A Comprehensive Guide to Unveiling the Secrets of Elevating Your Literary Essay Game
Literary text essay-based questions are tested in the English paper 3 in the secondary national examination. The paper requires the student to write two essays, one based on a compulsory literary text like Fathers of Nation (Novel) or The Samaritan (play), and the other one from an optional set book like An Artist of the Floating World (novel), A Silent Song and Other Stories (Anthology of short stories), or Parliament of Owls (play).
A literary essay in English should have the following parts:
a. The Introduction
b. The Body
c. The Conclusion
Let us examine each part and how to handle each part effectively as we strive for excellence in our essays.
The Introduction
This is the first part of the essay that gives a general idea of what is discussed in the essay. It earns a student two marks, and it must be in the first paragraph. It is through it that the examiner knows whether the question was understood or not.
The essay introduction performs the following functions:
- Gives the correct interpretation of the question, such as value, vice, outcome, or result from the given question.
- Attracts and retains the reader's attention.
When formulating the literary text essay introduction, the learner should avoid doing the following:
- Repeating the same phrases used in the question.
- Repeating part or the whole question.
- Defining words or terms used in the question.
- Writing or giving information not related to the question.
- Referring the reader to the content in the body by using expressions like, 'as it will be mentioned below.' These phrases, when used in the introduction, are just an indication that the learner has not understood the question.
How To Write A Set Book Essay Introduction
The following are some important points to consider when writing the set book essay introduction:
- It should be brief and in the first paragraph.
- It should address the full concerns of the question, that is, the student is expected to give the correct interpretation of the question. (value, vice, and outcome/result) must be demonstrated as highlighted in the question.
A good literary essay introduction can take any of the following formats:
a. General Introduction Format
This involves introducing the topic to the reader by stating what the topic is and giving some general background information. This format is discouraged since it does not have anything to do with the literary text the essay is based on.
For Instance:
When citizens elect selfish leaders, they end up suffering. Write an essay in support of this claim basing your illustrations on John Lara's The Samaritan.
Some leaders only care about their selfish interests. When such self-seeking leaders are elected, they abuse their powers and break the law with impunity. They engage in vices such as corruption, drug trafficking, murder, gang warfare, misappropriation of public funds, etc. The citizens who vote them in bear the brunt of such cruelty, lack of integrity, and inefficiency.
b. Contextualized Introduction Format
Unlike the general introduction which is based on general society observation, the contextualized introduction, on the other hand, is based on the literary text the question is derived from. It is considered to be the best way to introduce your essay since it is based on the examined text.
For Example:
Selfish leaders create many problems that affect citizens. Making reference to John Lara's The Samaritan, write an essay to support this statement.
Many issues facing citizens of Maracas Municipality are a creation of self-seeking leaders. Leaders like Mossi, Bembe, Jaden, Ramdaye, and Seymour lack consideration for the citizens and are only concerned with their own selfish ambitions. These result in many problems for the citizens.
Children suffer when their parents mistreat them. Write an essay to support this statement basing your illustrations on The Sins of the Fathers.
Rwafa exerts unwarranted pressure on Rondo, causing him grief, leaving him with bitter memories, and ruining his life. Surely, children endure misery when their parents treat them badly.
c. General and Contextualized Introduction Format
It involves joining the general introduction with the contextualized introduction. It is considered wasteful due to its redundancy.
For Example:
Seeking revenge results in more pain. Using illustrations from Fathers of Nations, write an essay to support this statement.
Sometimes we suffer at the hands of others. Usually, we feel the urge to get even or to retaliate. However, seeking revenge leaves one with more pain or anguish, as in the case of Professor Kimani and Engineer Tahir in Paul B. Vitta's Fathers of Nations.
Immoral people try to hide their misdeeds, but when the truth comes out, they face the consequences of their actions. Making reference to John Lara's The Samaritan, write an essay to support this statement.
Some people are dishonest or unethical. They go to great lengths to conceal their immorality or wicked deeds. Inevitably, the truth comes out, and they pay for their sins. Characters like Mossi, Jaden, and Bembe in The Samaritan learn this the hard way.
d. Outline Introduction Format
This is the detailed overview of what your essay will include, that is, it highlights the points to be discussed in the body of the essay. It is considered to be a very apt way of introducing the essay.
For Instance:
An individual's good qualities can attract admiration and love. Citing illustrations from Ninema by Vrenika Pather, write an essay to support this statement.
Ninema's exemplary attributes such as focusing on earning a living, treating all her customers with respect, handling customers masterfully, and the wisdom of running a family business make her the embodiment of magnificence, which earns her respect and warm approval from all and sundry at the market.
Take note that the above introduction simply states or outlines the points to be discussed in the body of the essay. Students who identify wrong points are not likely to score if they use this format.
e. Paraphrased Introduction Format
This involves using different words from those used in the question, that is, rewording/restating the question. It is considered to be the easiest to arrive at, and it creates appropriate paragraph cohesion.
For Example:
In some communities, marriage is regarded as a valued custom. Making reference to Abioseh Nicol's The Truly Married Woman, write an essay in support of this statement.
In most societies, marriage is considered important and beneficial. The society in The Truly Married Woman cherishes marriage, as seen in the story of Ayo and Ajayi. A married woman is proud and is respected more than a mistress.
The Structure of the Literary Text Essay Introduction
A good set book essay introduction should have the correct interpretation of the question using any of the above discussed introduction formats, the name of the literary text, and the name of the author to earn good marks.
For Instance:
Some of our past actions may cause us problems in the future. Making reference to Kazuo Ishiguro's An Artist of the Floating World, write an essay to support this statement.
Some of the things we did in the past may come back to haunt us in the future. Ono is deeply disturbed by some of his past actions as portrayed in Kazuo Ishiguro's An Artist of the Floating World.
The Literary Text Essay Body
The body of a set book essay should have at least four paragraphs, which enables a student to score a maximum mark. When formulating the essay body, one should avoid the following:
- Narrating the events as they break out in the literary text.
- Writing paragraphs that lack cohesion, that is, there is no relevant relationship among the sentences, illustrations, and even the whole paragraph to the examined question.
- Misquoting the text, writing points or things not in the set book, confusing names, or erroneous use of pronouns, which are viewed as textual errors.
- Joining more than one point in one paragraph.
The Structure of the Essay Based Body Paragraph
An effective literary text essay paragraph should have the following key components:
- Topic Sentence
- Supporting Sentences
- Concluding/Clincher Sentence
The Topic Sentence
This is the first sentence in each of the four paragraphs of the set book essay body that carries the main or key idea that the whole paragraph is going to address. It is the point of discussion in that paragraph and it is considered the direct answer to the question.
For Example,
"Seeking revenge results in more pain." Using illustrations from Fathers of Nations, write an essay to support this statement.
Sample 1
First, when Professor Kimani's wife runs off with a randy member of parliament, he seeks revenge but ends up in more anguish.Initially, Professor Kimani is a trailblazing tutor who joins the University of Nairobi as a high-flying senior lecturer in its Institute of Development Studies. He also marries a campus beauty, Asiya Omondi, before he becomes a professor. His woes begin when Walomu steals his wife. When Asiya tells him that she is leaving him for Walomu, he asks if it is for his money. Before, professors used to earn more than MPs. Now MPs earn a hundred times more and are also exempted from paying tax – a legal coup. Due to the recession, Professor Kimani is strapped for cash. He eats in a low-end restaurant and his car is down again. He will fix it when he gets his next salary. Asiya humiliates him when she asks him to quit teaching and join politics like Newborn Walomu, who now owns four cars unlike Kimani who only has a dying old Toyota. It is painful for the professor to lose his wife to a rowdy fellow and former junior colleague. After Tuni's death, Asiya loathes him and her hatred and gloom culminate when she quits their thirty-year marriage. She mocks him that Tuni would still be alive if he had a real car. He limply defends himself saying that Tuni did not die in their car. She is sixty when she leaves him. Kimani seeks revenge when he visits Walomu's office. He insolently refers to the MP as a fat baboon and even tries to physically assault him. The three blows miss and he even falls down. Instead of closure, Kimani suffers more pain. Walomu humiliates him by talking about statistics of "wife-stealing" in the USA, Britain and Greece. He also boasts about his three beautiful wives making Kimani appear like a green-eyed sore loser. Apart from this humiliation, Kimani is locked up for six months for assaulting a member of parliament. He is also demoted from the position of professor to senior lecturer for disgracing the university. Tuni's death, desertion by Asiya and mistreatment by the university test him hard. These three losses harden into a grudge. After his jail term, he is weary due to lack of sleep. He even decides to walk out of the teaching job, a post he had initially purposed to do for life. Surely, seeking vengeance may cause more harm than good and pepper salt on a wound.
Sample 2
"When someone is given too much power, they can abuse their position." Write an essay in support of this statement citing illustrations from A Man of Awesome Power.
Secondly, Tayyib al-Mahdi hastily punishes the radio announcer only because he is annoyed by his views. The announcer was expounding on promising developments expected in the future. This is after Tayyib al-Mahdi's memorable services were mistaken for an awakening of the state or outright renaissance. Tayyib al-Mahdi fills a gaping pothole, locks a dangerously hanging electrical box, removes a pile of rubbish and drains a sewer using his awesome power. In the past, such promises excited Tayyib only to leave him frustrated. Now that he has awesome power, Tayyib al-Mahdi is infuriated by the announcer's promises. He commands him to talk about what has been accomplished not the future. Tayyib al-Mahdi is overcome with fury and thoughtlessly punishes the man with a bout of incessant sneezing. He makes the man sneeze massively without warning. Then he sneezes abruptly - more emphatically. He sneezes uncontrollably until he could not complete a full sentence. Sneezes keep waylaying him so he chooses to play a recorded song "Walk Around and See". Al-Mahdi plans to censor mass media by stopping any talk that annoys him. He would make speakers that displease him sneeze spontaneously, emit shrill cries like women at a wedding, or suffer uncontrollable diarrhea. Tayyib al-Mahdi is intoxicated with an intense feeling of happiness and victory. He forgets his benevolent dreams. After acquiring power, he uses the power to ill effect by mistreating others.
Sample 3
"Using public funds to enrich oneself cannot bring true happiness." Write an essay in support of this statement, citing illustrations from John Lara's The Samaritan.
Jaden uses public funds to enrich himself but this does not give him true happiness. Justice Ian Jaden is the principal judge in Maracas Municipality. He has countless mistresses and relatives doing business with the municipal council (P69). Together with his mistress Ivy, he is involved in the grain scandal. He uses his position to compel Mossi to award Ivy a contract for killing rats and other rodents ravaging rice and cornfields in the municipality (P106). His company, Prime Orchard Farm, was rearing rats which were let loose into the farms. They would then kill and parade some but the whole idea was to undermine domestic production in order to increase demand for imported grains. Prime Orchard Farm is one of the largest corn importers in the municipality (P107). To Jaden, using his public office to amass a fortune for himself seemed a normal thing since everybody else was doing it. Litigants gave him money and he ruled in their favor. It worked and he accumulated wealth. He looked forward to retiring soon and enjoying the fruits of his labor. He is like the foolish rich man in the good book who also prepared to retire and enjoy his wealth (P112). Instead of enjoying, he suffers. He holds his stomach with both hands while bending down. He suffers from stomach ulcers and hallucinations. Mossi wants him to jail Ramdaye and his team but this puts Jaden in a dilemma because he helped some friends by making a biased ruling and they paid him by giving him shares in a company the municipal council is suing. He claims the ethos operating in society influences his thinking and action as a judge (P116). He does not enjoy true happiness even after amassing wealth. He has been tormented by the issue of the rodents. He has been seeing rats and other rodents running all over the place and he has been catching the awful smell of sewer rats which makes him want to throw up. His stomach aches. His ulcers have since worsened (P117). Justice Jaden crouches under the boardroom table when accosted by Tajo, the anti-corruption boss (P138). Together with others, he is handcuffed and bundled out by the police officers (P139). Truly, true happiness cannot be found by stealing public wealth.
The Supporting Sentences
These are the other sentences that come after the topic sentence with the aim of giving elaboration in order to build a strong argument in the essay. The information includes relevant background information, illustrations, values, vices, justifications, actions and the outcomes from the set book.
The learner should write these supporting sentences in such a way that the sentences are in line or related to the essay question and to do this the student must keep referring back to the question to remain on track and avoid writing points not meeting the question demands. At the same time, the student must be keen to quote the text from the literary text the way it appears or by paraphrasing. Note that these quotes and paraphrases should meet the demands of the question, not just quoting with no connection between them and the essay question.
Sample 1
For Example,
"The pursuit of success may force us to walk away from our mentor's influence." Write an essay to support this statement citing illustrations from Kazuo Ishiguro's An Artist of the Floating World.
In his pursuit of success, Ono is forced to walk away from his father's influence. Ono's father had a strong influence on him as a child. First, he influenced him to revere the reception room. Because of this influence, Ono also restricts his own children from carelessly entering the reception room to maintain its solemn atmosphere. Growing up, Ono was forbidden from entering the reception room until he was twelve. This restriction by his father inadvertently gives Ono an artist's eye. At the age of twelve, Ono's father makes him attend 'business meetings' once every week. The meetings were a solemn affair, with Ono's father trying to mentor him into the world of business, using jargon and lengthy calculations that Ono found difficult to comprehend. His tone was measured and grave. He had a 'business box' with small, fat notebooks filled with densely packed figures. A fearful Ono dreaded the meetings. His father was preparing him to inherit the family business. At fifteen, Ono's father endeavored to dissuade him from pursuing a career as an artist. He acknowledged that Ono was a skillful artist but added that his mother must be mistaken for thinking that Ono wished to take up painting as a profession. His father was worried that Ono was growing up to be slothful. As his parents, they had to combat his laziness and dislike for useful work. Otherwise, he would grow up to be a good-for-nothing. Ono's father did not want him to be an artist, most of whom lived in squalor and poverty, were weak-willed and depraved. He wanted to protect him and raise him to be someone they could be proud of. He went ahead and burned Ono's paintings. This, however, kindled Ono's ambitions. The meetings disgusted Ono. He abhorred counting loose change and fingering coins. Later, Ono moved away from his home and started living and working as an artist in the Furukawa district. He worked as a painter in Master Takeda's firm. Ono became a successful and acclaimed artist. He was one of Master Takeda's best students. He won many awards, the most remarkable one being the Shigenta Foundation Award in May of 1938. Many people including his colleagues and a chief of police congratulated him and paid him respect. He had overcome the doubts and his hard work had been worthwhile. This gave him a deep sense of satisfaction and triumph for even after disregarding his father's advice and influence, he achieved success.
How to Write the Conclusion of a Literary Text Essay
A conclusion is the last paragraph of the literary text essay. It can either be:
- Briefly reviewing the main points raised in the body of the essay by outlining them. (Note: no new point should be introduced here, nor should any explanation of the points be given, since it has already been done in the body.)
- Summarizing the essay question by using a relevant proverb or wise saying.
- To point out that you are writing a conclusion, you should use transitional words like, 'In conclusion...', 'In summary...', 'To sum up...'.
For Instance,
Sample 1
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