ShmoopTube

Where Monty Python meets your 10th grade teacher.

Search Thousands of Shmoop Videos


Playlist AP® English Language and Composition 17 videos

0
AP English Language and Composition 1.1 Comprehension
449 Views

AP® English Language and Composition: Comprehension Drill 1, Problem 1. The speaker would agree with all of the following statements except what?

1
AP English Language and Composition 1.10 Comprehension
460 Views

AP English Language and Composition: Comprehension Drill 1, Problem 10. The metaphor used in lines 62 and 63 is best interpreted to mean which...

2
AP English Language and Composition 1.3 Comprehension
234 Views

AP English Language and Composition: Comprehension Drill 1, Problem 3. What can the "personality" that the speaker describes be characterized as?

See All

AP English Language and Composition DBQ 1.1 292 Views


Share It!


Description:

AP® English Language and Composition: DBQ Drill 1, Problem 1. Read the following sources (including the introduction), then write an essay in which you analyze how women were represented in both the public sphere and the private sphere

Language:
English Language
Common Core Standards:

Transcript

00:03

Here's your shmoop du jour, brought to you by the Private Sphere. Basically, the area

00:08

you shouldn't invade unless you know a person pretty darn well.

00:12

Okay, so we've just finished reading a bunch of ginormous passages from 8 different sources,

00:18

and boy are our eyes tired. This free response question wants us to use

00:22

at least THREE of the 8 sources in our essay answer...

00:25

...and it also wants that essay to be coherent and well-written. Sheesh. So demanding.

00:31

All right... we're given this prompt: Read the following sources (including the

00:36

introduction) carefully. Then write an essay in which you analyze how women were represented

00:41

in both the public sphere and the private sphere.

00:44

So we need to read through the sources, and use the content to develop our position on

00:48

how women are represented in... a couple of sphere thingies.

00:56

Really, we can just ignore the "sphere" part. It wants us to analyze women's roles... in

01:00

the home as well as the working world.

01:02

Now... how do we attack this thing? Slow and stealthy, from the left flank?

01:06

First of all, we need to recognize that our prompt is telling us to analyze, not to argue.

01:12

So... no getting defensive and throwing a hissy fit. This is all about exploring and

01:17

evaluating the 8 different approaches to a single subject... not about trying to convince

01:22

our reader of something. We need to stay professional and unbiased...

01:26

like a television reporter who will lose his job if he's caught editorializing. Can't hurt

01:31

to make sure our hair looks nice either.

01:34

We also know that we need to discuss

01:36

BOTH women in the public sphere, the labor force ...and in the private sphere.

01:44

Some of the sources refer to one or the other... so we know we'll have to pull from a couple

01:48

of each to cover our bases. Sources A, F and H are all pro-public.

01:54

B, C and D... think that women should be home in the kitchen making babies.

01:58

E and G deal with women appearing in public,

02:01

even if they aren't strictly about them joining the work force.

02:04

So... which to choose? So many options... it's like trying to pick out a pair of pumps

02:09

when Diaz W is having a sale. Tough. If you read the passages carefully, you should

02:14

notice that some of them naturally work together. A and C, for example, even though they demonstrate

02:19

stances on each side of the issue, are both from the New Jersey Constitution...

02:24

so they're clearly linked.

02:25

Less obvious -- sources F and H are both about

02:29

women speaking and defending their rights... ...E and G are both about how men view women

02:34

appearing in public... ...and B and D... would probably be appalled

02:38

that today's women no longer wear hoop skirts and corsets.

02:41

In other words... they have some pretty old-fashioned ideas about a woman's role in society...

02:45

The tones and perspective may differ from one to another... but as long as we can draw

02:49

comparisons and make connections, we can compose an essay that is thoughtful, well-researched

02:54

and compelling. Don't forget to start with a thesis.

02:58

We can't know where we're going if we haven't first determined where we're starting from.

03:02

Remember not to insert your own opinion... it might be difficult in cases such as these,

03:07

where there are so many bone-headed, antiquated ideas being bandied about...

03:11

...but hey, it was a different time. And besides, it's our job to analyze the arguments

03:15

of others -- what they did make a good case for, how they structured their arguments,

03:19

et cetera. Include at least one pro-public and one pro-private...

03:24

...and get at the heart of what these writers believed, and why they might have believed

03:28

those things at that time. Before you start a-writin'... or maybe after

03:31

you're done... check out this sample essay to get an idea of what those AP gurus are looking for...

Related Videos

AP English Language and Composition 1.2 Passage Drill
842 Views

AP English Language and Composition: Passage Drill Drill 1, Problem 2. What is the speaker's primary purpose in using onomatopoeia in line four?

AP English Literature and Composition 1.1 Passage Drill 7
310 Views

AP English Literature and Composition 1.1 Passage Drill 7. The primary purpose of this passage is what?

AP English Language and Composition 3.8 Passage Drill
225 Views

Wishing upon a star may help you pass your AP English Language and Composition test, but answering this question would be a safer bet.

AP English Language and Composition 4.6 Passage Drill
230 Views

Take a look at this shmoopy question and see if you can figure out which device the speaker employs the most.

AP English Language and Composition 4.5 Passage Drill
168 Views

Feel like shifting gears and answering a question about shifting tones? We've got you covered. Take a look at this question and see if you can foll...