Prose Forms: Fables and Parables

Today in class we continued our study of the synthesis essay by reviewing previously administered AP English Language and Composition exams.

In the Norton reader, we read page 1110 - 1111 for notes on the purposes behind Fables and Parables. Essentially, the audience is left to figure out the "lesson" or "moral" of the story for themselves. The introduction to this section also raises some additional interesting questions. For example: In a fable or parable, which is more important--the story or the message? Why is the moral hard to extract? Why are their unanswered questions? What/Who are the important symbols of the narrative?

According to the reading, "writers will verge continually on strict prose narrative, but through skill and tact they can preserve the essayists' essential commitment to the definition and development of ideas in relation to experience."

Together, we read Aesop's "The Frogs Desiring a King." We discussed the moral of the fable as well as unanswered questions we may have had and symbols Aesop used to make his point. Additionally, we discussed the symbolism of the various animals in the fable. Remember that we are studying these religious text from a literary standpoint only. Keep this in mind when you are analyzing the text.

Homework:
Read the following fables/parables..
1. Plato's "The Allegory of the Cave" (1112-1115)
2. Jesus Christ's "The Ten Virgins" (1116)
3. Jesus Christ's "The Ten Talents" (1116-1118)
4. Jesus Christ's "The Prodigal Son" (1118-1119)
...and list the following:
1. The purpose/lesson/moral
2. One unanswered question
3. Two important symbols. For each, identify the symbol, it's symbolism, and explain how that symbol helped convey the author's purpose.
4. One additional rhetorical strategy effectively used by the author to convey the purpose. Identify the strategy and evaluate its effectiveness in relation to the purpose.