AP LIT Cram
Death of Salesman
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"We have never told the truth for ten minutes in this house." (Said by Biff in an outrage
towards his father Willy
Biff uses it to confront Willy's relentless pursuit of the American Dream and his failure to
see the reality of their lives and the limitations of their family's circumstances.
-​ Symbolism (The Seeds)
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"Nothing’s planted. I don’t have a thing in the ground."​
— Act 2
Willy’s desperation to plant seeds symbolizes his need to leave behind a legacy,
especially as he feels his life has been fruitless and unproductive.
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-​ Imagery (The House/City Encroachment)
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“The way they boxed us in here. Bricks and windows, windows and bricks.”​
— Act 1
This visual imagery of confinement reflects the loss of the American Dream, with Willy’s
once-proud home now dwarfed by urban development.
Gatsby
-​ Symbolism (The Green Light)
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"He stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way, and, far as I
was from him, I could have sworn he was trembling. Involuntarily I glanced
seaward—and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far
away, that might have been the end of a dock."​
— Chapter 1
This quote symbolizes Gatsby’s hopes and dreams, particularly his longing for Daisy and
the future he envisions with her.
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-​ Imagery (The Parties)
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"In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the
whisperings and the champagne and the stars."​
— Chapter 3
The vivid sensory imagery—color, movement, sound, taste, and light—immerses the
reader in the surreal, lavish world of Gatsby’s parties.