Essay responses are
required of students studying Literature. This means that the examiner expects
a piece of writing that demonstrates a smooth flow and is written with an
excellent level of grammar and well- developed paragraphs. The question on the
exam paper may be broken up in sections labeled a),b),c) to help guide
students, but these letters should not be written in the response.
An essay should have an
introduction, body(usually 3 or more paragraphs) and a conclusion.
Tips for students:
·
Read essay questions carefully, making
sure you understand what is required.
·
Check that you have answered each part
of the question.
·
Be guided by the mark allocation when
considering how much time you send on each section.
·
Read over your response to correct any
obvious errors.
Essay introduction
This will give a
general overview as to what your response will be, the title of the text and
the author should be mentioned here. Your last sentence in this paragraph will
be your thesis statement. The thesis statement will state your
response or argument of two or three main points that will be answered in the
other paragraphs.
The body
If the question is
structured for you(a,b,c), you can use one paragraph for each section. If not,
you will have to plan how your points will be explained in the body paragraphs.
Don’t retell the story,
just select parts that are important to answering the question. Ensure your
opinion/response is not just the evidence from the text, but your own voice
discussing the issue. Transitional phrases should be included, especially when
moving to another paragraph.
Conclusion
Restate your thesis
statement in another. Support this by saying what you have discovered while
writing about the question. This should be a complete paragraph(about sentences).
Sample Literature Item
‘History can come alive
through Literature.’ Support this statement with evidence from the text ‘Sixty-
Five’ showing:
a) The
setting of the novella ( 5 marks)
b) The
main characters discussed in the novella (8
marks)
c) The
two causes and one effect of the conflict of rebellion that is supported in the
novel.(12 marks) Total 25 marks
Sample Response
1865 is an important year in Jamaica’s
history. The then, freed slaves, were unhappy with the treatment they were
receiving from the crown. The novel, Sixty- Five by V.S. Reid highlighted a rebellion that was caused by injustice
in Jamaica. Paul Bogle is one of the main characters of the novel, that is
known to many Jamaicans today as a national hero. Paul Bogle and George William
Gordon led a rebellion Morant Bay, Jamaica. History comes alive in the novel
through: setting, the development of the character Paul Bogle and the
development of the causes and effects of the Morant Bay Rebellion.
Sixty –Five
is set in the rural district of Stony Gut and the capital of St. Thomas, Morant
Bay. At that time, Stony Gut was a dry place. A drought was on the land, and it
cause the market to be bad. Also, during the summer of 1865, the people of
Stony Gut were increasingly upset with the poor lands, taxes and the injustice
of the laws, that they sought conference
with Governor Eyre. However, Eyre
refused to see them. This left them upset and tensions grew in Stony Gut as the
drought lingered. After this disappointment, Paul Bogle become more steadfast
in giving the poor people of Jamaica justice and equality.
In chapter one of the novella, Japheth and
Queenie are eager to hear Grandpa’s discussion on the latest plans of Paul
Bogle. Grandpa Joe seemed to disagree with Bogle’s plan to march to Morant Bay.Paul
Bogle was portrayed as a stubborn leader, as he did not listen to the advice
given by Grandpa Joe and in the face of defeat still tried to match the
Militia, who were more armed. He used his leadership position, as a deacon of
the Baptist church, to influence the parishioners to join him in his march to
the court house. He also led them, as they burnt and destroyed many places
including the Morant Bay Court House. History records this as true, but seeing
the destruction from Japheth’s point-of- view, made the scene frightening and
real.
The causes of the rebellion made
understandable because of how the events are portrayed. One cause of the
rebellion was the long drought in the country. As a result, farmers were made
making a living and the author showed how long their faces were on market day.
The second cause of the rebellion is the injustices of the poor. The court case
of the Stony Gut man in October 1865, is an example, as he was given a trial
with a judge who usually sides with the planters and charged a fine that was
too high for his deed. Consequently, when the rebellion broke out, Martial Law
was placed on the area, so soldiers killed many civilians, who were not
involved in the uprising.
History came alive because of the author’s clever
way of characterization, setting and development of plot. The novella causes
the reader to question, why Paul Bogle was named national hero, especially he
seemed to have led foolishly. It causes the reader to wonder what would have
been the outcome for Jamaicans, if Grandpa Joe’s advice was followed. The
novella also showed that children were affected by the rebellion, like the
characters Japheth and Queenie. In these ways, History came alive through
Literature.
