upgrade

AP English Literature AMSCO Guided Notes

4.3: Plot Patterns

AP English Literature
AMSCO Guided Notes
4.1 Nuanced and Contrasting Characters
4.2 Setting, Mood, and Atmosphere
4.3 Plot Patterns
4.4 Narrative Distance and Perspective
4.5 Writing About Literature IV

AP English Literature Guided Notes

AMSCO 4.3 - Plot Patterns

Essential Questions

  1. What are common dramatic situations and how do contrasts illuminate them?
I. Archetypes and Expectations

1. What are archetypes and why do they create expectations for readers about how a story will develop?

2. How can a writer create complexity by pushing against archetypal expectations?

A. The Rule of Three

1. What is the rule of three and why do groupings of three appear frequently in archetypal stories?

2. How does the rule of three function in 'The Sanctuary Desolated' and what effect does it create?

II. Contrasts and Conflicts of Values

1. What is the purpose of juxtaposing images, ideas, characters, or actions in a text?

A. Clash of Values

1. How do contrasts between characters' perspectives reveal their underlying values and beliefs?

2. What do the contrasts between Pa's and Grandma's views of the house reveal about their different priorities?

3. How can contrasts in a text foreshadow larger themes or central conflicts?

Key Terms

archetypes

conflicts

values

contrast