In Jason Lambert’s AP Literature course, students explore writing prompts for the AP exam related to A Doll’s House, a three-act play written in 1879 by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen.
A Doll’s House portrays the disintegration of the marriage between Nora and Torvald Helmer in the wake of a major revelation. Nora, a seemingly frivolous housewife, has secretly been working to pay off a loan she took out illegally in order to save Torvald’s life.
One of the prompts for the 40 minute, free-response essay that students could be asked to write about at the exam in May 2022 is the following: “Many works of literature contain a character who intentionally deceives others. The character’s dishonesty may be intended either to help or to hurt. Such a character, for example, may choose to mislead others for personal safety, to spare someone’s feelings, or to carry out a crime. Choose a novel or play, such as A Doll’s House, in which a character deceives others. Then, in a well-written essay, analyze the motives for that character’s deception and discuss how the deception contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole.”
Advanced Placement (AP) examinations are exams offered in United States by the College Board and are taken each May by students. The tests are the culmination of year-long AP courses and may be accepted by colleges and universities as credit or placement criteria.
