Yes, satire can be tough to analyze! Let’s take a look at a previous AP Language and Composition Exam prompt which challenged the test-takers to do exactly that:
• Review Question 2 from the 2005 AP Language and Composition Exam. (https://secure-media.collegeboard.org/apc/_ap05_frq_englishlang_45428.pdf)
You may wish to print out the question and annotate it as you read. Consider how you might approach this question were you to receive it on the exam.
• Finally, review the student responses. (https://secure-media.collegeboard.org/apc/ap_englangcomp_apcent_47314.pdf)
• And the scoring commentary. (Below the assignment)
Your Assignment
Respond to the following questions after you have read the student responses and the scoring commentary:
1. What elements of satire did you notice the first time you read the article?
2. What rhetorical strategies contribute to the satire? How are they effectively used?
3. What are the key differences between student response 2A and student response 2B?
4. Explain the score received by the writer of student response 2C. Where do you think this writer might have missed an opportunity to craft a much stronger essay? Where are the opportunities for improvement?
5. Based on your evaluation of the question, responses, and scoring commentary, what advice would you give to your classmates for approaching a question that requires an insightful analysis of satire?