Essay-writing tips: Question B
(b) Look again at the extract starting near the top of page 94 with Mickey’s words, “I didn’t sort anythin’ out” and ending on page 96 with the stage direction that Mickey disappears with the gun. (For those using the new 'red-backed' edition, the extract begins on page 100 and ends on page 103.)
With reference to the ways Russell presents the events in the extract and events elsewhere in the play, show who you think is most to blame for the deaths of the twins.
Before you start writing your essay, you should spend five or ten minutes reading the extract and planning what you will write. Think about how you can break down your answer into logical paragraphs.
A good approach to begin with is to highlight any key terms which stand out for you.
In sample question (b) the key terms you must think about are ‘events in the extract’, ‘events elsewhere in the play’ and ‘who is most to blame for the death of the twins'.
Make sure you address each of these three areas and use the key terms throughout your essay. This helps to keep your answer focussed as you create your argument.
It is also important to include comments on the effects of how Russell uses language and techniques to present who is most to blame for the deaths of the twins.
Language and stylistic devices / dramatic techniques could include some of the following:
- division into acts and scenes
- stage directions
- use of some technical terms, eg expositionThe part of a narrative that sets the scene for the audience, for example giving the backstory of the characters or information about the setting., protagonistThe chief character in a novel, film or play., hero, minor character, denouement The final part of a narrative in which the strands of the plot are drawn together and matters are explained or resolved.
- cohesiveFitting together well to form a united whole. elements, eg repetition of words or ideas, climax, sequentialHappening in a logical order. ordering
- disjunctiveLacking any clear connection or consistency. elements, eg use of curtain, flashback, or anticipation of events
- asideA comment spoken either to the audience or another character that the rest of the characters cannot hear., soliloquyA dramatic device where a character in a play speaks his or her thoughts out loud. This allows the audience to know their true thoughts and feelings. None of the other characters are present., dramatic monologueA speech delivered by one character in a drama. The character may be speaking to the audience or to other characters., use of narrator, chorus
- tonal features, eg emphasis, exclamation
- interaction through dialogue and movement
- use of punctuation to indicate delivery of lines, eg interruption, hesitation, turn-taking, listening
- reportageA dramatic technique where a character brings new information to the play’s other characters – and sometimes to the audience too.
- vocabulary choices
- staging, set, lighting, use of properties
- costume and music effects
You should use short quotations to support your ideas. You will also be given marks for paraphrasing parts of the book and referring to specific events, as this shows your knowledge of the text.