1994 Free Response Question 3: "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."
Thesis: In Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, the rarely seen but profoundly significant Bertha Mason serves as Jane's foil. Bertha represents Jane's passion and inner rage, and Bertha's plight highlights the oppression of Victorian women and warns Jane of the dangers of succumbing to unbridled passion.
Thesis: In Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, the rarely seen but profoundly significant Bertha Mason serves as Jane's foil. Bertha represents Jane's passion and inner rage, and Bertha's plight highlights the oppression of Victorian women and warns Jane of the dangers of succumbing to unbridled passion.
2013 Free Response Question 3: "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."
Thesis: In Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, the moment when Jane chooses to leave St. John, the cold and self-sacrificing missionary, and return to Rochester, the passionate and indulgent master of Thornfield, reveals that finding a balance between restraint and passion is essential to one's happiness.
Thesis: In Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, the moment when Jane chooses to leave St. John, the cold and self-sacrificing missionary, and return to Rochester, the passionate and indulgent master of Thornfield, reveals that finding a balance between restraint and passion is essential to one's happiness.