecting nothing.

Over the course of Frankenstein, the monster’s gift and Frankenstein’s pursuit of knowledge for its own sake, result in colossal meaningless violence and suffering. This, and the misery of the book’s protagonists subsequent to the gift, serve to emphasize the worthlessness and even danger of intellect for its own sake.

The story of “Frankenstein” was written during the romantic period. Dr.

Frankenstein’s gift of being able to create life is displayed in the novel as both an extraordinary acheivement and life time burden. Dr. Frankenstein’s creation plays a big role in the story and is very important to the work as a whole.

In the story Dr. Frankenstein is seen as having a God-complex because he can create life. This is important to the work as a whole because it deal with it’s theme of somethings should never be discovered or played with by science, for those things should be left to God. The plot is truly created when Dr. Frankenstein creates the creature. After he creates the creature, Dr. Frankenstein abandons him. This causes the creature to go into depression and never learns bad from good. The rest of the book is literally about Dr. Frankenstein stopping the creature. Therefore if Dr. Frankenstein didn’t have the gift to create life their wouldn’t be a plot or maybe even a story.

In “Frankenstein” the gift of creating life is also a terrible burden. This gift truly adds to the work as a whole by helping develop a theme and plot to the story. This story teaches us to use our gifts right or it will all end in turmoil.

KK

24