1994. In some works of literature, a character who appears briefly, or does not appear at all, is a significant presence. Choose a novel or play of literary merit and write an essay in which you show how such a character functions in the work. You may wish to discuss how the character affects action, theme, or the development of other characters. Avoid plot summary.
I want to first say I really liked your presentation – Jane Eyre was actually one of my least favorite books I ever read throughout high school, since I could never appreciate the heavy description that I personally felt drowned the plot of the novel, but after your presentation I have a renewed interest in it, and I am considering re-reading it.
ReplyDeleteWith that said, you did forget to put the actual prompts who wrote from on your essays, which is ok – I just want to make sure that any discussion I have is accurate and fair. From your introductory paragraph/thesis statement, I believe the AP Prompt was something along the lines of how a minor character is a work of literary merit actually drove the plot of the story, correct?
Your textual evidence was fantastic – very good quotes that you pulled from Jane Eyre to show how Bertha was in fact a minor yet pivotal character. You also did a great job of not restating information for the sake of essay length, which I think many of us do unknowingly. Lastly, thank you for a very interesting presentation!
I would first like to applaud you for choosing an author most students have negative feelings towards. Like you, I personally have never read Jane Eyre and therefore could not make a stance on the novel, but coming in with an open mind, I was very interested to hear about Charlotte Bronte and her novels. I love the colors of your blog, I think the pink and red tones convey the feministic perspective, as well as the print in the background which conveys the antique, or past time period, Charlotte Bronte emphasized throughout her writing.
ReplyDeleteThe next item I would like to comment on is your first AP Open Prompt. I think you picked the perfect character to respond to the prompt. However, I personally would have added a little more introduction to the character Bertha and her role within the novel. Your inclusion how Bertha influences other works of literature I feel it was a tad off-topic and you could have included more about the plot. This could have saved you from summarizing in the body paragraphs and leave more room for analysis. I think you did a great job of explaining how Bertha plays a key role in the novel. Through the incorporation of ghosts/spirits, which is how Bertha is characterized. Overall you did a fantastic presentation!