AP® English Literature and Composition Sample Student Responses and Scoring Commentary Set 1 - Literary Argument Question 3 Scoring Guidelines

Sep 22, 2026

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2023 AP® English Literature and Composition Sample Student Responses and Scoring Commentary provides guidance for Free-Response Question 3: Literary Argument (6 points). It outlines what a high-scoring essay must do, including presenting a defensible thesis about a character’s intentional reinvention, using evidence, and explaining how evidence supports the argument. Detailed scoring criteria describe point decisions for thesis quality and for evidence and commentary, along with decision rules and example responses.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryPaper Templates

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time4 min

AccessFree to download

Question 3: Literary Argument (6 points)

Prompt requirements

Reporting Category scoring criteria

2023 AP® English Literature and Composition Sample Student Responsesand Scoring Commentary Set 1 Inside: Free-Response Question 3 5 Scoring Guidelines 5 Student Samples 5 Scoring Commentary © 2023 College Board. College Board, Advanced Placement, AP, AP Central, and the acorn logo are registered trademarks of College Board. Visit College Board on the web: [collegeboard.org](collegeboard.org). [AP Central is the official online home for the AP Program: apcentral.collegeboard.org](AP Central is the official online home for the AP Program: apcentral.collegeboard.org). Question 3: Literary Argument 6 points In many works of literature, characters choose to reinvent themselves for significant reasons. They may wish to separate from a previous identity, gain access to a different community, disguise themselves from hostile forces, or express a more authentic sense of self. Either from your own reading or from the following list, choose a work of fiction in which a character intentionally creates a new identity. Then, in a well-written essay, analyze how the character’s reinvention contributes to an interpretation of the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot. In your response, you should do the following: • Respond to the prompt with a thesis that presents a defensible interpretation. • Provide evidence to support your line of reasoning. • Explain how the evidence supports your line of reasoning. • Use appropriate grammar and punctuation in communicating your argument. | Reporting Category | Scoring Criteria | | | --- | --- | --- | | Row A
Thesis
(0–1 points) | 0 points
For any of the following:
• There is no defensible thesis.
• The intended thesis only restates the prompt.
• The intended thesis provides a summary of the issue with no apparent or coherent claim.
• There is a thesis, but it does not respond to the prompt. | 1 point
Responds to the prompt with a thesis that presents a defensible interpretation of the selected work. | | | Decision Rules and Scoring Notes | | | | Responses that do not earn this point:
• Only restate the prompt.
• Make a generalized comment about the selected work that doesn’t respond to the prompt. | Responses that earn this point:
• Provide a defensible interpretation of a character’s reinvention in the selected work.
OR
• Make a claim about how a character’s reinvention contributes to an interpretation of the work as a whole. | | | Examples that do not earn this point:
Restate the prompt
• “Literary characters often choose to reinvent themselves for significant reasons. These reasons vary but may stem from a desire to separate from a previous identity, gain access to a different community, hide from hostile forces, or express a more authentic sense of self.”
Do not respond to the prompt but make a generalized comment about the selected work
• “Great Expectations follows the story of a character who reinvents himself.”
• “Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew has become an increasingly controversial play in modern times.” | Examples that earn this point:
Provides a defensible interpretation
• “Gatsby reinvents himself as a wealthy, high-class man in order to win back Daisy’s love. This reinvention brings about the tragedy of the novel.”
• “In The House Behind the Cedars, Rena, a biracial woman, chooses to represent herself as white when moving to a new city. The anxiety she feels due to this decision reflects the nation’s identity crisis following the Civil War.”
• “Through the character of Mia Warren, Celeste Ng illustrates in Little Fires Everywhere that while reinvention is possible, one can never expect to completely escape the actions of the past.” | | | Additional Notes:
• The thesis may be more than one sentence, provided the sentences are in close proximity.
• The thesis may be anywhere within the response.
• A thesis that offers a defensible claim about the character’s

FAQs

What is the focus of AP® English Literature and Composition Free-Response Question 3?

The question asks students to choose a fiction work where a character intentionally creates a new identity, then analyze how that reinvention contributes to an interpretation of the work as a whole.

What must a response include to earn thesis points?

A response must present a defensible interpretation in a thesis that responds to the prompt. It should not merely restate the prompt or provide a generalized comment with no coherent claim.

How is evidence and commentary scored for Question 3?

Scores consider whether evidence is general or specific, whether it supports all claims in a line of reasoning, and whether commentary explains how the evidence supports that reasoning consistently.

Sep 22, 2026

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