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Skill Category 3: Structure3.A-B Plot and sequence of events3.C Prose: Function of structure3.C Poetry: Function of structure3.D Prose: Function of contrasts3.D Poetry: Function of contrastsSkill Category 3: Structure

Skill Category 3: StructureSkill Category 3: StructureJust as a builder must first create a solid foundation and framework when constructing a building, writers must create a framework or structure for their stories. The term narrative or prose structure refers to this framework and includes both the content of the story and the form in which it is written. The content of the story includes the events, the conflicts the characters encounter, and the resolution of those conflicts. The form refers to how the events are related and includes elements such as sequence of events, foreshadowing, flashback, pacing, shifts, and irony. Understanding how these elements function and theirpurpose is the focus of many of the AP exam questions concerning prose structure.

Skill Category 3: Structure3.A-B Plot and Sequence of EventsThe image above of the traditional story development illustrates some of the elements of a plot's structure. The multiple-choice section of the AP English Lit exam won't ask for identification of these very basic parts of the plot, but it will test your knowledge and understanding of how specific elements in the plot reveal meaningful nuances about what is happening, where it is happening, and the characters' relationships to the events and each other.Key ConceptsPlot—the sequence of events, including the exposition (introduction)—is composed of significant moments that develop the narrative's characters, their roles, and their relationships with each other and the setting. Because a plot is a constructed sequence of events, an event must be viewed in relation to what has happened before and what happens after it. Questions about plot may ask you to identify the significance of a particular event for the passage as a whole, or ask about the effect of placing an event at a certain point in the narrative. Other questions may ask you to choose the best description for the structuring of events in a passage or poem. In J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy, Frodo and Sam's suspicions about Gollum are intensified by moments along their journey when Gollum betrays their trust.

Skill Category 3: StructureArchetypes are recognizable narrative patterns that have recurred often in literary works. Because these patterns are so common, people have certain expectations for how the events of the narrative will unfold and how the conflicts will be resolved. The AP exam expects you to understand the term archetype and to recognize familiar plot patterns, such as the heroic quest, thejourney from innocence to experience, and the detection and clearing of evil. For questions about plot archetypes, you should examine the sequence of events in a passage or poem and select the best description for the pattern. In the Wizard of Oz, Dorothy must follow the yellow-brick road to find the Wizard of Oz in the archetypal hero's journey. Because this type of journey is prevalent in literature, the reader can expect the hero to encounter obstacles and experience struggle, ultimately finding her way home changed or transformed. In Dorothy's case, she battles the evil witch and other adversaries, finds the Wizard, and ends up back home with a deeper appreciation for her home and the people around her.Some narrative structures may interrupt the plot's chronology to create expectation or suspense, or to reveal important information. Familiarizing yourself with the following terms and their definitions will make it easier for you to recognize the effect of their use in the prose passages and poems you encounter on the AP exam.1. Flashbacks affect a narrative's pacing by interrupting the sequence of events to describe events that happened previously.  For example, in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the narrative is interrupted by scenes thatflash back to Gatsby's past, revealing important information about his motivations and his earlier relationship with Daisy.2. Foreshadowing is a device that hints to readers that something will occur later in the story.  For example, in Macbeth by Shakespeare, the witches' words are an omen of future troubles. Their prophecy that "Macbeth shall never vanquish'd be until / Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill / Shall come against him" foreshadows Macbeth's eventual defeat at the end of the play.3. In medias res is Latin for "in the midst of things" and refers to stories that begin in the middle of the plot.  For example, the opening scene of the movie Forrest Gump depicts Forrest sitting on a bench, waiting for a bus and talking to a bored woman. As he speaks, the woman and the audience become engrossed in his life story, which is described through flashbacks.

Skill Category 3: Structure4. Stream of consciousness mirrors the unstructured and often scrambled way a character thinks. Look for internal thoughts presented in a random manner and the lack of normal punctuation and capitalization that usually characterizes stream of consciousness narration. For example, in Toni Morrison's novel Beloved, the reader gets a glimpse into the thoughts of the ghost that haunts the main character's home:They are not crouching now we are they are floating on the water they break up the little hill and push it through I cannot find my pretty teeth I see the dark face that is going to smile at me it is my dark face that is going to smile at me the iron circle is around our neck she does not have sharp earrings in her ears or a round basket she goes in the water with my face.5. Pacing is the manipulation of time in a narrative and is impacted by the placement of details, frequency of events, syntax, and the order in which the events occur. Pacing may be affectedby a flashback or an unexpected interruption to the action. Shifts in pacing may elicit an emotional response, reveal an event's significance to the narrative or indicate an important contrast. Below are two different types of pacing and their function. Speed at which events occur: The fast-paced sequence of events in the short story "The Most Dangerous Game" creates suspense and anticipation in the reader as a man being hunted struggles to elude a hunter. Arrangement of details: In Charles Dickens' novel Great Expectations, the revelation that Magwitch is the source of Pip's money comes very late in the novel, surprising the reader and changing Pip's understanding of his relationship with Miss Havisham and Estella.

Skill Category 3: StructureWhat to Look forAs you encounter questions about a prose excerpt's plot, look for the following in the passage: Events and actions that affect other parts of the narrative Structures that interrupt the chronological progression of the events Descriptions of characters' reactions to events Changes in the narrative that affect the pacing of the events Comments by the narrator that guide the reader's response to eventsPractice ActivityDirections: The following passage from A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles contains events that take place in three different times: 1885, 1918, and 1922 (the story's present time). Read the passage carefully and complete the following: Use three different colors to highlight events from the three time periods: 1885, 1918, and 1922 (the present). Annotate any structures that interrupt the narrative, such as flashback, foreshadowing, or stream of consciousness and explain what each reveals. In an annotation, describe how the pacing of events affects the plot, characters, or readers' reactions.From A Gentleman in MoscowOnce in the bedroom, the Count paused before the marble-topped table on which lay an assortment of curios. From among them, he picked up a pair of scissors that had been prized by his sister. Fashioned in the shape of an egret with the long silver blades representing the bird's beak and the small golden screw at the pivot representing its eye, the scissors were so delicate he could barely fit his thumb and finger through the rings.Looking from one end of the apartment to the other, the Count took a quick inventoryof all that would be left behind. What personal possessions, furnishings, and objets d'art he had brought to this suite four years before were already the product of a great winnowing. For when word had reached the Count of the Tsar's execution, he had set out from Paris at once. Over twenty days, he had made his way across six nations and skirted eight battalions fighting under five different flags, finally arriving at Idlehour on the seventh of August 1918, with nothing but a rucksack on his back. Though he found the countryside on the verge of upheaval and the household in a state of distress, his grandmother, the Countess, was characteristically composed."Sasha," she said without rising from her chair, "how good of you to come. You must be famished. Join me for tea."When he explained the necessity of her leaving the country and described the arrangements he had made for her passage, the Countess understood that there was no alternative. She understood that although every servant in her employ was ready to accompany her, she must travel with two. She also understood why her grandson and only heir, whom she had raised from the age of ten, would not be coming with her.When the Count was just seven, he was defeated so soundly by a neighboring boy in a game of draughts that, apparently, a tear was shed, a curse was uttered, and the game pieces were scattered across the floor. This lack of sportsmanship led to a stiff

Skill Category 3: Structurereprimand from the Count's father and a trip to bed without supper. But as the young Count was gripping his blanket in misery, he was visited by his grandmother. Taking a seat at the foot of the bed, the Countess expressed a measure of sympathy: "There is nothing pleasant to be said about losing," she began, "and the Obolensky boy is a pill. But, Sasha, my dear, why on earth would you give him the satisfaction?" It was in this spirit that he and his grandmother parted without tears on the docks in Peterhof. Then the Count returned to the family estate in order to administer its shuttering.In quick succession came the sweeping of chimneys, the clearing of pantries, and the shrouding of furniture. It was just as if the family were returning to St. Petersburg for the season, except that the dogs were released from their kennels, the horses from their stables, and the servants from their duties. Then, having filled a single wagon with someof the finest of the Rostovs' furniture, the Count bolted the doors and set out for Moscow.'Tis a funny thing, reflected the Count as he stood ready to abandon his suite. From the earliest age, we must learn to say good-bye to friends and family. We see our parentsand siblings off at the station; we visit cousins, attend schools, join the regiment; we marry, or travel abroad. It is part of the human experience that we are constantly gripping a good fellow by the shoulders and wishing him well, taking comfort from the notion that we will hear word of him soon enough. But experience is less likely to teach us how to bid our dearest possessions adieu. And if it were to? We wouldn't welcome the education. For eventually, we come to holdour dearest possessions more closely than we hold our friends. We carry them from place to place, often at considerable expense and inconvenience; we dust and polish theirsurfaces and reprimand children for playing too roughly in their vicinity—all the while, allowing memories to invest them with greater and greater importance. This armoire we are prone to recall, is the very one in which we hid as a boy; and it was these silver candelabra that lined our table on Christmas Eve; and it was with this handkerchief that she once dried her tears, et cetera, et cetera. Until we imagine that these carefully preserved possessions might give us genuine solace in the face of a lost companion.But, of course, a thing is just a thing.And so, slipping his sister's scissors into his pocket, the Count looked once more at what heirlooms remained and then expunged them from his heartache forever.Excerpt from A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW: A NOVEL by Amor Towles, copyright © 2016 by Cetology,Inc. Used by permission of Viking Books, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved.

Skill Category 3: Structure3.A-B Plot and Sequence of Events—Check for UnderstandingDirections: The following passage from A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles contains events that take place in three different times: 1885, 1918, and 1922 (the story's present time). Read the passage carefully and answer the questions.Once in the bedroom, the Count paused before the marble-topped table on which lay an assortment of curios. From among them, he picked up a pair of scissors that had been prized by his sister. Fashioned in the shape of an egret with the long silver blades representing the bird's beak and the small golden screw at the pivot representing its eye, the scissors were so delicate he could barely fit his thumb and finger through the rings.Looking from one end of the apartment to the other, the Count took a quick inventory of all that would be left behind. What personal possessions, furnishings, and objets d'art he had brought to this suite four years before were already the product of a great winnowing. For when word had reached the Count of the Tsar's1 execution, he had set out from Paris at once. Over twenty days, he had made his way across six nations and skirted eight battalions fighting under five different flags, finally arriving at Idlehour2 on the seventh of August 1918, with nothing but a rucksack on his back. Though he found the countryside on the verge of upheaval and the household in a state of distress, his grandmother, the Countess, was characteristically composed."Sasha," she said without rising from her chair, "how good of you to come. You must be famished. Join me for tea."When he explained the necessity of her leaving the country and described the arrangements he had made for her passage, the Countess understood that there was no alternative. She understood that although every servant in her employ was ready to accompany her, she must travel with two. She also understood why her grandson and only heir, whom she had raised fromthe age of ten, would not be coming with her.When the Count was just seven, he was defeated so soundly by a neighboring boy in a game of draughts3 that, apparently, a tear was shed, a curse was uttered, and the game pieces were scattered across the floor. This lack of sportsmanship led to a stiff reprimand from the Count's father and a trip to bed without supper. But as the young Count was gripping his blanket in misery, he was visited by his grandmother. Taking a seat at the foot of the bed, the Countess expressed a measure of sympathy: "There is nothing pleasant to be said about losing," she began,"and the Obolensky boy is a pill. But, Sasha, my dear, why on earth would you give him the satisfaction?" It was in this spirit that he and his grandmother parted without tears on the docks in Peterhof. Then the Count returned to the family estate in order to administer its shuttering.In quick succession came the sweeping of chimneys, the clearing of pantries, and the shrouding of furniture. It was just as if the family were returning to St. Petersburg for the season,except that the dogs were released from their kennels, the horses from their stables, and the servants from their duties. Then, having filled a single wagon with some of the finest of the Rostovs' furniture, the Count bolted the doors and set out for Moscow.51015202530

Skill Category 3: Structure'Tis a funny thing, reflected the Count as he stood ready to abandon his suite. From the earliest age, we must learn to say good-bye to friends and family. We see our parents and siblings off at the station; we visit cousins, attend schools, join the regiment; we marry, or travel abroad. It is part of the human experience that we are constantly gripping a good fellow by the shoulders and wishing him well, taking comfort from the notion that we will hear word of him soon enough.But experience is less likely to teach us how to bid our dearest possessions adieu. And if it were to? We wouldn't welcome the education. For eventually, we come to hold our dearest possessions more closely than we hold our friends. We carry them from place to place, often at considerable expense and inconvenience; we dust and polish their surfaces and reprimand children for playing too roughly in their vicinity—all the while, allowing memories to invest them with greater and greater importance. This armoire, we are prone to recall, is the very one inwhich we hid as a boy; and it was these silver candelabra that lined our table on Christmas Eve; and it was with this handkerchief that she once dried her tears, et cetera, et cetera. Until we imagine that these carefully preserved possessions might give us genuine solace in the face of a lost companion.But, of course, a thing is just a thing.And so, slipping his sister's scissors into his pocket, the Count looked once more at what heirlooms remained and then expunged them from his heartache forever.1 The Russian Revolution of 1917 overthrew Tsar Nicholas and the traditional monarchy, replaced it with a Communist government, and seized the property of the nobility.2 the name of the Count's family estate3 the board game of checkersExcerpt from A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW: A NOVEL by Amor Towles, copyright © 2016 by Cetology, Inc. Used by permission of Viking Books, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved.35404550

Skill Category 3: Structure1. In lines 8–20 ("For when…with her"), which of the following methods does the narrator use to shape the pace of the passage?A. Accelerating the pace of the narrative by providing insight into the Count's futureB. Slowing the pace of the narrative to present an incident from the Count's boyhoodC. Interrupting the exposition of the narrative to dramatize the Count's experience of lossD. Marking the passing of time by highlighting events that will unfold later in the passage2. Which of the following best describes the function of lines 35–53 ("'Tis a funny...forever")in the context of the passage as a whole?A. They return the narrative to the present to create sympathy for the Count's situation.B. They return the narrative to the present to add a touch of humor to the Count's situation.C. They return the narrative to the present to criticize the Count for his attachment to worldly things.D. They deliver the narrative's unresolved dilemma.3. Which of the following best describes the structure of the passage?A. It begins with a memorable object, examines the history of the object, and ends with a decisionabout the object.B. It begins with a moment in the present, flashes back to significant past events, and ends with the current situation.C. The first five paragraphs recall a departure, and the second five paragraphs signify a return.D. Alternating paragraphs utilize a third-person point of view and a first-person point of view on how difficult it is to say good-bye to family and friends.