Prompt 01
Essay task
AP LanguageAP LiteratureCommon Core ElaIB English
Argue that Hidden Figures illustrates how systemic racial and gender discrimination in mid-twentieth-century America both impeded and ultimately failed to diminish the intellectual contributions of Black women mathematicians at NASA. In your essay, provide specific evidence from the text to support a clear claim about how Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, and their colleagues navigated — and helped dismantle — institutional barriers to achieve recognition and propel the U.S. space program forward.
Guiding Questions to Consider
- How does Shetterly employ the personal stories of her subjects to shed light on wider social and political structures?
- In what ways do the women of Hidden Figures meet, challenge, or defy the expectations imposed on them by their race and gender?
- What role does meritocracy play in the narrative — is it depicted as a reality, a myth, or something more nuanced?
- How does Shetterly's narrative voice influence the reader's perception of these women as both historical figures and real individuals?
Requirements
- Craft a focused, arguable thesis in your introduction.
- Back up your argument with at least three pieces of textual evidence, including direct quotes.
- Consider at least one counterargument or alternative perspective.
- Conclude by linking your argument to a broader theme relevant to American history or social justice.
Suggested length
4–6 paragraphs (approximately 600–900 words)