Subjects /English Literature /Assignments /

AP Success - AP English Literature: There Was Once...

This is a short story that features mostly dialogue; it was published by Margaret Atwood in 1992.

Source 1

There was once a poor girl, as beautiful as she was good,

who lived with her wicked stepmother in a house in the

forest.

5

-- Forest? Forest is passé, I mean, I've had it with all

this wilderness stuff. It's not a right image of our

society, today. Let's have some urban for a change.

-- There was once a poor girl, as beautiful as she was good,

10

who lived with her wicked stepmother in a house in the

suburbs.

-- That's better. But I have to seriously query this word

poor.

15

-- But she was poor!

-- Poor is relative. She lived in a house, didn't she?

20

-- Yes.

-- Then socio-economically speaking, she was not poor.

-- But none of the money was hers! The whole point of the

25

story is that the wicked stepmother makes her wear old

clothes and sleep in the fireplace –

-- Aha! They had a fireplace! With poor, let me tell you,

there's no fireplace. Come down to the park, come down to

30

the subway stations after dark, come down to where they

sleep in cardboard boxes, and I'll show you poor!

-- There was once a middle-class girl, as beautiful as she

was good –

35

-- Stop right there. I think we can cut the beautiful, don't

you? Women these days have to deal with too many

intimidating role models as it is, with what those bimbos in

the ads. Can't you make her, well, more average?

40

-- There was once a girl who was a little overweight and

whose front teeth stuck out, who –

-- I don't think it's nice to make fun of people's

45

appearances. Plus, you're encouraging anorexia.

Question 1

Multiple choice

In lines 5-7, the narrator's rejection of the forest setting in favor of an "urban" one serves primarily to:

introduce a satirical tone to the passage.
highlight the timeless nature of the story's theme.
emphasize the universality of the girl's experience.
underscore the modern setting of the narrative.
criticize the conventional settings in fairy tales.

Question 2

Multiple choice

The discussion about the girl's economic status in lines 13-22 primarily serves to:

debate the relevance of economic status in the narrative.
challenge societal perceptions of poverty.
provide background information on the girl's family.
establish the girl's resilience in facing hardships.
illustrate the stepmother's control over the girl.

Question 3

Multiple choice

The term "middle-class" in line 33 is used to:

demonstrate the characters' social mobility.
question the original portrayal of the girl's status.
illustrate a shift in the narrative's focus.
emphasize the relatability of the girl's situation.
contrast with the girl's previous described poverty.

Question 4

Multiple choice

The insistence on removing "beautiful" in line 36 suggests the narrator aims to:

address societal pressures on women.
critique the superficiality of physical descriptions.
challenge traditional beauty standards.
create a more relatable protagonist.
focus on the girl's character rather than appearance.

Question 5

Multiple choice

In lines 41-42, the revised description of the girl serves to:

undermine the girl's confidence and self-worth.
introduce humor into the narrative.
critique the societal emphasis on appearance.
highlight the subjectivity of beauty standards.
emphasize the narrative's shift towards realism.

Question 6

Multiple choice

The narrative's evolving description of the girl's living situation from lines 1 to 33 primarily reflects:

the narrator's uncertainty about the story's direction.
a shift towards a more modern and realistic setting.
a deepening understanding of her character.
a critique of traditional fairy tale elements.
a debate over the relevance of socioeconomic status.

Question 7

Multiple choice

The phrase "socio-economically speaking" in line 22 is used to:

challenge the initial portrayal of the girl as poor.
highlight the narrator's detached perspective.
provide a logical justification for reclassifying the girl's status.
introduce a technical analysis of the girl's situation.
contrast with the more emotional description that follows.

Question 8

Multiple choice

The exchange between the narrators in lines 16-31 primarily serves to:

highlight the subjective nature of storytelling.
debate the relevance of economic status in character development.
introduce a comedic element through their disagreement.
explore different perspectives on poverty.
illustrate a conflict between traditional and modern values.

Question 9

Multiple choice

The repeated revision of the girl's description throughout the passage primarily illustrates:

the fluidity of identity and classification.
the impact of societal norms on character portrayal.
a critique of storytelling clichés.
a shift in narrative focus from external to internal qualities.
the narrator's indecision.

Question 10

Multiple choice

The overall tone of the passage is best described as:

earnest, sincerely exploring the girl's character and circumstances.
nostalgic, longing for traditional fairy tale elements.
indifferent, showing a lack of concern for the story's coherence.
didactic, aiming to instruct the reader on societal issues.
satirical, critiquing conventional storytelling and societal norms.

Teach with AI superpowers

Why teachers love Class Companion

Import assignments to get started in no time.

Create your own rubric to customize the AI feedback to your liking.

Overrule the AI feedback if a student disputes.

Other English Literature Assignments

（2023·新高考Ⅱ卷）阅读下面的文字，完成下面小题。After reading "On the rainy River" through "How to Tell a True War Story,"After reading "The Man I Killed" through "Speaking of Courage," answer the follo Analysis of Janie's Identity Development in 'Their Eyes Were Watching God'Analysis of Symbolism in the Song's Watchtower Analysis of 'The Handmaid's Tale' Ending Analysis of 'Trifles' by Susan Glaspell (1916)Analyzing Complex Relationships in Thomas Hardy's The Mayor of Casterbridge Analyzing Setting in 'Claire of the Sea Light'Analyzing the Complex Portrayal of the Landlady in P. K. Page’s Poem Analyzing the Role of a Foil Character in Literature Answer the following after reading "Love" and "Spin"AP English Literature: Analysis of Nisi Shawl's 'Everfair'AP FRQ for Little Fires Everywhere AP FRQ For Little Fires Everywhere AP FRQ One Poetry: "The Myth of Music" by Rachel M. Harper AP LIT 2012 "Remembrance" Multiple Choice AP Literature Free Response Question #2: "Lucy"AP Literature FRQ: Major Jackson's Poem "Mighty Pawns"AP Literature – Literary Argument 2007 AP Literature – Prose Analysis 2023 Set #1 AP Literature – Prose Analysis 2023 Set #2 AP Lit Q1 "The Landlady"AP Poetry Essay "Shaving" by Richard Blanco AP Success - AP English Literature: Advice to a Prophet AP Success - AP English Literature: A Haunted House AP Success - AP English Literature: An Idle Fellow AP Success - AP English Literature: As I Lay Dying AP Success - AP English Literature: Azathoth AP Success - AP English Literature: Bleak House AP Success - AP English Literature: Calmly We Walk Through This April’s Day AP Success - AP English Literature: February (a cat poem)AP Success - AP English Literature: My Name (means hope)AP Success - AP English Literature Nature's Influence on Narratives AP Success - AP English Literature: Planetarium AP Success - AP English Literature Poetry Analysis: "Clocks and Lovers"AP Success - AP English Literature Poetry Analysis: Dover Beach AP Success - AP English Literature Poetry Analysis: "Elegy for Jane"AP Success - AP English Literature Poetry Analysis: John Crowe Ransom AP Success - AP English Literature Poetry Analysis: John Donne AP Success - AP English Literature Poetry Analysis: "Law Like Love"AP Success - AP English Literature Poetry Analysis: "Ogun"AP Success - AP English Literature Poetry Analysis: Percy Bysshe Shelly AP Success - AP English Literature Poetry Analysis: Robert Hayden AP Success - AP English Literature Poetry Analysis: "Storm Warnings"AP Success - AP English Literature Poetry Analysis: "The Unknown Citizen"AP Success - AP English Literature Poetry Analysis: Two Poems About Encountering Nature AP Success - AP English Literature Poetry Analysis: Two Poems About Stars AP Success - AP English Literature Poetry Analysis: Two Poems About the Coming of Spring AP Success - AP English Literature Poetry Analysis: Wilfred Owen