Re: Departmental exam(another sample essay)

“War can have a severe impact on any country.” Based on The Silver Sword:

a) Describe the impact the war on Warsaw

    and Germany. (7 marks)

b) Explain its impact on one of the

    protagonists in the novel. ( 9 marks)

c) Explain how the character overcomes the 

   challenges presented by the war. (9 marks)

Content: 25 marks

Expression: 10 marks

Total: 35 marks

The Silver Sword, written by Ian Serraillier, shows the devastating impact that war can have on a country. In the story, Warsaw is a good example of this because the nazi invasion left the city in ruins. Public buildings, homes and other infrastructure were destroyed. In addition, families were separated leaving children orphaned and homeless, food was scarce and the atmosphere was bleak. When the children arrived in Berlin, they realised, the destruction was similar. It was also in ruins and full of refugees.
         The war did not only affect Warsaw and Berlin, but the protagonists as well. Ruth is one of the protagonists who was greatly impacted by the war. She had many responsibilities because the nazis had taken her parents and later Edek. This has made her more mature, responsible, assertive and wise. She had to take care of Bronia, her students, Jan and later Edek. In order to acquire paper, pencils, food and blankets, she demanded to see the lieutenant and even forced past Ivan to do so. Also, she was a disciplinarian who punished Jan for attacking and stealing from Ivan. finally, she shielded Bronia from the harsh realities of war by keeping her occupied with drawing, stories and play.
             Although Ruth faced many challenges as a result of the war, she was able to overcome them with the support of family and friends, and her determination to find her parents. After her parents were taken away, Edek provided shelter, furniture and their other needs. Jan also protected them and found food for them when Edek was captured. She received important information about her father and brother from Jan and Ivan. When she felt hopeless, the sight of the silver sword encouraged her. Although war can be devastating for countries and people, the challenges can be overcome with support from family and friends, hope and determination.

HERE ARE THE CRITERIA FOR YOUR ESSAYS:

1. Content:

1.      Is there any important information missing from paragraph one/part A of the question? If yes, what is missing?

2.      Is there any important information missing from paragraph two/part B of the question? If yes, what is missing?

3.      Is there any important information missing from paragraph three/part C of the question? If yes, what is missing?

2. Expression:

1.      Do the paragraphs follow the order of the question?

2.      Are there at least 5 sentences in each paragraph?

3.      How many spelling errors are there?

4.      Can you understand the sentences easily?

5.      Do all the subjects and verbs agree?

The Three Paragraph Essay:

Your essay must have at least three paragraphs, each of which should have between five and eight sentences.

1. The Introduction

a)      Identify the novel.

b)      Make a link between the novel and the question being asked.

c)      Thesis statement (What your essay will be about.

d)     Respond to part A of the question with at least three supporting points.

2. The Second Paragraph

      a)  Topic Sentence 

      b)  Respond to Part B of the question with at least three supporting points.

3. The Conclusion/ The Third Paragraph

     a) Topic Sentence

     b)  Respond to Part C of the question with at least three supporting points.

                 c)  Restatement of Thesis

Re: Departmental exam(sample essay)

Check to ensure that the following sample essay has all the following elements of the Three Paragraph Essay.

Your essay must have at least three paragraphs, each of which should have between five and eight sentences.

1.     The Introduction

a)     Identify the novel.

b)    Make a link between the novel and the question being asked.

c)     Thesis statement (What your essay will be about.

d)    Respond to part A of the question with at least three supporting points.

2.     The Second Paragraph

      a)  Topic Sentence 

      b)  Respond to Part B of the question with at least three supporting points.

3.     The Conclusion/ The Third Paragraph

     a) Topic Sentence

     b)  Respond to Part C of the question with at least three supporting points.

               c)  Restatement of Thesis

“In times of difficulty, we are frequently forced to rely on the help of strangers, who sometimes become family.” Based on The Silver Sword:

a)     Describe the difficult situation that the Balicki children face. (6 marks)

b)    Identify and explain how three characters (except Jan) have helped the children. (9 marks)

     c)     Explain Jan the role Jan plays in the novel and how he becomes a part of the family. (10 marks)   

In times of hardship, we are frequently forced to rely on the help of strangers, who sometimes become family. In many ways, The Silver Sword, by Ian Serraillier, relates to this statement as the Balicki family face separation, homelessness and starvation. In the novel, the Balicki children, Bronia, Ruth and Edek, are forced to fend for themselves with the loss of their father, Joseph Balicki, and mother, Margrit Balicki. They had to steal from the Nazis, with the help of Jan to survive. They had to live in a bomb shell and were forced to live underground, because their home was destroyed by the Nazis. Now the Balicki children must now instill effort to find their parents in Switzerland.

During the Balicki children’s endeavour, they met up with many kind people. The most outstanding were the two Wolff (husband and wife)and the Russian lieutenant, Ivan. The first helper that the young Balickis met was Ivan. They met him in Warsaw after the Russians had taken over. He provided food, shoes and other things to keep them occupied. Ruth, Bronia and Edek met the Wolffs when sleeping in Mr. Wollff’s barn. He and his wife provided food, clothes, work and shelter, and even helped them to escape the Burgomaster. Another person who helped the Balickis tremendously is the soup kitchen chef who helped the Balickis when a large fight had occurred, by helping to return everything to order and replenish Jan’s soup.

The person who helped the children the most was Jan. he was a young orphan. He played an important role in the story. He helped them in many ways; he assisted them in finding their parents, he stole food for them and helped them to find shelter. Jan was also the one who guided them through the storm.  He became a part of the family because of how close he was to the children, and because of his helpfulness. Even though Jan was jealous of Edek, edek accepted him into the family as he took good care of his sisters. Jan has proven that strangers can become our family too.

*this is a combination of several students' essays*

Re: Departmental exam

Summary of Content (My father, Sun-sun Johnson)

1. The novel is written from a first-person narrative perspective. The narrator is Rami, Sun-Sun Johnson’s son.
2. It is set in a rural farming community.
3. The story outlines Sun-Sun’s demise as he loses his wife, two of his children, his farm and much of his wealth. Sun-Sun is criticized as being careless with money (gambling and spending), too generous and naïve. However, some causes of his demise were out of his control, for example, the accident with the tractor, crop failure and dishonest workers. Jake takes advantage of this to takeover Robin Hill. However, once Sun-Sun leaves Robin Hill to River Bottom, he slowly rebuilds his wealth and regains the respect of the communities and his wife. The sacrifice of his life to save Jake is a significant show of kindness that is characteristic of him.

 

Characterization

Types of characters:

1. Main/major characters are vital to the development and resolution of the conflict. In other words, the plot and resolution of conflict revolves around these characters.
2. Minor characters serve to complement the major characters and help move the plot events forward.
3. The protagonist is the central person in a story, and is often referred to as the story's main character. He or she (or they) is faced with a conflict that must be resolved. The protagonist may not always be admirable, but s/he must command involvement on the part of the reader, or better yet, empathy.
4. The antagonist is the character(s) (or situation) that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend. In other words, the antagonist is an obstacle that the protagonist must overcome.
5. A foil is any character (usually the antagonist or an important supporting character) whose personal qualities contrast with another character (usually the protagonist). By providing this contrast, we get to know more about the other character.

Identify an example of each of the following types of characters. Use characters from both My father, Sun-Sun Johnson and The Silver Sword.