Practice Test Discussion | Fiction and Fact in English Prose

General Comments:

Follow instructions. If the instruction asks you to respond to two prompts, don't write about all three. If the prompt asks you to discuss at least two works, don't discuss only one. If the prompt asks you to compare and contrast a theme in the works, don't give a description or summary of the works or retell the plot. You're going to get fewer points than if you engaged critically and analytically with the topic.
Have a clear point to make in each of your paragraphs, and in the essay as a whole.
Support your ideas with textual evidence.
Avoid plot summary. Order your discussion around your argument, not according to the the structure of the article or the plot of the story. Mention only plot points that are necessary to your argument. Be precise and detailed when elaborating on them to develop your argument.
Proofread. If you have time at the end of the test, check your writing for

Spelling
Capitalization
Agreement

Follow academic conventions in writing about literature. For example,

Use literary present tense.

"Verb Tense for Analysis of Literature and History," Harvard University
"How (and Why) Do I Write in Literary Present Tense," Vanderbilt University

Refer to authors by their last names.
See also

Celia Easton, "Conventions of Writing Papers about Literature," State University of New York at Genoso
Christopher P. Wilson, "A List of Technical Conventions It Helps to Know," Boston College
Simon Lewsen, "Writing about Literature," University of Toronto

Look at the following groups of texts. Choose one set. Explain how the texts in that set address different facets of an issue.

a.    “The Man at the River”
“Bad Dreams”
“I Won’t Be Marginalized by Online Harrassment”

b.    “Audition”
“The Future Has an Ancient Heart”
“Positive Obsession”

c.    “Late Returns”
“Protozoa”

d.    “Who’s Your Daddy?”
“Walkabout”

Is there such a thing as fact in fiction and/or fiction in fact? Explain with illustrations from at least two texts on the syllabus.

Prompt 2 Comments:

The prompt asks you to discuss challenging ideas of independent thought among three works.
Good responses answer this prompt right away and demonstrate understanding of the works and of topical and literary terms as well as analytical skills by identifying issues on the topic common to all the works and/or aspects on the topic that differentiate them, and providing clear explanation of it.
When looking at the three selections, it might be helpful to draw on and unpack issues and terms mentioned in class discussion as well as those from your additional research or reading, such as

stereotypes
myths
baiting
norms
expectations
roles
internalization
voice, tone
juxtaposition, contrast
irony
form, structure
logical flow, trajectory, movement
syntax
sentence structure
contexts
influencers
knock-on effect
experience design
AI for
algorithms
profiling

How do these three texts challenge ideas of independent thought?
•    “In the Shadow of a Fairy Tale”
•    “I Invented the Term ‘Sadfishing’ So Let’s Talk about What It Actually Means”
•    “Bettering Myself”

Some may think that individuals are capable of thinking independent thought, which is the thought that is free from other's influences, if one wants to. However, the three texts we have studied show that although people may not want it to be that way, their thoughts tend to be shaped and influenced by external factors such as social value and other people's expectations.

- Too general: You are establishing what independent thought is for your argument. This is important, but the wording is general, cliche, or common knowledge. "Some" is safe but uninteresting. The introduction would be tighter if you compressed and combined these first two introductory sentences.
- Good: Bringing the three texts right away is ideal. It would be even better if you clearly characterized each in terms of how differently or similarly it engages with the topic.
- Engage more critically: What about internal factors? Mood (cf. "Bettering Myself"), psychology (cf. "Sadfishing"), DNA?

Who Wants Independent Thought?

Ottessa Moshfegh, in an interview, shares “how Nirvana opened her eyes to the ‘freedom to be ugly,’” Leslie Jamison is “In the Shadow of a Fairy Tale” and Rebecca Reid discusses the tangled web of celeb sadfishing and million-level fandom. That a rock band gives Moshfegh the license to not be well put together and produce a central character like Miss Mooney in “Bettering Myself” who thinks nasty thoughts, speaks coarse language, flaunts unkempt appearance, and commits a (?) terrible crime reveals how unindependent thinking is even for a smart Barnard-educated modern woman with a prominent family like her. That Jamison needs a support group to cope with the anxiety of being and avoiding an evil stepmother stereotype questions a person’s ability to imagine an identity free from a type that was imagined in the first place. That Reid describes super celebrities creating vulnerabilities in order to gain sympathy from followers and eclipsing non-famous young fans who have actual and serious problems suggests that freedom of thought is not only a myth, but undesirable!

- Good: A title can be an effective way to present your argument in an intriguing way and keep your writing focused and on track.
- Good: Clearly provides relevant details about the works to be analyzed and immediately answers how that work is related to the topic
- Good: Use of quote/diction ex. "freedom to be ugly" that echoes and expands on the prompt topic
- Good: Links the three works together in addressing the prompt topic while setting up for a comparison and contrast between how they challenge ideas of independent thought
- Good: The introduction sets up a clear argument that will be developed in the body of the essay: independent thought is actually an unwanted quality.
- Needs work: Sentences tend to be long-winded. Breaking them up into smaller chunks can improve clarity. You can pack a lot into a sentence. If done right, it can be powerful and have a great impact, but if not, it can be confusing and turn readers off.

These three texts are all about encountering obstacles, each showing how refusing to communicate with hostility is a positive thing.

- The prompt asks you to show how the texts discuss different angles of the same issue.

Prompt

Most of the time people do things not because they independently want to do it, but because they want the public to see that they do it and get attention. Like the examples mentioned in the text, some people post dramatic and misleading pictures or status for likes and comments, not because they really want to share it, and that is not their independent thought.

- Vague: What things do people do?
- Vague: What is an example of a dramatic post or a misleading post?
- Repetition: "Not their independent thought" repeats an earlier statement without elaborating on it or developing it further.

It is influenced by public's attention and engagement, not of one's free will.

- Phrased this way, you are giving yourself the burden to prove that the action is for public attention and not free.

Student V	Student U
Prompt Response.	Prompt Response.
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