AP PREP POST 1: SIDDHARTHA

a) 1. A bildungsroman, or coming-of-age novel, recounts the psychological or moral development of its protagonist from youth to maturity, when this character recognizes his or her place in the world. Select a single pivotal moment in the psychological or moral development of the protagonist of a bildungsroman. Then write a well-organized essay that analyzes how that single moment shapes the meaning of the work as a whole. 

http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/ap/apcentral/ap13_frq_eng_lit.pdf

2. In the beginning of the book, Siddhartha rebels against his father. Later on in the book, Young Siddhartha often rebels against Siddhartha. Which literary technique best describes this?

a) metaphor

b)anthropomorphism

c)allusion

d)foreshadowing

e)irony

http://snobles.grads.digitalodu.com/blog/groups/ap-english-2012-2013/forum/topic/siddhartha-multiple-choice-questions/

3. The main purpose of the first-person point of view in the passage, “I am no longer what I was, I am no longer an ascetic, no longer a priest, no longer a Brahmin” is to make clear?

a. The change in Siddhartha’s physical lifestyle, in order to follow his spiritual one

b. Show Siddhartha’s anger at the corruption present in his father’s position

c. Reveal the frustration in Siddhartha’s journey toward enlightenment

d. The views and beliefs of his family and his religion

e. Draw attention toward the excitement that Siddhartha feels now that he has less responsibility

http://snobles.grads.digitalodu.com/blog/groups/ap-english-2012-2013/forum/topic/siddhartha-multiple-choice-questions/

4. What does it mean to be “newly born” from Siddhartha’s point of view? pg 40

a) To be enlightened, or to have found Self

b) To be reincarnated, to have started life again in a new body

c) To be awakened, or having a new understanding

d) To have been educated, the feeling after you had met the Buddha.

e) To get to a new town and meet new people

http://snobles.grads.digitalodu.com/blog/groups/ap-english-2012-2013/forum/topic/siddhartha-multiple-choice-questions/

5. 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.

http://mseffie.com/AP/Open_Questions.pdf

b) 1. I can answer part of this question in that the excerpt we read seems to be the turning point of the novel and is that moment that shapes Siddhartha's character, but I would not be able to explain how that single moment truly shapes the rest of the novel because I have not read the rest of the novel. I can assume that it is going to change the story entirely because Siddhartha goes from being in shackles to so much freedom he has no idea what to do with it. 

2. I think the answer to this question is d which is foreshadowing because it hints that Siddhartha's son (I'm assuming) is going to do the same thing that Siddhartha did to his father. The answer could also be irony. I am not sure exactly what the answer is, but I would go with d.

3. I am not entirely sure what the answer to this question is, but my top two would be e or b. E would be my first choice because we are finally seeing into his mind and his emotions. Not being told by a different person, but by Siddhartha himself. 

4. I would not be able to answer this question because I have not read the book, but I would assume that the answer would be a or c because in the passage we read he was enlightened and found a new self that he didn't really know what it would be yet. 

5. I believe Siddhartha's father is very important even though he is not a main character because if Siddhartha had not gotten resentment and decided to go against his father he never would have changed and become a new person. The theme would be entirely different because Siddhartha would not care so much about leaving his family and his tradition if his father was not a character in the story. Because his dad is in the story it makes this turning point more significant and difficult for Siddhartha. 

c) I feel that these questions were not extremely hard. I felt like I had a good grasp of what they were asking. I still need to work on finding my voice and developing that essay in a timely and sufficient manner, but overall I understood what the question was asking of me and could generate a draft of an answer. The multiple choice will always be difficult, but I felt good that I could at least narrow it down to two answers rather than not even understanding three of the answers. I do have work to be done because I didn't understand one of the words in the multiple choice question, but after a semester of lit terms, I should be ready to go.