Closed Prompt 2

This excerpt from, Fasting, Feasting by Anita Desai, the author uses literary devices such as language, point of view, and several actions to show the reader how uncomfortable Arun is in his surroundings. By doing so, it forces the reader to sympathize with Arun and his new surroundings, hence making it more clear to the reader what Arun is experiencing.

Language is a strong literary device used throughout the whole excerpt to illustrate the emotional setting. In the first paragraph, Desai describes Arun as despondent- in low spirits due to loss of courage. This sets up the excerpt with a sad and lethargic setting. later on in the excerpt when Arun is outside he sees " these grasses stirring with insidious life, and bushes with poisonous berries." This description of nature is written in such a way that you can feel how uncomfortable Arun is with being outside. The language that Desai uses throughout the excerpt paints a picture of an uncomfortable boy in a foreign environment. By using more of a more dark and unhappy vocabulary, the writer shows us exactly how her words should illustrate how uncomfortable Arun is.

The excerpt, written in third person, allows the reader to witness Arun and his surroundings in an unbiased manner. This excerpt is primarily showing Arun's experience and how he sees and thinks. If the story had been told in a first person view than the reader would only be able to feel and think as Arun does, but by writing in third person it allows the reader to perceive situation in their own way- and allows them to draw their own conclusions. A good example of a situation that would of changed if written in first person is, "Melanie and Arun follow silently. they try to find a way to walk that will not compel them to stand side by side or in any way close together. Who follows whom? Is is an awkward problem." The reason this is a good example is because it allows the reader to contemplate why they can't stand side by side? why do they feel awkward with each other? If this had been written in first person then it would of only explained one view leaving the rest of the picture neglected.

Lastly, Desai uses the actions of her characters to highlight Arun's discomfort. the interactions between Melanie and Arun show the awkward and forced nature of their relationship, "Melanie comes to the door, dressed in her bathing suit with a big shirt drawn across her shoulders, and she stares at him challengingly, he starts wildly to find an  excuse." Here Melanie is trying to get Arun to go sailing with herself and the rest of his host family, and Arun is trying desperately to find a way out of doing so. Even an exchange as simple as that shows the readers how Arun feels and how he views the common activities of his host family.

At first glace the except of fasting, feasting, seems lighthearted and like a family trying to go sailing on a nice day. After looking a little deeper it is made clear that Arun, the main character, is uncomfortable with his family and going outside. Desai uses actions of characters, point of view, and language to contribute to the emotional profile of Arun.

Closed Prompt 1

2A: After reading student A's response, I would agree with the AP reader, and give them an 8. The reason for me giving them an 8 versus a 9, would be due to the lack of direct quotes from the reading. Other than that, their response was very concise and showed their deep understanding of the reading. Student A did a good job taking ideas that the characters shared within the reading, and comparing them to one another. In addition to the ideas the characters shared, student A looked into the meanings of what they were saying and how it contributed to their overall outlook on the power division. Along side everything else, student A did an excellent job finding the metaphorical meaning of all the symbols in the passage, such as how playing cards was to symbolize marriage.  Finally I would thank student A for having legible handwriting, because if they had written in chicken-scratch then it would of a. made my score decrease and b. made it a lot harder to read and understand their response.

2B: Student B's response was okay, and yet again I believe the AP reader graded them fairly in giving them a 5. If student B had used their quotations more purposefully, that would bring them up to a 6 and to get them to a 7 if they had used their concise quotations in a way that would have added to the meaning not just recite themes within the reading. Student B showed  a basic understanding of the meaning of the reading, but nothing more than the basics. Although student B determined what the quotes that the characters were saying, they failed to get the deeper meaning. Student A found the metaphorical meaning behind their quotations, whereas student B simply recited the quote and said what it meant. This shows that they can comprehend the reading, but they fail to give it practical meaning as to how it adds to the depth of the character.

2C: Student C's response is the only response that I read that I disagreed with the scoring of the AP reader. I did not disagree by much, but I believe that they deserved a 4 more than just a 3. The reason for this disagreement is that I believe, although shallow, Student C was able to make a deeper meaning out of the reading, which implies some level of understanding. The one thing I really appreciated about student C's response was how neatly it was written! The neat writing made it A LOT easier to read. Student C's main downfall within their response was how they did not stay 100% focused on their prompt that they were supposed to answer. If student C had focused more so on how the meanings of what the characters had said, contributed to the meaning and depth of the reading, versus how the reading connected to real life problems; the piece could of become a 4 if not a 5.