Essay writing

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.