#AP English Literature: Symbolism, Archetypes, and Style - The Night Before Review 🚀

Hey! Let's get you feeling super confident for tomorrow. This guide is designed to be your quick-hit, high-impact review. We'll focus on what's most important and make sure it sticks.

#Core Concept: Symbolism & Meaning 💡

• Writers are intentional! They don't just throw words on a page. They carefully choose literary elements to convey specific meanings and purposes.
• Meaning isn't always literal. It can shift to figurative through symbols, associations, and comparisons.
• Symbols are objects, characters, or ideas that represent something else. They add layers of meaning and invite interpretation.
  • Some symbols are universal (like a dove for peace). Others are contextual (meaning depends on the specific text).
  • Characters can also be symbolic, representing concepts or ideas.

#Style & Structure: How It All Comes Together ✍️

• Symbolism is developed through archetypes and metaphors, which are key tools for creating meaning and purpose.

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• Archetypes are recurring patterns (characters, situations, themes, symbols, settings) that represent universal human experiences.
  • Think of them as templates that authors use to connect with readers on a deeper level.
  • They influence the structure of a text by creating consistent patterns.
• Paragraph Structure:
  • Pay attention to how paragraphs are formed and how they relate to each other. This can reveal patterns and contribute to your interpretation.
  • Time periods affect paragraphing (17th-century prose had long paragraphs, like modern chapters). AP passages can range from single long paragraphs to clusters of short ones.