AP Literature IVA Synthesis Essay Rubric

A+: Exceptional (380-400) Content demonstrates focused, in-depth exploration of and thoughtful analysis of topic Introduction and lead are insightful and engaging, follow V format, and transition seamlessly into thesis Thesis is arguable and scholarly, reflecting depth of thought and synthesis of ideas Main Points are analytical and intellectual, compounding each other to methodically defend thesis Commentary is exploratory and intellectual, defends main points and thesis, and reveals substantive analytical exploration Concrete details defend main points and pieces blend seamlessly with commentary Conclusion extends main ideas, reflects thoughtful synthesis of topics, and leaves a strong impression on readers Transitions are seamless and natural throughout entire paper; all paragraphs flow seamlessly and are logically organized Mature command of language exhibits a distinct personal style and voice, recognizes audience and takes stylistic risks MLA format and citations are flawless throughout paper Works Cited page is flawless Mechanics, usage, punctuation, and spelling are flawless throughout paper A: Effective (379-360) Content demonstrates a focused, detailed exploration and analysis of the topic Introduction and lead are engaging and interesting, follow V format, and transition smoothly into thesis Thesis is arguable and intellectual, reflecting depth of thought and synthesis of ideas Main Points are analytical and intellectual, building on each other to systematically defend thesis Commentary is intellectual, defends main points and thesis, and reveals original analytical thought Concrete details uphold main points and pieces seamlessly blend with commentary Conclusion reflects thoughtful synthesis of ideas and makes an impression on readers Transitions are smooth and natural throughout entire paper; paragraphs flow smoothly and are rationally organized Mature command of language reveals personal style and voice, recognizes audience and takes stylistic risks MLA format and citations are nearly flawless throughout paper Works Cited page is nearly flawless Mechanics, usage, punctuation, and spelling are nearly flawless throughout paper B: Very Competent (359-320) Content reveals attempted analysis of and focus on topic and attempts depth of discussion Introduction is interesting, follows V format, and transitions into thesis Thesis is logical and arguable; attempts depth of thought and synthesis of ideas Main Points are thought-provoking and build on each other to completely defend thesis Commentary supports main points and thesis, and demonstrates evidence of analytical thought Concrete details relate to main points and pieces mostly blend with commentary Conclusion acknowledges main points and attempts to extend ideas Transitions are present throughout paper; paragraphs generally flow and are purposefully organized Language reflects individual style and voice, uses interesting word choice and recognizes audience MLA format and citations are generally documented correctly Works Cited page is generally correct Mechanics, usage, punctuation, and spelling are generally correct

Name: __________________ Grade: ____ / 400

C: Competent (319-280) Content reflects simplistic or superficial discussion of the topic and may include loosely relevant material Introduction and lead are conventional; may not follow V format or transition into thesis Thesis is evident but may be simplistic, may lack analysis and synthesis of ideas, or may be unarguable Main Points are present but may be unarguable, may not compound, or may not be clearly relevant to thesis statement Commentary is simplistic or superficial, may simply summarize or state facts, and may not connect to main points or thesis Concrete details may feel repetitive or irrelevant to main points or thesis; may blend unevenly with commentary Conclusion is present but may be repetitive or demonstrate minimal synthesis of ideas Transitions are sometimes missing, awkward or obvious; flow is choppy and ideas are weakly organized Language shows some emerging style but may be weakly constructed, too casual or conversational, or inattentive to audience MLA format and citations are flawed or limited Works Cited page contains numerous flaws Mechanics, usage, punctuation, and spelling errors are frequent

D: Developing (279-240) Content indicates superficial or illogical discussion of topic and lacks clear focus or direction Introduction and lead are minimal or choppy: may not follow V format or transition into thesis Thesis is unclear, vague, or general; may state a fact without offering any analysis Main Points are unclear, un-analytical, missing, or unrelated to thesis statement Commentary lacks depth and insight and may emphasize summary; may feel monotonous or irrelevant Concrete details are frequently missing and/or do not relate to main points or thesis; do not blend with commentary Conclusion is ineffective or insufficient; demonstrates no synthesis of ideas Transitions are frequently missing; flow throughout is choppy and ideas are unorganized Language and voice are conversational or overly casual and do not recognize audience MLA format and citations are extremely flawed or missing Works Cited page is extremely flawed or missing Mechanics, usage, punctuation, and spelling errors may hinder comprehension F: Emergent (239-0) Paper is missing multiple essay components, such as lead, thesis, paragraph structure, or conclusion Ideas lack organization or development; may be loosely connected Transitions are missing; no evidence of purposeful organization of ideas Conclusion is minimal or absent Content and paragraph structure components are missing throughout Voice and style are absent; vocabulary is limited MLA citations are missing Works Cited page is missing Mechanics, usage, punctuation, and spelling errors hinder comprehension

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Whats In a Name?

Theme: How people acknowledge or fail to acknowledge differences among human beings especially considering the single stories that are often the only known representations of certain groups of people.

Ian Cossman Ms. Wilson AP Literature & Composition 13 January 2014

I have read and understand the sections in the Student Handbook regarding Mason High School's Honesty/Cheating Policy. By affixing this statement to the title page of my paper, I am certifying that I have not cheated or plagiarized in the process of completing this assignment. If it is found that cheating and/or plagiarism did take place in the writing of this paper, I understand the possible consequences of the act, which could include a "0" on the paper, as well as an "F" as a final grade in the course

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When we are first introduced into the world, the first thing we are given, that we will keep until even after we have passed on, is a name. A name that we will be called by from our friends, families, enemies, and even by strangers who know someone else who carries the same title. Across the world, scattered throughout nations and cultures are individuals, each with their own stories, families, and most importantly, their own names. In the novels Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri, the play M. Butterfly by David Hwang and the poems "Identity Card" by Mahmoud Darwish and "The Latin Deli: An Ars Poetica" by Judith Ortiz, the authors portray several different cultures throughout the twentieth and twenty-first century, and all of them, while focused on many topics, they are centered on the concepts of identity, and what it is that makes an individual truly an individual. Even though the authors and the stories they tell come from a variety of different backgrounds - gender, religious and political beliefs, ethnicity - they all struggle with the concept of a name and the power it holds. A name will outlive anything a person ever carries, and is therefore, the strongest possession of identity they can ever hold. Even if the name changes, people will always be remembered by the names or titles they have carried with them throughout life. Zora Neale Hurston died in 1960, yet her name and even a named (Vergible) she penned in one of her novels - and her works have only grown more powerful in fame over time. Her novel Their Eyes Were Watching God is much a bildungsroman, with the titular character Janie spending the novel trying to discover who she is and what she

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wants. She finds this in the man Tea Cake, her third husband, whose "mama gimme [the name] Vergible Woods" (Hurston 97) which Tea Cake is short for. Janie jokingly says that must be because he is sweet like one. Researching the meanings of the names from meaning-ofnames.com/ of her husbands show that the first, Logan, means hollow; the second is Jody Starks,

where Starks means severing individual; Vergible Woods, has no discernable meaning, as Vergible is a penned name, however, Woods as a last name means - besides the obvious - a mad or eccentric individual, and even though he was sweet to Janie, he beat her and even died as a result of succumbing to vicious rabies. Janie's name is apt for her, as it means 'a gift from God' and she truly believes that people, "got tuh go tuh God, and they got tuh find out about livin' fuh theyselves" (Hurston 192). The importance of name meanings does not stop simply with Janie's story. Nikhil 'Gogol' Ganguli of Jhumpa Lahiri's The Namesake spends much of his adolescence hating on his, pet name turned good name and last name turned first name and actually changes his name from Gogol to Nikhil as soon as he turns 18 (Lahiri 101). It should come as somewhat of a surprise that Nikhil means complete, as he later regrets his decision after he discovers the origin of his naming. At first, he finds that being Nikhil, "[makes] it easier to ignore his parents" but after the passing of his father and his wife's willingness to share the story of his name change, he comes to the conclusion that, "Without people in the world to call him Gogol... [Gogol will] cease to exist" (Lahiri 105, 289). Unlike the graves he scratched over with paper and crayon as a kid, his grave will not read Gogol, but Nikhil, and only his family and closest friends will ever know that he went by that name, and those with a title are often thought in higher regard to those with a lesser title even if they are great deal less impressive. A title provides comfort in that it shares all you need to know in its name. When Rene Gallimard in David Hwang's M. Butterfly met the 'girl' of his dreams starring in his favorite opera, he could

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see her as nothing else, besides his butterfly. Even when confronted with the fact that Lilly Song was a man, Gallimard chose to stick with "fantasy" even after he knew the difference of, "fantasy from reality" (Hwang 3.2.158-159). Gallimard had spent twenty years believing in the idea that a 'Butterfly' could exist for him, and when confronted with the truth, it was too much for him to simply come to accept the lies he had lived with for so long, so he would rather choose embarrassment and death than life as a lie. When Janie was married to Jody Starks, she was not called Janie by the other members of Eatonville, but rather, she was referred to as Mrs. Mayor Starks (Hurston 43). She was no longer her own individual, but an object owned by Jody, much like Gallimard was owned by Song and his own fantasy. These titles became more powerful than the person they were owned by, as both Janie and Gallimard were entrapped by them until a major change took place Jodys death for Janie and the realization that Song was a man for Gallimard. All three characters, representatives of very different cultures, all show that names/titles can be seen reflected in the individual they are for. Gogol felt more like a man and more independent when he changed his name to Nikhil and Janie was imprisoned when she became to be known as Mrs. Mayor Starks because the names were representative of how others would see them. Nikhil was a mans name, and Mrs. Mayor Starks was the name of someone owned by a man. People own and have control over names as much as names do over them. Cultures have many different names for the same thing. God has many different connotations in several different religions and cultures, such as Yahweh, Elohim, Jehovah, Allah, and several hundred others. Yet, this God that is worshipped by the family down the street is the same God that is worshipped by the Muslim family in Saudi Arabia. Different cultures are brought together by what they have in common, even if the wording or spelling is different. Two people will be brought together more by what they have in common than separated by what is

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different between them. As Thomas C. Foster points out in his chapter on communion, whenever people are engaged in the taking in of substances into their body, it is "communion", and while his students may have, "one and only one meaning" for communion, "it is not the only one" (Foster 8). While names can take on many different meanings, they are not the only one there. Much like the fact that the last name Woods can stand for a mad or eccentric person, it could also be a reference to a person with a mysterious past, or even take on a completely different meaning; it is not limited to only one interpretation. The story Cathedral by Raymond Carver, as explored by Foster, tells the tale of a man who despite all his bigotry towards minorities, the disabled, and others, is having a blind man over for dinner. It is only after seeing the blind man eat, "competent, busy, hungry, and well, normal" that the protagonist begins to see that the blind man is exactly like he, the only difference being that he cannot see (Foster 10). Much like different cultures have different names for God, they have different names for food, friends, practices, yet they are all essentially the same besides the different pronunciation. Mahmoud Darwish even provides two different translations for his infamous "Identity Card" poem he wrote in 1964. Darwish's poem is about expulsion and isolation, a feeling that can be felt by everybody, and he speaks of eating his "usurper's flesh" if he becomes "hungry", speaking of it as a meal that others with similar interests would take part in if given the opportunity (Darwish 514). He brings up an important point not covered by Foster; if communion can be made over mutual anger as well. A common interest is a common interest, and if that happens to be anger over expulsion then let the hungry and angry or as some would say, hangry come together over that! Darwish does not refer to himself by name in the poem, simply stating that he is an "Arab", who has a "name without a title!" (Darwish 514). In this aspect, he recognizes the irony of such a statement. He is a stereotypical aggressive Arab and his name is of no importance; better to call

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them all Arabs than to give them names and feel empathetic towards their struggle. It is harder to connect with someone who is defined by a generic term or story than it is with someone who has a name, a family, a personal story to share. However, sometimes it feels easier to connect with a person(s) when it is known what type of culture they come from. Unlike Darwish, who seeks to show the fragility of stereotypes, poet Judith Cofer uses stereotypes in her "The Latin Deli: An Ars Poetica" when describing several different Latino groups who bond in America over their similarities. Her poem speaks of a collective mix of Latino people mingling in a Latin deli, and their shared interests, like the "Merengues" which were everybody's "childhood [candy]" (Cofer 141). Here, the word Merengues is known to all the people around, even if they grew up in a different culture, and is known to be a delicacy. There is also the "Patroness of Exiles" who is only referred to as "her" throughout the rest of the poem, who "smiles understanding" to all those who pass by her (Cofer 141). This nameless women is known only as her to the customers she keeps, for she is not one person, but a recognizable figure to all those in the community. Some may know her as a mother, a wife, a store-keeper, but they are all the same woman, and her actions shall be remembered when her name is mentioned by those who remember it. The concept of identity is something that has existed since the beginning of time, from when people had names as exquisite as Marcus Aurelius to something as simple nowadays as Joe Smith. People may not be able to tell of all the great feats among Nicolai Machiavelli, Napoleon Bonaparte, or Nikola Tesla, but they will all be able to tell you that they are very important people in terms of history. Unlike people, which are just skin and bones, words are ideas that last as long as there are people who understand them. Much like how the king and the pauper share the same grave in the dirt when they pass on, their names shall carry different weight throughout time. While they share the same place in death, in remembrance they are different. When people

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speak of the king, they may say how he was ruthless, frugal, or great; whereas when they speak of the pauper, they may say how he was humble, empathetic, or a cheat. People will only ever remember some of a persons actions, but their name is what they shall always be remembered by throughout time. People may go through life living in different places, and having different beliefs, but they will always have a name that they are remembered by, and that unique set of words that they own can never be taken away from them. A name is the definition of an identity, because with each name comes a set of traits that it represents, and it will stay long after the person owning it is gone, and it will stay until language is no more.

Works Cited Foster, Thomas. How to Read Literature Like a Professor. 1st ed. New York: HarperCollins, 2003. Print. Hurston, Zora. Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York: First Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 1937. Print. Hwang, David. M. Butterfly. New York: DRAMATISTS PLAY SERVICE INC., 1988. Print. Jago, Carol, Renee Shea, Lawrence Scanlon, and Robin Aufses. Literature & Composition: Reading - Writing - Thinking. 11th ed. Bedford, 2010. Print. Lahiri, Jhumpa. The Namesake. New York: Houghton Mufflin Company, 2003. Print. Meaning of Names. Swigity, LLC, 13 Jan 2014. Web. 13 Jan 2014. <http://www.meaning-ofnames.com/>.