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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:

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

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

Question 3

Multiple choice

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

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

Question 4

Multiple choice

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

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

Question 5

Multiple choice

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

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

Question 6

Multiple choice

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

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

Question 7

Multiple choice

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

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

Question 8

Multiple choice

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

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

Question 9

Multiple choice

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

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

Question 10

Multiple choice

The overall tone of the passage is best described as:

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

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