AP English Literature and Composition Quiz: Function Of Personification Short Fiction

Read the following excerpt from a short story about a student waiting outside the principal's office after being accused of cheating: "The hallway was clean in the way hospitals are clean—too bright, too sure of itself. He stared at the trophy case, where years of victories stood in neat rows, polished into obedience. Somewhere behind the door, adults spoke in low, careful voices. He tried to steady his breathing, but his backpack strap cut into his shoulder like a reprimand. The bell rang at the far end of the corridor, and the lockers held their breath, metal faces shut tight, as if they didn't want to be caught listening." What is the function of the personification in the bolded phrase?

Read the excerpt about a cook working alone after closing: "He scraped the grill until it shone, the way his father used to insist. The dining room chairs were upside down on tables, legs in the air like surrendered arms. The last customers' laughter still clung to the walls in faint smudges. He swept slowly, making neat lines in the crumbs. In the quiet kitchen, the sink complained as he ran the water, a thin, metallic groan that sounded like judgment." What is the function of the personification in the bolded phrase?

Read the excerpt in which a couple tours a house they cannot afford: "The realtor's heels clicked in confident rhythms across the hardwood. The rooms smelled of lemon polish and possibility. He kept his hands in his pockets so he wouldn't touch what wasn't his. In the kitchen, the granite counters shone like calm water, and the stainless-steel appliances reflected their faces, slightly warped. In the master bedroom, the walk-in closet yawned, greedy and bright, offering space they could never justify." What is the function of the personification in the bolded phrase?

Read the excerpt in which a woman walks through a city during a heat wave: "The sidewalks shimmered as if they were trying to become water. Cars crawled along, their paint sweating in the sun. Even the pigeons moved with offended slowness, as though flight were an unreasonable request. She crossed an intersection and felt the heat rise from the asphalt, wrapping her ankles. Above her, the sky glared, hard-eyed and impatient, daring anyone to complain." What is the function of the personification in the bolded phrase?

In this excerpt, a boy stands at the edge of a swimming pool, afraid to jump: "The water looked darker than it had yesterday, a sheet of blue that refused to show what it held. His friends shouted encouragement from the shallow end, their voices sharp with impatience. He curled his toes over the tile and tried to remember how it felt to be brave without thinking. The air smelled of chlorine and sunscreen. The pool waited, calm and expectant, as if it knew he would have to decide." What is the function of the personification in the bolded phrase?

In this excerpt, a boy sits in the backseat while his parents argue in the front: "The windshield wipers moved back and forth with mechanical devotion, though the rain had slowed to a drizzle. His father's hands tightened on the wheel; his mother stared straight ahead, jaw set. The radio played softly, a song about summer that didn't belong in November. The boy counted passing streetlights to keep from listening. The car's interior swallowed their words, upholstery and glass turning anger into a muffled, private storm." What is the function of the personification in the bolded phrase?

Read the excerpt in which a woman waits in a hospital parking lot for updates: "The lot was nearly full, cars packed close as if seeking comfort. She sat with the engine off, hands cold on the steering wheel. The building's windows glowed with a steady, indifferent light. Every time the automatic doors opened, a gust of conditioned air spilled out and vanished. She watched families cross the pavement in small, hurried groups. The hospital rose over her, unsmiling, guarding its answers, and she fought the urge to run inside." What is the function of the personification in the bolded phrase?

Read the excerpt in which a woman revisits the beach where she once scattered her father's ashes: "The sand was cooler than she remembered, and it clung to her shoes as if it had claims on her. The tide came in with a soft insistence, erasing footprints with practiced mercy. She walked to the rock where they had stood, her mother's hand locked around her wrist. Now the air tasted of salt and sunscreen. The ocean sighed, old and knowing, as if it had been carrying everyone's secrets for centuries." What is the function of the personification in the bolded phrase?

Read the excerpt in which a woman listens to voicemail messages from her late aunt: "She found the old phone in a drawer, wrapped in a tangle of chargers that no longer fit anything. When it powered on, the screen glowed weakly, like a small animal waking. She navigated the menu with trembling thumbs until the first message played: her aunt's voice bright, casual, alive. She pressed the phone to her ear as if closeness could change time. The speaker carried the voice tenderly, refusing to let it fall." What is the function of the personification in the bolded phrase?

In the following excerpt, a college student studies late in a dorm room: "My desk lamp made a small island of light, and beyond it the room dissolved into piled laundry and half-read books. The hallway's laughter leaked under the door in thin threads. I reread the same paragraph until the words blurred, and the textbook stared back at me, unimpressed, as if it had seen better versions of me before." What is the primary function of the bolded personification?

In the following excerpt, a young adult visits a city apartment they can barely afford: "The elevator smelled of bleach and old takeout, and it climbed with a slow reluctance. My key scraped the lock, a sound too loud for the narrow hallway. Inside, the rooms were clean but spare, the kind of emptiness that echoes. By the window, the radiator clanked and complained, as though it resented being asked to make this place livable." What is the primary function of the bolded personification?

In the following excerpt, a child waits in a hospital corridor while a parent is in surgery: "The chairs were bolted to the floor in a straight line, as if the building feared we might run. A television muttered to itself in the corner, and the vending machine glowed with indifferent candy. Every time the double doors swung, my heart lurched. Still, the fluorescent lights kept smiling down, too bright and too steady, refusing to admit anything could go wrong." What is the primary function of the bolded personification?

In the following excerpt, a narrator hikes alone at dawn after ending a relationship: "The trail climbed without apology. My phone had no service; it might as well have been a stone. At the ridge, the wind tugged at my sleeves, insistent as a friend who refuses to let you lie." What is the primary function of the bolded personification?

Read the excerpt in which a woman cooks a recipe from her grandmother's notebook: "The paper was thin and soft from handling, the ink faded into a careful slant. She set out flour and sugar like offerings. The kitchen filled with the warm scent of butter, and for a moment the room seemed to remember itself. She hesitated over the line that read 'a pinch of salt,' unsure whose fingers it meant. The recipe urged her on in a familiar voice, as if the margins still held her grandmother's patience." What is the function of the personification in the bolded phrase?

In this excerpt, a woman drives at night through fog: "The headlights carved two pale tunnels into the gray, and everything beyond them refused to exist. The radio hissed between stations like distant surf. She kept both hands on the wheel, knuckles tight, as if grip alone could hold the world steady. The road markings appeared and vanished in quick flashes. The fog pressed its face against the windshield, curious and insistent, and she fought the urge to stop." What is the function of the personification in the bolded phrase?

Read the excerpt in which a woman rides an elevator to a job interview: "The lobby smelled of expensive perfume and polished stone. She checked her resume one more time, though she knew it by heart. When the elevator arrived, its doors opened with a soft chime that felt too cheerful. Inside, mirrored walls multiplied her nervous posture. As the numbers lit up one by one, the elevator climbed with practiced confidence, carrying her upward as if fear were just another floor to pass." What is the function of the personification in the bolded phrase?

Read the excerpt in which a man waits at a laundromat after his partner moves out: "The machines spun with relentless patience, swallowing quarters and returning damp, warm bundles that smelled like borrowed time. He sat under a flickering sign that advertised soap, though the letters were missing and the promise looked tired. A child ran between rows, laughter skimming the tile. He stared at his own clothes turning behind the glass. The dryer thumped like a stubborn heart, refusing to let the room forget it was there." What is the function of the personification in the bolded phrase?

Read the excerpt in which a boy watches his mother prepare for a job interview: "She ironed her blouse with slow care, pressing out wrinkles the way she pressed down panic. The apartment smelled of steam and hairspray. He sat at the table, swinging his legs, trying not to ask what would happen if she didn't get it. When she checked the time, her face tightened. In the corner, the suit jacket waited with stiff politeness, as if it belonged to someone who knew how to speak in boardrooms." What is the function of the personification in the bolded phrase?

Read the excerpt in which a woman plants a garden after a difficult year: "She dug until her palms ached, the dirt dark and cool beneath her nails. The yard had been neglected, weeds tall as excuses. She pulled them up in long, satisfying strands, and the ground opened in small, willing patches. She tucked seeds into the soil with careful fingers and covered them gently. The earth accepted the seeds like a promise, quiet and patient, and she stood for a moment, breathing." What is the function of the personification in the bolded phrase?

Read the excerpt in which a child waits for his father to come home from a late shift: "He sat on the rug with his toy cars lined up in a disciplined row. The television played quietly, but the laughter sounded canned and distant. Every few minutes he looked toward the hallway, expecting footsteps that didn't arrive. The clock above the mantel moved with steady cruelty. The front door kept its secrets, solid and blank, no matter how hard he stared." What is the function of the personification in the bolded phrase?