Literary argument
An ending that leaves questions open
- Unit 9
- 6 points
- About 40 minutes
You get a literary idea, such as a conflict between old and new, and pick a novel, story or play you know well, from your own reading or a list of about 40 works. Then you write an essay arguing how that idea contributes to an interpretation of the work as a whole, without just summarizing the plot. On the exam: Free-response question 3 of 3 in Section II (3 essays in 2 hours, 55% of the exam score); about 40 minutes suggested; 6 points: thesis 1, evidence and commentary 4, sophistication 1.
The question
Suggested time: 40 minutes, including planning. There is no passage: you choose the work and write about it from memory. Pick a novel or play you know well enough to discuss specific scenes, choices and details.
Suggested time: 40 minutes
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The essay
6 pointsSome works of literature close by settling their central conflicts. Others end with a choice, an image or an event that leaves an important question unresolved, inviting readers to keep thinking after the last page. Choose a novel or play whose ending leaves something significant unresolved. You may use a work from your own reading or one from the list below. Write an essay that analyzes how the ending contributes to an interpretation of the work as a whole. Analyze rather than retell the plot. In your essay: • State a thesis that answers the prompt with a defensible interpretation. • Give specific evidence from the work that supports your line of reasoning. • Explain how that evidence supports your line of reasoning. • Use grammar and punctuation that make your argument clear. Suggested works: The Age of Innocence Atonement The Awakening Brooklyn The Catcher in the Rye Death of a Salesman A Doll's House Fences The Great Gatsby The Handmaid's Tale Heart of Darkness The House of Mirth Invisible Man The Kite Runner The Namesake Never Let Me Go Passing A Raisin in the Sun The Remains of the Day The Road Song of Solomon Station Eleven The Sun Also Rises Things Fall Apart Waiting for Godot
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